Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Oct. 2-8.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from August 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from August 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for August.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.
Find out who joined the UFC in August and learn more about them here.
The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.
Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, “Dana White’s Contender Series” signees, or rare straight-up additions. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.
“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.
Check out the August 2023 list below.
With his name in the UFC’s history books once again, Brad Katona said he’s ready to turn some heads in the bantamweight division.
BOSTON – With his name in the UFC’s history books once again, [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag] said he’s ready to turn some heads.
Katona (13-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) won the bantamweight tournament final for Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” on Saturday at UFC 292 at TD Garden in Boston. He outworked Cody Gibson (19-9 MMA, 1-4 UFC) for a unanimous decision to become the first two-time winner of the reality competition series.
Katona first won “TUF” on Season 26 at featherweight in mid-2018. But after three UFC fights, he was outside the promotion trying to work his way back. He did for “TUF 31,” which featured up-and-comers and fighters who had made it to the UFC before, like Katona and Gibson.
Katona, who has been training at SBG Ireland in Dublin with coach John Kavanagh, was on coach Conor McGregor’s team during “TUF 31.” When McGregor chooses to train when he’s in Dublin, it’s with his longtime SBG home.
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“I remember watching the first season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ when I was 14 years old, just getting started in the sport,” Katona said at his post-fight news conference next to his second “TUF” trophy. “To be making history and winning it for a second time … that’s special.”
Katona beat Gibson with a pair of 29-28 scores and a 30-27 in a pure slugfest that had many observers thinking back to “TUF 1” with Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
Considering Gibson wasn’t shy to say he was not a Katona fan during the season, it likely made the win all the more sweet for Katona. Gibson said he was a boring fighter, yet their bout picked up $50,000 extra for each of them for Fight of the Night.
Katona, who went 4-0 after his UFC release and won the Brave CF bantamweight title, said he’s been told he should take some time now to relax before he figures out his next step.
“Right now, my coach gave me some pretty clear instruction, which is soak this in just for a time,” Katona said. “This is something special. I’m usually the one I have already texted some people, ‘OK, what’s the plan next? How are we going to recover from this so we can perform again?’ But I’m kind of getting told to pull back a little bit, so I want to soak it in with some family.”
But after he’s done doing that, Katona said the bantamweight division has a new contender. Considering the “TUF 31” win and his two-time winner status, he suspects he has the sway to jump the line a little in the division.
“In terms of managing my career going forward, you’re in the UFC. You’re going to be fighting killer after killer after killer. We were just talking about this in the back,” Katona said. “… We get to jump (the line) a little bit (and go to) base camp. We’ve got Everest to climb, so I’m going to be looking at the competition ahead and making a clear plan. There’s nothing left to chance now. We’re going to cut through the competition.
“This isn’t the end goal. Winning it twice wasn’t necessarily (the goal). It’s another step on the way. Obviously I’m going to be very proud of this and soak it in. But after that, this is not what I want to just hang my hat on. It’s going to be a very nice accolade that I can look back at the end of my career and be like, ‘Man, that is pretty cool.’ (I’ll) probably (be) the only person to ever do it, quite frankly. I can’t foresee it happening again.
“This isn’t the end of the road, though. I’m eyeing that bantamweight title. That’s what we’re working toward. That’s where we’re living every day. It feels really good to be back. I’ve had a smile on my face all day. There was very little nerves. I’m at home here. This is where I should have been all along, and I think I proved that.”
Check out Katona’s full interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
The best facts to come out of UFC 292, which saw Sean O’Malley, Zhang Weili, Ian Machado Garry and others record statistical achievements.
One of the biggest UFC events of the year thus far went down Saturday with UFC 292, which took place at TD Garden in Boston and featured two championship fights with different results.
In the main event, [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) shocked [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) with a second-round TKO to capture the bantamweight belt, while in the co-headliner, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) got her second strawweight title reign off a dominant start with a lopsided unanimous decision over Brazilian challenger [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] (13-3-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the two championship bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 292.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 292 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $340.500.
BOSTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 292 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $340.500.
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 292 took place at TD Garden. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
The full UFC 292 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $32,000
[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $21,00
[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Da’Mon Blackshear[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Gregory Rodrigues[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Denis Tiuliulin[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Natalia Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $5,735,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,324,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
Check out live play-by-play from UFC 292 in Boston with Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley and Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos title fights.
BOSTON – UFC 292 took place at TD Garden. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) took on challenger Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC). Sterling holds the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses at 135 pounds. In the co-feature, women’s strawweight champ Zhang Weili (24-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) met challenger Amanda Lemos (13-3-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the first test of her second reign as titleholder.
In addition, former middleweight champ Chris Weidman (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returned from more than two years out after a severe broken leg in 2021. He took on Brad Tavares (20-9 MMA, 15-8 UFC) in a featured bout on the prelims. Plus, two new “Ultimate Fighter” winners will be crowned on the prelims.
Check out the best photos from Brad Katona’s win over Cody Gibson in “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 31 bantamweight final at UFC 292.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag] in “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 31 bantamweight final at UFC 292 at TD Garden in Boston. (Photos by Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; and UFC)
In a certain Fight of the Night contender, Brad Katona made history against Cody Gibson as the first two-time “Ultimate Fighter” winner.
In a certain Fight of the Night contender, [autotag]Brad Katona[/autotag] made history Saturday against [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag].
Katona (13-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) outworked Gibson (19-9 MMA, 1-4 UFC) to win the Season 31 bantamweight final of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Katona became the first fighter to win the reality competition series twice. He won Season 27 at featherweight a little more than five years ago. He won the fight with a pair of 29-28 scores and a 30-27.
Katona found himself outside the UFC after three fights with the promotion, but won the Brave CF title, worked his way back to another shot through “TUF,” and now is in the history books. The 324 combined significant strikes was the most all time in UFC bantamweight history for three-round fights, and second most all time for any fights.
The bantamweight bout was a Season 31 final of “The Ultimate Fighter” and was part of the UFC 292 preliminary card at TD Garden in Boston.
The FIRST person to become a two-time Ultimate Fighter winner
Congratulations on making history, @BradKatona! #TUF31 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/G2isyuYQUi
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) August 20, 2023
Gibson and Katona got out to quick starts and traded firepower from the hands and kicks. Gibson’s size advantage was noticeable, but it didn’t keep Katona from trying to get inside. A pair of heavy left hands had Gibson wearing it, but Gibson threw back with lefts and plenty of pressure throughout the first.
Katona started to find his shots landing early in the second, but Gibson fired right back at him. Both fighters worked for takedowns in the first minute, but the fight stayed on the feet. Midway through the middle frame, Katona landed hard, but Gibson kept throwing, even when he wasn’t in a position to properly throw.
The left side of Katona’s face near his eye started to swell with a big hematoma in the second, but Katona landed a big right hand with a minute left, then put the pressure on to try to get Gibson out of there. Another big left landed with 30 seconds left, then two solid rights down the stretch to put a stamp on the round.
In the final round, they continued to trade leather down the stretch, though it looked like Katona had a little more left in the gas tank. Katona drilled Gibson in the right eye and had him badly hurt and covering his face. But Gibson refused to go away and they traded heavy hands down the stretch – particularly from Katona.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 292 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
Check out the best photos from the UFC 292 official weigh-ins including Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley and more.
Check out these photos of the UFC 292 official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel in Boston. (Photos by Nolan King, MMA Junkie)
