Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out these photos from the official weigh-ins in Austin, Texas.
Check out these photos from the official weigh-ins for UFC on ESPN 37 in Austin, Texas. (Photos by Matthew Wells, MMA Junkie)
Joaquin Buckley burst out laughing when he heard what Albert Duraev said.
AUSTIN, Texas – [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] and [autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag] have a little history.
While they’ll be opponents Saturday at UFC on ESPN 37, Buckley (14-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Duraev (15-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) were once on the same side. Shortly after Duraev revealed at a pre-fight news conference the two trained together in the past, Buckley confirmed their sessions and shed light on how they went.
“They was cool,” Buckley told reporters including MMA Junkie. “He was good at what he was good at. A lot of those positions that he was put in, it was all from training. He didn’t have to work for those positions, like that side-mount and mount, all that. He did good at what he was good at, which is holding people down.
“For this fight, I tell people. Training is different from fighting. When I’m putting 50 percent on, I’m putting 110 on in a fight. He’s going to see the difference. … He always wanted to take a picture. I think he’s a big fan of mine. In this fight, I’m sure we’re going to have a good time.”
Duraev is known as a grappler, but told reporters Wednesday he will try to stand and trade with Buckley early before he takes it to the ground. That statement cracked Buckley up.
“If I blink too hard, he’s going to shoot, if you understand what I’m saying,” Buckley said. “It doesn’t matter with Albert Duraev. Like I said, there’s only one thing he’s going to try to do. When that’s not successful, I’m just going to be out there having a good time, throwing my hands and kicking my feet.”
UFC on ESPN 37 takes place Saturday at Moody Arena. The main card airs on ESPN after prelims on ESPN+. Check out Buckley’s full pre-fight news conference in the video above.
[vertical-gallery id=2553832]
Anthony Hernandez will look to halt the momentum of another highly touted middleweight in his return to the octagon.
[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] will look to halt the momentum of another highly touted middleweight.
Hernandez (8-2-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) faces [autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on April 9 at UFC 273, which doesn’t yet have an announced venue or location.
Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the matchup on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion hasn’t made an announcement.
Hernandez is coming off a massive upset, a second-round submission of ADCC champion Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 258 last February, which earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus. The 28-year-old’s return was delayed when he was forced to withdraw from multiple bookings against Punahele Soriano in June, and most recently Dustin Stoltzfus in December.
Duraev, a “Dana White’s Contender Series” standout, made good in his promotional debut when he defeated Roman Kopylov by unanimous decision at UFC 267 in October. The former ACB middleweight champion has won his past 10 in a row.
With the addition, the UFC 273 lineup includes:
[vertical-gallery id=391998]
Six fighters were suspended for 180 days due to injuries sustained in Abu Dhabi.
Glover Teixeira lived out a championship dream at UFC 267, but it came with a price.
After the UFC light heavyweight title was wrapped around his waist for the first time, a goal he’d chased for two decades, Teixeira was handed a six-month suspension by the commissioning regulatory body for a right shoulder injury.
MMA Junkie obtained a list of medical suspensions Tuesday from MixedMartialArts.com, the official record keeper of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC).
UFC 267 took place Saturday, Oct. 30 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.
Teixeira wasn’t the only one handed a potential 180-day suspension. Preliminary card fighters Albert Duraev, Benoit St-Denis, Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Michal Oleksiejczuk, and Allan Nascimento were also given six-month terms.
Scroll below to see a complete list of UFC 267 suspensions below. It’s important to note fighters can become eligible to return to competition prior to suspension completion if they are cleared by a physician.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 267 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $298,000.
ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 267 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $298,000.
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 267 took place at the Etihad Arena in Yas Island. The card streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC 267 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $32,000
[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Zubaira Tukhugov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Hu Yaozong[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Allan Nascimento[/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 2011 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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $4,787,000
Program-to-date total: $4,787,000
After his dominant win at Dana White’s Contender Series 39, Albert Duraev is shooting straight for the top.
LAS VEGAS – After his dominant win at Dana White’s Contender Series 39, [autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag] is shooting straight for the top.
The former ACB middleweight champion made quick work of Caio Bittencourt with a first-round submission to punch his ticket to the UFC on Tuesday and isn’t looking to waste any time.
Duraev (14-3) wants the winner of the Oct. 23 main event fight between former title challengers Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori, and White seems open to the idea of giving him a top contender right off the bat.
“Hearing Dana White say that makes me very, very happy,” Duraev told MMA Junkie and other reporters in attendance at the UFC Apex following Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 39 event. “I know in a month there will be a big fight between Paulo Costa and Vettori, and I’m ready to fight with the winner of that fight. Like I said, I’m ready for any opponent the UFC would give me.”
To see the full interview with Duraev, check out the video above.
[listicle id=989138]
[vertical-gallery id=983935]
UFC hopeful Albert Duraev looked like a seasoned veteran ready to take on the best in the UFC at Dana White’s Contender Series.
[autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag] may have stolen the show on Tuesday night.
In perhaps the most dominant performance on this season of Dana White’s Contender Series thus far, Duraev showed all off a smothering grappling game and relentless pressure that Caio Bittencourt could not handle.
At 3:29 of the first round, Duraev forced his opponent to tap from a neck crack submission, after dominating all aspects of the fight up until that moment.
The fight was the fourth of six bouts on Dana White’s Contender Series 39 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which aired on ESPN+.
Albert Duraev completely dominated 😳 #DWCS pic.twitter.com/4gSSGcQ2Ys
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 15, 2021
Immediately after his victory, he called out to Dana White to let him know he was ready for his UFC contract and was willing to take on anyone and everyone in the promotion, including mentioning the champion Israel Adesanya.
“Hello Dana, you like that one? Duraev asked. “Give me very good contract. I smash anybody.”
Tuesday’s performance marked nine wins in a row for the Russian middleweight, who exuded confidence, before, during, and after his fight.
“Give me (Paulo) Costa, gime me (Marvin) Vettori, no problem,” Duraev said during his post-fight interview with Laura Sanko. “I smash anybody.”
After his outing, it is very likely that Duraev will receive a UFC contract at the end of the show, as he showed glimpses of everything White looks for on the show.
[vertical-gallery id=983935]
[listicle id=983924]
