Tag: Asu Almabaev

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 58

Flyweights Asu Almabaev and Jose Johnson meet on the UFC on ESPN 58 main card. Who will keep their momentum going?

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 58 from UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 preview

Almabaev (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has won 15 straight fights, having not suffered defeat since 2017. He made his UFC debut in August 2023, where he submitted Ode Osbourne. In his second appearance, Almabaev won a decision against CJ Vergara. … Johnson (16-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) enters on the heels of his first UFC victory, which was a submission of Chad Anheliger in November. After dropping his promotional debut last August, Johnson will look to stop Almabaev’s lengthy streak and get above .500 in the UFC.

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is an interesting flyweight affair between Almabayev and Johnson.

Despite standing 6-foot tall, Johnson will be looking for a change of scenery as he drops down to 125 pounds for the first time in his career. That said, the Michigan native will have a tough hurdle to get past this Saturday.

Unbeaten in the last 7 years, Almabayev is a well-rounded fighter with a solid wrestling base.

Although Almabayev appears talented enough to stand with Johnson, I suspect that the American’s height and the smaller octagon of the Apex force Almabayev into another grapple-heavy affair.

For that reason, I’ll side with the Kazak fighter to wear down Johnson by the third frame for a submission win.

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the more natural flyweight, listing Almabayev as a heavy -650 favorite, with Johnson a big underdog at +440, via FanDuel.

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 start time, how to watch

As the second main card bout, Almabaev and Johnson are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 10:35 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC 299 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean O’Malley’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

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 299 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 299 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $21,000;

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Katlyn Cerminara[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag]: $11,000

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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,362,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,069,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Asu Almabaev def. CJ Vergara at UFC 299: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Asu Almabaev’s unanimous decision win over CJ Vergara at UFC 299.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag] at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Fight and venue photos by Sam Navarro, USA Today Sports)

UFC 299 weigh-in results, video: Fighter misses mark for third time

Tune in as the 28 fighters (plus one backup) from UFC 299 hit the scale in Miami.

MIAMI – The official UFC 299 weigh-ins took place Friday at the host hotel, and MMA Junkie was onsite as all 28 fighters (plus one backup) hit the scales ahead of Saturday’s event at Kaseya Center.

Among those who weighed in were UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who faces [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in a rematch years in the making.

O’Malley made weight early in the window, with Vera coming a bit later on in the initial one-hour window. Vera needed the box and breathed a sigh of relief as he officially hit 135 pounds.

Top bantamweight contender [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) weighed in between the two main eventers, as the official backup fighter and will serve as a replacement if either O’Malley or Vera cannot compete.

Also, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) made weight early and with seemingly (relative ease).

One fighter missed weight, however, despite two attempts. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag] (12-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) missed his mark for the third time in six UFC appearances as he came in at 127 for his flyweight bout vs. [autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

Check out a live stream archive of the UFC 299 official weigh-ins above, as well as a list of full results below.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Sean O’Malley (135) vs. Marlon Vera (135) – for bantamweight title
  • Dustin Poirier (156) vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (155) – five rounds
  • Kevin Holland (170) vs. Michael Page (170)
  • Gilbert Burns (171) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (170)
  • Yadong Song (136) vs. Petr Yan (135)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Jailton Almeida (261) vs. Curtis Blaydes (257)
  • Maycee Barber (125) vs. Katlyn Cerminara (125)
  • Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (156)
  • Pedro Munhoz (135) vs. Kyler Phillips (135)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Ion Cutelaba (205) vs. Philipe Lins (206)
  • Michal Oleksiejczuk (185) vs. Michel Pereira (186)
  • Robelis Despaigne (261) vs. Josh Parisian (266)
  • Asu Almabaev (126) vs. CJ Vergara (127)*
  • Maryna Moroz (126) vs. Joanne Wood (125)

* = missed flyweight limit by one pound; fined 30 percent but bout will proceed

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC on ESPN 50 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jessica Andrade’s $21,000 tops card

UFC on ESPN 50 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $170,500.

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 on ESPN 50 took place at Bridgestone Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 50 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeremiah Wells[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000

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 $50,000 while title challengers get $50,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-50 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,222,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,811,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

Video: Asu Almabaev puts flyweights on notice, taps Ode Osbourne at UFC on ESPN 50

The UFC may have a new flyweight star on its hands after the UFC on ESPN 50 opener in Nashville.

The UFC may have a new flyweight star on its hands after Saturday.

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) wasn’t exactly overlooked ahead of his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville, Tenn. He was a 2-1 betting favorite against Ode Osbourne (12-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) in their curtain jerker at Bridgestone Arena.

But the 29-year-old from Kazakhstan, who has promised to be a UFC champion by 2025, looked smooth and relaxed when he took Osbourne down in the second round, took his back, and squeezed his way to a rear-naked choke tap at the 3:11 mark of the frame.

The win was Almabaev’s 14th straight and second straight by rear-naked choke after his Brave CF final fight in November 2022.

Check out Almabaev’s finish of Osbourne below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

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Asu Almabaev def. Ode Osbourne at UFC on ESPN 50: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Asu Almabaev’s second-round submission win over Ode Osbourne at UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 50 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (Photos by Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC’s Ode Osbourne: Debuting Asu Almabaev ‘not going to make a name off of me’

Ode Osbourne wants to show UFC newcomer Asu Almabaev that there are levels in this game.

[autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag] wants to show UFC debutant [autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag] that there’s levels in this game.

Osbourne (12-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on Almabaev (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 50 on Aug. 5 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Almabaev is on a 13-fight winning streak, with wins over former UFC fighters Chris Kelades and Zach Makovsky.

Osbourne has been training in Las Vegas with the likes of UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, Bellator interim champ Patchy Mix, and top UFC flyweight contender Amir Albazi. He will look to put a halt to Kazakhstani fighter Almabaev’s momentum in statement-making fashion.

“My goal this fight is to – this guy is a (newcomer), he’s coming off I don’t even know how many wins, 17-2, but he’s not going to make a name off of me,” Osbourne told MMA Junkie Radio. “So, my goal is not just to win this fight, but to finish him because I’m not just somebody you can just make a name off of.

“So, I’m definitely looking to finish this guy and take it to him, just show what Ode Osbourne can do against a different kind of fighter because this guy is more of a grappler-wrestler type, so I’m interested in showing how dynamic of a fighter I am.”

If Osbourne gets past Almabaev, he will have won four of his past five fights which he thinks should be enough to land him a ranked opponent next.

“This fight, I haven’t really given it much thought other than that I want to face a top 15-ranked opponent in my next fight granted things go my way, which I believe it will,” Osbourne said.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.