Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the UFC, PFL and Bellator fights 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, PFL, and Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Feb. 26-March 3.
UFC lightweights Viacheslav Borshchev and Chase Hooper will battle – but not at the UFC Apex.
[autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] has been added to the UFC docket.
The three-round lightweight showdown is expected to take place at a UFC Fight Night event on May 11. The frontrunner location for the event is St. Louis.
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.
Hooper (13-3-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC) went undefeated in 2023 at 2-0 with a unanimous decision win over Nick Fiore and a first-round submission of Jordan Leavitt.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for May 11 includes:
[lawrence-related id=2697888,2644219]
Aljamain Sterling hopes he and Chase Hooper can put on a show in the ADXC 2 headliner.
[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] hopes he and [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] can put on a show in the ADXC 2 headliner.
Sterling and Hooper will face off in a no-gi welterweight grappling match on Jan. 19 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi.
“The Funkmaster” was visibly upset after losing on points to Kevin Dantzler in the Fury Pro Grappling 8 main event less than two weeks ago, ripping the scoring system. Sterling criticized Dantzler for laying on his back but doesn’t expect Hooper to take a similar inactive approach – or at least he hopes not.
“Chase is long, he’s wiry, he’s got unorthodox attacks and things like that, so I think that’s what’s going to make him tough,” Sterling told MMA Junkie. “I don’t know how strong he is. I know he’s going up a weight class, 155 now. He beat Jordan Leavitt who’s a pretty solid grappler, someone I’ve grappled with out here in Vegas multiple times. I was pretty impressed with what he was able to do. But, yeah, I expect him to make it an entertaining match.
“I’m not expecting him to go out there and full-on wrestle me. I would like to go for some kind of submission, get some scrambles going. I just would like for it to be a high-paced, fun matchup to get people who have never watched jiu-jitsu, and they’re either fans of myself or Chase, to get them to want to tune in and buy in to see what jiu-jitsu is all about and what it can be. So, hopefully that’s what we get to give the fans.”
Former 135-pound champion Sterling makes his featherweight debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 on April 13. Grappling a larger opponent in Hooper will serve as valuable prep for Sterling as he ventures into a new weight class.
“100 percent,” Sterling said. “I don’t think Calvin Kattar’s going to be as flexible as Chase Hooper and as well-versed in grappling as Chase Hooper, but I think this gives me the body type, it gives me the body weight to compete against, the height.
“So, I get to see all these different things with someone who actually knows what they’re really doing in these positions and they’re actually a threat of finishing submission moves against myself. So, this is all about getting prepped for the main goal which is UFC 300.”
[lawrence-related id=2708019,2707126,2706308]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
Aljamain Sterling has booked himself another grappling match.
[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] has booked another grappling match.
Submission specialists Sterling and [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] will face off in a no-gi welterweight bout to headline ADXC 2 on Jan. 19 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi. A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sterling currently is slated to face Kevin Dantzler in the Fury Pro Grappling 8 headliner Dec. 30 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The event streams on UFC Fight Pass.
Sterling competed in a grappling match this past September and defeated ex-UFC fighter Mike Grundy by unanimous decision at Polaris 25 in Wales. “The Funkmaster” currently is gearing up for his featherweight debut – a decision he made official shortly after he lost the bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in August.
Hooper has grappled twice under the Fury Pro Grappling banner. He lost a decision to UFC lightweight Renato Moicano in December 2021, then submitted longtime UFC fighter Clay Guida with a calf slicer this past December at Fury Pro Grappling 6. The 24-year-old also has his first winning streak in the octagon after back-to-back wins over Nick Fiore and Jordan Leavitt.
[lawrence-related id=2703550,2701670,2697637]
After submitting Jordan Leavitt at UFC Fight Night 232, Chase Hooper wants another grappler-heavy matchup with Claudio Puelles.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] thinks his grappler vs. grappler matchup with Jordan Leavitt at UFC Fight Night 232 delivered, and he wants more of those types of fights going forward.
Hooper (13-3-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC) quickly dispatched of Leavitt (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in Saturday’s lightweight bout at the UFC Apex, locking up a rear-naked choke in the opening round to advance him to 2-0 since moving up from featherweight earlier this year.
The grappling exchanges between the pair were fast and furious from the outset, but Hooper was one step ahead and managed to catch Leavitt in a mistake and get the finish.
“I was expecting a lot longer of a fight, a lot of tougher of a fight,” Hooper told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the post-fight news conference. “But I snaked it up early, and that’s a win, obviously. … I always surprise myself when I come out with a finish, or a win in general. I always go in kind of more pessimistic and then like to surprise myself by having a good outcome. (I) can’t really get a better outcome than that.”
[lawrence-related id=2696618,2696616,2697726]
Although pitting two grapplers against each other can sometimes lead to stalling, or an underwhelming standup fight, Hooper said he’s not afraid to engage with anyone on the mat. He wants to see if he can find more success with these matchups, and that’s why he sees [autotag]Claudio Puelles[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) as a fitting next opponent, because both men would have to exercise caution with their limbs.
“I’d like someone like a Claudio Puelles,” Hooper said. “He beat Jordan, I believe, by decision. Then he also has a kneebar win over Clay Guida. I just beat Jordan tonight, and I’ve got a calf slicer over Clay in a grappling match. But still, I would love to fight another guy that’s big into leg locks – another big jiu-jitsu guy in the division. Tonight is the perfect example. Those are fun matchups, and I think they’re fun to watch. It’s a style of grappling people can get down with.”
Even if he doesn’t get Puelles next, Hooper said it’s his goal for 2024 to compete as frequently as possible. His wife is pregnant with their first child with the due date looming, and Hooper said the responsibility of supporting another life has boosted his motivation to bring in more paychecks.
“I’ve got to start making a little more of that dad money,” Hooper said. “I’d like to be a little bit more active, especially here at ’55 where I don’t have to cut as hard. I’d like to get three fights in.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 232, which saw Brendan Allen put him name in the books with Royce Gracie and Demian Maia.
The UFC closed its November schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 232, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw 10 of 14 fights end in a stoppage.
One of those finishes belonged to main event winner [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 11-2 UFC), who submitted [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] (17-7-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their middleweight clash, extending his winning streak to six and putting him in the discussion among the more serious contenders in the weight class.
For more on the numbers behind Allen’s performance, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 232.
UFC Fight Night 232 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 Fight Night 232 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $158,500.
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 Fight Night 232 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC Fight Night 232 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Leavitt[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Payton Talbott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nick Aguirre[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Myktybek Orolbai[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Christian Duncan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Denis Tiuliulin[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Mick Parkin[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Alexander[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Rafael Estevam[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
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 2321 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: $7,464,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,983,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
Chase Hooper capped off a fun ground battle in the first round by finding a rear-naked choke on Jordan Leavitt at the UFC Apex.
[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] was engaged in a wild scramble battle on the mat until he found a submission hold that worked.
On the main card of UFC Fight Night 232, Hooper (13-3-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Jordan Leavitt (11-3 MMA, 4-3) immediately went to the grappling game. The result was a few minutes of fun scrambles, near submissions and transitions until Hooper locked in a rear-naked choke at 2:58 of Round 1.
Hooper nearly had an armbar secured at an earlier point in the fight. Leavitt was able to escape and posture up over Hooper, and landed a hard strike that may have momentarily rocked Hooper. However, the fight remained on the ground and Hooper was able to recover and find his way to the rear-naked choke submission for the tap a few moments later.
Rear naked choke for the win 💪@Chase_Hooper ends this one early with the submission victory! #UFCVegas82 pic.twitter.com/Tl2tzfSZ1g
— UFC (@ufc) November 18, 2023
Make that 2️⃣ in a row for @Chase_Hooper! #UFCVegas82 pic.twitter.com/4KPf0lMkw1
— UFC (@ufc) November 18, 2023
With the win, Hooper makes it two in a row for the first time during his UFC career. During his post-fight interview, Hooper said he hoped his finish was good enough to secure a bonus, and to plan on seeing him in the octagon more often because he has a baby on the way.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 232 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
Check out what the UFC Fight Night 232 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.
LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 232 took place Saturday with 14 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
You can hear from all the UFC Fight Night 232 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
“We’re both a couple of dudes who are on the weirder side of things,” Chase Hooper said ahead of UFC Fight Night 232.
LAS VEGAS – In a sport where beastliness and intimidation typically reign supreme, [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] is excited to fight a fellow exception to the status quo.
Hooper (12-3-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC), who has leaned into a persona that includes a love for M&Ms and social media memes, meets Jordan Leavitt (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), a fighter with a quirky personality and passion for celebratory twerking, at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 232 at the UFC Apex.
“I think he’s a nice guy. So am I,” Hooper told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “We’re two of the least intimidating guys on the roster – and that’s just not having an ego about it. I know neither of us look tough, but we’re both really tough dudes. I think that helps me on that side. Like, I know he doesn’t look as good as he is, just like I don’t. I don’t look like I’m going to be as tough of a fight as I am. But I know to respect him going in there.”
Admittedly, Hooper has never tried to take himself too seriously, despite his dedication as a professional. He identifies with Leavitt in that way and has been excited to promote the fight against an unusually relatable opponent on social media ahead of the bout.
“This is one of the few fights where I haven’t been scared or anxious, nervous, whatever,” Hooper said. “I’m just excited. I’m excited to go in there and test myself against a guy with a similar skill set. … With my social media stuff, I’ve been trying to pump it up a little bit. It’s a fun fight. We’re both a couple of dudes who are on the weirder side of things. We’re not taking this too seriously. Obviously, I’m a professional but I fight in my underwear for a living, so I’m not trying to be a tough guy. I’m trying to have fun with it and hopefully give the fight the attention that it deserves. I think obviously the position they put us on the card shows us it’s a good fight. The UFC knows it.”
[lawrence-related id=2695967,2695971]
Hooper, 24, is a non-pick ’em favorite for only the second time in his promotional tenure. Having been designated a coin-flip or underdog plenty of times, Hooper doesn’t read too much into the odds now that the bookmakers back him.
“I’m not sure what the oddsmakers are looking at when they have me as a -245 favorite,” Hooper said. “I guess part of it is me having to be the one to go in there and do that. I don’t get the confidence of somebody from the outside like, ‘Oh, you’ve got this. I see it more as a 50-50 fight, or a 55-45. I think I’m the 55 on that.
“I see it as an even matchup, especially from the outside perspective. Again, I don’t know what they’re looking at. Yeah, I was surprised to see it. But we can’t bet on the fights. It doesn’t make any sense for me to care about the odds too much.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
