The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 31, which features a Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo main event.
The UFC kicks off its final stretch of 2021 events Saturday with UFC on ESPN 31, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN.
A very important fight in the bantamweight division serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will attempt to keep his winning streak alive in pursuit of a title shot when he takes on former longtime featherweight king [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC), who continues chase a second belt at 135 pounds.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 45 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 31.
“The Immortal” was “sick af” this past weekend but promises to “get over it quickly and go from there.”
[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] will have to wait a little bit longer for his 29th walk to the UFC cage.
Tuesday, Brown (23-18 MMA, 16-12 UFC) announced his removal from UFC on ESPN 31 due to COVID-19 on social media after he tested positive for the virus. Brown, 40, also revealed that he’s symptomatic. It’s unclear if his scheduled opponent [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) will remain on the card.
UFC on ESPN 31 takes place Saturday, Dec. 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN/ESPN+.
“Sh*tty day today I tested positive for covid so my fight next weekend is off,” Brown wrote in a tweet.
Soon after Brown provided more details in a follow-up tweet, adding, “I was sick af over the weekend but feel better for the most part now. Lost smell today. Did a jog outside today and lungs burned some I thought maybe it was just the cold air but maybe I’m still sick. I’ll get over it quickly and go from there.”
Shitty day today I tested positive for covid so my fight next weekend is off
I was sick af over the weekend but feel better for the most part now. Lost smell today. Did a jog outside today and lungs burned some I thought maybe it was just the cold air but maybe I’m still sick. I’ll get over it quickly and go from there
Brown, 40, is one of the longest-tenured fighters on the promotion’s roster, having competed under the banner since his debut at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale in 2007. After a rough stretch of five losses in six fights from July 2014 to December 2016, Brown hit a late career resurgence. In his most recent four fights, Brown went 3-1 including a violent knockout of Dhiego Lima in his most recent bout, which took place in June.
With the change, the current UFC on ESPN 31 lineup includes:
The two welterweights, who are known for their bonus-earning fighting style, will collide this winter.
While his career might be winding down, UFC legend [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] isn’t done yet.
A 13-year UFC veteran, Brown (36-16-1 MMA, 29-16-1 UFC) will step into the octagon for the 29th time when he takes on [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC). The bout is scheduled to take place Dec. 4 at a location and venue to be announced.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday following an initial report from MMA DNA. The people asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Brown, 44, is one of the dozen-longest-tenured fighters on the UFC roster. He made his promotional debut in June 2008 at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale when he defeated Matt Arroyo by second-round knockout. Since that time, Brown has fought a who’s who of fighters, including Johny Hendricks, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, and Stephen Thompson.
Entering the fight, Brown is 3-2 in his most recent five, including a violent June knockout victory over Dhiego Lima. Shortly after the win, Brown told MMA Junkie he thought he still has “big things to do” before he retires.
Barberena, 32, meanwhile, is 1-3 in his most recent four fights. Two of those performances, unanimous decision losses to Vicente Luque and Jason Witt, won “Fight of the Night.” Four of his six UFC wins have ended inside the distance.
In the main event, [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (17-9 MMA, 10-7 UFC) takes on [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) at 185 pounds. Both fighters come in with four-fight winning streaks, but it’s Strickland with a sizable betting advantage at -225 at BetMGM, and he’s got a big 10-3 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Kyung Ho Kang[/autotag] (17-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets jiu-jitsu ace [autotag]Rani Yahya[/autotag] (27-10-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) at bantamweight. Kang is the slight favorite at -135, and he’s got just a narrow 7-6 lead in the picks in our most contentious fight.
[autotag]Cheyanne Buys[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and [autotag]Gloria de Paula[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) both are looking for their first UFC wins in a women’s strawweight fight. Buys, from South Africa, is a -165 favorite and has a big 11-2 lead in the picks.
[autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) is stepping up on short notice to take on [autotag]Niklas Stolze[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at welterweight. Stolze is a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, and he’s got an 11-2 edge from our pickers.
[autotag]Zarrukh Adashev[/autotag] (3-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) in a flyweight bout. And despite just a -140 nod from the oddsmakers and betting public for Benoit, he’s running away with the picks at 11-2.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) is the biggest favorite at -275 in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Jason Witt[/autotag] (18-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC). He’s also our lone unanimous pick at 13-0.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Hall (61 percent), Yahya (62 percent), Buys (77 percent), Stolze (61 percent), Benoit (74 percent) and Barberena (86 percent) are the choices.
Episode No. 331 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.
Episode No. 331 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.
MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan hosts the show while traveling the world to cover the sport.
John Morgan, Cold Coffee and World MMA Awards Journalist of the Year nominee Oscar Willis sit down to preview UFC on ESPN 28 while enjoying one final day of mask-free life in Las Vegas. Along the way, hear from [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag], [autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] ahead of their fights.
Bryan Barberena is “extremely disappointed” to have to withdraw from his fight against Daniel Rodriguez.
UFC welterweight [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] has undergone emergency surgery and will miss his fight next week.
Barberena, who was booked against [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] on the UFC Fight Night 182 main card Nov. 14, had an “emergency exploratory laparotomy due to internal bleeding from a couple ruptured arteries in his omentum.” The news was announced Saturday on his Instagram page.
Bryan had an emergency exploratory laparotomy due to internal bleeding from a couple ruptured arteries in his omentum. He had 1.5 liters of blood in his abdomen. Bryan’s surgery was successful. He is having pain, which is expected, but he is doing good. The doctor said because he is young and healthy he will have a quick recovery. Unfortunately, due to the surgery, Bryan will not be fighting on November 14th. He is extremely disappointed, and was ready to put on a show, but he will be back ASAP (once he’s healed). He apologizes to his opponent Daniel Rodriguez, and wishes him all the best. There are not enough words in the world to properly thank our support system. We have an incredible family, and friends we call family, and we are so very blessed.
-Team BAM BAM
Barberena, 31, was set to fight for the second time this year. In his last fight in September, Barberena (15-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) snapped a two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision win over Anthony Ivy.
It’s unclear if a replacement opponent will be sought for Rodriguez (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). The 33-year-old is on a nine-fight winning streak that dates back to February 2018, including his first three UFC bouts. Rodriguez made his promotional debut this past February at UFC Fight Night 167 and defeated Tim Means by submission. Rodriguez followed that up with a decision win over Gabriel Green and a first-round knockout of Dwight Grant.
UFC on ESPN+ 35 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 35 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $137,000.
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+ 35 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 35 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:
Returning from a surgical back procedure, Barberena (14-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC) will take on UFC sophomore [autotag]Anthony Ivy[/autotag] at the promotion’s event on Sept. 12 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Ivy (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) recently confirmed the booking on his Instagram page following an initial report from MMA DNA.
Barberena, 31, has not competed since June 2019. In September 2019, Barberena underwent back surgery to fix damage to his spine and nerves. He has lost back-to-back fights to Randy Brown and Vicente Luque entering the Ivy matchup.
“Not because I want to, but because I have to, (I’m taking time away from fighting,” Barberena told UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald in August 2019. “I’m going to be having back surgery in about two weeks. It’s just gotten to the point where I’m not able to function, and I’m in excruciating pain all the time.”
Ivy, 30, rode a five-fight winning streak entering his short-notice UFC debut against Christian Aguilera on June 13. Ivy lost the fight via strikes in 59 seconds.
A full recap of 2019’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producers Michael Carroll, here are some of 2019’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
* * * *
EVENTS
Octagon girls at UFC 238
The UFC held 42 events in 39 different cities across 15 countries and five continents.
Within those events, there were 516 fights across 13 different weight classes (including catchweight bouts).
Those 516 fights combined for a total cage time of 94:59:04.
The longest event of the year was “UFC on ESPN+ 19: Joanna vs. Waterson” in Tampa, Fla., at 2:57:27. It was the second longest in company history behind “UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” (3:04:18).
The shortest event of the year was “UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos” in Minneapolis at 1:38:12.
“UFC on ESPN+ 13: de Randamie vs. Ladd” featured 62 seconds of total fight time in the main and co-main event, the single-event record in company history.
At those events, the UFC drew an announced total attendance of 548,023 for a live gate total of $61,050,133.74 (Note: Live gate was not announced for 11 events; no attendance was revealed for one event).
The highest reported attended event of the year was “UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in Melbourne (57,127), which was the all-time company record, while the lowest attended event was “UFC on ESPN+ 20: Maia vs. Askren” in Singapore (7,155).
The highest reported income gate of the year was “UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz” in New York ($6,575,996.19) while the lowest reported income gate of the year went to “UFC on ESPN+ 4: Lewis vs. Dos Santos” in Wichita, Kan. ($636,417.26).
In 2019, 168 fight-night bonuses were given out for a sum of $8.4 million.
The most knockouts at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos,” “UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz” and “UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington” with seven each.
Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes
“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a new single-event record. UFC 231 held the previous high with 1,647.
The most submissions at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 5: Covington vs. Lawler” with five.
The most fights to go to a decision at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” with 10.
“UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” featured nine consecutive decision results, tied for the single-event UFC record.
“UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” started with nine consecutive decision results, the single-event record.
“UFC on ESPN 7: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik” marked the third event in company history to feature two draws. UFC 22 and UFC 216 were the others.
Betting favorites went 319-182. Fifteen fights ended in a draw, no contest or had even odds.
Betting favorites went 22-18 in event headliners. Two fights ended in a no contest or had even odds.
“UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos” and “UFC on ESPN+ 22: Blachowicz vs. Jacare” had the most favorites come through victorious, with 10 each. On the flip side, seven underdogs won at three separate events.
Aspen Ladd
A total of 30 fighters officially missed weight for their respective contests. The 28 fighters in that group to compete went 10-17-1 in their respective bouts.
A total of 135 fighters made their UFC debut in 2019. Those fighters went 57-74-2 with two no contests. Debuting fighters who faced an opponent with at least one bout of UFC experience went 43-58-2 with two no contests.
A variety of circumstances caused a total of 19 UFC main event or co-main event fights to be adjusted, postponed or canceled entirely.
One entire event was canceled (UFC 233 in January in Anaheim, Calif.)
