For the second time in the past two weeks, a batch of UFC fighters were removed from the roster list.
The number of UFC departures in recent weeks is now up to 15, as more fighters have officially separated from the promotion.
Days after eight fighters including seasoned veterans Ilir Latifi and Makwan Amirkhani were announced as no longer on the roster, MMA Junkie has confirmed seven more names that first surfaced on algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch.
Check out the seven names below. Please note: It’s unclear whether the fighters were released mid-contract or departed the promotion following the conclusion of their promotional agreements, unless denoted otherwise.
Check out the list of medical suspensions from UFC on ESPN 29 in Las Vegas.
[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] exited UFC on ESPN 29 on a wave of momentum after their wins – but they didn’t do so unscathed.
Both Cannonier and Pantoja were handed 180-day suspensions by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), according to a list MMA Junkie acquired Wednesday from MixedMartialArts.com, the ABC’s official database.
In his main event win over [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag], Cannonier suffered a right foot injury. As for Pantoja, a win in a potential title eliminator battle with [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] resulted in a left knee injury. Depending on the severity of the fighters’ injuries, they could be ineligible to compete until February.
Also receiving 180-day suspensions were the aforementioned Royval, [autotag]Luis Saldana[/autotag], [autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag], and [autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag].
It’s important to note fighters’ suspensions may terminate sooner than the date listed if their injury is cleared by a medical doctor.
At UFC on ESPN 29, Josiane Nunes overcame a seven-inch height disadvantage and scored a nasty KO against Bea Malecki.
[autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag] was undersized in the height and reach department at UFC on ESPN 29, but that didn’t stop her from acquiring her first promotional victory with a highlight-reel finish Saturday.
On the UFC on ESPN 29 prelims, Nunes (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) defeated [autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] (2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) via knockout at 4:54 of Round 1. The event took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.
For much of the fight, Nunes pressed forward, full steam ahead to close the distance. She landed combinations on the seven-inch-taller Malecki, who largely circled away. As the clock wound down in Round 1, Nunes connected with a violent left hand that crumpled Malecki to the canvas. No follow-up punches were needed – nor thrown – as Nunes notched her first promotional victory.
Tracy Cortez and Bea Malecki will throw down on Oct. 10.
The UFC’s October schedule continues to fill up.
The latest addition comes to the promotion’s Oct. 10 event. Women’s bantamweights [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag] and [autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] are set to square off at a location to be announced later.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Cortez (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to action for her sophomore UFC appearance after signing with the promotion off Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 3 in July 2019. Cortez won her promotional debut in November when she defeated Vanessa Melo by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN+ 22.
Malecki (2-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a member of Fortis MMA, made her UFC debut in June 2019 when she submitted Duda Santana. The fight was also her professional debut – a rare coinciding feature for a fighter making her first UFC walk. In her next fight at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March, Malecki defeated Veronica Macedo by unanimous decision.
All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 28, which took place in Brasilia, Brazil, and saw Charles Oliveira submit Kevin Lee.
The UFC returned to Brazil on Saturday for what turned out to be a historic event for multiple reasons. The card, which took place at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, was held behind closed doors because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Those concerns didn’t prevent the athletes from stepping into the octagon, though, and in the main event [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 17-8 UFC) continued to prove himself as one of the best in the UFC right now when he scored a third-round submission of [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) to extend his winning streak and further etch his name in the record books.
For more on the numbers behind Oliveira’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 28.
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General
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UFC on ESPN+ 28 tied UFC on ESPN 4 for the most consecutive decisions on a single UFC card with nine.
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $209,500.
Debuting fighters went 1-0 at the event.
Oliveira, [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag], [autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag] and [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 28 fight-night bonuses.
UFC did not provide a live gate or attendance figure due to the closed-door nature of the event.
Betting favorites went 7-4 on the card. One fight ended in a draw.
Betting favorites fell to 5-3 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:28:46.
Main card
Charles Oliviera
Oliveira improved to 8-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division April 2017. He’s 10-3 (with one no contest) in the organization at 155 pounds.
Oliveira’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (11).
Oliveira’s seven-fight UFC stoppage streak is the longest active streak in the company.
Oliveira’s seven-fight UFC stoppage streak is tied with Chuck Liddell for second longest in company history behind Anderson Silva (eight).
Oliveira’s 16 stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Donald Cerrone for most in company history.
Oliveira’s 14 submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira’s eight submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Jim Miller (nine).
Oliveira’s five guillotine-choke victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira has been awarded 16 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, the second most in company history behind Cerrone (18).
Oliveira has been awarded 10 “Performance of the Night” bonuses, the most in company history.
Lee fell to 2-4 in UFC headline bouts.
Lee fell to 1-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in November.
Lee has completed at least one takedown in 15 of his 17 UFC fights.
Lee’s 37 takedowns landed since 2014 in UFC lightweight competition are most in the division.
Lee has suffered four of his six career losses by stoppage.
Gilbert Burns
Burns (18-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) improved to 3-0 since he returned to the welterweight division in August 2019. He’s 4-0 when fighting at the weight class.
Burns has earned 14 of his 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 11 UFC wins.
[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) fell to 13-6 since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in July 2012.
Maia’s total fight time of 6:34:40 in UFC competition is third most in company history behind Frankie Edgar (7:15:51) and Rafael Dos Anjos (6:43:11).
Maia suffered his first knockout loss since Aug. 29, 2009 – a span of 3,850 days (more than 10 years) and 26 fights.
Maia’s 67 takedowns landed in UFC competition are sixth most in company history.
Maia’s 253 takedown attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Renato Moicano
[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] (14-3-1 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was successful in his UFC lightweight debut.
Moicano has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by submission.
[autotag]Damir Hadzovic[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.
[autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC) improved to 2-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2018.
Krylov improved to 11-4 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in March 2014.
Krylov earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.
Walker suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) has earned nine of his past 12 victories by decision.
Preliminary card
Brandon Moreno
[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (17-5-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) improved to 2-0-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2019.
[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.
[autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag] (10-8-1 MMA, 6-7-1 UFC) fell to 3-4-1 in her past seven UFC appearance dating back to August 2017.
Markos’ seven losses in UFC competition are tied with Angela Hill for most by any female in company history.
Markos has suffered seven of her eight career losses by decision.
[autotag]Aleksei Kunchenko[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a 20-fight winning streak.
Kunchenko has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
Maryna Moroz
Moroz (10-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) improved to 2-0 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March 2019.
Moroz’s 130 significant strikes landed set a new single-fight record for a three-round UFC women’s flyweight fight.
Moroz has earned four of her five UFC victories by decision.
Silva (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had her six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.
[autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) earned the first decision victory of her career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC on ESPN+ 28 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $209,500.
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+ 28 took place Saturday at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The entire card aired on ESPN.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 28 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 Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event in Brasilia, Brazil – which featured no fans in attendance.
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+ 28 went with as their backing tracks in Brasilia, Brazil.
When it comes to dieting, Uriah Hall and Bea Malecki aren’t messing around – or are they?
When it comes to dieting, [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] and [autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] aren’t messing around.
Or are they? It’s really hard to tell.
Training partners at Fortis MMA in Dallas, UFC middleweight Hall (15-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC) and bantamweight Malecki (2-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) showed off their unorthodox dieting techniques in a video posted to each of their respective Instagram accounts on Monday.
Pizza is involved in this unique diet, but it is not consumed. The video shows the two fighters shoving pizza in their own faces, as well as each others’ face. After each respective long sniff of the cheesy goodness, Hall and Malecki chomp down on a large head of lettuce.
“The new way of eating healthy,” Hall’s post was captioned.
It’ll be interesting to see if this intense, strategic, and unusual technique pays off. Both fighters are scheduled for upcoming bouts: Malecki battles Veronica Macedo at UFC on ESPN+ 28 on March 14 before Hall takes on Ronaldo Souza at UFC 249 on April 18.
Check out the strange technique from Hall and Malecki in the Instagram clips below:
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
The UFC’s first card in Brazil in 2020 is starting to fill up, and includes an intriguing flyweight matchup.
The first Brazilian UFC card of 2020 is taking shape.
In a Thursday press release, the promotion announced a handful of fights for UFC Brasilia on March 14. Among them, a flyweight battle between [autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC).
Formiga looks to rebound from a second-round TKO loss to Joseph Benavidez in his last fight. That resulted ended a four-fight win streak. Moreno, meanwhile, gets right back to work after his unanimous-decision victory over Kai Kara-France at UFC 245. That kept the Tijuana native unbeaten (1-0-1) in his second UFC stint.
The promotion also announced a bantamweight bout between [autotag]Rani Yahya[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) and [autotag]Enrique Barzola[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3 UFC). In the women’s bantamweight division, [autotag]Veronica Macedo[/autotag] (6-3-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) returns to take on [autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC).
