Tag: Angel Pacheco

UFC on ESPN 54 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $24.5 million

UFC on ESPN 54 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,000.

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 54 took place at Boardwalk Hall. The main card aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 54 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Connor Matthews[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/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 $4,540; 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 $54,000 while title challengers get $54,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-54 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,842,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,579,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 play-by-play, live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 54 in Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – UFC on ESPN 54 took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie live play-by-play and official results. UFC on ESPN 54 (ESPN/ESPN+) took place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

In the main event, Erin Blanchfield (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) took on Manon Fiorot (12-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in a likely women’s flyweight title eliminator. Joaquin Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) took on Vicente Luque (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) in the welterweight co-feature, and former middleweight champion Chris Weidman (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returned against Bruno Silva (23-11 MMA, 4-5 UFC).

Below, you can check out the results and play-by-play from UFC on ESPN 54.

Caolan Loughran def. Angel Pacheco at UFC on ESPN 54: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Caolan Loughran’s win over Angel Pacheco at UFC on ESPN 54.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag]’s win over [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. (Fight and venue photos by Ed Mulholland, USA Today Sports)

UFC on ESPN 54 official weigh-in results: Fighter somehow gains weight between attempts, misses mark

The UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins ended oddly as Julio Arce somehow gained 0.25 pounds between attempts and his team was scratching their heads.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Ahead of Saturday’s fights at Boardwalk Hall, the 28 fighters involved in UFC on ESPN 54 hit the scales at the host hotel. One missed weight.

Atop the event, which airs on ESPN/ESPN+, is a pivotal women’s flyweight main event between top contenders [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

In the co-main event, welterweight standouts [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) collide. Also on the card, former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) attempts to reenter the win column against [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

All of those fighters made weight, but one from the prelims. [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] missed the featherweight limit after previously missing at bantamweight in April 2022. He was given two attempts and gained 0.25 pounds between attempts.

Arce’s re-weigh was the last weigh-in of the day. A different New Jersey State Athletic Commission (NJSAC) representative than who weighed in the other 27 fighters and Arce’s first attempt, weighed in Arce the second time. This caused further frustration and disbelief from Arce’s team, who said they had weighed 146 on their own scale. Arce was fined 20 percent of his purse and the fight will continue as scheduled.

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Check out the full UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins results below:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Erin Blanchfield (125) vs. Manon Fiorot (125.25)
  • Joaquin Buckley (170) vs. Vicente Luque (170)
  • Bruno Silva (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186)
  • Sedriques Dumas (185) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (185)
  • Bill Algeo (146) vs. Kyle Nelson (145)
  • Rhys McKee (170.25) vs. Chidi Njokuani (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Nate Landwehr (145.25) vs. Jamall Emmers (145)
  • Loopy Godinez (115) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)
  • Julio Arce (147)* vs. Herbert Burns (145)
  • Dennis Buzukja (145.25) vs. Connor Matthews (145)
  • Ibo Aslan (205) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)
  • Viktoriia Dudakova (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)
  • Jacob Malkoun (185) vs. Andre Petroski (186)
  • Caolan Loughran (135) vs. Angel Pacheco (135)

* Arce missed featherweight limit by 1 pound; 20 percent fine

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Jan. 8-14)

There were 35 UFC 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.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 8-14.

Ireland’s Caolan Loughran meets UFC debutant Angel Pacheco in Atlantic City

UFC Atlantic City is now up to seven fights total.

Two bantamweight fighters will look to notch their first UFC victory when they collide in Atlantic City, N.J.

A new addition to the UFC Fight Night event on March 30 at Boardwalk Hall, Ireland’s [autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag] and Minnesota’s [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/autotag] will throw down in a three-round bout.

Two people with knowledge of the booking recently confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Despite losing his promotional debut in September, Loughran (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) made his arrival known as he leaned into playing the “bad guy” role against home-country fighter Taylor Lapilus in Paris.

Lapilus defeated Loughran by unanimous decision, which snapped a career-long eight-fight winning streak for the former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion.

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Pacheco (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) shifts down to bantamweight after a thrilling back-and-forth war against Danny Silva on Dana White’s Contender Series in September.

The bout was regarded by many as one of the best in the series’ history, and as a result, twisted UFC CEO Dana White’s arm into giving Pacheco, who lost by unanimous decision, a multifight deal with the promotion. An emotional moment between Pacheco and White backstage was captured on video and later went viral.

Pacheco, 31, trains under coach Brock Larsen at Start BJJ and cross-trains with the New England Cartel under coach Tyson Chartier. All seven of his professional wins have come inside the distance, and he’s never been finished himself.

With the addition, the UFC Atlantic City lineup includes:

  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot
  • Loopy Godinez vs. Virna Jandiroba
  • Jacob Malkoun vs. Andre Petroski
  • Bruno Silva vs. Chris Weidman
  • Dennis Buzukja vs. Connor Matthews
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Caolan Loughran vs. Angel Pacheco

Watch the emotional moment Dana White decided to give a defeated Contender Series fighter a UFC contract anyway

Angel Pacheco wore his heart on his sleeve after a hard-fought loss at Dana White’s Contender Series – and that resonated with the UFC boss.

It’s almost unheard of for fighters who lose on Dana White’s Contender Series to be awarded a UFC contract. In fact, prior to last Tuesday’s event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, it had only happened once in the series’ history.

Last week, however, UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] awarded two defeated fighters UFC deals. One of those deals went to featherweight [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/autotag], who lost an all-time battle against [autotag]Danny Silva[/autotag].

The decision to award him a contract was triggered by an emotional backstage conversation between White and a heartbroken Pacheco.

“When I went back there, his ear is hanging off. He’s crying,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “He looks at me … I told him, ‘I’m going to pay your your win money.’ He (couldn’t) give a f*ck that I’m going to give him his win money. He’s crying and he said, ‘I wanted to win this fight so bad. I want to be in the UFC so bad. If there’s ever a late minute pullout or anything, please think of me.’

“I said, ‘Oh yeah.’ I said, ‘Dude, you are right up my alley. We’re going to pay you your win money.’ I went back and told the boys, ‘We’re signing this kid.’ If you want to be in the UFC that bad, if you want to win this fight that bad, how bad do you think he wants to win his first UFC fight?'”

On Monday, Pacheco’s manager and coach, Tyson Chartier, of Top Game Management, posted a video of the backstage interaction that persuaded White to go double-contract for the same DWCS bout. Check out the video below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx5csCuuJuo/

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, that’s on you.

Fresh Ink: Meet the 25 fighters the UFC signed in September 2023

Find out who joined the UFC in September and learn more about them here.

The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.

Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, “Dana White’s Contender Series” signees, or rare straight-up additions. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.

“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.

Check out the September 2023 list below.

Dana White’s Contender Series 64 results: Six fighters signed – including two losers

Season 7, Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series goes down Tuesday, and MMA Junkie will have live results from on-site at the UFC Apex.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 64 event.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC CEO Dana White on hand to make the decisions. And as has been the theme of the season, White was plenty generous in handing on contracts on arguably the best episode of the season so far.

White signed a season record six fighters to deals, including headliner Danny Barlow, who destroyed Raheam Forest with a flurry of strikes just 79 seconds into their welterweight matchup.

In addition to Barlow, White did not hold back on the deals. He signed multiple losing fighters. Contracts were issued to Danny Silva and Angel Pacheco after their unanimous decision brawl, which Silva won by unanimous decision. Ernesta Kareckaite and Carli Judice, who fought to a split decision with Kareckaite winning, were both signed. And, finally, Vinicius Oliveira, who scored one of the best knockouts of the year in the opening fight of the evening.

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Full results of Dana White’s Contender Series 64 include:

  • [autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag] def. [autotag]Raheam Forest[/autotag] via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:19
  • [autotag]Mario Piazzon[/autotag] def. [autotag]Alexander Soldatkin[/autotag] via disqualification (illegal knee to a grounded opponent) – Round 3, 0:20
  • [autotag]Danny Silva[/autotag] def. [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/autotag] via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • [autotag]Ernesta Kareckaite[/autotag] def. [autotag]Carli Judice[/autotag] via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] def. [autotag]Victor Madrigal[/autotag] via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:02

Continue reading below for more details about each fight.

Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 7 roster filling up for summer 2023 launch

Dana White’s Contender Series will return this summer. Check out the fighters and fights that have been booked thus far.

Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 7 is in the works.

DWCS debuted in 2017 with an eight-episode inaugural season. Season 2 was held in 2018 with eight episodes, followed by a three-episode DWCS: Brasil. In 2019, DWCS was extended to 10 episodes for its third season. The length was repeated in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Each season, the number of fighters signed has increased. Thus far, the show has produced UFC notables including Sean O’Malley, Maycee Barber, Geoff Neal, Ryan Spann, Sodiq Yusuff, Jamahal Hill, Taila Santos, Johnny Walker, Alex Perez, Bo Nickal, Jailton Almeida, Jack Della Maddalena, and Marina Rodriguez among others.

In recent weeks, the UFC matchmakers have been gearing up for a summer DWCS return, expected to launch Aug. 8. Athletes and matchups have slowly but surely been booked. The number of episodes for Season 7 is not yet known.

Scroll below to see the latest athletes and fights booked, which have been confirmed by MMA Junkie or posted about by the fighters involved. This list will be updated as more fighters and matchups come to light.