Tag: Alex Morono

‘TUF 11’ winner Court McGee booked for next UFC fight vs. Alex Morono

A member of the UFC roster since 2010, Court McGee isn’t done yet as he’s been booked vs. fellow vet Alex Morono.

Two veteran welterweights will collide at the first UFC Apex card in April.

“TUF 11” winner [autotag]Court McGee[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] will fight at an upcoming UFC Fight Night event on April 6 in Las Vegas, the promotion announced Thursday.

McGee (21-12 MMA, 10-11 UFC) has had a rough go in his most recent pair of outings. Following unanimous decision victories over Claudio Silva and Ramiz Brahimaj, McGee was knocked out violently in back-to-back outings vs. Jeremiah Wells and Matt Brown.

Morono (23-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) aims to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Joaquin Buckley in October. He’s 5-2 in his most recent seven, but also 1-2 in his most recent three.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for April 6 includes:

  • Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Damon Jackson
  • Germaine de Randamie vs. Norma Dumont
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Josh Fremd
  • Court McGee vs. Alex Morono
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Christos Giagos
  • Nora Cornolle vs. Melissa Mullins
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Valter Walker
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Piera Rodriguez
  • Heili Alateng vs. Victor Hugo
  • Dan Argueta vs. Jean Matsumoto
  • Charlie Campbell vs. Trevor Peek
  • Jose Johnson vs. Luis Rocha

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night event on April 6.

MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for October: Edson Barboza sets Fight of the Night record

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from October 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from October 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for October.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

Nominees

UFC Fight Night 229 post-event facts: Drew Dober passes Dustin Poirier, sets KO record

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 229, which saw Drew Dober pass Dustin Poirier on the all-time lightweight KO list.

The UFC returned from a one-week hiatus on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 229, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw four of 10 fights end in a stoppage.

The quickest of those finishes came in the lightweight headliner, where Bobby Green (31-15-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) pulled off a stunning upset of Grant Dawson (20-2-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) courtesy of a 33-second knockout.

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 229.

UFC Fight Night 229 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Bobby Green, Drew Dober top card

UFC Fight Night 229 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 229 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $189,000.

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 Fight Night 229 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 229 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Glenn[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Mateus Mendonca[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kanako Murata[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Aori Qileng[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Johnny Munoz[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]JJ Aldrich[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag]: $11,000

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 2291 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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,483,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,072,500

UFC Fight Night 229: Alex Morono vs. Joaquin Buckley odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 229 odds between Alex Morono and Joaquin Buckley, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round welterweight bout in the main event, Alex Morono and Joaquin Buckley meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 229 — also known as UFC Vegas 80 — at UFC Apex. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s around the UFC Fight Night 229: Morono vs. Buckley odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims can be viewed on ESPN+ starting at 4 p.m. ET with the main card following on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.

Records: Morono (23-8-0) | Buckley (16-6-0)

Morono picked up a 2nd-round submission victory last time out against Tim Means in May, bouncing back after a 3rd-round KO/TKO against Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 282. He has consecutive fights inside the distance after 3 straight unanimous-decision wins from Sept. 2021 through July 2022.

Buckley registered a 2nd-round KO/TKO against Andre Fialho last time out, rebounding from 2 straight losses. He has ended up going the distance just once in the past 4 fights, while needing the assistance of the judges in just 2 of his 10 fights at the UFC level.

The southpaw Buckley holds a 4-inch reach advantage, and he has a 1.43-to-0.29 takedown average advantage, while posting a 34.62% accuracy in the category. Morono has a 5.20-to-3.76 significant strikes landed per minute advantage.

Watch  this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 229: Alex Morono vs. Joaquin Buckley odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:40 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Morono +144 (bet $100 to win $144) | Buckley -172 (bet $172 to win $100)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over +130 | Under -166)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +172 | No -225)

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UFC Fight Night 229: Alex Morono vs. Joaquin Buckley picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

BUCKLEY (-172) isn’t priced out of line if you simply want to declare a winner on the 2-way line. He has the 4-inch reach advantage, so he should be able to pull and push Morono in, picking and choosing his spots for attack.

In addition, going with the method of victory, Buckley’s fights overwhelming end with either a win or loss via knockout. If you like him to win, you should like BUCKLEY BY KO/TKO (+110), which is a value at plus-money.

If you want action, but do not want to declare a winner, play KO/TKO (-145) for the “how the fight will end” prop.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-166) is a strong play, as this fight is unlikely to end with the judges deciding a victor.

No (-225): Will the fight go the distance? is just a little too much risk, and not enough reward, so AVOID that particular wager.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC Fight Night 229’s Alex Morono hopes to fulfill goal of 20 octagon wins

Alex Morono enters UFC Fight Night 229 just eight victories from joining the UFC’s prestigious 20-win club.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] needs eight more UFC wins to reach one of his biggest career milestones.

Morono (23-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) takes on Joaquin Buckley (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 229 welterweight featured bout at the UFC Apex. The event streams on ESPN+.

The Fortis MMA fighter has quietly won five of his past six fights – including big wins over Donald Cerrone, Matthew Semelsberger, and, most recently, a submission of Tim Means at UFC on ABC 4 in May.

“I’ve definitely achieved a lot, but I still have things I’m looking to achieve,” Morono told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day. “I use to have a goal of 20 fights, but now I have a goal of 20 wins. So, I’ve got some work to do.”

Morono takes on a dangerous knockout artist in Buckley, but is confident that his experience will help him pull through.

“I fought a lot of guys like him,” Morono said. “Thankfully I’m coming off a southpaw fight camp, but yeah, nothing to underestimate. The dude’s a beast. I trained my butt off for this one. Thankfully we had a big crop of welterweights over at Fortis so I’ve been training with some really good guys.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

UFC Fight Night 229 pre-event facts: Grant Dawson’s streak ranks among elite company

The best facts about UFC Fight Night 229, where Grant Dawson brings an 8-0-1 octagon record into his main event vs. Bobby Green.

After a one-week hiatus, the UFC returns Saturday to kick off a loaded October schedule with UFC Fight Night 229, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

A lightweight bout serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) gets his first headlining opportunity when he takes on [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (30-15-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC), who looks to build momentum off his submission win over Tony Ferguson.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 229.

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Video: ‘UFC Fight Night 229: Dawson vs. Green’ media day interviews

Before UFC Fight Night 229 on Saturday, watch as the main card athletes fighters speak to reporters at media day.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 229, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happened to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 4-10)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 4-10.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Alex Morono added to October UFC Fight Night event

A fun welterweight matchup between Joaquin Buckley and Alex Morono has been added to an October UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.

A fun welterweight matchup between [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] is heading to a UFC Fight Night event next month.

On Oct. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Buckley (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and Morono (23-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) are set to meet in what will be the second appearance of 2023 for both fighters. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with two sources following the bout appearing on the ESPN event schedule.

The UFC Fight Night event features a lightweight matchup between Grant Dawson and Bobby Green, and will air live on ESPN+.

Buckley, 29, won his first appearance of the year by stopping Andre Fialho with a vicious head kick at UFC Fight Night 224. The victory snapped a two-fight skid after losses to Chris Curtis and Nassourdine Imavov. Prior to that, Buckley won three straight, including stoppages of Antonio Arroyo and Albert Duraev, and a decision win over Abdul Razak Alhassan.

Morono, 33, also bounced back into the win column in his first 2023 appearance by submitting Tim Means with a guillotine choke in a slick fight-ending sequence. Prior to his loss against Santiago Ponzinibbio, Morono picked up four consecutive wins, defeating Donald Cerrone, David Zawada, Mickey Gall and Matthew Semelsberger.

With the addition, the current UFC Fight Night event on Oct. 7 includes:

  • Grant Dawson vs. Bobby Green
  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Alex Morono
  • Drew Dober vs. Ricky Glenn
  • Chris Gutierrez vs. Montel Jackson
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Joe Pyfer
  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Kanako Murata
  • Bill Algeo vs. Alexander Hernandez
  • Johnny Munoz vs. Aori Qileng
  • Nate Maness vs. Mateus Mendonca
  • Khusein Askhabov vs. Daniel Pineda
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Philipe Lins
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Stephanie Egger

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