A total of 13 fighters made north of six figures Saturday at UFC 249, not including several who earned post-fight bonuses.
Main event participants [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] walked home with a solid chunk of change following their “Fight of the Night” earning bout at UFC 249.
Monday, MMA Junkie obtained a list of disclosed UFC 249 salaries from the Florida State Boxing Commission, who oversaw Saturday night’s event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
With the interim UFC lightweight title on the line, Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) finished Ferguson (25-4 MMA, 15-2 UFC) with punches in Round 5. With the win, Gaethje earned a disclosed pay of $350,000, while Ferguson made $500,000.
In the co-main event, the UFC bantamweight championship was on the line. Titleholder [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] defeated former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] with strikes in Round 2. Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) earned $350,000, while Cruz (22-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) walked away with $300,000.
Check out a full list of the UFC 249 medical suspensions below.
[autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $65,000
[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $50,000
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag]: $24,000
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $54,000
[autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $57,000
[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $180,000
[autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag]: $60,000
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag]: $102,000
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]: $100,000
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $160,000
[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]: $200,000
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]: $310,000
[autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag]: $12,000
[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]: $180,000
Jeremy Stephens: $46,900*
Calvin Kattar: $116,100**
[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $80,000
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]: $260,000
Dominick Cruz: $300,000
Henry Cejudo: $350,000
Tony Ferguson: $500,000
Justin Gaethje: $350,000
*Stephens was fined 30 percent of his purse for missing weight, which went to Kattar.
**Kattar took 30 percent of Stephens’ fight purse.
The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 249 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.
The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 249, which saw Justin Gaethje beat Tony Ferguson to win interim gold in the main event.
The UFC made its return on Saturday with UFC 249, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena | Jacksonville, Fla., with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Two thrilling championship bouts capped the event. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) claimed interim lightweight gold with a fifth-round TKO of [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-4 MMA, 15-2 UFC) in the main event, while [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) finished [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) to defend his bantamweight belt then retired in the co-headliner.
There was much more of note on the card, too. For more on the numbers, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 249.
* * * *
General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $305,500.
Ferguson and [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 249 fight-night bonuses. Gaethje received two bonuses for $100,000.
UFC 249 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 9-2 on the card.
Betting favorites fell to 5-4 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 2:25:23.
Main card
Justin Gaethje
Gaethje became the first in MMA history to win titles in UFC and WSOF.
Gaethje has earned 20 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes all five of his UFC wins.
Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to win at least one fight-night bonus in each of his first seven octagon appearances.
Gaethje has been awarded nine fight-night bonuses in seven UFC appearances.
Gaethje’s nine UFC fight-night bonuses since 2017 are most of any fighter in the company.
Ferguson had his 12-fight winning streak snapped for his first defeat since May 2012.
Ferguson suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Ferguson has been awarded a fight-night bonus in eight of his past nine UFC appearances.
Cejudo became the second fighter in UFC history to record successful title defenses in two weight classes. Daniel Cormier also accomplished the feat.
Henry Cejudo
Cejudo improved to 7-0 in bantamweight competition during his career.
Cejudo has landed at least one takedown in all but one of his UFC fights where he’s attempted a takedown.
Cruz suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2016.
Cruz suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Francis Ngannou
Ngannou’s (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Ngannou has earned all 15 of his career victories by stoppage. That includes all 10 of his UFC wins.
Ngannou has earned his past four victories by knockout in a combined 2:42 of cage time.
Ngannou’s 10 stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC competition are tied with Thiago Santos and Charles Oliveira for most in the company.
Ngannou’s 10 stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC heavyweight competition are most in the division
[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had his 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.
[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) fell to 8-9 (with one no contest) since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in May 2013.
Stephens’ 17 losses in UFC competition are the most in company history.
[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Preliminary card
Anthony Pettis
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC) improved to 2-1 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in March 2019.
Pettis improved to 5-8 in his past 13 UFC appearances dating back to when he lost the UFC lightweight title in March 2015.
[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]’s (36-15 MMA, 23-12 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2019.
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) earned his first decision victory since Aug. 26, 2010 – a span of 3,544 days (nearly 10 years) and 25 fights.
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (23-9-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fell to 9-4 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2012.
Werdum has suffered six of his nine career losses by decision.
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) improved to 6-3 since losing the UFC strawweight title to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.
Esparza’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Jedrzejczyk (10).
Esparza has earned six of her seven UFC victories by decision.
Esparza has completed at least one takedown against 10 of her 11 UFC opponents.
Esparza’s 34 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are most in divisional history.
[autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] (17-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has suffered three of her four UFC losses by decision.
Vicente Luque
[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (18-7-1 MMA, 11-3 UFC) has earned 16 of his 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes 10 of his 11 UFC wins.
Luque’s 10 stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC welterweight competition are most in the division during that span.
Luque’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Matt Brown (13) and Matt Hughes (12).
[autotag]Niko Price[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights.
Price has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past eight fights.
Rosa has suffered three of his four career losses by decision.
[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]’s (18-5 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied with Jon Jones and Magomed Ankalaev for the longest active streak in the division.
[autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]’s (33-14 MMA, 10-9 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.
Alvey fell to 2-4 since he moved up to the UFC light-heavyweight division in February 2018.
Alvey has suffered 10 of his 14 career losses by decision.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 249 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $330,500.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 249 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $305,500.
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 249 took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The full UFC 249 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:
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 249 event in Jacksonville, Fla.
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 249 went with as their backing tracks in Jacksonville, Fla.
Carla Esparza is now on a three-fight winning streak after a hard-fought win over Michelle Waterson.
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] is going home with a win.
The former UFC strawweight champion defeated [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] during the preliminary card of UFC 249 on Saturday night. Esparza (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) outpointed Waterson (17-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC) 27-30, 29-28 and 30-27 on the judges’ scorecards, thus earning a split-decision.
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In the first round, both fighters were tentative to engage. The shots weren’t thrown often, but both still had their respective moments on the feet. In the last 30 seconds of the round, Esparza was able to secure takedown and control Waterson from top position.
The second round was much closer than the first. The fight never hit the ground and there was little action on the feet.
In the third and final round, Waterson kept control of the outside of the octagon and was able to avoid takedowns from Esparza. Waterson also landed several leg and body kicks. Esparza had a few nice right hands, and picked up the pace in the final minute, rushing and landing several flurry of punches on Waterson.
Esparza is now on a three-fight winning streak. Her last defeat came in late 2018 where she lost via TKO to top contender Tatiana Suarez.
On the other hand, Waterson is now on two fight skid, having lost to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in October.
The women’s strawweight bout was part of the UFC 249 preliminary card at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. It aired on ESPN/ESPN+ following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+ and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.
Highlighting Saturday’s UFC 249 with a three-fight parlay, with odds, analysis and picks.
UFC 249 goes off from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., Saturday night, the first live sporting event in the United States since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. While there will be no fans in attendance, that shouldn’t affect the wagering aspect of the event, giving sports-starved bettors finally something to wager on.
Want to place a bet on UFC 249? Place them at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk-free first bet!Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.Bet now!
Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone betting odds
Per BetMGM, Pettis (-150) is favored over Cowboy (+125) on the 2-way betting line, but that’s not the wager to make.
Pettis is 9-9 in 18 bouts at the UFC level, while posting a 1-3 mark across the past four outings, and 4-8 in the past 12. He has been knocked out in three of his past eight appearances, while four of his previous six victories have come via submission. In other words, he doesn’t see the judges getting involved in his fights very often.
For Cerrone, he is 0-3 across his past three outings. However, while he has been knocked out in those losses, it has been against the cream of the crop in Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson – the latter two are the main event Saturday in a bout for the lightweight strap.
Meanwhile, Cowboy is back in the welterweight class, where he has a little more experience. He was knocked out by Pettis at UFC on FOX Jan. 26, 2013, and only three of his previous 17 bouts have gone the distance.
The best bet here is to take UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-125) in our three-piece parlay.
Esparza (-159) is a moderate favorite over Waterson, a.k.a. “The Karate Hottie.” The latter hasn’t been so hot for bettors in the octagon lately, however, going just 3-3 in his past six bouts. More importantly, Waterson has gone the distance in each of her past five bouts.
For Esparza, all five of her victories have at the UFC level have come via decision, including four of the unanimous variety. She topped Alexa Grasso Sept. 21, 2019 by majority decision last time out. Avoid any bets on the 2-way line, but look to the OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-455) for part II of this three-fight parlay.
Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price betting odds
Luque (-304) is a heavy favorite in this early preliminary bout, but like the previous two fights, look to the round total play for the final play of our three-fight parlay.
Eight of Luque’s past 10 professional wins have come in the second round or earlier, and four of his past five have come via KO/TKO. Only one of his 10 victories have come via decision, too.
For Price, all 10 of his UFC fights have finished inside the distance, and he has never ventured into the third round in any of his bouts. Seven of the outcomes, win or lose, have been via knockout, with three coming by way of submission. He doesn’t leave it in the hands of the judges either way. As such, playing NO (-400) on WILL THE FIGHT GO THE FULL 3 ROUNDS? is the way to go.
New to sports betting? A $20 THREE-PLAY PARLAY wager on these three options will pay a little more than 1.74 to 1, netting a profit of $34.89.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
The best facts, figures and footnotes about the UFC 249 prelims, where Donald Cerrone rematches Anthony Pettis in the featured bout.
The UFC’s return from the coronavirus pandemic goes down Saturday with UFC 249, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and features a deep preliminary card.
Headlining the action, which airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, is a welterweight rematch between two all-time fan favorites. [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC) and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-14 MMA, 23-11 UFC) will run it back after “Showtime” stopped “Cowboy” by first-round TKO when they met at UFC on FOX 6 in January 2013.
It’s an important fight for both men, but it doesn’t represent all the prelim lineup has to offer. For more on the numbers, check below for 70 pre-event facts about the UFC 249 prelims.
* * * *
Featured ESPN prelim
Anthony Pettis
Pettis returns to the UFC welterweight division after a one-fight stint at lightweight. He’s 1-1 when fighting in the weight class.
Pettis is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn victories in three weight classes.
Pettis is 4-8 in his past 12 UFC appearance dating back to when he lost the UFC lightweight title in March 2015.
Pettis has earned 18 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his nine UFC wins.
Pettis’ five submission victories from a bottom position in UFC/WEC competition are tied with Diaz for most in combined company history.
Donald Cerrone
Cerrone has fought on Spike, Versus, FUEL TV, pay-per-view, FOX, FS1, UFC Fight Pass, ESPN and ESPN+ during his UFC tenure.
Cerrone competes in his 35th UFC bout, the most appearances in company history.
Cerrone makes his 45th UFC/WEC appearance, the most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone’s 45 appearances in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone makes his 12th UFC welterweight appearance. He’s 6-5 when fighting in the weight class.
Cerrone’s 24 appearances since 2014 in UFC competition are most in the company.
Cerrone’s 23 victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Cerrone’s 29 victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are most in combined organization history.
Cerrone’s 17 victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Jim Miller (19).
Cerrone’s 16 stoppage victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Cerrone’s 20 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC competition are the most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone’s 20 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are tied with Wanderlei Silva for second most in combined organizational history behind Mirko Cro Cop (21).
Cerrone’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13) and Miller (12).
Cerrone’s seven knockout victories stemming from kicks in UFC competition are most in company history. No one else has more than four.
Cerrone’s eight submission victories in UFC/WEC lightweight competition are tied for third most in combined divisional history behind Miller (nine) and Nate Diaz (nine).
Cerrone’s 20 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are most in company history.
Cerrone has landed 378 leg kicks in UFC competition, the fourth most in company history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (430), Thiago Alves (383) and Jon Jones (380).
Cerrone defends 90 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class and second highest in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (92 percent).
Cerrone’s 23 fight-night bonuses in UFC/WEC bouts are the most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone’s 18 fight-night bonuses in UFC bouts are most in company history.
Other ESPN prelims
Aleksei Oleinik
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (58-13-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC), 42, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division and is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Oleinik is the only fighter in MMA history to earn victories in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Oleinik’s average fight time of 5:26 in UFC heavyweight fights is fourth shortest in divisional history behind Cyril Asker (3:24), Todd Duffee (3:26) and Shane Carwin (4:55).
Oleinik has earned 54 of his 58 career victories by stoppage. That includes all seven of his UFC wins.
Oleinik has earned 46 of his 58 career victories by submission.
Oleinik’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (eight).
Oleinik has earned two of the three Ezekiel-choke submission victories in UFC history. He accomplished the feat at UFC 224 and UFC Fight Night 103. Remco Pardoel also won with the technique at UFC 2.
Oleinik attempts 2.76 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Fabricio Werdum
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (23-8-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since March 17, 2018. The 784-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 18-year career.
Werdum is 9-3 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2012.
Werdum and Marcin Tybura combined for 282 significant strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 121, the second most in a UFC heavyweight bout Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (304) at UFC 241.
Carla Esparza
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was the first UFC strawweight champion. She lost the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in March 2015.
Esparza is 5-3 since losing the UFC strawweight title to Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.
Esparza’s six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10), Jessica Andrade (seven) and Angela Hill (seven).
Esparza has completed at least one takedown against nine of her 10 UFC opponents.
Esparza’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Claudia Gadelha for most in divisional history.
Esparza has earned five of her six UFC victories by decision.
Michelle Waterson
[autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has completed at least one takedown against seven of her eight UFC opponents.
Waterson’s two submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Rose Namajunas (three) and Cynthia Calvillo (three).
Waterson lands 52.9 percent of her significant strike attempts in UFC strawweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Suarez (65.8 percent) and Paige VanZant (53 percent).
[autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC) is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. Renan Barao and Magomed Mustafaev also accomplished the feat.
Ronaldo Souza
[autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2018.
Souza returns to the UFC middleweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at light heavyweight.
Souza’s 14 victories in UFC/Strikeforce middleweight competition are tied for third most in combined divisional history behind Michael Bisping (16) and Luke Rockhold (15).
Souza’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC/Strikeforce middleweight competition are second most in combined divisional history behind Rockhold (13).
Souza’s seven fight-night bonuses fo UFC middleweight bouts are tie for third most in divisional history behind Anderson Silva (12) and Yoel Romero (eight).
Vicente Luque
[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]’s (17-7-1 MMA, 10-3 UFC) has earned 15 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. That includes nine of his 10 UFC wins.
Luque’s nine stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC welterweight competition are most in the division during that span.
Luque’s nine stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Matt Brown (13) and Matt Hughes (12).
Luque is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn their first nine victories with the promotion by stoppage. Lauzon, Francis Ngannou, Vitor Belfort, Don Frye, Gabriel Gonzaga and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.
Luque and Bryan Barberena combined for 332 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 1, the third most for a three-round fight in UFC history behind Karol Rosa vs. Lara Procopio (336) at UFC on ESPN+ 15 and Diaz vs. Cerrone (334) at UFC 141.
Luque’s two D’Arce choke victories in UFC competition are tied with Dustin Poirier for second most in company history behind Tony Ferguson (three).
Luque is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC on FOX 17.
Niko Price
[autotag]Niko Price[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past five fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 19.
Price’s average fight time of 5:35 in UFC welterweight competition is second shortest among active fighters in the weight class behind Abdul Razak Alhassan (4:57).
Price has earned 13 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his UFC wins.
Price is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from an upkick. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19. Jon Fitch also won with the technique.
Price has earned two of the three knockout victories in UFC history stemming from bottom position. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19 and UFC Fight Night 133.
Bryce Mitchell
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a Twister submission victory. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 7. Chan Sung Jung also won with the technique.
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN 6.
Rosa has been awarded four fight-night bonuses in his six-fight UFC career.
Rosa’s submission of Sean Soriano at 4:43 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 59 marked the latest finish in a three-round UFC featherweight bout.
[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]’s (17-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Jones (four) and Magomed Ankalaev (four).
[autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]’s (33-13 MMA, 10-8 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.
Alvey is 2-3 since he moved up to the UFC light-heavyweight division in February 2018.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Identifying the most significant storyline for each UFC 249 prelim matchup.
Every UFC fight has a storyline to it. The general public might not always be deeply invested, but whether it’s for a championship or marks a debut, each fight represents a pivotal moment for the athletes.
With every trip to the octagon comes a narrative. What does a win mean in the short term? The long term? What fights are on the horizon with an impressive performance? What new skills or weaknesses will be revealed?
The potential storylines are endless, and we’re here to help identify the most significant one for each fight, this time at UFC 249, which takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Today, we look at the prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
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ESPN prelims
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]
There’s no starvation for narratives in this one as fan favorites Pettis and Cerrone look to shake the public perception of disappointment in their most recent performances and add some stability to their respective careers.
Pettis is coming off arguably his worst loss to date against Diego Ferreira. “Showtime” has bounced around weight classes in hopes of adding some measure of consistency to his results. It’s been to no avail, but now Pettis is being set up to rematch an opponent he already blew past in less than three minutes back in January 2013. It’s critical for Pettis to win if he wants to keep getting big-name fights, because another loss would push his UFC record to sub-.500 territory.
Cerrone is not in danger of having his winning percentage fall below even, but he is facing the longest skid of his career. The last time “Cowboy” lost three straight he rebounded in resounding fashion, but this assignment feels tougher. Cerrone has been stopped in all three of his recent defeats, and the questions have started to come about damage absorbed entering his 35th UFC fight. That’s a concern that’s not going to go away, but Cerrone can evade hard questions about fighting life with a win.
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
Does former UFC heavyweight champ Werdum still have it after a layoff of more than two years due to a USADA suspension? That is the big question surrounding his return bout against fellow submission ace Oleinik.
Werdum, now 42, was the best heavyweight in the world for a good time. It’s hard to envision him returning to that point at his age and following so much time off. Even if he beats Oleinik, it’s not exactly the most telling litmus test for where he stands.
The Brazilian is a welcomed readdition to the heavyweight ranks, though, and his ability to get future fights of worthy is heavily dependent on his performance against Oleinik, who will try to beat an ex-UFC champ for the first time.
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag]
It’s been five years since Esparza’s reign as the UFC’s inaugural 115-pound champ came to an end, and dropping some key bouts have prevented her from getting back to the strap. She’s coming off back-to-back wins, though, and if “The Cookie Monster” is ever going to see another title fight, then getting this one against Waterson is essential.
“The Karate Hottie” enters in a similar situation. She’s fallen just shy of securing a title shot on multiple occasions, and opportunities could soon be running out. Beating a former champion like Esparza would be just the statement she needs to continue to connect her name to title contention.
[autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]
(Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports)
At long last Hall has seemingly found his way since linking up with Fortis MMA. Hall has started to really come into his own over the past couple fights, but his opponents haven’t been of Souza’s caliber. Can he get through the challenge and start churning out results that support all the hype he got entering the UFC?
“Jacare,” on the other hand, is trying to hang on to his final bits of relevance as a middleweight contender and reinforce that he shouldn’t be written off entirely. Souza is one of the best to never fight for a UFC title, but at 40, on the first losing skid of his career, and now returning to 185 pounds after an unsuccessful experiment at light heavyweight, it feels like a win is needed to extend his fighting life.
The UFC is eying a May 9 return, with an event at a location to be determined, but a blockbuster lineup in mind.
The UFC may be back sooner than anticipated.
When UFC president Dana White canceled UFC 249, he also postponed all subsequent events indefinitely due to restrictions caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as a request to stand down by the UFC’s broadcast partners at ESPN and Disney. However, the promotion is now eying a May 9 return, with an event at a location to be determined.
Tuesday, MMA Junkie confirmed the UFC’s considered plans with a person with knowledge of the situation. The person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting was the first to report the plans.
Dana White later informed ESPN the promotion is looking to rebook various big fights that were delayed by the schedule change, including [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (originally set to headline UFC 249), [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] (originally in the works to headline UFC 250), [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (originally set to co-headline UFC 250), and [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (originally set to headline UFC on ESPN 8).
“We will be the first sport back,” White said. “‘Fight Island’ is real. It’s a real thing. The infrastructure is being built right now, and that’s really going to happen. It will be on ESPN.”
If the event isn’t scheduled for “Fight Island,” the state of Florida could be another potential location for the UFC to hold the May 9 card. In a press release issued Monday, Florida governor Ron DeSantis revealed some sporting events, including WWE, will be deemed essential businesses.
It’s unknown if Tachi Palace Casino in Lemore, Calif. could be in the cards, as well. The Indian reservation casino was targeted to be the new home of UFC 249 on April 18, prior to ESPN and Disney executives asking the UFC to cancel the event entirely.
[lawrence-related id=506483,505599,506277]
Prior to the announcement of postponements, the UFC had 11 events publicly on tap: UFC 249 (April 18 in Lemore, Calif.), UFC on ESPN+ 31 (April 25 in Lemore, Calif.), UFC on ESPN+ 32 (May 2 in Lemore, Calif.), UFC 250 (May 9 at Location TBD), UFC on ESPN+ 33 (May 16 in San Diego), UFC 251 (June 6 in Perth, Australia), UFC Kazakhstan (June 13 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakstan), UFC Saskatoon (June 20 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), UFC Austin (June 27 in Austin, Texas), UFC 252 (July 11 in Las Vegas), and UFC Dublin (Aug. 15 in Dublin, Ireland).
The status of all above events are currently unknown.
According to ESPN, the proposed May 9 event includes the following lineup:
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje – for interim lightweight title
Champ Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz – for bantamweight title
Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s featherweight title
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]
[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]
[autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag]
[autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]
[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag]
