Despite losing in the finals of Strikeforce’s World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament Final, you could make a case that Josh Barnett is in a better position today than the man who defeated him, Daniel Cormier. Both men broke their hands on Saturday night, so that is a wash. But Barnett comes out ahead in a couple of other important areas: by losing in the final, he is now not contractually tied to Strikeforce anymore and is free to sign with the UFC, while Cormier, by winning, is obligated to fight one more time in the fledgling league. And Barnett also went home with a paycheck twice the size of Cormier’s. Josh Barnett can’t lose for winning.
Here is the fighter purse info for last Saturday’s Strikeforce: Barnett vs Cormier event, straight from the California Athletic Commission.
Josh Barnett: $200,000
Gilbert Melendez: $175,000
Daniel Cormier: $100,000 ($50,000 to show, $50,000 win bonus)
Josh Thomson: $90,000
Rafael Calvacante: $63,500 ($33,000 to show, $33,000 win bonus, fined $2,500 for failed drug test)
Mike Kyle: $25,000
Gian Villante: $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 win bonus)
JZ Calvacante: $18,000
Chris Spang: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 win bonus)
Quinn Mulhern: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 win bonus)
Bobby Green: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 win bonus)
James Terry: $9,000
Nah-Shon Burrell: $7,000
Isaac Vallie-Flagg: $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 win bonus)
Carlos Inocente: $4,000 ($2,000 to show, $2,000 win bonus)
Virgil Zwicker: $3,000
Derrick Mehman: $3,000
Yuri Villefort: $2,500
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