Tag: Brad Tavares

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Brad Tavares joins UFC 276 lineup

Dricus Du Plessis will still get an opportunity at a ranked opponent when he faces Brad Tavares in July.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] will still get an opportunity at a ranked opponent.

Du Plessis (16-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) faces [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) at UFC 276 in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday after an initial report by MMA Fighting.

Du Plessis saw multiple fights scrapped for UFC 273. He was initially scheduled to face Chris Curtis, but drew Anthony Hernandez after Curtis was forced out. But when Kelvin Gastelum needed a new opponent, Du Plessis was pulled from his bout against Hernandez to face him.

However, Gastelum ended up withdrawing due to injury and Du Plessis did not get to compete on the night. In two octagon appearances, the 28-year-old kept his 100 percent finishing rate in tact by taking out Markus Perez and Trevin Giles.

Winner of six of his past eight, Tavares was able to snap a two-fight losing skid by picking up back-to-back decision wins over Antonio Carlos Junior and most recently Omari Akhmedov at UFC 264 last July.

With the addition, the UFC 276 lineup includes:

  • Lauren Murphy vs. Miesha Tate
  • Jessica Eye vs. Casey O’Neill
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Brad Tavares

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MMA Junkie’s 2021 Gym of the Year: Xtreme Couture

Xtreme Couture took home two UFC titles and a host of other major promotion wins.

Xtreme Couture is MMA Junkie’s 2021 Gym of the Year.

In a year filled with ups and downs for the majority of high-profile MMA gyms, Xtreme Couture quietly built up a strong 2021 resume with two UFC titles and assisting numerous other fighters to go undefeated over the 12-month stretch.

Heavyweight [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and bantamweight [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] both captured UFC titles in 2021 with lead-up preparation at Xtreme Couture.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] emerged as a top middleweight contender with back-to-back wins over Krzysztof Jotko and Uriah Hall, and [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] skyrocketed up the women’s flyweight rankings with three straight victories. In addition, [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] won MMA Junkie’s 2021 Comeback Fighter of the Year for his improbable 6-0 run including two wins in the UFC.

In Bellator, top contenders [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] and [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] called Xtreme Couture their training home and each went 2-0 in the calendar year with wins against some of the promotion’s finest.

Other notable fighters include [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag], [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag], [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag], [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Cheyanne Buys[/autotag], [autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag], [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag], [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag], [autotag]Roman Dolize[/autotag], [autotag]Gustavo Lopez[/autotag], [autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag], [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag], [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag], and more.

Headed by coach Eric Nicksick, the staff also includes Eddie Barraco, Jimmy Gifford, Jake Shields, Dennis Davis, Roman Isabell, Rich Castro, Chad Lyman, Bryce Harley, Montel Williams, Jamie Huey, Nate Pettit, Tim Lane, Danny Davis, Gil Guardado, Ryan Couture, Clinton Treadway and more, as well as team captains Randy Couture and Ray Sefo (according to the gym’s official website).

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With Brad Tavares out, Roman Dolidze steps in to face Brendan Allen at UFC on ESPN 31

Brendan Allen won’t get to face a ranked opponent, but he’ll still draw a tough test in Roman Dolidze.

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] won’t get to face a ranked opponent, but he’ll still draw a tough test.

[autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] has been forced out of UFC on ESPN 31 and [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will step in to face Allen (17-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Dec. 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Fight Bananas was first to report the news.

Dolidze hasn’t competed since defeating Laureano Staropoli at UFC Fight Night 189 in June. The 33-year-old Georgian was scheduled to face Kyle Daukaus this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 197, but the bout was scrapped due to COVID-19 protocols stemming from Dolidze’s camp.

Winner of nine of his past 10, former former LFA champion Allen will look to make it three straight. After submitting Karl Roberson in the first round at UFC 261, Allen bounced Punahele Soriano out of the ranks of the unbeaten at UFC on ESPN 27 in July.

The latest UFC on ESPN 31 lineup now includes:

  • Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo
  • Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Jake Matthews vs. Jeremiah Wells
  • Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Claudio Puelles
  • Rafael Fiziev vs. Brad Riddell
  • Cheyanne Vlismas vs. Mallory Martin
  • Brendan Allen vs. Roman Dolidze
  • Bryan Barberena vs. Matt Brown
  • Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs. Manel Kape
  • Vince Morales vs. Louis Smolka
  • Clay Guida vs. Leonardo Santos
  • Mickey Gall vs. Alex Morono
  • Maki Pitolo vs. Dusko Todorovic

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Brendan Allen vs. Brad Tavares added to UFC Fight Night on Dec. 4

Brendan Allen will get an opportunity to hit the UFC’s middleweight rankings when he meets perennial contender Brad Tavares.

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] will get an opportunity to hit the UFC’s middleweight rankings when he meets a perennial contender.

Allen (17-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 4, which is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after an initial announcement by Allen on social media.

Allen, a former LFA middleweight champion and Dana White’s Contender Series alum, has won nine of his past 10 fights, with his lone loss coming to streaking contender Sean Strickland. After picking up a first-round submission over Karl Roberson in April, Allen handed Punahele Soriano his first loss in July.

Tavares, a Season 11 alum of “The Ultimate Fighter,” returned from a 14-month layoff this past January looking to snap a two-fight losing skid. The Hawaiian scored back-to-back wins over Antonio Carlos Junior, and most recently Omari Akhmedov at UFC 264 in July.

With the addition, the Dec. 4 lineup includes:

  • Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell
  • Claudio Puelles vs. Chris Gruetzemacher
  • Rafael Fiziev vs. Brad Riddell
  • Montserrat Conejo vs. Mallory Martin
  • Brendan Allen vs. Brad Tavares

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UFC 264 post-event facts: Dustin Poirier joins exclusive 20-win club

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 264, which saw Dustin Poirier make history with his trilogy-fight win over Conor McGregor.

The biggest MMA event of the year so far went down Saturday when UFC 264 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The highly anticipated lightweight trilogy fight in the main event ended in unexpected fashion when [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 20-5 UFC) defeated [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) by first-round TKO after the former two-division champion suffered a broken tibia.

Regardless of how it happened, it’s a win for “The Diamond,” who further entrenched his legacy in the UFC record books.

For more on the numbers, check below for 50 pre-event facts coming out of UFC 264.

UFC 264 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Conor McGregor nets $11,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 264 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $218,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 264 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $218,000.

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 264 took place at the T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 264 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Sean O’Malley [/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kris Moutinho[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jerome Rivera[/autotag]: $4,500

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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,332,500
Program-to-date total: $2,332,500

UFC 257 medical suspensions: Conor McGregor faces potential lengthy layoff due to injury

Following his first career knockout loss, Conor McGregor was handed a potential lengthy suspension.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is facing hefty time off following his UFC 257 loss to [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] on Saturday.

Former UFC double champion McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) suffered a technical knockout loss – the first of his career – in a rematch against Poirier (27-6 MMA, 20-6 UFC). Prior to the finish, Poirier damaged McGregor’s legs with an onslaught of leg kicks.

McGregor, 32, was handed a 180-day medical suspension as a result of a potential right tibia/fibula injury sustained in the fight. Like all medical suspensions, he will be eligible to return sooner, if his injuries are cleared by a doctor.

Poirier, meanwhile, received a seven-day suspension for mandatory rest.

MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC 256, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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After the fight, McGregor was on crutches. He hobbled his way backstage and to the post-fight news conference, where he expressed the pain he felt.

“My leg is completely dead,” McGregor said. “Even though I felt like I was checking them, it was just sinking into the muscle in the front of the leg, and it was badly compromised. It was like an American football in my suit at the moment, so it is what it is.”

UFC 257 competitors [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] were also each handed 180-day suspensions. Sanchez, who lost via TKO to Makhmud Muradov on the main card, suffered potential nasal and tibia/fibula injuries. In the featured preliminary card bout, Frevola suffered a potential right hand injury in a unanimous decision defeat to Arman Tsarukyan.

The full UFC 257 medical suspensions include:

  • Dustin Poirier: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • Conor McGregor: Suspended 180 days or until right tibia/fibula x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
  • [autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left brow laceration
  • [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • Andrew Sanchez: Suspended 180 days or until nasal and right tibia/fibula x-rays are cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
  • [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left brow and scalp laceration.
  • Matt Frevola: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left ankle pain.
  • [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with 21 days no contact for right brow laceration.
  • [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
  • [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”

UFC 257 took place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

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UFC 257 pre-event facts: Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor bring legendary stats into rematch

The best facts and figures about UFC 257, which features a Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor lightweight main event.

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The UFC closes out its “Fight Island” stint on Saturday with its first numbered event of the year. UFC 257 takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A highly anticipated rematch takes center stage in the main event. Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) and Conor McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will run it back more than six years after their first meeting at UFC 178 in September 2014, which “The Notorious” won by first-round TKO. There’s major differences this time around, though, because it will be contested at 155 pounds instead of 145 and is scheduled for five rounds.

The rematch concludes a notable lineup of fights. For more on the numbers, check below for 65 pre-event facts going into UFC 257.

Brad Tavares talks on trying to get opponent intel from his teammate

Brad Tavares talks to MMA Junkie Radio on trying to get opponent intel from his teammate

Brad Tavares talks to MMA Junkie Radio on trying to get opponent intel from his teammate

Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares added to UFC 257 on Jan. 23

Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares has been rebooked for the UFC’s Jan. 23 event.

Skidding middleweights will look to get back to winning ways.

[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will face [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC) on Jan. 23. The event does not yet have a name designation or location, but is expected to be UFC 257 headlined by a potential Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier rematch.

Junior was initially scheduled to face Tavares at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March, but Tavares pulled out due to a knee injury and was replaced by Makhmud Muradov. But after Junior also suffered a torn ACL, the bout was scrapped from the card.

In an April interview with MMA Junkie, Junior said he’d like the matchup with Tavares to be rebooked and he will get his wish when the two square off in the UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2021.

After winning four straight, Tavares has dropped two in a row to current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and most recently a stoppage loss to Edmen Shahbazyan last November at UFC 244.

With the addition, the current Jan. 23 lineup includes:

  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares

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