Tag: Amir Albazi

Brandon Royval: Brandon Moreno’s win over Amir Albazi cleared way for my UFC title shot

Brandon Royval explains why he loves his position in the UFC flyweight title picture thanks to Brandon Moreno beating Amir Albazi.

It was in [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]’s best interest for [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] to beat [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag].

Former champion Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) returned in peak form when he battered a tough Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for five rounds in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 main event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Considering that Royval’s past two wins have come against Moreno then formerly unbeaten Tatsuro Taira in a Fight of the Night effort, the 32-year-old thinks he just became the clear-cut No. 1 contender.

“I think the only thing that it cleared up completely was that I’m next for the title shot,” Royval told MMA Junkie. “I think that’s what it did. It just cleared the way for me and keep everything going. I thought he (Moreno) looked sick. I had such a good time watching him. I liked the look in his eye when he walked out. The moment he walked out, I was like, ‘All right, cool, this is what I want to see: a pissed-off Brandon Moreno ready to go.’

“And he fought with a f*cking attitude and chip on his shoulder, and I loved that. I really, in my head, just think the flyweight division – I feel we get a lot of criticism of because the top three, top four guys are just clearing out everybody and just kind of staying in the top three, top four, but I feel like the flyweight division has been more exciting than it’s ever been.”

Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) won’t immediately get his wish. He has to wait for flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja to defend his title against ex-RIZIN champion Kai Asakura on Dec. 7 at UFC 310 – but he expects to face the winner.

“If they’re not going to bring anybody in, and it’s between me, Moreno and Kai Kara-France, it’s definitely me,” Royval said. “I feel like that’s the only thing that makes sense. Moreno and Kai Kara-France have some sick wins against some sick opponents, and they did a great job. But that being said, I have a win over both those guys, and I think if it’s between us three, it’s me.”

Royval has no issue with newcomer Asakura getting a title shot in his UFC debut. In fact, after fighting both Moreno and Pantoja twice, he could use a new face.

“I’m a fan of it,” Royval said on Asakura’s addition. “I want fresh blood, too. We’re talking about three rematches as a possibility. Like, I could fight Kai Kara-France next, Brandon Moreno, and Pantoja next, and the only one I’m ready to go do is fight Pantoja next. If Kai Asakura wins that belt, I think that’s going to be one of the better fights of the year. Me and Kai Asakura are both guys who bring fights.”

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UFC Edmonton review: Is Brandon Moreno still a title threat? Did Erin Blanchfield show evolution?

Brandon Moreno and Erin Blanchfield both came through with big wins at UFC Edmonton. We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

Big things are happening in both the UFC men’s and women’s flyweight divisions.

This past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 246, former UFC champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] returned after taking a break from MMA competition to defeat streaking contender [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] in the main event. In the co-main, [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] got her hand raised after going toe to toe in a hard-fought decision with former champion [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag].

What’s next for Moreno and, more importantly, is he still a threat to the title? Did Blanchfield show evolution, and should UFC grant her wish to fight Alexa Grasso?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Danny Segura and host Gorgeous “George” discuss the performances and what should come next for the fighters involved.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/G_MvMlbjAX0

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Brandon Moreno’s return, Belal Muhammad out of UFC 310, Max Holloway’s move

On “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses Brandon Moreno’s return, Belal Muhammad’s UFC 310 withdrawal and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC Fight Night 246 went down Saturday in Canada and left us with two key results at men’s and women’s flyweight. In the main event, former champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] successfully returned to action after taking a break from the sport by dominating [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] in a unanimous decision win. Also, [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] outpointed [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] in a hard-fought decision to cement herself as a top title contender. What happens next? We discuss.
  • Bad news. UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] suffered a foot injury and was forced out of his title bout against [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] in the main event of UFC 310. This leaves a big hole to fill since the bout was scheduled to headline the final pay-per-view of the year. Should the UFC implement an interim title? If so, who should fight for it? We react to Muhammad’s injury and how it impacts both UFC 310 and the welterweight division.  
  • A lot of news went down this past week, including fight bookings and retirements. Former UFC champion [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] announced her retirement from the sport; the UFC booked a key welterweight bout between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] for December; and featherweight all-time great [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] revealed he is moving back up to lightweight. We analyze those headlines and more.
  • We close out the show by previewing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 247 event in Las Vegas. We break down the welterweight bout between [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and rising contender [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] headlining the card, along with other standout bouts.

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Amir Albazi says he’ll get back to flyweight contention after UFC Edmonton dismantling

After a lopsided loss in his return following a lengthy layoff, flyweight standout Amir Albazi has vowed to work his way back.

After a lopsided loss in his return following a lengthy layoff, flyweight standout [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] has vowed to work his way back to contention.

Brandon Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) dominated Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 246 main event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was his first fight back after a severe neck injury, but he never got going against the former 125-pound champion.

Albazi nearly was swept on the scorecards by Moreno, who was a slight favorite in the fight, but got a 49-46 from one judge, who gave him the first round. But it was smooth sailing for Moreno after that.

Albazi posted on social media to say he’ll get back to the form that had him in two straight UFC headliners.

“No excuses,” Albazi posted on Instagram. “You win some and lose some but i will be back better 👊🏽 i promise. Thanks for the support 🙏🏼”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB64Dk-S-aP/?igsh=cDBmejU0djBrbGw3

The loss for Albazi was his first in the UFC and snapped a six-fight winning streak.

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

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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.

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:

* * * *

[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.

Brandon Moreno def. Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 246: Best photos from Edmonton

Check out the best photos from Brandon Moreno’s unanimous decision win over Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 246.

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

UFC Fight Night 246 results: Brandon Moreno styles on Amir Albazi in stellar shutout performance

Former champ Brandon Moreno turned in an impressive performance to return to the win column in the UFC Fight Night 246 main event.

Former UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] returned to the win column with a stellar performance against Amir Albazi.

The flyweight bout was the UFC Fight Night 246 main event at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) styled on Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) over the 25-minute fight, earning unanimous scores of 49-46, 50-45 and 50-45.

The fight started with a measured pace, with both fighters working behind jabs. Moreno’s primary weapon was the left hand, which set up the occasional combination. Albazi looked for a few leg kicks in his offense but was outstruck by the former champion in the opening round.

Moreno found success early in Round 2 with a solid left head kick that wobbled Albazi. After quickly getting up from a takedown, Moreno continued to lead the dance with effective striking on the feet, stumbling Albazi with a punch in the last minute.

With Albazi bruised and bloodied, Moreno poured on the pressure early in Round 3, getting a bit sloppy at times as he tried to create a big moment. Albazi found a home for a few solid punches, but Moreno quickly settled back in and continued to lead the fight.

Albazi’s corner implored their fighter to ramp up the aggressiveness heading into the championship rounds. That’s easier said than done against Moreno, who was loose and flowing with his offense.

In Round 4, Albazi did let his hands go more, but Moreno was more than willing to quickly return fire as he maintained control of the center of the octagon.

Albazi entered the final round needing a finish, but he was met with an aggressive Moreno, who came out fighting like he was the one down on the scorecards.

Shortly after an eye poke to Moreno caused a brief pause in the action, the former champ cracked Albazi with a big punch. The Canadian crowd responded with chants for Moreno.

The Mexico-born fighter wasn’t done yet, though.

He stayed on the hunt, cracking Albazi with more punches, and even attempted a rolling thunder kick in the closing seconds to end the fight with flair.

The result ended a two-fight skid for Moreno, as he ended up on the wrong end of a pair of split decisions against Alexandre Pantoja in a title fight at UFC 290 and Brandon Royval in a February main event.

During his post-fight interview, Moreno expressed his desire to dive into a full plate of food, but more importantly, regain his flyweight title and once again rule the 125-pound division.

For Albazi, his return to action for the first time since last June did not go his way, as he struggled to find momentum. As a result, his six-fight winning streak comes to an end with just his second loss as a pro.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 246 results include:

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

UFC Fight Night 246: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 odds between Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round flyweight bout in the main event, Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 246 – also known as UFC on ESPN+ 104 – at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 246: Moreno vs. Albazi odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and the main card begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Records: Moreno (21-8-2) | Albazi (17-1-0)

Moreno is looking to bounce back after a split-decision loss to Brandon Royval last time out in the main event on Feb. 24. That setback came on the heels of a championship bout loss to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290 in July 2023. His last victory came in a TKO – Doctor’s Stoppage against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 283 Jan. 21, 2023.

Albazi picked up a split-decision win against Kai Kara-France June 3, 2023, in his most recent appearance in a fight night main event. Since making his UFC debut on July 18, 2020, he has picked up 5 victories, including 2 submission victories, a KO/TKO win over Alessandro Costa, and 2 decision victories.

Moreno holds a 2-inch reach advantage, and he has a 3.87-to-2.80 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, too. Moreno is more accurate at 50.29%, while Albazi has managed a 48.57% mark. The takedown average difference is negligible, while Moreno is more accurate in that category, too, going 46.88%.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 246: Moreno vs. Albazi odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of UFC odds. Lines last updated at 12:05 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Moreno -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | Albazi +140 (bet $100 to win $140)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -200 | No +150)

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UFC Fight Night 246: Moreno vs. Albazi picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

MORENO (-165) is worth a look as a moderate favorite over the Iraqi challenger. He is just 2 fights removed from fighting for a championship at this weight class, and he is looking to bounce back and position himself for another run at the strap.

Albazi (+140) has won each of his fights at the UFC level, but outside of Kara-France, he hasn’t faced a great level of talent.

We’ll roll the dice on MORENO BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+125) at plus-money. He has gone the distance in each of the past 2 outings, and 4 of the previous 7 fights.

Over/Under (O/U)

YES: FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE (-200) is a little on the expensive side, costing you 2 times your potential return. Straight up, it isn’t a great wager, but if you fold it into a multi-leg parlay, it can be excused.

Albazi went the distance last time out, and he has needed the judges to determine a winner in 2 of his past 4 fights.

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 Edmonton faceoff video: Brandon Moreno, Amir Albazi get last look before headliner

Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi were all business when they crossed paths for a final staredown before UFC Fight Night 246.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – There’s now only a matter of hours before [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] and [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] meet in the UFC Fight Night 246 main event after the conclusion of their final faceoff.

Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-4-2 UFC) and Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) meet in a five-round flyweight headliner on Saturday at Rogers Place (ESPN+), and the winner will have momentum for a title shot behind them.

The last step in the pre-fight process was a staredown at ceremonial weigh-ins, and you can watch the video above to see Moreno and Albazi interaction for the final time before the UFC Fight Night 246 main event.

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