Tag: Aalon Cruz

UFC on ESPN+ 27 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Norfolk

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the seven newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For seven athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression they made on the sport’s biggest stage from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va.

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Spike Carlyle

Division: Featherweight
Result: Spike Carlyle def. Aalon Cruz via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1.25
Record: (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A

[autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] certainly isn’t an average MMA featherweight, and he gave us a glimpse of his potential with an impressive quickfire finish of fellow debuting prospect Aalon Cruz.

“The Alpha Ginger” danced his way to the octagon and giggled his way through Bruce Buffer’s introduction before blasting Aalon Cruz to a first-round TKO defeat in a performance that was as impressive as it was clinical.

After Cruz had started with a succession of range-finding kicks, Carlyle stunned Cruz with a superb leaping left high kick of his own as he closed the distance and looked to rough up the taller, leaner man at close quarters.

Cruz looked to grab a double-leg, but the California native stuffed the takedown and connected with a huge elbow behind the ear that clearly rocked his opponent. A host of elbows later, Cruz was on the mat with Carlyle unloading a barrage of punches until the referee dived in to call it after just 85 seconds.

All in all, it was hugely impressive against a man who had produced a highlight-reel performance in Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his UFC deal. Carlyle proved he certainly deserved his, then showed his unique personality with a short, to-the-point post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.

Carlyle looks like a man who’s going places, and we may find out more about how fast and how far when he gets his next assignment, which might come pretty quickly.

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UFC on ESPN+ 27 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Deiveson Figueiredo’s pay downgraded after missing weight

UFC on ESPN+ 27 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

NORFOLK, Va. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $119,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN+ 27 took place Saturday at Chartway Arena. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 27 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Zarah Fairn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Gabriel Silva[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Tom Breese[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Luis Pena[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]TJ Brown[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Aalon Cruz[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ismail Naurdiev[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $826,500
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $31,831,000

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN+ 27 with Queen, Steppenwolf, Chili Peppers

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event in Norfolk, Va.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 27 went with as their backing tracks in Norfolk, Va.

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Spike Carlyle ready to show why he’s a terrible matchup for Aalon Cruz at UFC on ESPN+ 27

Spike Carlyle thinks his upcoming matchup vs. Aalon Cruz plays in his favor.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] might be giving up quite a bit of height and reach, but thinks his upcoming matchup plays in his favor.

Carlyle (8-1 MMA) makes his promotional debut Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 27 in Norfolk, Va., against fellow debutant and Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner [autotag]Aalon Cruz[/autotag] (8-2 MMA).

Cruz secured his UFC contract with a devastating flying knee. But Carlyle, who’s known for his aggressive style and high finishing rate, is confident that stylistically, he’ll have the upper hand.

“Aalon is tall, rangy, and I watched some footage from his last loss (and) another win, so I’ve studied him,” Carlyle said. “Obviously in his last fight, he was primarily striking. But I know he’s comfortable going to the ground, as well. Unfortunately, this is a terrible matchup for him and you guys will see why on Saturday night.”

Known for his entertaining walkouts, Carlyle, who’s spent time at Treigning Lab and Kings MMA in California, likes to put on a show both inside and outside the cage. His finishes have come both on the feet and on the ground, showing he’s comfortable wherever the fight goes.

Saturday night, Carlyle is ready to introduce himself to the masses.

“I’m the Alpha Ginger. I’ve been a martial artist my whole life,” Carlyle said. “I think I represent all aspects of the fight game, meaning I don’t believe I’m just a martial artist or just a fighter, just an athlete – but I’m the complete manifestation of all of them.”

With thumb injury healed, Aalon Cruz says momentum is back entering UFC on ESPN+ 27

At UFC on ESPN+ 27, Aalon Cruz will make his UFC debut against fellow promotional newcomer Spike Carlyle.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Coming off Dana White’s Contender Series last summer, UFC on ESPN+ 27’s [autotag]Aalon Cruz[/autotag] rode a wave of momentum.

His viral flying knee knockout over Steven Nguyen at DWCS 22 earned him an automatic contract from UFC president Dana White in July. Since that time, however, Cruz (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been on the shelf, nursing a thumb injury.

“In that fight, I actually partially tore my UCL in my thumb and a strained two other ligaments,” Cruz told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “It was at the point where I couldn’t turn a doorknob. I couldn’t open a bottle of water. I couldn’t do anything.”

The injury even prevented Cruz from fighting in his hometown of Tampa, Fla. this past October. It was frustrating, Cruz said, but he had to do what was best for his body and defer.

“There was a fight in Tampa – in my town,” Cruz said. “It was really hard for me not to have that fight, because it’s rare they even come to Tampa. They come to Tampa like once every three years. I was really contemplating, ‘Maybe, I just go in there and hope I don’t hit my thumb. I’ll try to finish the fight in 30 seconds.’ Obviously, that’s really hard to do. We just took our time and we wanted to be prepared for the debut and really make a statement my debut fight.”

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Despite it being almost seven months since his highlight-reel knockout, Cruz thinks momentum is back behind him. Although it may have faded over the past few months, the UFC’s recent re-promotion of the finish has rebuilt what was lost, according to Cruz.

“I definitely probably lost some of the momentum,” Cruz said. “For one, I told the (UFC social) media guys, ‘When you first posed that flying knee, I didn’t get tagged in it.’ It’s not really like I got anything from that. Then, Tired to repost it on my Instagram and I got blocked for seven days, so that was tough. They just reposted it this week on all of their social media and they tagged me and everything. Now, I am getting all that hype back. Everybody is hitting me up and everyone is ready to see me. They’re reminded, ‘I remember that fight.’ Now, they’re ready to see me make my debut. I think the hype is back.”

Cruz takes on short-notice replacement and fellow promotional newcomer Spike Carlyle (8-1 MMA, 0-0) on the UFC on ESPN+ 27 prelims. The card takes place Saturday at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. The card streams on ESPN+.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full UFC on ESPN+ 27 pre-fight interview with Aalon Cruz in the video above.

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UFC on ESPN+ 27: Aalon Cruz pre-fight interview

UFC on ESPN+ 27’s Aalon Cruz talks with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn about his upcoming bout in Norfolk.

UFC on ESPN+ 27’s Aalon Cruz talks with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn about his upcoming bout in Norfolk.

‘The Alpha Ginger’ Spike Carlyle replaces Steven Peterson, meets Aalon Cruz at UFC on ESPN+ 27

The UFC has signed “The Alpha Ginger,” and he’ll be making his short-notice promotional debut in Norfolk.

[autotag]Aalon Cruz[/autotag] won’t be facing his originally scheduled opponent, but he will stay on the UFC on ESPN+ 27 card.

With [autotag]Steven Peterson[/autotag] out, Cruz (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) now faces fellow promotional debutant [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]. A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking Thursday. The person asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an announcement.

Florida’s Cruz was signed to the UFC following a brutal flying knee knockout victory on last summer’s season of “Dana White’s Contender Series.” The 30-year-old fighter is riding a four-fight winning streak.

Carlyle (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) or, as he’s known to some, “The Alpha Ginger,” makes his UFC debut on a little over three weeks’ notice. A veteran of LFA, Carlyle has also won his most recent four outings.

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UFC on ESPN+ 27 takes place Feb. 29 at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. The card will stream on ESPN+.

The latest UFC on ESPN+ 27 lineup now includes:

  • Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo – for vacant flyweight title
  • Mickey Gall vs. Alex Oliveira
  • Megan Anderson vs. Norma Dumont
  • Zarah Fairn vs. Felicia Spencer
  • Kyler Phillips vs. Gabriel Silva
  • Brendan Allen vs. Tom Breese
  • Sean Brady vs. Ismail Naurdiev
  • Spike Carlyle vs. Aalon Cruz
  • T.J. Brown vs. Jordan Griffin
  • Alex Munoz vs. Luis Pena
  • Giga Chikadze vs. Mike Davis
  • TJ Brown vs. Jordan Griffin
  • Serghei Spivac vs. Marcin Tybura

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