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The Anatomy of an MMA Show, Part 4

In the fourth part of "The Anatomy of an MMA Show" series, Xtreme Fighting Championships President John Prisco discusses final preparations on the eve of Friday's big show in Tampa.

Find out what kind of last-minute headaches face nearly every promotion and promoter.

Also, following his open invitation from the third part of the series, Prisco now answers a handful of questions he received from MMAjunkie.com readers. Is the XFC worried about the UFC invading its turf? How do you deal with fighters and agents who think they're not getting a fair shake? And does MMA's questionable past still make it hard to find corporate sponsorships today?

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WEC 37 official salaries: Migues Torres earns event-high $44,000 payday

Miguel Torres' second-round TKO of Manny Tapia netted the WEC bantamweight champion his second successful title defense, as well as an event-high $44,000 payday.

Other top earners from Wednesday's event were former IFL champion and WEC newcomer Wagnney Fabiano ($22,000), Mark Munoz ($20,000) and Joseph Benavidez ($17,000) -- all of whom were victorious. The total disclosed payroll for the event was $219,000.

The event took place this past Wednesday, Dec. 3, at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and aired live on Versus.

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WEC champ Miguel Torres on today's TAGG Radio

Less than 14 hours after his TKO victory and successful title defense over Manny Tapia, World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Miguel Torres will stop by TAGG Radio, the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com.

Torres will discuss his WEC 37 main-event victory, his 16-fight win streak and his plans for the future.

Tune in to TAGG Radio, which also includes in-studio guest and MMA agent Ken Pavia, at www.taggradio.com at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

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The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale card released; 16 cast members booked

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has released its full fight card for the Dec. 13 live finale of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir," and a total of 16 cast members have been slotted for the event.

The event takes place at The Palms Las Vegas, and the main card airs live on Spike TV.

The finals for the show's lightweight and light-heavyweight tournaments were determined during Wednesday's back-to-back new episodes of the reality show.

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Episode No. 12 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir"

The the second of back-to-back episodes, the 12th and final volume of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" starts just as quickly as the evening's previous session.

The final two bouts of the taped portion of the season are up. Light-heavyweight teammates Krzysztof Soszynski and Vinny Magalhaes are up first, and lightweights Junie Browning and Efrain Escudero are set to close the show -- if Junie can keep his temper in check long enough to step into the cage.

Check out our full episode recap inside.

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Episode No. 11 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir"

The first of two back-to-back episodes, the 11th volume of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" wastes little time in getting to the action.

Two bouts are on the card, and light-heavyweights Ryan Bader and Eliot Marshall -- as well as lightweights Phillipe Nover and George Roop -- will face off to determine the first two fighters to qualify for this season's live finale.

Check out our full episode recap inside.

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WEC 37 recap: Manny Tapia no match for WEC champ Miguel Torres

Using a significant reach advantage that allowed him to dominate the stand-up fight, WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres scored a second-round TKO over Manny Tapia for his second successful WEC title defense.

The fight capped off Wednesday's "WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia" event at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The night's main card aired live on Versus.

With nine inches of reach on his opponent, Torres (35-1) continually tagged Tapia (10-1-1) with neck-snapping jabs. Stiff rights dropped Tapia on two occasions and eventually forced the stoppage at 3:04 of the second round.

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WEC 37 round-by-round updates and live results

Welcome to MMAjunkie.com's live coverage of "WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia."

Tonight's event takes place at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and features a main event between WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and undefeated contender Manny Tapia.

The preliminary card begins at 5:45 p.m. ET (2:45 p.m. PT), and the Versus-televised main card kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

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Jon Fitch vs. Akihiro Gono signed for January's UFC 94

As expected, top UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch (17-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) will meet Akihiro Gono (29-13-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 94, which takes place Jan. 31 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Fitch was dropped from the organization after a short-lived but well-publicized holdout from granting the UFC lifetime rights to his likeness for an upcoming video-game release. Fitch, though, eventually signed, and the Gono fight was expected to go on as planned.

During today's taping today for Friday's edition of "Inside MMA," Fitch confirmed the fight has been signed.

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Introducing "MMA Regional Fight Scene" on MMAjunkie.com

Strengthening our partnership with HDNet and "Inside MMA," MMAjunkie.com is pleased to announce a new weekly video feature dedicated to MMA's flourishing regional fight scene.

One of the most unique segments on "Inside MMA" is its weekly "Highlights" feature that pulls fight videos from organizations across the globe.

In addition to airing on "Inside MMA," that segment will now appear weekly on MMAjunkie.com. Following today's introductory post, the "MMA Regional Fight Scene" videos will debut each Monday on MMAjunkie.com.

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Manny Tapia headlines a changing WEC

Manny Tapia never expected to be a professional fighter, let alone challenging for the world championship. But  tonight in Las Vegas, he's fully expecting to beat one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world.

Tapia (10-0-1) challenges WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres (33-1) in the main event of WEC 37, a match with historic significance in mixed martial arts.

"We're making history," said Tapia. "It's the first time two Mexican-Americans have been in the main event (of a major U.S. MMA show)."

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Miguel Torres truly the people's champion

LAS VEGAS - There are fighters who all-but-literally hibernate before an important bout. They go to a training camp in a remote location and lock themselves out from the world.

Then there are men like WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres, who has not only maintained his full-time job while preparing to defend his belt against Manny Tapia at WEC 37 at the Hard Rock Hotel on Wednesday night, but who prepares with anyone who walks in off the street.

There are guys with pot bellies and kids whose baby teeth haven't yet fallen out training next to a man who has one of the most complete games in mixed martial arts.

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Catch us on Fight Network Radio, 91X San Diego, HDNet's "Inside MMA"

San Diego's 91X Morning Show with Mat Diablo and Mahoney today welcomes MMAjunkie.com editor-in-chief Dann Stupp. The guys will discuss tonight's WEC 37 event and the WEC's San Diego debut in January. Catch the segment today at 12:15 p.m. ET (9:15 a.m. PT) at 91x.com.

Additionally, MMAjunkie.com lead staff writer Steve Sievert will join longtime MMA broadcaster Mauro Ranallo at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT) on Fight Network Radio, which airs on Sirius Satellite Radio and Hardcore Sports Radio. Listen in at hardcoresportsradio.com.

Also, don't forget to catch Friday's new episode of "Inside MMA" on HDNet. Panelists include Jon Fitch, Joey Villasenor and MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan.

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Josh Barnett to face Gilbert Yvel at "Affliction: Day of Reckoning"

Former PRIDE fighter and 11-year mixed-martial-arts veteran Gilbert Yvel (35-12-1) has signed a three-fight deal with Affliction Entertainment and will debut against Josh Barnett (23-5) at the organization's Jan. 24 "Day of Reckoning" card.

The Yvel vs. Barnett fight is scheduled for the night's main card, which airs live on pay per view. A preliminary card airs on HDNet.

M-1, which has Yvel in its stable of fighters, today announced the fight.

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Ask the Doc: Dr. Johnny Benjamin on the pitfalls of medical suspensions

After every major mixed-martial-arts event, you probably log on to MMAjunkie.com and read the list of "medical suspensions."

Fighters who suffer knockouts or cuts that require stitches - or more serious injuries like broken bones and muscle tears - often receive medical suspensions, but there's usually the caveat that a fighter can be cleared early by a doctor.

In his latest "Ask the Doc" column, noted combat-sports specialist Dr. Johnny Benjamin discusses the "clearance" process - and some of the glaring problems involved with it.

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Adrenaline MMA releases full Dec. 11 fight card

Adrenaline MMA organization has put together a full card for its Dec. 11 event, which features a previously announced main event between former UFC champion Pat Miletich and King of the Cage and EliteXC veteran Thomas Denny.

CEO and veteran fight manager Monte Cox today released the full fight card.

Adrenaline MMA II takes place at the i wireless center in Moline, Ill. A seven-fight main card airs live on HDNet.

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WEC 37 official weigh-in results

LAS VEGAS - MMAjunkie.com was on scene for today's "WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia" official weigh-ins at Body English in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Today's weigh-ins preceded Wednesday's Versus-televised event, which features a headline bout between WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and undefeated challenger Manny Tapia.

All 20 competitors successfully made weight.

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Rob McCullough likely to meet Marcus Hicks at WEC 38 (Updated)

Former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough (16-5) will look to get back in the title picture when he meets Marcus Hicks (8-1) at "WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone."

The Jan. 25 event features a headline bout between current champ Jamie Varner, who TKO'd McCullough in February to win the title, and Cerrone, who earned the title shot after scoring a unanimous-decision victory over McCullough in a top contender's bout in November at WEC 36.

A source close to McCullough told MMAjunkie.com that the match-up was agreed upon over the weekend but that bout agreements have not been signed.

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Check out and join the MMAjunkie.com MMA Forums

As a reminder, the MMAjunkie.com MMA Forums have quickly become the go-to place for lively MMA discussions, debates and analysis.

Discuss the latest MMA happenings, and interact with MMA notables, including MMA pioneer Enson Inoue, who's fielding questions from readers.

If you've registered for the site and can comment on news stories, the same log-in information works on in the forums. Simply head to the MMAjunkie.com MMA Forums, and join in the conversation today.

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Nissen Osterneck headed to UFC's middleweight division

World Extreme Cagefighting rookie Nissen Osterneck (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who suffered first career loss to Jake Rosholt at November's WEC 36 event, is headed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship as part of the WEC's elimination of its 185- and 205-pound weight classes.

Osterneck today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com that the UFC decided to "give me another shot" when the "WEC contract was carried over to the UFC," he said.

The UFC hasn't determined a date for his UFC debut, but Osterneck expects to fight next in early 2009.

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Jim Miller to replace Frankie Edgar at Dec. 10 UFC Fights for the Troops

Jim Miller (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will replace an injured Frankie Edgar (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and will fight Matt Wiman (10-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at next week's "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops" event.

The news was first reported by fiveounceofpain.com, which cited a source close to one of the fighters.

The Miller-Wiman fight is slated for the Spike TV-televised main card of the Dec. 10 event, which takes place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C., as a fundraiser for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

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WEC 38 announced for same weekend as "Affliction: Day of Reckoning"

World Extreme Cagefighting announced overnight that its first event of 2009 will take place Jan. 25 -- one day after "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" takes place just 100 miles away.

"WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone," which airs on Versus (9:30 p.m. ET), features a main event between WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone, as well as a co-main event rematch between Urijah Faber and Jens Pulver.

The event takes place at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, which is a couple hours south of Anaheim's Honda Center, which hosts "Day of Reckoning" and a main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski.

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Thiago Tavares returns to Florida's American Top Team

UFC lightweight Thiago Tavares, a fighter who's lost three of his past four fights after beginning his career with 12 consecutive victories, has rejoined the Florida-based American Top Team.

Richie Guerriero, general manager of ATT, today made the announcement.

The 24-year-old Tavares first joined ATT when he was just 18 years old but eventually hooked on with Murilo Rupp's Ataque-Duplo, which is affiliated with the Brazilian Top Team. Tavares returns to ATT in preparation for an upcoming fight at UFC 94.

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"Handsome" Matt Wiman on today's TAGG Radio

"The Ultimate Fighter 5" cast member and rising UFC lightweight contender "Handsome" Matt Wiman is a guest on today's edition of TAGG Radio, the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com.

Wiman will discuss his main-card fight with Frankie Edgar that takes place next week at "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops." Wiman goes for his fifth consecutive win in the UFC.

Check out TAGG Radio today and every day at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) at www.taggradio.com.

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UFC 93 televised main card revealed

The Ultimate Fighting Championship today confirmed a rash of match-ups for UFC 93, and in the process, revealed the Jan. 17 event's televised main card.

The event, which takes place at The 02 in Dublin, Ireland, features a light-heavyweight main event between Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson, as well as Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Other main-card bouts for the pay-per-view broadcast include Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang, Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle, and Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares.

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Matt Lindland vs. Vitor Belfort back on for "Affliction: Day of Reckoning"

An "Affliction: Day of Reckoning" bout between recently crowned Strikeforce world light heavyweight champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral (31-7) and Matt Lindland (21-5) has been scrapped in favor of a Lindland vs. Vitor Belfort (17-8) fight.

The news comes from fiveouncesofpain.com, though Affliction Entertainment has yet to make the official announcement.

The event takes place Jan. 24 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The main card, including the Lindland-Belfort bout, airs on pay per view, and the preliminary card airs on HDNet.

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WEC 37 preview: Miguel Torres takes his turn as the man

It is Miguel Torres' turn to be the man.

With "The California Kid," Urijah Faber, cooled off by the beating laid on him by Mike Brown last month, Torres not only steps into his first World Extreme Cagefighting main event this week, he does so as the promotion's new pound-for-pound ace.

In our WEC 37 preview, MMAjunkie.com's Steve Sievert looks at Wednesday's WEC 37 main event between Torres and challenger Manny Tapia, the unofficial No. 1 contender's bout between bantamweights Brian Bowles and Will Ribeiro, and the WEC debut of former IFL champion Wagnney Fabiano.

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All UFC 91 fighters test clean for drugs; solid initial PPV buyrate estimates

The good news continues to come in following the Nov. 15 UFC 91 event that took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In an email sent to MMAjunkie.com, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer stated that all 10 UFC 91 fighters who underwent drug tests at the event tested clean.

Headliners Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture tested clean for both steroids and drugs of abuse (such as marijuana and cocaine), as did UFC 91 winners Kenny Florian, Dustin Hazelett, Gabriel Gonzaga, Demian Maia, Jeremy Stephens, Aaron Riley, Mark Bocek and Matt Brown.

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The Anatomy of an MMA Show, Part III

In the third part of "The Anatomy of an MMA Show" series, Xtreme Fighting Championships President John Prisco discusses one of the most important parts of a succesful event: marketing.

As XFC gears up for Friday's big event, Prisco discusses how and where his organization focuses its promotional dollars.

After a campaign centered around former UFC heavyweight contender Gan "The Giant" McGee's comeback in its latest show, the XFC presents a different message this time out. But Prisco doesn't deviate from his goal of presenting compelling storylines, efficiently spending advertising dollars, turning XFC fans into promoters, and earning (not purchasing) effective media coverage.

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"Strikeforce: Destruction" salaries: New champ "Babalu" Sobral earns $50K

Renato "Babalu" Sobral's first-round TKO over Bobby Southworth at "Strikeforce: Destruction" earned the Brazilian fighter the Strikeforce world light-heavyweight title -- and an event-high $50,000 payday, to boot.

MMAjunkie.com recently requested and today received the list of salaries directly from the California State Athletic Commission, which oversaw the Nov. 21 HDNet-televised event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $319,000.

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Drew Fickett wins, Rick Roufus TKO'd at PFP event in Canada

UFC veteran Drew Fickett (36-8) made an efficient showing this past weekend and picked up just his second victory in his past five fights with a first-round submission win over Jason MacKay (8-2) via triangle choke.

However, famed kickboxing legend Rick Roufus (4-5) didn't fare as well during a first-round TKO loss to Ryan Jimmo (9-1).

The two fights took place at the Nov. 29 Phoenix Fight Promotions card at the Dartmouth Sportsplex in Nova Scotia, Canada.

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"UFC Primetime: St. Pierre vs. Penn" debuts Jan. 14 on Spike TV

To hype the upcoming mega-fight between Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn that takes place Jan. 31 at UFC 94, Spike TV and the UFC will roll out a three-part preview series beginning Jan. 14.

The shows are modeled after the successful "De La Hoya-Mayweather 24/7" series on HBO that hyped a super-successful May 2007 boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. that set a record with 2.4 million pay-per-view buys.

New, 30-minute episodes of "UFC Primetime: St. Pierre vs. Penn" debut each Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT from Jan. 14-28 on Spike TV.

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MMAjunkie.com Fight Biz - Round 5 MMA's path to entrepreneurial success

Like many innovative ideas before it, the creation of Round 5 MMA began well removed from the boardroom.

Damon Lau, a Toronto-based MMA fan with a background in marketing and a friendship with Randy Couture, raised the idea of mixed-martial-arts action figures on a whim during dinner with Couture in the summer of 2007.

In his latest MMAjunkie.com Fight Biz installment, Steve Sievert explains how that conversation turned into one of MMA's true entrepreneurial success stories. Sievert also discusses the recent dust-up between the UFC and the American Kickboxing Academy, and the challenges that lie ahead for the California State Athletic Commission.

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The Sunday Junkie: Nov. 30 edition

With most organizations on hiatus for the holiday weekend, fans turned their attention to a number of topics in MMA.

Should the UFC bring Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture together for an unprecedented fourth matchup? What are the ramifications of the January bout between UFC champions Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn? Are there other superfights that need to happen? 

In our latest installment of The Sunday Junkie, MMAjunkie.com readers discuss those and other topics in our weekly reader-feedback feature.

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Is Ultimate Warrior Challenge the East Coast's Strikeforce?

Ultimate Warrior Challenge, a Washington, D.C.-based MMA promotion has successfully positioned itself in the East Coast market by following a well-designed formula.

But the organization didn't come to the plan overnight.

MMAjunkie.com contributor Kelly Crigger recently sat down with Ultimate Warrior Sports Development CEO S. Marcello Foran to discuss the evolution and future plans of Ultimate Warrior Challenge.

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