Tag: Alonzo Menifield

UFC Fight Night 212 predictions: Is anyone taking Viviane Araujo over Alexa Grasso?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 212 main card in Las Vegas, which features Alexa Grasso vs. Viviane Araujo.

Grasso
vs.
Araujo		 Martinez
vs.
Swanson		 Todorovic
vs.
Wright		 Assuncao
vs.
Wright		 Cirkunov
vs.
Menifield
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
161-96		 grasso2022
Grasso
(78%)		 swanson2022
Swanson
(55%)		 todorovic2022
Todorovic
(61%)		 henry2022
Henry
(63%)		 menifield2022
Menifield
(75%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
171-91
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 grasso2022
Grasso		 martinez2022
Martinez		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
167-95		 grasso2022
Grasso		 martinez2022
Martinez		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 cirkunov2022
Cirkunov
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
165-97
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
164-98		 grasso2022
Grasso		 martinez2022
Martinez		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
163-99		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
161-101		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 wright2022
Wright		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 cirkunov2022
Cirkunov
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
161-101		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 wright2022
Wright		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield
Nolan King
@mma_kings
155-107		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
154-108
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
146-116		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 wright2022
Wright		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
128-133		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield

The stays on its home turf after an off week, and a pair of women’s flyweight contenders are atop the bill.

UFC Fight Night 212 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at 125 pounds. Grasso is a -240 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Araujo is +180. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Grasso as our lone unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

The co-main event features [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) against [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] (28-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) at bantamweight in Swanson’s move to the division after spending the bulk of his career, including the past nearly 15 years, at featherweight. Martinez is more than a 2-1 favorite, but most of our pickers are bucking the odds and have Swanson with a big 8-3 lead.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at middleweight. Todorovic is more than a 2-1 favorite and has an 8-3 picks lead.

[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is the event’s second biggest underdog in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who is a -420 favorite. But Henry has just a 6-5 lead from our staff members.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at light heavyweight. Menifield is a -220 favorite and has a blowout in the picks at 9-2.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Grasso (78 percent), Swanson (55 percent), Todorovic (61 percent), Henry (63 percent) and Menifield (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

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Alonzo Menifield only sees a finish against Misha Cirkunov: ‘I’m coming with fire’

Alonzo Menifield is expecting a firefight with Misha Cirkunov at UFC Fight Night 212 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] is expecting a firefight with [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag].

Winner of three of his past four, Menifield (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) faces Cirkunov (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 212 main card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

A proven finisher who’s only gone the distance once in 12 professional wins, Menifield is expecting another stoppage.

“He’s a tough guy,” Menifield told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC Fight Night 212 media day. “(The) only way to do this is finish him. … I don’t know (how) – it depends on him. But I’m coming with fire.”

Menifield, who trains out of Fortis MMA, changed things up for this training camp.

“(I’ve) been training in the mountains with high elevation, just trying to keep it going,” Menifield said. “(I’m) just working on that endurance, cardiovascular so I could just be more myself in there.”

Watch the video of Menifield’s complete pre-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

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Former UFC fighter Askar Mozharov suspended six months, fined for failed drug test

Nevada gave a suspension to Askar Mozharov, a former UFC fighter who has been accused of significant record falsification.

[autotag]Askar Mozharov[/autotag] has received punishment for a failed drug test stemming from his one and only UFC bout.

At a monthly commission meeting Tuesday, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended Mozharov for six months and fined him 10 percent of his purse in addition to legal fees after he failed a urinalysis test surrounding his June 4 loss to [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 207.

Mozharov’s urine tested positive for GW1516 sulfone, a hormone and metabolic modulator. While he violated the NAC standard, he was below the threshold for a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency violation.

According to the commission, Mozharov’s cooperation and admission to the violation contributed to his sanction. The fines totaled $2,529.75 ($2,000 + $529.75 in legal fees). He will be eligible to return to competition Dec. 4.

In the lead-up to UFC Fight Night 207, Mozharov was the subject of much controversy and attention when leading MMA databases Sherdog and Tapology discovered that his professional record had been falsified, which Mozharov denied doing. At the start of fight week, his record was recognized as 25-7. By week’s end, it was 17-13.

Mozharov, 27, lost to Menifield by first-round TKO. He was subsequently released from the promotion. He has not been scheduled for a publicly known bout since but recently indicated on a since-expired Instagram story he hopes to return at middleweight.

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UFC Fight Night 207 video: Alonzo Menifield destroys Askar Mozharov with elbows from crucifix

Alonzo Menifield used the crucifix position to his maximum advantage on Saturday when he finished Askar Mozharov at UFC Fight Night 207.

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] used the crucifix position to his maximum advantage on Saturday when he finished [autotag]Askar Mozharov[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 207.

Menifield wasted no time putting Mozharov with a superior ground game. After some early exchanges, he advanced into the ground position and pinned his opponent to the mat before unleashing a flurry of elbows to get the TKO stoppage at the 4:40 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay below (via Twitter):

Mozharov got big attention on himself for an odd reason coming into UFC Fight Night 207. There were multiple changes to his record before stepping into the octagon for his debut, and Menifield said he was fired up by the fact he couldn’t get a good read on his opponent.

“The dude has three records,” Menifield said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “It pissed me off and it just made me furious.”

Up-to-the-minute results of UFC Fight Night 207 include:

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Alonzo Menifield reacts to UFC Fight Night 207 opponent Askar Mozharov’s ‘preposterous’ record changes

The accuracy of Askar Mozharov’s pro record has been called into question, and Alonzo Menifield thinks the whole situation is “madness.”

UFC light heavyweight [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] likes to have as much information as possible about his opponents, but the man that will be standing across the cage from him on Saturday is a bit of a mystery.

At UFC Fight Night 207, Menifield (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on Ukraine’s Askar Mozharov, who will be making his UFC debut. Through his seven previous UFC bouts, Menifield has not fought an opponent like Mozharov (19-12 MMA per Tapology, 0-0 UFC), who enters with a number of questions surrounding his career. Specifically, Mozharov’s professional record has been called into question after a number of changes were to MMA databases ahead of Saturday’s bout.

While Mozharov attempted to explain the issues, Menifield finds the whole situation strange.

“It’s preposterous,” Menifield told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s media day. “Madness. It’s hard, I don’t know what to think. So, I don’t want to insult him, but I’m like, are you for real about fighting or are you not? I’m curious to see how he’ll fight Saturday. When you’re in there, there’s no more posing. This is what it is, it’s a fight, and this is the highest level. So, we’ll see.”

Beyond the questions surrounding his professional fighting record, there also seems to be a lack of video of Mozharov’s fights available, according to Menifield. While he doesn’t necessarily rely on fight footage to have success inside the cage, it is a tool the former professional football player would like to use to fully prepare.

“I played linebacker, so we always study film, but this guy is like invisible on the internet,” Menifield said. “Good job with his team for making him a secret. … I found a little bit, so I was able to pick up something from him, so we’ll see it Saturday night.”

Entering his first fight of 2022, Menifield will look to rebound from a unanimous decision loss against William Knight in December which snapped a two-fight streak. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran burst on the scene in 2019 with back-to-back first-round knockouts and has also shown off some slick submission skills by catching Fabio Cherant in a Von Flue choke. Considering he isn’t quite sure what Mozharov will bring on Saturday, Menifield will approach the fight with an open mind, and is confident he will leave with his hand raised.

“I guess you just gotta have the MMA mindset,” Menifield said. “Just mix it up when they’re unknown like this. So, yeah, I take it wherever the fight goes, I’ll take it. My plan is to dominate, period.”

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past two weeks (April 18-May 1)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past two weeks.

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 April 18-May 1.

UFC on ESPN 31 medical suspensions: Jose Aldo, Rob Font face 180 days for facial fractures

As a result of their UFC on ESPN 31 bouts, Jose Aldo, Rob Font, and five other fighters are facing six-month bans.

UFC on ESPN 31 provided the violence Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but the highlights came with a price.

As a result of potential injuries sustained in their bouts, seven fighters were handed 180-day medical suspensions by the Nevada Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event.

Among those handed six-month terms were featherweight contenders [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who competed in the main event and suffered eye injuries as a result of their battle.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag], [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag], and [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag], who competed on the undercard, also were suspended 180 days for various potential injuries.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the official record keeper of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC). All fighters’ suspensions can terminate sooner, should they be cleared by a doctor.

Check out the full UFC on ESPN 31 medical suspensions below.

UFC on ESPN 31 pre-event facts: Rob Font, Jose Aldo battle for more accolades

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 31, which features a Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo main event.

The UFC kicks off its final stretch of 2021 events Saturday with UFC on ESPN 31, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN.

A very important fight in the bantamweight division serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will attempt to keep his winning streak alive in pursuit of a title shot when he takes on former longtime featherweight king [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC), who continues chase a second belt at 135 pounds.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 45 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 31.

UFC 265 post-event facts: Ciryl Gane’s beatdown of Derrick Lewis sets record numbers

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 265, which saw Ciryl Gane make history with his interim title win over Derrick Lewis.

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] produced the most statistically lopsided heavyweight title fight win in octagon history on Saturday in the UFC 265 main event.

Gane (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) punished [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) for nearly three full rounds en route to a third-round TKO that gave him interim belt and set up a title unification clash with Francis Ngannou.

For more on the numbers behind Gane’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 265.

UFC 265 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Five fighters get at least $21,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 265 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $278,000.

HOUSTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 265 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $278,000.

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 265 took place at the Toyota Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 265 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Drako Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Anderson dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victoria Leonardo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Johnny Munhoz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamey Simmons[/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: $2,985,000
Program-to-date total: $2,985,000