Tag: Aiemann Zahabi

UFC Fight Night 246 post-event facts: Edmonton return produces third-longest card in UFC history

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 246, which was the third-longest event in UFC history in terms of fight time.

UFC Fight Night 246 on Saturday opened the promotion’s November event schedule with a 13-fight lineup that went down at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event, former flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (22-8-2 MMA, 10-4-2 UFC) returned from a self-imposed hiatus with force to batter and bloody [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for five rounds en route to a unanimous decision.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 246.

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $196,500.

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag], [autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag], [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]. earned $50,000 UFC Fight Night 246 fight-night bonuses.

UFC Fight Night 246 had an announced attendance of 16,439 for a live gate of $2,600,463.

Betting favorites went 11-2 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 27-10 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 3:06:38.

The 3:06:38 of total fight time marked the third-longest event in UFC history behind UFC 263 (3:19:32) and UFC 251 (3:07:27).

Moreno improved to 7-3-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2019.

Moreno’s 10 victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (13), Joseph Benavidez (13) and Alexandre Pantoja (12).

Moreno has earned four of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Albazi has suffered both of his career losses by decision.

Albazi has completed at least one takedown against all six of his UFC opponents.

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has earned four of her seven UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fell to 2-2 since she moved up to the women’s flyweight division in September 2023.

Namajunas has suffered five of her seven career losses by decision.

[autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag] (8-4-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his light heavyweight debut.

Machado has suffered all four of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has earned both of her UFC stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Ariane da Silva[/autotag] (17-10 MMA, 6-7 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 2-6 UFC) has earned two of his three UFC victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) fell to 2-4 since he dropped to the welterweight division in January 2022.

Giles suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag]’s (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Merab Dvalishvili (10) and Mario Bautista (seven).

Zahabi has earned four of his six UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 10-10 UFC) fell to 1-5 with one no contest in his past seven fights dating back to August 2021.

Munhoz has suffered all 10 of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] (16-8-1 MMA, 7-7-1 UFC) was successful in his UFC bantamweight debut.

Jourdain has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered his first stoppage loss with a submission defeat.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) improved to 3-0 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in March 2024.

Zalal has earned 13 of his 16 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) fell to 1-2 since he moved up to the featherweight division in March 2023.

Shore has suffered all three of his career losses by stoppage.

Shore has suffered two of his three career losses by submission.

[autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered two of his three UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered both of her career losses by decision.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.

Aiemann Zahabi wants ranked opponent following UFC Fight Night 246 win over Pedro Munhoz: ‘I feel like I’ve earned my place’

Aiemann Zahabi wants ranked opponent following UFC Fight Night 246 win over Pedro Munhoz: ‘I feel like I’ve earned my place’

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag] wants to take a step-up in his fighting career, and he feels he’s earned the right to call for it.

Zahabi (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is coming off a dominant win over former title contender Pedro Munhoz at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246, – a result that put him on a five-fight winning streak. With the win over Munhoz (20-10 MMA, 10-10 UFC), Zahabi hopes to get a spot on the UFC official bantamweight rankings, and if not, he’d still like to get a ranked name for his next outing.

“It would be nice that on Tuesday I wake up, and I’m in the top 15,” Zahabi told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 246 post-fight press conference. “If not, a big name that’s in the top 15 would be great, too. I have to talk to Firas and Sean Shelby and see what’s a good timeline for us to come back. Maybe they come back to Canada early in the year. If they do, I’ll be there. It’s never been easy for me to book a fight, but I got two in this year and hopefully two or three next year.”

Zahabi’s decision win over Munhoz is arguably his best career win, given the name value of the Brazilian. He believes that not only did he show the world that he’s a top talent at 135 pounds, but more importantly, he showed that to himself

“I’m so happy,” Zahabi said when asked about his performance. “Now I feel like I’ve earned my place, and now I don’t have to be afraid to get in there. I should do it with courage and bravery, and I feel like I showed that tonight. I stood in there for 15 (minutes).”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC Fight Night 246 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $7 million

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $7 million to athletes in 2024.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $196,500.

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 Fight Night 246 took place at Rogers Place. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 246 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ariane da Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Serhiy Sidey[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’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 2461 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,092,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,829,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Aiemann Zahabi def. Pedro Munhoz at UFC Fight Night 246: Best photos from Edmonton

Check out the best photos from Aiemann Zahabi’s unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz at UFC Fight Night 246.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photos by Perry Nelson, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; UFC)

Pedro Munhoz: ‘Pressure, skills, and my desire’ keys to UFC Fight Night 246 win

Pedro Munhoz will look to halt the momentum of rising bantamweight Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Edmonton.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] will look to halt the momentum of rising bantamweight [autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag].

Munhoz (20-9 MMA, 10-9 UFC) meets Zahabi (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 (ESPN+) featured prelim at Rogers Place. Munhoz has only one win in his past six outings, but the perennial contender is not discouraged by his recent results.

“It is not good and not bad,” Munhoz told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “It is what it is. Every time that I step in the octagon, I’m always on the night my best version. Saturday night is going to be my better version than all the other fights that you guys have seen before.

“I get to train at the best gym in the world, American Top Team, and train with the best fighters. So, that’s a tool that helped me always to see what I’ve done wrong in the past and always to be a better fighter.”

Munhoz is on a two-fight losing skid. Zahabi has won his past four in a row.

Although there’s a big difference in their level of competition, with Munhoz having fought the likes of former champions Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling, Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo, Cody Garbrandt, and Frankie Edgar, he won’t take the Tristar Gym prospect lightly.

“He’s well rounded, training with a good team, they have a good coach,” Munhoz said on Zahabi. “I know he’s going to be ready to face me Saturday. Watching some of his previous fights, my coaches also, we got to be aware of everything he can present.

“He’s a dangerous fighter, he fights calm, he’s been around a lot of fighters that have fought in these type of caliber events and fights so, not underestimating him, and I know it’s going to be a tough fight.”

As for his game plan? Munhoz points to specific attributes that will help him prevail.

“Pressure, skills, and my desire to get the victory Saturday night,” Munhoz responded.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Ilia Topuria inspired UFC Edmonton’s Aiemann Zahabi to give Pedro Munhoz first stoppage loss

Aiemann Zahabi hopes to follow in Ilia Topuria’s footsteps and finish one of the most durable fighters in history at UFC Edmonton.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – [autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag] hopes to follow in the footsteps of Ilia Topuria and put away one of the most durable fighters in octagon history at UFC Fight Night 246.

After Topuria shocked the world and became the first to knock out Max Holloway at UFC 308 this past weekend, Zahabi (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) wants to put the first knockout or submission blemish on the record of Pedro Munhoz (20-9 MMA, 10-9 UFC), whom he meets in a bantamweight bout on Saturday at Rogers Place (ESPN+).

“You never know,” Zahabi told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “People said Max Holloway would never be finished and then Topuria did it. That gives me a lot of confident that I can do it too. … There’s always a possibility. But the training camp, the main idea was we’re going to decision but he’s never been finished. Never been subbed, never been KO’d. So I’m ready to go all night.”

Zahabi is fully aware what he’s getting into with Munhoz, because it’s the biggest fight of his career so far. The Canadian gets a shot at the record holder for the most appearances in UFC bantamweight history with Munhoz. He earned it on the power of a four-fight winning streak.

“Yeah of course it’s nice to have an opportunity to fight guys with big names,” Zahabi said. “It’s how you solidify yourself in the UFC. Now I’ve got a few records. I got a huge upset win. I’m tied for like the ninth-biggest upset win in UFC. I have some other records, too. So it’s good to be established now and I’m happy to fight someone who has been in the top 15 for so long and he’s only lost to champions and potential future champions.”

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Despite Munhoz entering the card on a tough run of just one win in his past six fights, Zahabi discredits the notion he is catching the Brazilian at an advantageous time. In fact, he argues Munhoz is going to be at his most threatening because of his desperate need to put a victory on his resume, which he reminded everyone again is only filled with elite opposition.

“Not everybody can beat all these guys,” Zahabi said. “It’s a testament to him that they keep giving him even bigger names and all these tough fights. I respect him and when a guy has lost a couple in a row, that’s when he’s most dangerous. So I think he really wants to come out there and beat me and just keep himself in the game. I wouldn’t say that he’s taken up lightly at all. He knows I have knockout power so he’s going to be trying to protect his chin as well, because he doesn’t want to get put to sleep.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Video: UFC Edmonton fighters react positively, indifferently to rule changes

Two new rules will debut at UFC Edmonton. Check out what the fighters have to say about these tweaks.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Two new rules will make their UFC debut Saturday at Rogers Place as the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) voted this past July to implement them beginning Nov. 1.

For the first time in the history of the Unified Rules of MMA, 12-6 elbows will be allowed at UFC Fight Night 246. Additionally, a “grounded fighter” is redefined as an athlete who has any part of their body besides their hands or feet on the ground.

Wednesday, MMA Junkie asked many of the event’s top participants for their thoughts on the changes from the perspective of a fighter.

Check out what they had to say about the new rules in the compilation video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Aiemann Zahabi says Javid Basharat talked some early smack in-fight before big upset loss

Aiemann Zahabi upset a huge betting favorite Javid Basharat at UFC Fight Night 238 to hand him the first loss of his career.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag] beat Javid Basharat with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 238 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Zahabi, who upset a 9-1 betting favorite to hand him the first loss of his career.

UFC Fight Night 238 post-event facts: Umar Nurmagomedov on the rise in bantamweight books

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 238, which saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Muhammad Mokaev and Umar Nurmagomedov make noise.

The UFC opened its March schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 238, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The main event saw [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) overcome a slow start to batter [autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a referee TKO stoppage after the end of the fourth round, putting him back on the winning track.

For more on the numbers behind the card, which featured six finishes in 11 fights – and a couple of them unique – check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 238.