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 from Nov. 28-Dec. 4.
UFC on ESPN 40 was a historic card with all finishes, but Sam Alvey left with a dubious record attached to his name.
UFC opened its August schedule in historic fashion on Saturday. UFC on ESPN 40 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas featured a finish in all 10 fights.
The main event needed the additional rounds, however, because [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) battled with [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in the fourth frame before securing a TKO stoppage that continued to his rise in the light heavyweight division.
For more on the numbers behind the record-setting event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 40.
UFC on ESPN 40 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 40 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $140,000.
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 40 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 40 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zac Pauga[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brogan Walker[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Miranda Granger[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/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 $40,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-40 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $5,393,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $11,560,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.
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Bryan Battle scored one of the most brutal head kick knockouts in recent memory against Takashi Sato at UFC on ESPN 40.
[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag] scored one of the most brutal head kick knockouts in recent memory against [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 40.
Battle (8-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), “The Ultimate Fighter 29” middleweight winner, dropped down to welterweight and had a sensational debut. He landed the perfect head kick on Sato (16-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) just 44 seconds into their bout on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):
BRYAN BATTLE PUTS SHIN ON CHIN TO GET THE NASTY KNOCKOUT #UFCVegas59 pic.twitter.com/UGbzKBdc22
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) August 7, 2022
OUT COLD!!! HOLY S**T @BRYANBATTLE10!!! #UFCVegas59 pic.twitter.com/TH0ideJfLT
— UFC (@ufc) August 7, 2022
Can confirm – @BryanBattle10 got better 🤯 #UFCVegas59 pic.twitter.com/9eV1iD8Efe
— UFC (@ufc) August 7, 2022
The booth's reaction says it all 🤯 #UFCVegas59 pic.twitter.com/0bBkw1hOjl
— UFC (@ufc) August 7, 2022
After the win, Battle said he felt the head kick was something he could connect with on Sato – who hasn’t been finished with strikes since 2015 – inside the octagon.
It’s crazy,” Battle said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “It’s something that we saw, it’s something we anticipated. I didn’t see it happening quite so soon. That was probably the most beautiful strike I’ve ever thrown.”
During his post-fight interview, Battle named Bryan Barberena as a matchup of interest, but delivered a more poignant callout of the undefeated Ian Garry.
“I’m not saying this man’s ducking me, but at the least, he’s being protected,” Battle said of Garry. “I want you. I want all the clout. Neither one of us ranked, nothing is holding us back.”
There was no immediate reaction from Garry, but there was one from Barberena (via Twitter):
😂😂 good try but we spell our names the same😂😂. Nice win though keep working bud. 👍🏽 @BrendanFitzTV thanks for the correction ✊🏽 #UFCVegas59
— BRYAN BARBERENA (@bryan_barberena) August 7, 2022
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.
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Bryan Battle still feels like he hasn’t earned UFC fans’ respect.
[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]’s MMA career is on the rise, but he feels public perception hasn’t matched.
The 27-year-old UFC fighter is only three years into his professional career and has achieved plenty in a short amount of time. Battle (7-1, 2-0 UFC) won Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2021, crowning himself champion at middleweight, and since has remained undefeated in the UFC through two fights.
Yet, despite being a TUF champion and still perfect in the octagon, feels the public still underestimates him and his potential.
“I definitely do feel people still underestimate me,” Battle told MMA Junkie Radio. “As good as I know I am and as far as I know I’ll be able to go, they’re underestimating me for good reason.
“I haven’t displayed any kind of insane talent or anything super scary. I’ve gotten the job done every time in the cage up to this point. But for anyone who wants to say something bad, there’s been plenty of bad spots that I’ve had in the cage that they can talk about and harp on.
“The problem is that I use that as bulletin board material. What I’m best at out of all my skills is just knowing how to win a fight. I might not be the best fighter in the cage, but I’m the one that knows how to fight the best. I know how to get the job done. …
“I definitely feel still like an underdog, but that’s Ok. I’m just going to keep on doing my thing until there’s no denying what I’m capable of and what I can do, especially being in the welterweight division.”
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Battle returns to the cage on Aug. 6, as he makes his welterweight debut against veteran Takashi Sato. Battle is looking to make a statement in his first showing at 170 pounds and he’s doing everything possible to be ready for the new weight class.
“I did a test cut for 170 probably like three weeks after I fought Trey,” Battle said. “And I don’t procrastinate on these things. I’ve procrastinated on weight cuts before, and I’ve been the downsides of it, so I really do my best to try to get a head of the game because I want to feel my best when I’m training.
“If you’re having to stress because you have to cram a weight cut, that’s just not optimal for your best performance. I want to be recognized as one of the best in the world, so having to worry about my weight instead of developing my skills is not conducive to that goal.”
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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 from June 13-19.
TUF 28 champion Bryan Battle will fight at welterweight for the first time in his career against Takashi Sato.
[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag], middleweight champion of The Ultimate Fighter 28 will move down a weight class for his third UFC bout.
Welcoming Battle to the welterweight division will be Japan’s [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]. The matchup is set to take place on August 6 at a UFC Fight Night event that will be headlined by a light heavyweight matchup, Jamahal Hill vs. Thiago Santos. The event does not yet have a confirmed venue or location.
The pairing was first reported by MMA Fighting, and both fighters announced the booking via Twitter on Monday evening.
8/6 we’re back baby pic.twitter.com/l71LSsxz7F
— Bryan Battle (@BryanBattle10) June 13, 2022
Battle (7-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) who won his first two UFC bouts in the middleweight division, will move down to a new weight class. Battle defeated Gilbert Urbina via submission in the TUF 28 tournament championship. He then defeated Tresean Gore by unanimous decision, the man who he was originally set to face in the finale.
Sato (16-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will look to snap his recent skid and get back to .500 in his UFC career. The Japanese welterweight has dropped his two previous outings against Miguel Baeza and Gunnar Nelson. Sato holds wins over Jason Witt and Ben Saunders in the UFC.
With the addition, the Aug. 6 lineup includes:
Fans can call it whatever, but there are different stakes for the fighters involved in the “should-have-been” TUF 29 Finale matchup.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag] and [autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag] may have unfinished business, but history has already been written.
Two members of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Season 29, Battle (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Gore (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) were expected to face off at the TUF Finale in August. However, fate had other plans as Gore withdrew due to a knee injury and Battle went on to defeat replacement Gilbert Urbina instead.
Although Gore earned his slot in the tournament finals, neither he nor Battle thinks there’s any sort of unofficial label up for grabs Saturday when they face off at UFC Fight Night 200 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Both men ooze with respect for the other.
“It’s whatever the people call it, you know what I’m saying? Battle told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “If people want to call it ‘the real TUF Finale’ and that’s what the perception is going to be, then whatever. I’ve still got the trophy and I’ve still got the contract. Yeah, whatever people want to stamp on it to make it saucier, go for it.”
For Gore, the one who could scream from the rooftops Battle’s TUF championship should be asterisked, declared the bygone is bygone. He’s not willing to demean Battle for his own injury.
“No, I don’t feel like it’s for the TUF title because Bryan won that,” Gore told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “He won that fair and square. I got injured. It’s not his fault that I got injured. He did his job and he showed up. You know. He won it, so they need to go ahead and give that man his respect. That’s a TUF champion. But at the same time, I’m going to be champion of the world. So he can have that title because I want that belt.”
With the “TUF contestant” label purposely shaken, Battle and Gore view themselves as UFC fighters, which they are. The goals have changed compared to when they were first matched up – a targeted booking that was worked on long before their TUF stints.
“I remember one time we got offered $600 to fight in Derek Brunson’s promotion (on the regional scene),” Gore said. “Bryan didn’t take the fight because they didn’t want to accept that amount of money. But I was ready to fight for that sh*t, because I knew where it was going to get us ultimately. But we’re here now. We’re here now and it wasn’t meant. Now we get to fight live on a (UFC) Fight Night on a main card. Look at God.”
Battle, who already has his first UFC win notched, shared a similar enthusiasm. TUF is behind them, but the numerously-matched fight needs to play out for him to feel a bit more comfortable.
“I don’t know if Bruce Buffer will be here for this one, (but) it’s definitely different,” Battle said. “It’s different from TUF. It’s definitely something he’s going to have to adjust to. He trains with good people. They’re going to have him ready to go. I don’t think he’s going to get in there and lay an egg. I think Tresean is going to get in there, the lights are going to shine on him, and the best version of Tresean is going to be in there Saturday night.”
Both fighters think UFC Fight Night 200 will be an opportunity to prove something to a wider audience. For Battle, he wants to show that he’s deceivingly devastating.
“If you just have to eye test, he’s a much scarier person than me,” Battle said. “His fighting style is scarier. The people talked about the way he looks is scarier. I come in ‘Pooh Bear, Mr. Dad-bod.’ I’m not the most imposing person in the world, but it’s not going to matter when I impose my will on you. Exposing people’s perspective on fighting. What they think to be true vs. what is actually true.”
For Gore, his angle is to prove Battle and his team wrong, and that he is better.
“I need to show him he’s not better than me. Because he thinks he is. He and his team, they sleep on me. I’m tired of this sh*t. I’m going to show them that I’m on another level. My coaches, my team, they know I’m on another level. I’m just ready to go in there and display my talent.”
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It’s all love as 2021 comes to a close.
‘”As real as it gets” is the UFC’s slogan describing just how realistic the combat in our sport can be. But before fighters get to any of the face punching, they share a moment of respect, a moment of peace that represents their mutual acknowledgment for the struggle to arrive at this moment – the touch of gloves.
Fighters might beat each other up for 15 to 25 minutes, but the respect for one another and the sport of MMA never goes away. The martial arts spirt is always with them.
In this first edition of “Touch of Gloves,” we see that spirt come to life as fighters, coaches and more show appreciation to the people they think especially deserve a shoutout for what they did in 2021:
Enjoy!
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The original “Ultimate Fighter 29” final between Bryan Battle and Tresean Gore has been rebooked.
The original “Ultimate Fighter 29” final has been rebooked.
[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag], winner of Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will square off with the show’s original finalist, [autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag], at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 5.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Battle (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will finally get to square off with Gore (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) after multiple bookings fell through. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Battle revealed that he almost fought Gore on multiple occasions, but the fight never came to fruition – including their TUF 29 Finale bout.
The last pick on “TUF 29,” Team Volkanovski’s Battle picked up wins over Kemran Lachinov and Andre Petroski en route to a finals showdown with Gore. But after Gore was forced to withdraw due to injury, Battle ended up facing semifinalist Gilbert Urbina in August, whom he submitted in the second round to win the show.
Gore, a member of Team Ortega, defeated Ryder Newman and scored a knockout of Urbina before an injury forced him out of the competition. Currently training at Team Lima’s American Top Team, the 27-year-old has just three official professional fights to his name but was being touted to win the show.
With the addition, the current Feb. 5 lineup includes:
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