UFC 117
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | ufc |
UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen was a mixed martial arts competition hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 7, 2010, held at the Oracle Arena located in Oakland, California, United States.
Background
On ESPN, UFC President Dana White declared that Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva would compete against Chael Sonnen on August 7. White cautioned Silva that a repeat of his uninspiring performance at UFC 112 could lead to his release from the UFC, stressing the necessity for a strong showing despite Silva's reputation as the pound-for-pound leader and reigning middleweight champion.
The matchup between Joey Beltran and Matt Mitrione was originally scheduled but subsequently postponed to UFC 119. Stanislav Nedkov was slated to make his debut against Rodney Wallace but withdrew because of injury; his place was taken by Phil Davis. Thiago Silva was set to face Tim Boetsch, but due to a back injury, he withdrew and was replaced by newcomer Todd Brown.
Dana White confirmed that the victor of the bout between Fitch and Alves would secure a title opportunity. Nonetheless, Alves exceeded the welterweight non-title limit by 0.5 pounds, resulting in a catchweight contest and a 20% fine on his purse.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $60,000 were awarded to fighters for:
- Fight of the Night: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
- Knockout of the Night: Stefan Struve
- Submission of the Night: Anderson Silva and Matt Hughes
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter earnings reported to the California State Athletic Commission, excluding sponsorships and discretionary bonuses, were as follows:
- Anderson Silva $200,000 (no win bonus) defeated Chael Sonnen $35,000
- Jon Fitch $108,000 ($54,000 win bonus) defeated Thiago Alves $60,000
- Clay Guida $56,000 ($28,000 win bonus) defeated Rafael dos Anjos $12,000
- Matt Hughes $200,000 ($100,000 win bonus) defeated Ricardo Almeida $35,000
- Junior dos Santos $80,000 ($40,000 win bonus) defeated Roy Nelson $15,000
- Rick Story $22,000 ($11,000 win bonus) defeated Dustin Hazlett $18,000
- Phil Davis $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus) defeated Rodney Wallace $6,000
- Johny Hendricks $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus) defeated Charlie Brenneman $8,000
- Tim Boetsch $32,000 ($16,000 win bonus) defeated Todd Brown $6,000
- Stefan Struve $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus) defeated Christian Morecraft $8,000
- Dennis Hallman $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus) defeated Ben Saunders $12,000
^ Thiago Alves incurred a 20% purse deduction for exceeding the welterweight limit; this sanction was not initially specified in the CSAC documentation.