‘El Nino,’ Mousasi Top Earners at Strikeforce ‘Melendez vs. Masvidal’

Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and Dream light heavyweight titleholder Gegard Mousasi each walked away from Strikeforce “Melendez vs. Masvidal” with $150,000 paychecks, the largest disclosed fight purses awarded at the Dec. 17 event.

Melendez successfully defended his 155-pound title in the evening’s headliner, outpointing scrappy challenger Jorge Masvidal ($23,000) in a five-round standup affair.

Mousasi was also successful in his 205-pound outing against up-and-comer Ovince St. Preux ($17,000). Though Mousasi’s experience ultimately proved too much for the former University of Tennessee linebacker, St. Preux gave a good account of himself in a unanimous decision loss.

Broadcast on premium cable network Showtime, the evening’s main card also featured the return of women’s 145-pound champion Cristiane Santos, who took home a total of $66,000 for her 16-second knockout of overmatched challenger Hiroko Yamanaka ($8,000).

Rounding out the televised card was a three-round lightweight affair between K.J. Noons and Billy Evangelista. Noons walked with $65,000 and a unanimous decision victory, while Evangelista was awarded $20,000 in defeat.

Strikeforce ‘Melendez vs. Masvidal’ Disclosed Pay

Gilbert Melendez: $150,000
(no win bonus)

Jorge Masvidal: $23,000

Cristiane Santos: $66,000
(includes $33,000 win bonus)

Hiroko Yamanaka: $8,000

Gegard Mousasi: $150,000
(no win bonus)

Ovince St. Preux: $17,000

K.J. Noons: $65,000
(includes $30,000 win bonus)

Billy Evangelista: $20,000

Caros Fodor: $20,000
(includes $10,000 win bonus)

Justin Wilcox: $12,000

Roger Bowling: $ 14,000
(includes $7,000 win bonus)

Jerron Peoples $ 2,000

Devin Cole: $12,000
(includes $6,000 win bonus)

Gabriel Salinas-Jones: $3,000

Eddie Mendez: $6,000
(includes $3,000 win bonus)

Fernando Gonzalez: $3,000

Herman Terrado: $6,000
(includes $3,000 win bonus)

Chris Brown: $3,000