Tag: Chris Barnett

UFC fans rightfully loved heavyweight Chris Barnett’s amazing flip after stunning KO

What a KO… and even better flip!

UFC 268 lived up to the hype last night with a number of incredible fights, including the two title fights that finished off a very fun night at Madison Square Garden.

But one of the best moments of the night came hours before those final fights when heavyweight Chris Barnett knocked out Gian Villante with a spinning wheel kick in their fight that took place in the early prelims when MSG was pretty empty. 

Barnett not only pulled off a stunning KO but then he celebrated it with an incredible flip – which he almost landed.

Check out this very large man getting the KO and the flip:

So good.

Twitter loved it:

UFC 268 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Venum era total passes $5 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 268 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $325,500.

NEW YORK – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 268 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $325,500.

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 268 took place at the Madison Square Garden. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 268 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Al Iaquinta[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ian Garry[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Williams[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Gian Villante[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]John Allan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Souza[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $4,000

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 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: $5,112,500
Program-to-date total: $5,112,500

UFC 268 results: Chris Barnett spoils Gian Villante’s retirement with incredible spinning wheel kick

Chris Barnett lands spinning wheel kick on Gian Villante to score first UFC win at Saturday’s UFC 268.

[autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag]’s first UFC came with a bang.

The UFC heavyweight scored a TKO win over veteran [autotag]Gian Villante [/autotag] in the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC 268. Barnett (22-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) stopped Villante (17-14 MMA, 7-11 UFC) at the 2:23 mark of Round 2.

The heavyweight bout was part of the UFC 268 preliminary card at Madison Square Garden in New York. It streamed on ESPN+ ahead of additional prelims on ESPNews and the main card on pay-per-view.

It was a fairly uneventful performance until the stoppage.

Both Villante and Barnett exchanged shots for the first round, but neither fighter landed anything meaningful. Villante was pushing the action and looking to put combinations together, while Barnett backed up and looked to counter.

Halfway through the second round, Barnett hit Villante with an explosive spinning-wheel kick. The unexpected shot dropped Villante to the canvas.  Barnett immediately followed up with ground-and-pound while Villante covered up from turtle position. After a couple of seconds, the referee waved off the fight.

This was Barnett’s first win in 2021. He had made his UFC debut on short notice back in May when he suffered a submission loss to veteran Ben Rothwell.

Meanwhile, this was set to be Villante’s final fight of his career. The 36-year-old told Newsday prior to the fight that he intended to retire.

Villante has been competing professionally since 2009 and he’s been fighting under the UFC banner since 2013. Villante joined the UFC after going 3-2 in Strikeforce. The New Yorker holds notable wins Corey Anderson, Ed Herman, and Sean O’Connell.

Villante reportedly is finishing up his physical education degree and is a substitute teacher at a middle school in New York, where he also coaches the 8th grade football team and soon will become a wrestling coach.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 268 results include:

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Three UFC fighters suspended by NAC for positive drug tests including amphetamine, marijuana, more

Three UFC fighters have been suspended and fined following positive drug tests.

Three UFC fighters have been suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) following recent drug tests surrounding bouts that took place at the UFC Apex.

On Wednesday, the NAC handed out disciplinary action to the three fighters, who all tested positive for different banned substances. The suspensions and fines varied for each fighter.

Fighters suspensions will only terminate on the basis that all fines and fees are paid – and the fighter followed and passed all additional required drug testing procedures.

NSAC suspends Yancy Medeiros, Justin Jaynes for marijuana use – despite no longer punishing fighters for marijuana use

While the NSAC has elected to stop punishing fighters for marijuana use, two athletes were today suspended for tests prior to the change.

LAS VEGAS – While the Nevada State Athletic Commission in July elected to stop punishing fighters for marijuana use, two athletes were today suspended for positive tests collected prior to the change in policy.

At today’s monthly meeting at the Grant Sawyer Office Building, commissioners issued four-and-a-half month suspensions to both lightweight [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] and featherweight [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag].

Medeiros was also fined a total of $2,690.72, while Jaynes was ordered to pay a total of $1,245.36. Both amounts included prosecution fees.

A fan-favorite lightweight with a history of entertaining scraps, Medeiros (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) recently concluded an eight-year stint under the UFC banner. While he collected a handful of performance bonuses during his octagon run, the Hawaiian ended his time on a four-fight slide after dropping bouts with Damir Hadzovic, Lando Vannata, Gregor Gillespie, and Donald Cerrone.

Medeiros previously had a 2013 win over Yves Edwards overturned to a no contest by the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority after testing positive for marijuana. Medeiros’ current suspension, stemming from the UFC Fight Night 190 loss to Hadzovic, ends on Nov. 9.

Meanwhile, Jaynes (16-8 MMA, 1-4 UFC), 32, debuted for the UFC in June 2020, picking up a “Performance of the Night” bonus for a 41-second stoppage of Frank Camacho. However, he was recently released from the organization after subsequently dropping consecutive fights to Charles Rosa, Devonte Smith, Gabriel Benitez, and Gavin Tucker.

Jaynes’ suspension also ends on Nov. 9

In addition to those two orders, the commission elected to uphold temporary suspensions of [autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag], [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag], and [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] pending the resolution of their complaints, all of which are expected to be resolved at the commission’s September meeting.

The 35-year-old Barnett (21-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) debuted for the UFC in May, suffering a second-round submission loss to longtime veteran heavyweight Ben Rothwell. “Beastboy” stepped in on a little more than one week’s notice for that matchup after Rothwell lost a pair of targeted opponents for the UFC Fight Night 188 clash.

Barnett was suspended following an adverse finding for carboxy THC, indicating marijuana use.

Brazil’s Nascimento picked up a second-round TKO win over fellow heavyweight Alan Baudot at July’s UFC on ESPN 26 event. It was Nascimento’s third UFC appearance after making his way to the promotion with a submission win at Dana White’s Contender Series 22 in 2019.

Nascimento’s test indicated the presence of ritalinic acid, a metabolite of methylphenidate, a banned stimulant.

The 36-year-old Pineda (27-14 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was struggling against Andre Fili at June’s UFC Fight Night 190 before being poked in the eye in the second round, when doctors declared him unable to continue. As a result, the bout was declared a no contest.

His post-fight test was flagged for the presence of amphetamine, a banned stimulant.

Pineda previously ran afoul of the NSAC while he was competing under the PFL banner. After being flagged for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in his system, Pineda admitted to the use of a banned substance and saw wins over Jeremy Kennedy and Movlid Khaybulaev overturned to no contests. Pineda was also suspended six months and pulled from the 2019 PFL championship fight with Lance Palmer, where he could have won $1 million.

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Twitter Mailbag: Does Cody Garbrandt or Rob Font have more to gain at UFC Fight Night 188?

Who has more to gain in the UFC Fight Night 188 headliner? What’s next for some of the event’s key winners?

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in the UFC or sport of MMA in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag is here – and this week, @mma_kings answers:

  • Who has more to gain at UFC Fight Night 188, [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] or [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]?
  • What’s next for the [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] winner?
  • What’s next for [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] if she beats [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag]?
  • What are the odds [autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag] beats [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]?
  • How good is [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]?

Watch the video above for answers to those questions.

To ask a question of your own, follow @MMAjunkie on Twitter and let us know.

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Ben Rothwell welcomes ‘Beast Boy’ Chris Barnett to the octagon at UFC Fight Night 188

Ben Rothwell will compete just a couple of weeks after having his fight scratched when he faces Chris Barnett at UFC Fight Night 188.

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] will get to compete just a couple of weeks after having his fight scratched.

Rothwell (38-13 MMA, 8-7 UFC), who saw his UFC on ESPN 24 matchup vs. Philipe Lins fall apart just one day before his fight, will now face octagon newcomer [autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 188 on May 22, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Thursday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Fight Bananas was first to report the news.

After Rothwell successfully made weight for his featured prelim against Lins, the Brazilian never showed up to the weigh-ins and was ruled out of the fight due to illness. Rothwell took to Instagram to say that his matchup with Lins had been rebooked for UFC Fight Night 188, but sources close to MMA Junkie confirmed that Lins wasn’t ready to compete at that date. Instead, Rothwell drew Askar Mozharov, but visa issues forced the Ukrainian to withdraw and he was replaced by Barnett.

Barnett, a 27-fight veteran, never fails to entertain. “Beast Boy” was scheduled to face Brett Martin at XFC 44 on May 28, but the fight was scrapped once he got the call to the UFC. The former Island Fights heavyweight champion most recently competed in September, when he scored a first-round knockout at UAE Warriors. He has participated in boxing, kickboxing and MMA fights and will look to score a big upset over veteran Rothwell in his short-notice octagon debut.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 188 lineup now includes:

  • Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Carla Esparza vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Justin Tafa vs. Jared Vanderaa
  • Norma Dumont vs. Felicia Spencer
  • David Dvorak vs. Raulian Paiva
  • Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • Court McGee vs. Claudio Silva
  • Victor Rodriguez vs. Bruno Silva
  • Josh Culibao vs. Yilan Sha
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Rafael Alves vs. Damir Ismagulov
  • Sarah Alpar vs. Stephanie Egger
  • Jack Hermansson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Chris Barnett vs. Ben Rothwell

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