Tag: Billy Quarantillo

Billy Quarantillo hopes Gavin Tucker fight gets rebooked, eager to end longest healthy layoff of career

The owner of one of 2019’s standout UFC debuts, Billy Quarantillo hasn’t been able to follow up his December performance.

The owner of one of 2019’s standout UFC debuts, [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] hasn’t been able to follow up his December performance.

Quarantillo (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was granted the opportunity for a sophomore appearance at UFC on ESPN+ 31, an event that was supposed to be held April 25. However, the card was one of a handful of event casualties as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“It was weird,” Quarantillo told MMA Junkie in a recent interview. “On one end, we have our boss Dana White saying, ‘Stay ready, stay ready, stay ready,’ which I was cool with. But our gym owner doesn’t want us to come to the gym. We’re worried about getting people sick. We’re just trying to do the right thing. We’ve got people trying to push us in all different directions.

“At the same time, we knew it wasn’t going to be like a regular training camp. We knew we both had to deal with that. So we were prepared to cut weight, make weight and fight. I’ve just been staying in shape since then. It was a crazy time. Obviously, they made the right decision. I’m super excited about these fights that are coming up May 9 and I’m hoping to still get back on a fight card very soon.”

Currently, Quarantillo has been staying active – training when and where he’s able. He’s kept a small circle of training partners, but has limited his sparring.

“We’ve had a really small group that we’ve been able to train with, but mostly it’s been a lot of road work, a lot of jumping rope, and a lot of time in the house,” Quarantillo said. “… Just like everyone, we’re still kind of in shock that this is real.”

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Before the pandemic struck, Quarantillo was booked to fight Canadian featherweight [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]. Since the cancellation, Quarantillo hasn’t heard anything about a rebooking. However, the UFC has made it their priority to rebook fighters who had been previously scheduled. Quarantillo hopes he gets a call soon.

“We basically (told the UFC) at the end of May looks good – or June,” Quarantillo said. “We still wanted to be matched up with Gavin, but we basically said we’ll fight whoever at this point. I know a lot of fighters are hungry to fight. I haven’t fought since Dec. 7. This is one of the longest layoffs I’ve had.

“… They haven’t told us anything. They haven’t confirmed any matchup with Gavin, yet. They haven’t told us that I’m fighting in May or June yet. I’m just staying ready. I’m doing everything I can to stay ready to fight. If it’s Gavin or if it’s someone else, I’m going to ready to go. I can’t wait to get that phone call.”

Check out MMA Junkie’s full interview with Quarantillo below:

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Billy Quarantillo vs. Gavin Tucker added to UFC on ESPN+ 31

Billy Quarantillo and Gavin Tucker will square off at the April 25 event in Nebraska.

A featherweight fight is the latest addition to UFC on ESPN+ 31.

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] will square off at the April 25 event. Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking, but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Quarantillo (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns for his sophomore promotional appearance after a dominant UFC debut in December. Against short-notice replacement Jacob Kilburn won by second-round submission. Prior to that, Quarantillo earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in July.

As for Tucker (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), the Canadian fighter most recently competed in September at UFC 240. In his first fight in two years, Tucker picked apart Seung Woo Choi en route to a third-round submission victory.

UFC on ESPN+ 31 takes place April 25 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. The event will stream on ESPN+.

The current UFC Lincoln lineup includes:

  • Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira
  • Shamil Gamzatov vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Antonina Shevchenko
  • Evan Dunham vs. Michael Johnson
  • Anthony Rocco Martin vs. David Zawada
  • Zak Cummings vs. Andrew Sanchez
  • Ariane Carnelossi vs. Mackenzie Dern
  • Christos Giagos vs. Alan Patrick
  • Matt Frevola vs. Roosevelt Roberts
  • Gavin Tucker vs. Billy Quarantillo

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Submission of the Month’ for December: A stunning twister

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from December 2019.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from December 2019. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for December.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The Nominees

Virna Jandiroba def. Mallory Martin at UFC on ESPN 7

After stumbling in her octagon debut, [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) showed what she’s all about when she rolled over Mallory Martin (6-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in their strawweight bout for her 12th career submission victory.

Jandiroba managed to assert her game over Martin in the first round. Then, in the second, she earned an advantageous position to lock in a rear-naked choke. Martin had no answer, and the result was a submission victory for the former Invicta FC champion.

Bryce Mitchell def. Matt Sayles at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) pulled off the rarest of submissions in his featherweight bout against Matt Sayles (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) to remain undefeated in his young career.

Mitchell became just the second fighter in octagon history to finish a fight by twister submission. After getting Sayles on the mat, he began to set up the multi-step process for the difficult technique. Sayles couldn’t defend it, though, and “Thug Nasty” got his place in the record books.

Billy Quarantillo def. Jacob Kilburn at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) used the platform of his octagon debut to showcase the full extend of his ability by utterly dominating Jacob Kilburn (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) before earning a merciless finish.

Quarantillo did everything he wanted to and more in inflicting a one-sided beating of Kilburn in the lightweight matchup. He finished the with a triangle choke in the second round, but not before landing 139 total strikes and threatening with five total submission attempts.

Tim Means def. Thiago Alves at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) and Thiago Alves (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) have built up reputations as violent, high-action fighters in the welterweight division. And once again, he delivered.

The two fighters did not disappoint in a short, but action-packed spectacle. They traded heavy shots on the feet before Alves got hurt and Means was able to take advantage and lock in a tight guillotine choke that forced the former UFC title challenger to tap out.

A.J. McKee def. Derek Campos at Bellator 236

Derek Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) showed off his trademark toughness, but it wasn’t enough to stop [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) from picking up another impressive win to extend his record winning streak in Bellator.

McKee fought Campos from every area over the course of the bout, then suddenly in the third, from his back, he pulled off a slick armbar that forced Campos to tap out and made him the first man to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.

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The Winner: Bryce Mitchell

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Mitchell pulled off an all-time submission in just his third UFC appearance.

Facing off against Sayles, pulled off a rare twister submission at the 4:20 mark of the first round.

As the fight wore on, Mitchell and Sayles became tangled on the ground. With his opponent’s leg locked, Mitchell swung his head under the arm of Sayles.

From there, Mitchell wrapped his arms around Sayles’ neck. One grip adjustment was all it took. Clearly in pain due to the torque on his torso, Sayles was forced to tap.

The submission was only the second of its kind successfully executed in UFC history. The first came at UFC Fight Night 24 in March 2011. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung pulled off a second-round twister submission in a rematch against fellow WEC alum Leonard Garcia.

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Billy Quarantillo used ‘TUF,’ Contender Series experience to his advantage at UFC on ESPN 7

Take a look inside Billy Quarantillo’s submission win over Jacob Kilburn at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] beat Jacob Kilburn with a second-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

Take a look inside the fight with Quarantillo, who picked up a win in his long-awaited UFC debut.

Result: Billy Quarantillo def. Jacob Kilburn via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:18
Updated records: Quarantillo (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Kilburn (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Quarantillo won the striking battle a whopping 139-6.

Quarantillo on the fight’s key moment

“I didn’t know if I would stand with him a bit longer because I thought he would try to disengage and strike with me, because that’s where he’s stronger. My conditioning is always on point and I’ve worn out people who had full training camps, so I knew coming in on short notice that I was going to go 100 miles an hour and he would break eventually. I had so much experience coming into this with (Dana White’s) Contender Series and ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ I always tell people being locked in that house for seven weeks is way harder than anything else in this sport. I’m not like your average guy on his first fight – I’ve basically been here before.”

Quarantillo on his first win in the UFC

“It’s amazing to get my first UFC win. I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was 16 or 17 years old, watching ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ I always imagined the walkout, how it would feel to get in there, and luckily I came away with a pretty decisive victory. I couldn’t dream it up any better. I had a feeling I would be able to go out and do that.”

Quarantillo on what he wants next

“The next few weeks, I’m just going to go home and back to the gym, work with my coaches to see where I can get better, and then just see what’s out there. I’m not injured, so I want to fight again in the first quarter – something like March or April would be perfect. I just want to keep climbing up the ladder.”

To hear more from Quarantillo, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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UFC on ESPN 7 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Washington D.C.

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

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Mallory Martin

Mallory Martin

Division: Strawweight
Result: Virna Jandiroba def. Mallory Martin via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:16
Record: (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C+

[autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag] came in on short notice to face former Invicta FC champ Virna Jandiroba at Saturday’s card, so it’s easy to write off some of her shortcomings – and while she didn’t look fantastic in her UFC debut, let’s not forget that Jandiroba came into this contest ranked No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings.

In short, the deck was stacked against Martin, a four-time Invicta FC veteran who also owns a win under the Dana White’s Contender Series banner, as well. To her credit, Martin tried to make the fight exciting, flashing her impressive striking skills during the brief moments she remained upright. But Jandiroba’s perfectly timed takedowns saw her get to the floor early and often, and once she got on the back, the Brazilian’s submission attack was sublime.

Stylistically, there are better matchup available for Martin in the division, so she’ll hope for someone looking to strike in her next time out. A proper training camp will likely help, as well, so while she didn’t necessarily look phenomenal in her debut, don’t close the book on Martin just yet.

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UFC on ESPN 7 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $30.5 million

UFC on ESPN 7 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

WASHINGTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $177,000.

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 7 took place at Capital One Arena in Washington. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 7 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $5,000
vs. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag]: $15,000

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 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,880,000
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,514,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 7 with plenty of soundtracks and Kanye West

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.

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 7 went with as their backing tracks in Washington, D.C.

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Jacob Kilburn replaces Chris Fishgold against Billy Quarantillo at UFC on ESPN 7

It didn’t take long for Billy Quarantillo to get a new opponent for UFC on ESPN 7.

It didn’t take long for [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] to get a new opponent for UFC on ESPN 7.

“Dana White’s Contender Series” season 2 signee Quarantillo (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will now face season 1 competitor [autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag] on Dec. 7.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an announcement.

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Dec. 7 at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. The card airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

Kilburn (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will replace former Cage Warriors champion Chris Fishgold, who withdrew from the event earlier this week for unknown reasons.

New York’s Quarantillo is riding a five-fight win streak entering his showdown with Kilburn. In his most recent fight in July, Quarantillo punched his ticket to the UFC when he defeated surging Arizonan Kamuela Kirk by third-round TKO.

In 2018, Kilburn was one solid performance away from being inked to the UFC. However, Bobby Moffett played the spoiler when he submitted Kilburn in the second round at DWCS 16.

Since DWCS, Kilburn has won back-to-back fights by TKO – both under the Island Fights banner. In his most recent outing in October, Kilburn finished Javanis J. Ross by strikes in 94 seconds.

With the change to the card, the UFC on ESPN 7 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Ben Rothwell vs. Stefan Struve
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Cody Stamann vs. Song Yadong
  • Rob Font vs. Ricky Simon

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

  • Thiago Alves vs. Tim Means
  • Jacob Kilburn vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • Bryce Mitchell vs. Matt Sayles
  • Joe Solecki vs. Matt Wiman

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

  • Virna Jandiroba vs. Mallory Martin
  • Makhmud Muradov vs. Trevor Smith

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Chris Fishgold out of UFC on ESPN 7 fight against Billy Quarantillo

Chris Fishgold’s fourth promotional appearance will have to wait.

[autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag]’s fourth promotional appearance will have to wait.

The featherweight fighter has been forced to withdraw from his UFC on ESPN 7 bout on Dec. 7 against [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag].

Monday, Fishgold (18-3-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) announced his withdrawal in a now-expired Instagram story. He did not give any reason for the withdrawal, but said he would like to be back soon.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be fighting on UFC Washington next week. Fingers crossed (I’ll) be back fighting soon,” Fishgold wrote.

A former Cage Warriors champion, Fishgold has bookended his lone promotional victory with two losses. In his debut, Fishgold lost by TKO to Calvin Kattar.

Fishgold rebounded in February with a win over Daniel Teymur, but dropped his next fight to Makwan Amirkhani in June.

As for Quarantillo (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), the Tampa-based fighter has yet to compete in the UFC since signing with the promotion. Quarantillo earned his shot at UFC notoriety when he defeated Kamuela Kirk on this past season of Dana White’s Contender Series.

The UFC on ESPN 7 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Cynthia Calvillo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Ben Rothwell vs. Stefan Struve
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Cody Stamann vs. Song Yadong
  • Rob Font vs. Ricky Simon

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

  • Thiago Alves vs. Tim Means
  • Billy Quarantillo vs. TBA
  • Bryce Mitchell vs. Matt Sayles
  • Joe Solecki vs. Matt Wiman

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

  • Virna Jandiroba vs. Mallory Martin
  • Makhmud Muradov vs. Trevor Smith