Tag: Ben Rothwell

UFC on ESPN+ 29 medical suspensions: Glover Teixeira could be out 6 months

Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith are facing months-long medical suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 29 headlining clash.

[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] are facing months-long medical suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 29 headlining clash.

Teixeira (31-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC), who defeated Smith by fifth-round TKO, will not fight for 180 days unless he’s cleared by a physician. He will be mandated to serve 45 days of that suspension regardless of doctor’s clearance.

The Florida State Boxing Commission, which oversaw the event, has suspended Smith (33-15 MMA, 8-5 UFC) a minimum of 60 days. MMA Junkie obtained a list of the UFC 249 athletes’ medical suspensions from the Florida Boxing Commission on Thursday.

Other fighters facing potential 180-day layoffs include [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag], [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag], [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Omar Morales[/autotag] and [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag].

UFC on ESPN+ 29 took place Wednesday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The complete list of UFC on ESPN+ 29 medical suspensions included:

  • Glover Teixeira: Suspended 180 days unless cleared by physician; minimum suspension 45 days.
  • Anthony Smith: Suspended minimum 60 days; additional suspension to be determined pending test results.
  • Ovince Saint Preux: Suspended 180 days unless cleared by physician; minimum suspension 30 days.
  • [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days.
  • Alexander Hernandez: Suspended 180 days unless cleared by physician; minimum suspension 60 days.
  • Ricky Simon: Suspended 180 days unless cleared by physician; minimum suspension 30 days.
  • [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days.
  • [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days.
  • [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days.
  • Michael Johnson: Suspended 180 days unless cleared by physician; minimum suspension 30 days.
  • [autotag]Sarah Moras[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days.
  • Omar Morales: Suspended 180 days unless cleared by physician; minimum suspension 45 days.
  • Gabriel Benitez: Suspended 180 days unless cleared by physician; minimum suspension 45 days.
  • [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days.
  • [autotag]Hunter Azure[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days.
  • [autotag]Ike Villanueva[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days.

[vertical-gallery id=518941]

[vertical-gallery id=518887]

UFC on ESPN+ 29 salaries: Andrei Arlovski pockets biggest disclosed payday

Five fighters made north of six figures Wednesday at UFC on ESPN+ 29, not including several who earned post-fight bonuses.

Veteran fighters [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] walked away from UFC on ESPN+ 29 having pocketed a solid chunk of change Wednesday.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Arlovski (29-9 MMA, 18-13 UFC) led all fighters with a disclosed payout of $325,000 for his win over [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]. As a result of his split decision win over [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag], Rothwell (38-12 MMA, 8-6 UFC) earned $260,000. For his fifth-round TKO win over [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag], Teixeira (31-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) earned $230,000.

Two other victorious fighters also took home six-figure disclosed paydays: including the aforementioned Smith, as well as UFC lightweight [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag].

The disclosed UFC on ESPN+ 29 salaries from the Florida State Boxing Commission, which oversaw the event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., first were reported by MMA Fighting.

The full list of UFC on ESPN+ 29 salaries included:

  • Glover Teixeira: $230,000
    def. Anthony Smith: $130,000
  • Ben Rothwell: $260,000
    def. Ovince Saint Preux: $95,000
  • Drew Dober: $116,000
    def. [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $36,000
  • [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $60,000
    def. [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag]: $46,000
  • Andrei Arlovski: $325,000
    def. Philipe Lins: $80,000
  • [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag]: $24,000
    def. [autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag]: $83,000
  • [autotag]Sijara Eubanks[/autotag]: $66,000
    def. [autotag]Sarah Moras[/autotag]: $23,000
  • [autotag]Omar Morales[/autotag]: $24,000
    def. [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $40,000
  • [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $60,000
    def. [autotag]Hunter Azure[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag]: $28,000
    def. [autotag]Ike Villanueva[/autotag]: $12,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC on ESPN+ 29 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 UFC 249 fight-night bonuses to Teixeira and Dober for “Performance of the Night,” and Azure and Kelleher for “Fight of the Night.”

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

[vertical-gallery id=518941]

[vertical-gallery id=518418]

UFC on ESPN+ 29 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Main event combines for $25k payout

UFC on ESPN+ 29 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fighters from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN+ 29 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $166,000.

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+ 29 took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 29 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Sijara Eubanks[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sarah Moras[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Omar Morales[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Hunter Azure[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ike Villanueva[/autotag]: $3,500

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:

Year-to-date total: $1,764,500
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $32,769,000

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN+ 29 with Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, AC/DC

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN+ 29 event in Jacksonville, Fla.

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+ 29 went with as their backing tracks in Jacksonville, Fla.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11

Ben Rothwell explains Aleksei Oleinik challenge: ‘That’d be a great fight (between) two older guys’

Saturday night, Ben Rothwell picked up a victory over Ovince Saint Preux – and set his sights set on his next potential opponent.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With his victory at UFC on ESPN+ 29, [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] has now won back-to-back fights.

The UFC heavyweight is wasting no time trying to make it three-for-three – and he already has a potential next opponent in mind. On the microphone following his split decision win over Ovince Saint Preux on Wednesday, Rothwell grabbed the microphone and politely challenged [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag].

Why does Rothwell (38-12 MMA, 8-6 UFC) want to face the Russian submission specialist Oleinik (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC)? He explained the move at the post-fight press conference following the event.

“He beat Werdum,” Rothwell told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “It was a big win for him. Congratulations to him. He did a great job. Not only that, but he fought exciting. He came out throwing hammers. I just think that’d be a great fight (between) two older guys. He didn’t look like he was busted up – and he’s older, too. I think he’s somebody like me who wants to get in there again. Hopefully we can make that fight this summer.”

While Rothwell picked up the victory against Saint Preux (24-14 MMA, 12-9 UFC), he voiced some disappointment in his performance. However, his struggles are not unattributed. Rothwell was originally scheduled to fight April 18 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic fouling up the UFC’s schedule. The delay in returning to action caused him some issues, Rothwell admitted.

“This month of April was hell on me,” Rothwell said. “I was hurting in that fight – just inside. We overtrained. I was ready for April 18. This was a gutted performance right here. Some of those shots got through and I felt him wilt. I feel like a healthy version of me, I can finish that in the first or second round. That’s why I’m disappointed. The first split decision in the UFC. It’s only the second in my career.”

[lawrence-related id=518227,518404,517725]

Check out the full UFC on ESPN+29 post-fight media scrum with Ben Rothwell in the video above.

UFC on ESPN+ 29 took place Wednesday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card streamed on ESPN+.

[vertical-gallery id=518887]

[vertical-gallery id=518418]

Twitter reacts to Ben Rothwell’s victory over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC on ESPN+ 29

See the top Twitter reactions to Ben Rothwell’s win over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC on ESPN+ 29.

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] evened his record to 2-2 since returning from a nearly three-year layoff when he topped [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] on Wednesday at UFC on ESPN+ 29.

Rothwell (38-12 MMA, 8-6 UFC) put another notable name on his veteran resume when he scored a split decision victory over Saint Preux (24-14 MMA, 12-9 UFC) in the heavyweight co-headliner, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Rothwell’s victory over Saint Preux at UFC on ESPN+ 29.

* * * *

UFC on ESPN+ 29 results: Ben Rothwell uses size advantage to wear out Ovince Saint Preux

Ben Rothwell gave Ovince Saint Preux a rude introduction to the heavyweight division in the UFC on ESPN+ 29 co-main event.

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] gave [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] a rude introduction to the heavyweight division Wednesday when he emerged victorious from the UFC on ESPN+ 29 co-main event.

Rothwell (38-12 MMA, 8-6 UFC) implemented a methodical game plan over the course of three rounds to suck the energy out of Saint Preux (24-14 MMA, 12-9 UFC), who was making his first appearance in the UFC’s biggest weight class. It paid off, as the veteran Rothwell picked up the split decision win by scores of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28.

[lawrence-related id=518227,518229,518401]

It was something of a feeling-out process in the first minute of the fight. Saint Preux was obviously trying to use a lot of movement against a bigger opponent, but Rothwell seemed to find his range in the early stages of the frame, tagging Saint Preux with some good shots. Saint Preux avoided taking anything truly damaging, and prevented himself from being locked into Rothwell’s signature Go-Go choke, but he did almost nothing offensive in opening five minutes.

Saint Preux upped his activity in the early stages of the second round. He peppered Rothwell with some strong body kicks and a few punches. Rothwell responded with punching combinations, though, and was relentless in using tactics that put size to his advantage. Rothwell used kicks, walked forward and leaned on Saint Preux against the fence. Saint Preux had a huge moment in the final seconds of the frame, finally letting go and scoring a flash knockdown of Rothwell that made the round much closer than it would’ve been otherwise.

Rothwell went right back to the approach that worked for him in the final round. He kept on Saint Preux and closed the distance, working away with knees in the clinch and punches and kicks when in range. Saint Preux found openings to land counter punches to keep himself in the fight, but Rothwell absorbed all without getting significantly fazed to take the victory on the scorecards.

After the win, Rothwell called out Aleksei Oleinik, who is coming off a win over Fabricio Werdum at UFC 249 this past weekend.

“Mr. Oleinik, you asked for a big fight,” Rothwell said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “I’m ‘Big Ben,’ so there you go.”

The heavyweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 29 co-main event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. It streamed on ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 29 results include:

[vertical-gallery id=518413]

5 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN+ 29

The UFC goes right back into action Wednesday night in Jacksonville, and MMA Junkie’s Dave Doyle breaks down the key storylines.

The second leg of the UFC’s three-shows-in-eight-nights relay goes down Wednesday, with the promotion fresh off a memorable evening at UFC 249.

Jacksonville, Fla., once again hosts the octagon, this time for UFC on ESPN+ 29. And while the card isn’t as deep as Saturday night’s pay-per-view offering, there are still plenty of items of interest during the evening’s festivities, including an intriguing light heavyweight headliner between former title challengers [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag].

And besides, what else are you going to do on a random Wednesday night a couple months into isolation? 

UFC on ESPN+ 29 takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The card streams on ESPN+.

Without further ado, here are five burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN+ 29.

****

Can Glover Teixeira make an improbable run to another title shot?

Glover Teixeira (red gloves) fights Nikita Krylov (blue gloves) last year. (Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)

We recently passed the six-year anniversary mark of [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]’s unanimous decision loss to Jon Jones in a light heavyweight title fight at UFC 172.

Teixeira (30-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) was already 34 at the time and had a fair bit of tread on his tires with 25 fights at that point, and it seemed like, as a simple life inevitability, a slow decline would start here. 

[lawrence-related id=517725,517691,516431]

And yet, here we are, in May 2020, and a 40-year-old Teixiera has won three consecutive fights, four of five, and earned finishes in three of those victories. Granted, those wins haven’t been over the very top of the class in the division. But now Teixeira has a chance to prove, in a 205-pound weight class whose dynamics have shifted dramatically over the past year, that he has a real chance at joining the short list of contenders for Jones’ throne. 

Is Teixeira the underdog against Smith (33-14 MMA, 8-4 UFC)? Sure, but never count out a man with the ability to turn things in his favor in the blink of an eye.

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-anthony-smith-vs-glo-VUamGS” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

UFC on ESPN+ 29 faceoffs video highlight, photo gallery

Check out the fighter faceoffs for UFC on ESPN+ 29, headlined by Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira at light heavyweight.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The UFC’s three-events-in-eight-days swing continues with UFC on ESPN+ 29, and on Tuesday were the official weigh-ins and faceoffs.

In the main event, a light heavyweight clash between former title challengers goes down as [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]. And in the co-headliner, [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] makes his heavyweight debut against brawling [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag].

You can watch the complete UFC on ESPN+ 29 pre-fight faceoffs in the video above and also check out our gallery below.

[lawrence-related id=518023,517985]

UFC on ESPN+ 29 takes place Wednesday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and streams on ESPN+.

[vertical-gallery id=518078]