The former University of Alabama football standout will step in on three weeks’ notice.
[autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag] has a new opponent for his upcoming fight.
UFC middleweight [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] will replace [autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag] and fight Arroyo (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at the UFC’s Nov. 14 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Multiple people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
No reason was given for Michailidis’ withdrawal.
Anders (13-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) will look to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Krzysztof Jotko in May. Prior to that defeat, Anders had won back-to-back fights against Gerald Meerschaert and Vinicius Moreira.
Arroyo also is coming off a loss. After earning his UFC contract on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Arroyo made his promotional debut in November 2019. He lost to fellow DWCS alum Andre Muniz by unanimous decision.
With the addition, the UFC on ESPN+ 41 lineup includes:
Four fighters face potential 180-day medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN 13.
Four fighters face potential 180-day medical suspensions as a result of injuries sustained in their UFC on ESPN 13 fights Wednesday.
Friday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list from MixedMartialArts.com, the ABC’s official recordkeeper.
According to the list, UFC on ESPN 13 main card fighters [autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] and [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag], as well as prelim competitors [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] and [autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag], received 180-day suspensions. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.
Headliners [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] and [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag], however, walked away relatively unscathed, despite their 25-minute back-and-forth battle. Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was handed a 30-day suspension for a “hard bout,” while Ige (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) received 45 days on the shelf for bilateral brow lacerations.
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UFC on ESPN 13 took place Wednesday at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.
The complete list of UFC on ESPN 13 medical suspensions:
Calvin Kattar: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
Dan Ige: Suspended 45 days for bilateral brow lacerations with no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for left brow lacerations with no contact for 21 days
Ryan Benoit: Suspended 180 days or until right thumb x-ray is cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
[autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right shoulder pain with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for scalp laceration with no contact for 21 days
Taila Santos: Suspended 180 days or until right foot x-ray is cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
[autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right eye swelling with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for right hand pain with no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Khazmat Chimaev[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]John Phillips[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for bilateral brow lacerations with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO loss with no contact for 30 days
Modestas Bukauskas: Suspended 180 days or until left knee MRI cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
[autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO loss with no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for a “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Liana Jouja[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
Diana Belbita: Suspended 180 days or until right elbow MRI is cleared by doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Aaron Phillips[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 13, which saw Calvin Kattar beat Dan Ige in the main event in Abu Dhabi.
The second in UFC’s string of “Fight Island” events went down on Wednesday with UFC on ESPN 13, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) continued to surge as a featherweight contender in the main event when he outworked [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) to a unanimous decision. Both men showed great toughness in the fight, and that was a theme throughout the evening.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for
* * * *
General
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UFC on ESPN 13 became the second event in UFC history to feature zero knockdowns. UFC Fight Night 9 in April 2007 was the other.
[autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag], [autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag], [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 13 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN 13 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 7-4 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 12-6 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:05:42.
Main card
Dan Ige
Ige has suffered all three of his career losses by decision.
Ige failed to complete a takedown for the first time in his UFC career.
[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] (16-11-1 MMA, 5-9 UFC) snapped his three-fight losing skid for his first victory since December 2017.
Elliott improved to 3-5 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.
Elliott has earned four of his five UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) has suffered five of his seven career losses by decision.
[autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) has earned 17 of his 23 career victories by decision. That includes six of his seven UFC wins.
[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (19-3-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) has suffered two of his three career losses by decision.
Alhassan (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
Preliminary card
Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned all of his career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]John Phillips[/autotag] (22-10 MMA, 1-4 UFC) has suffered eight of his 10 career losses by stoppage.
Phillips has suffered three of his four UFC losses by submission.
[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) fell to 1-1 since he moved up to the featherweight division in November.
Ramos has suffered all three of his career losses by stoppage. He’s been knocked out in both of his UFC defeats.
Bukauskas (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by knockout.
[autotag]Jarred Gordon[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his UFC losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned seven of her eight career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag] (11-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered five of her six career losses by stoppage.
Belbita has suffered all five of his career stoppage losses by submission.
[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned 12 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished both of his UFC wins by submission.
[autotag]Aaron Phillips[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his return to the octagon.
Phillips’ skid in UFC competition was extended to three fights. He went 0-2 in his previous tenure in 2014.
Phillips suffered the first submission loss of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time. How did the four newcomers perform Wednesday?
Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 event marked that special moment in their respective careers.
Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression they made on the sport’s biggest stage from Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
* * * * *
Modestas Bukauskas
Division: Light heavyweight Result: Modestas Bukauskas def. Andreas Michailidis via TKO (retirement) – Round 1 Record: (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) Grade: B+
Former Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion Modestas Bukauskas claimed a first-round TKO finish on his octagon debut with a finish that was a near carbon copy of the one that earned him his shot on the big stage.
Back at Cage Warriors 111 in November 2019 Bukauskas finished Riccardo Nosiglia with a barrage of powerful elbows against the cage to retain his light heavyweight title. That win saw him earn a call-up to the UFC, and Bukauskas turned to his elbows once again to score a very similar finish at the end of Round 1.
Bukauskas looked loose and relaxed from the start of his matchup against Andrea Michailidis, but took a little time to calibrate his punching range, with some of his early combinations falling short. But as the round progressed he started to make adjustments and step into his combinations. When he did, he showed a noticeable speed advantage.
That’s not to say he didn’t have to deal with some adversity, too. The London-based Lithuanian got clipped a few times by some solid Michailidis shots, but looked untroubled by them as he closed the distance and put the pressure on the Greek debutant before finishing him with the same elbows he produced in Cage Warriors last year.
All in all, it was a solid, impressive start to life in the UFC, and it will be interesting to watch his continued development in the octagon over the coming months.
Next up: Move to 205 doesn’t pay off for “The Spartan”
UFC on ESPN 13 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
ABU DHABI – Fighters from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $97,000.
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 on ESPN 13 took place at Flash Forum. The card aired streamed on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN.
The full UFC on ESPN 13 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
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 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 event at “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 13 went with as their backing tracks in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
The return of Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t far off, and here are 10 middleweight candidates to appear on the show.
Dana White’s Contender Series has become a focal point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.
With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting win on the show, and you’re in.
Rumored for a late-June 2020 start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced quite yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.
One of Canada’s premier middleweights, [autotag]KB Bhullar[/autotag] is unblemished in his MMA career. Major promotions are always in need of up-and-coming middleweights, as well as fighters who push the boundaries and expand MMA’s pull in non-American countries. Canada’s Bhullar checks off both of those boxes. One of the best pound-for-pound fighters in “The Great White North,” Bhullar added a UFC veteran to his resume in September when he defeated Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision at Unified MMA 38. It’s important to note Bhullar is recovering from surgery. Should he be ready, Bhullar should be a shoe-in – easy.
Last summer, [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag] was passed over on Dana White’s Contender Series. While the UFC president was happy with Daukaus’ performance, he believed the middleweight needed more work on the regional scene. Since that time, Daukaus has put his foot on the gas pedal. The CFFC middleweight champion picked up two more wins since last summer’s DWCS. Both victories were second-round D’arce choke submissions. A submission specialist, Daukaus possesses a well-rounded grappling attack which compliments his striking abilities. Twenty-seven-year-old undefeated middleweight prospects aren’t a common commodity, so DWCS should welcome Daukaus back with open arms.
The middleweight title will be on the line when Cage Warriors returns to Birmingham, England, in April.
The middleweight title will be on the line when Cage Warriors returns to Birmingham, England, in April.
[autotag]Nathias Frederick[/autotag] (8-2-1) will put his 185-pound title on the line for the first time when he meets challenger [autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag] (12-3) at Cage Warriors 114, the promotion announced Monday.
Cage Warriors 114 takes place April 18 at Arena Birmingham in England. The event streams on UFC Fight Pass.
Frederick challenged James Webb for the title in June 2019 in his debut with the promotion, but had to settle for a majority draw and Webb retained the belt. But they rematched in November at Cage Warriors 111, and Frederick put Webb away with a TKO with one second left in the fourth round to win the title. The victory put Frederick’s unbeaten streak at nine fights.
Michailidis, from Greece, will be making his Cage Warriors debut. He has three straight wins and victories in seven of his past eight fights. In 2019, the 31-year-old had first-round knockout wins over Marcel Fortuna at Titan FC 54 and Arymarcel Santos at a Global Legion FC event. He has 11 of his 12 career wins by finish.
The Cage Warriors 114 lineup includes:
Champ Nathias Frederick vs. Andreas Michailidis – for middleweight title
