Tag: Anthony Hernandez

UFC Fight Night 252 payouts: Nine fighters receive six-figures for Seattle battles

UFC Seattle payouts were released by the Washington State Department of Licensing on Thursday, including Song Yadong vs. Henry Cejudo.

Nine fighters walked away from the UFC’s recent return to Seattle with six-figure disclosed payouts, according to the Washington State Department of Licensing (WSDOL), which oversaw the event.

UFC Fight Night 252 took place Feb. 22 at Climate Pledge Arena and featured 12 bouts.

Main event competitors [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] and [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] joined [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag], [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag], [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag], [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag], and [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] as the fighters who received six-figures.

Thursday, MMA Junkie acquired state documents of the disclosed payouts from WSDOL, which can be seen below. Forbes was first to report the payouts Wednesday.

It’s important to note the amounts are strictly the disclosed amounts for show and win. They do not include side letter payments, sponsorships, or discretionary/performance bonuses. Additionally, they do not include taxes or miscellaneous deductions.

  • Song Yadong: $320,000 (includes $160,000 win bonus)
  • Henry Cejudo: $150,000
  • Anthony Hernandez: $144,000 (includes $72,000 win bonus)
  • Brendan Allen: $210,000
  • Rob Font: $320,000 (includes $160,000 win bonus)
  • Jean Matsumoto: $26,000
  • Jean Silva: $90,000 (includes $45,000 win bonus)
  • Melsik Baghdasaryan: $35,000
  • Alonzo Menifield: $240,000 (includes $120,000 win bonus)
  • Julius Walker: $12,000
  • Ion Cutelaba: $190,000 (includes $95,000 win bonus)
  • Ibo Aslan: $35,000
  • Melquizael Costa: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus)
  • Andre Fili: $110,000
  • Mansur Abdul-Malik: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
  • Nick Klein: $10,000
  • Ricky Simon: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus)
  • Javid Basharat: $30,000
  • Austin Vanderford: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
  • Nikolay Veretennikov: $12,000
  • Nursulton Ruziboev: $74,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus)
  • Eric McConico: $12,000
  • Modestas Bukauskas: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus)
  • Raffael Cerqueira: $10,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

UFC Fight Night 252 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Andre Fili leads way with $21,000

UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance money was sent out after UFC Seattle, with veteran Andre Fili topping the card.

SEATTLE – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 252 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $185,000.

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 Fight Night 252 took place at Climate Pledge Arena in Washington. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 252 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Julius Walker[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Mansur Abdul-Malik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nick Klein[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nikolay Veretennikov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Eric McConico[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael Cerqueira[/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 2521 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 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,224,500
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $32,242,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 252

Seven years later, who wins the rematch between Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez at UFC Seattle?

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 252 main card at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 2-2-1
UFC main cards, 2025: 10-10-1

Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez UFC Seattle preview

Allen (24-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC) and Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) met many moons ago in LFA, with Hernandez winning by unanimous decision in 2018. Seven years later, they will meet as ranked middleweights in a high-stakes co-headliner. Hernandez is on a six-fight winning streak after most recently finishing Michel Pereira in the fifth round of an October headliner to earn a Performance of the Night bonus. Allen most recently had a seven-fight winning streak snapped by top contender Nassourdine Imavov last September.

Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez UFC Seattle expert pick, prediction

Death, taxes and the UFC matchmakers drowning us with rematches – particularly at middleweight.

But despite my disdain for the UFC’s fetish with featuring middleweights, I’d argue that this fight between Allen and Hernandez deserves some five-round distinction.

Given Hernandez’s endless gas tank, a three-round affair favors Allen, on paper. That said, history tells us that if you can’t finish “Fluffy” early, then Hernandez only gets stronger from the middle rounds onward.

To Allen’s credit, he’s sharpened his striking since their first fight and does a good job of targeting the body with kicks and knees (which will certainly serve him well when looking at Hernandez’s suspect history of absorbing body shots).

Still, I have a hard time going against the superior scrambler and wrestler in Hernandez. And since ‘scrambles win fights,’ as my old coach used to say, I’ll be siding with Hernandez to dig out another decision here.

Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez UFC Seattle odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the fighter who won the first encounter, listing Hernandez -320 and Allen +245 via FanDuel.

Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez UFC Seattle start time, how to watch

Allen and Hernandez are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:40 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

Anthony Hernandez aims to be in UFC title contention by end of 2025: ‘I’m f*cking ready for it’

Anthony Hernandez is excited to jumpstart 2025 with a big fight.

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] is excited to jumpstart 2025 with a big fight.

Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) runs things back with Brendan Allen (24-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 252 on Feb. 22 from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Hernandez defeated Allen by unanimous decision to claim the vacant LFA middleweight title in January 2018.

With a fight already booked in February, the streaking Hernandez sees himself a couple of fights away from competing for the UFC middleweight title.

“It sets me up perfect,” Hernandez told MMA Junkie Radio. “As long as I can stay healthy, my goal is to by the end of the year be in a position to fight for the title. So, if I have to knock out two more or one big one, I’m f*cking ready for it.

“I’m not getting any younger. My whole goal is to get the belt, hold it for a while, and then retire. That’s the dream. That should set me up for all the things that I want to do in life.”

Riding a six-fight winning streak, Hernandez is coming off back-to-back Performance of the Night finishes of Roman Kopylov, and most recently a TKO of Michel Pereira. He’s starting to feel the love from the fans which fuels him.

“I’ve definitely seen a lot more people on my side saying that they’re going to see me be champ in 2025,” Hernandez said. “It’s awesome to see that if you stay silent and put in the work, it’ll show for itself. People are starting to see that. I just keep my head down, and I keep grinding.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

Anthony Hernandez: Brendan Allen got so much better since first fight, ‘I just think I have his number’

Anthony Hernandez expects to get the best of Brendan Allen again in their rematch.

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] expects to get the best of [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] again in their rematch.

Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and Allen (24-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC) run things back at a UFC Fight Night event on Feb. 22. In their first fight, which took place in January 2018, Hernandez defeated Allen by unanimous decision to claim the vacant LFA middleweight title.

Currently riding a six-fight winning streak – including a Performance of the Night TKO of Michel Pereira, Hernandez sees a fight against Allen as the correct next step, and he hopes it ends up being another five-round fight.

“It made sense,” Hernandez told Inside Fighting. “He called me out and it’s like, ‘All right, well if you want to f*cking run it back. It’s the perfect opportunity because obviously he’s ahead of me. He’s been healthy and he’s been winning and stuff, and like the kid’s gotten so much f*cking better. I just think I have his number.”

Despite winning their first meeting, Hernandez says he wasn’t as prepared as he wanted to be.

“I remember the first fight was a f*cking b*tch – I’m not going to lie,” Hernandez said. “It was very hard, but I also was hurt, and I didn’t train for that fight. I lowkey took it off the couch. It is what it is. I still won, so it worked out. But I’m stoked that this fight I’m healthy.

“I’m actually going to have a good camp, and I understand the game now. I’ve got this sh*t dialed in, so now it’s just go out there and do what I should have done the first time. The first time was an opportunity I couldn’t pass because I won that, and I got the Contender Series shot.”

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UFC adds Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez rematch to Feb. 22 lineup

Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez will run things back seven years later.

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] will run things back seven years later.

Allen (24-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC) meets Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) Feb. 22 at a UFC Fight Night event in a location and venue that has yet to be announced. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie following an initial report from MMA Mania.

Allen and Hernandez fought for the vacant LFA middleweight title in January 2018, where Hernandez won the bout by unanimous decision. “Fluffy” ended up signing with the UFC in his next fight, where he has now strung together a six-fight winning streak – most recently a Performance of the Night TKO of Michel Pereira in his first UFC main event in October.

Meanwhile, Allen is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov this past September at UFC Fight Night 243. Prior to that, the 28-year-old won seven straight, five of them coming by submission.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Feb. 22 includes:

  • Macy Chiasson vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia
  • Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Oct. 22: Francis Ngannou claims heavyweight throne

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245.

PFL: Battle of the Giants and UFC Fight Night 245 each had their impacts on divisional rankings.

In PFL’s main event, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag], who never lost his title, returned to MMA and took out [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in short order with a brutal knockout.

As a result Ngannou shifts into the No. 1 heavyweight slot. He was previously at No. 2. He also moves into No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Also, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] took once step closer to middleweight title contention as he dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] before a late-fight TKO finish.

Hernandez enters the rankings at No. 13.

Across the two cards, [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag], Raufeon Stots, Asu Almabayev, and Charles Johnson also picked up impactful victories. Each resulted in a bump-up in the rankings.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

Video: Who should Anthony Hernandez fight next? Is he a threat to the UFC middleweight title?

Did Anthony Hernandez have a breakthrough performance at UFC Fight Night 245? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

The middleweight division has a new rising contender in [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]

“Fluffy” extended his winning streak to six in a row this past Saturday, dominating and stopping flashy striker [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of UFC Fight Night 245. With two back-to-back Performance of the Night bonuses, Hernandez is quickly becoming a name to watch in the division.

But how good is Hernandez? Who should he face next? Can he now be considered a real threat to the title?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George react to Hernandez’s big win over Pereira, along with other important results from UFC Fight Night 245.  

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/cbzHrkO75mA

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Francis Ngannou dominates, UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway preview, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Francis Ngannou’s successful MMA, the upcoming UFC 308 event, 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, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] reminded the MMA world why he’s one of the most terrifying fighters to ever set foot in the cage. This past Saturday, the former UFC heavyweight champion viciously stopped [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia. It was a big win that shook up the heavyweight landscape. Now that he’s back in MMA, can we say Ngannou remains the “Baddest Man on the Planet”? What should be next for Ngannou? We discuss.
  • Ngannou’s TKO win wasn’t the only thing that made headlines at PFL: Battle of the Giants. Women’s MMA legend [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] picked up a decision win over former PFL champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] defended his Bellator belt in a rematch against [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag], and [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] pulled off an upset by defeating [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag], among other things. We react to some of the key results on PFL’s pay-per-view event.
  • Over in the UFC side of things, [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] dominated [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245. It was a big win that put Hernandez on a six-fight winning streak, with five of those coming by stoppage. Is Hernandez a serious threat to the middleweight title? Where does Pereira go from here? We dissect the main event of UFC Fight Night 245.
  • Finally, it’s UFC 308 fight week. That’s right, in just a few days time, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] will defend his UFC featherweight title against [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] Preview in an extremely highly-anticipated matchup. There’s a lot on the line here. Could Topuria steal Fighter of the Year with a win over Holloway? Could a win cement Holloway as the greatest to ever do it at featherweight? We break down this championship fight along with other bog bouts in the card, including [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

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Video: What’s next for Anthony Hernandez after decimation of Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 245?

What should be next for middleweight Anthony Hernandez after his dominant win over Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 245?

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] made a major statement Saturday, and the UFC’s middleweight division may have a new contender on its hands.

Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) dominated Michel Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and eventually put him away with a fifth-round TKO in his first UFC main event. The duo headlined UFC Fight Night 245 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and after a slowish start, “Fluffy” Hernandez took over and battered the Brazilian for the finish.

Hernandez won for the sixth straight time, five of which have been by stoppage. His finish of Pereira earned his third bonus in that stretch and took Pereira’s name out of the list of contenders. So who should be next for Hernandez on his current run? Check out the video above for thoughts and analysis on Hernandez’s surge into the title picture.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.