Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Alexander Munoz fought for the first time in more than two years at UFC on ESPN 49 and won for the first time since October 2019.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag] beat Carl Deaton with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Munoz, who snapped a two-fight skid, won for the first time since October 2019, and fought for the first time in more than two years.
Check out all the post-fight facts from UFC on ESPN 49, where Mayra Bueno Silva put herself in the same category as Ronda Rousey.
UFC on ESPN 49, which took place Saturday at the UFC Ape in Las Vegas, had a slow start to the event, but ultimately ended with a bang.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) continued her rise up the women’s bantamweight contender list when she scored a second-round submission of former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) to become a true title contender.
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 on ESPN 49.
UFC on ESPN 49 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 on ESPN 49 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $126,500.
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 49 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 49 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Fransisco Prado[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Nazim Sadykhov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tucker Lutz[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Viktoriia Dudakova[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Istela Nunes[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Evan Elder[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Genaro Valdez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Azat Maksum[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carl Deaton[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ashlee Evans-Smith[/autotag]: $6,000
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 $49,000 while title challengers get $49,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-49 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $4,555,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,144,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
Check out what the UFC on ESPN 49 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 49 took place Saturday with 13 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
You can hear from all the UFC on ESPN 49 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
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 from May 1-7.
Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 22 fight between Luis Pena and Alex Munoz, with MMA odds, picks, tips and predictions.
In a lightweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Luis Pena and Alexander Munoz meet at UFC on ESPN 22 – also known as UFC Vegas 24 – at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, and the main card begins at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+. Below, we analyze the UFC on ESPN 22 Pena vs. Munoz odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:36 a.m. ET.
Place your legal, online bets at BetMGM Sportsbook. New customer offer, terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Records: Pena 8-3 | Munoz 6-1
The southpaw PENA (-155) will tower over his opponent, standing 6-foot-3 to just 5-foot-9 for Munoz. He also has a three-inch reach advantage he will use to keep his foe at arm’s length.
Pena is looking to bounce back after a submission loss in the third round on June 27, 2020, and he has dropped two of his past three fights.
However, his physical advantage here might lead to his first KO/TKO victory since as third-round knockout of Matt Wiman on June 22, 2019.
Munoz (+130) lost in his UFC debut against Nasrat Haqparast on Aug. 8, 2020 on the Lewis-Oleinik card, and he cannot be trusted here.
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Two of the last three fights for Pena, and four of his six fights at the UFC level, have ended up going the distance.
“Violent Bob Ross”, which might be the best nickname in all of combat sports, likely will go the distance with Munoz.
He has gone the distance in each of his past four pro fights, including his UFC debut against Haqparast.
As such, play YES (-185): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? It’s a little pricey but will be well worth it.
In addition, play PENA ON POINTS (+165) on round betting for an added value.
To watch the early prelims, sign up for ESPN+ now.
Want some action on UFC on ESPN 22? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
MMA Junkie:
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Four fighters are facing lengthy suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 32 injuries.
Four fighters are facing potential six-month suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective UFC on ESPN+ 32 bouts.
[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (neck and arm), [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (facial fractures), [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (left ribs), and [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag] (right hand, right wrist, and left eye) will not be able to fight until Feb. 5, 2021, unless they are cleared by a doctor beforehand.
On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.
Headlining victor [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] did not receive a suspension, while his opponent, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], received a 45-day suspension for lacerations sustained in the fight.
Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and his opponent, [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], both received 30-day suspensions after their co-main event bout.
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Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions:
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All the notable stats to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32, which took place in Las Vegas, and saw Derrick Lewis knock out Aleksei Oleinik.
The UFC’s loaded August schedule continued on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which went down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.
The UFC’s busiest heavyweight picked up another notable win in the headliner when [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) overcame the grappling prowess of [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to net a second-round TKO and extend his current winning streak to three fights.
“The Black Beast” made UFC history with his finish, and for more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32.
* * * *
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $162,000.
Debuting fighters went 0-3 at the event.
[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 32 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN+ 32 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 10-2 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 15-7 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:09.
Lewis’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Junior Dos Santos for third most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18) and Frank Mir (16).
Lewis’ 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Arlovski, Gabriel Gonzaga and Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13),
Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).
Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are tied with Thiago Santos for most among active fighters in the organization.
Oleinik has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was successful in his return to the middleweight division.
Weidman earned his first UFC victory where he failed to outland his opponent in strikes.
[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (20-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) fell to 3-1-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-1-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.
Akhmedov suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Stewart (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) improved to 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.
[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.
Kunitskaya outlanded her opponent 209-to-30 in total strikes. The +179 margin is largest in UFC women’s bantamweight history.
Kunitskaya has earned all three of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) earned the eighth knockout in UFC history stemming from a spinning backfist.
Dariush’s four-fight stoppage streak in UFC competition is tied with Justin Gaethje and Francis Ngannou for second longest among active fighters on the roster behind Charles Oliveira (seven).
[autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (30-12-1 MMA, 12-9 UFC) improved to 10-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.
[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his submission defeat.
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
