Tag: CJ Vergara

UFC Fight Night 244 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Brad Tavares gets $21,000 in record bout

UFC Fight Night 244 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 244 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.

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 Fight Night 244 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 244 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]JunYong Park[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ramazan Temirov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Pat Sabatini[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sean Sharaf[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Haddon[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dan Argueta[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Clayton Carpenter[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Rocha[/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 $4,630; 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 $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-63 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,488,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,225,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

Ramazan Temirov vs. CJ Vergara prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 244

Ramazan Temirov vs. CJ Vergara was a last-minute main card shift at UFC Fight Night 244, but how long will it last?

[autotag]Ramazan Temirov[/autotag] and [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 244 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 84-74-3

Ramazan Temirov vs. CJ Vergara UFC Fight Night 244 preview

Temirov (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut in a main card opening slot, putting his nine-fight winning streak on the line. On his current run, the 27-year-old Uzbekistan native has racked up six first-round finishes, four of which have come consecutively in recent outings. … Vergara (12-5-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) will look to pour cold water on Temirov’s streak, while remaining about .500 in the UFC. Vergara will need to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Asu Almabayev in March.

Ramazan Temirov vs. CJ Vergara UFC Fight Night 244 expert pick, prediction

Despite the impromptu promotion to this spot, Temirov vs. Vergara is an arguable improvement to the endless middleweight slog that the UFC usually force-feeds you in these spots. It’s also great to see more men’s flyweight fights in more prominent positions.

Although the betting line for this fight is a bit wide for my liking, I can understand why Temirov is favored.

Despite Temirov’s lack of UFC sample size, the Master of Sports in hand-to-hand combat looks to be an aggressive athlete with all the instincts for fighting. Temirov is not beyond getting clipped for his aggression early, but the 27-year-old appears capable of powering through both on the feet and the floor.

Vergara strikes should be extra live off clinch breaks, but I’m not sure that Temirov gives the American his preferred space.

For that reason, I’ll semi-reluctantly pick Temirov to force a stoppage by strikes in Round 1.

Ramazan Temirov vs. CJ Vergara UFC Fight Night 244 odds

The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the Uzbek fighter, listing Temirov -325 and Vergara +250 via FanDuel.

Ramazan Temirov vs. CJ Vergara UFC Fight Night 244 start time, how to watch

Vergara and Temirov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:05 p.m. ET (4:05 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.

[lawrence-related id=2777789,2777913,2777261]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

UFC adds Azat Maksum vs. CJ Vergara to Abu Dhabi fight card

The next UFC event in Abu Dhabi is slowly filling up. It has nine fights – and counting.

Another fight is headed to Abu Dhabi.

This time, it’s Kazakhstan vs. the United States, as flyweights [autotag]Azat Maksum[/autotag] and [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag] are set to collide at UFC on ABC 7, which takes place Aug. 3 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

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.

Maksum (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) looks to bounce back from his first career loss, a unanimous decision defeat to Charles Johnson in February. Prior to that outing, Maksum won his UFC debut by split decision against Tyson Nam.

Vergara (12-5-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) also looks to reenter the win column. In March, Vergara lost to another Kazakh flyweight, Asu Almabaev, by unanimous decision. Vergara missed weight for the fight, and his two-fight winning streak was snapped as well.

With the addition, the current UFC on ABC 7 lineup includes:

  • Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Cory Sandhagen
  • Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Marlon Vera
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Tony Ferguson
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez
  • Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Guram Kutateladze
  • Alonzo Menifield vs. Azamat Murzakanov
  • Victoria Dudakova vs. Sam Hughes
  • Azat Maksum vs. CJ Vergara

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.

UFC 299 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean O’Malley’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

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 299 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 299 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $21,000;

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Katlyn Cerminara[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag]: $11,000

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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,362,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,069,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Asu Almabaev def. CJ Vergara at UFC 299: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Asu Almabaev’s unanimous decision win over CJ Vergara at UFC 299.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag] at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Fight and venue photos by Sam Navarro, USA Today Sports)

UFC 299 weigh-in results, video: Fighter misses mark for third time

Tune in as the 28 fighters (plus one backup) from UFC 299 hit the scale in Miami.

MIAMI – The official UFC 299 weigh-ins took place Friday at the host hotel, and MMA Junkie was onsite as all 28 fighters (plus one backup) hit the scales ahead of Saturday’s event at Kaseya Center.

Among those who weighed in were UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC), who faces [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in a rematch years in the making.

O’Malley made weight early in the window, with Vera coming a bit later on in the initial one-hour window. Vera needed the box and breathed a sigh of relief as he officially hit 135 pounds.

Top bantamweight contender [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) weighed in between the two main eventers, as the official backup fighter and will serve as a replacement if either O’Malley or Vera cannot compete.

Also, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) made weight early and with seemingly (relative ease).

One fighter missed weight, however, despite two attempts. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag] (12-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) missed his mark for the third time in six UFC appearances as he came in at 127 for his flyweight bout vs. [autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

Check out a live stream archive of the UFC 299 official weigh-ins above, as well as a list of full results below.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Sean O’Malley (135) vs. Marlon Vera (135) – for bantamweight title
  • Dustin Poirier (156) vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (155) – five rounds
  • Kevin Holland (170) vs. Michael Page (170)
  • Gilbert Burns (171) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (170)
  • Yadong Song (136) vs. Petr Yan (135)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Jailton Almeida (261) vs. Curtis Blaydes (257)
  • Maycee Barber (125) vs. Katlyn Cerminara (125)
  • Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (156)
  • Pedro Munhoz (135) vs. Kyler Phillips (135)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Ion Cutelaba (205) vs. Philipe Lins (206)
  • Michal Oleksiejczuk (185) vs. Michel Pereira (186)
  • Robelis Despaigne (261) vs. Josh Parisian (266)
  • Asu Almabaev (126) vs. CJ Vergara (127)*
  • Maryna Moroz (126) vs. Joanne Wood (125)

* = missed flyweight limit by one pound; fined 30 percent but bout will proceed

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299 pre-event facts: Inside the numbers of stacked Miami lineup

The best facts and figures about UFC 299, which features an absolutely stacked lineup with history on the line for multiple fighters.

The final event in the 200s-era of numbered UFC cards goes down Saturday at UFC 299, and the event from Kaseya Center (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) is one of the most stacked in recent memory.

A lineup filled with a plethora of former title challengers, top-ranked contenders and more, is headline by a bantamweight title rematch. Reigning champ [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will attempt to make his first defense while simultaneously trying to avenge his only career loss against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), who won the first matchup by first-round TKO at UFC 252 in August 2020.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 299.

* * * *

Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera

MMA Junkie’s 2023 Comeback of the Year: CJ Vergara def. Daniel Lacerda

CJ Vergara was on skates before sprinting in circles away from Daniel Lacerda’s attack, but he rallied for an improbable win at UFC on ESPN 43.

Momentum shifts in mixed martial arts are unlike any other sport. A fighter can be “down by a million” and still win in an instant.

2023 saw its fair share of impressive come-from-behind victories, but [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]’s rally against [autotag]Daniel Lacerda[/autotag] stuck out from the pack.

The flyweight bout took place March 25 during the UFC on ESPN 43 prelims. Fighting out of San Antonio, Vergara competed in front of his home city. Things took a turn in the wrong direction for Vergara midway through Round 1 when a Lacerda wheel kick put him on roller skates.

The sequence that followed was a unique one in MMA history. What was Vergara’s defensive recovery method against the charging Lacerda was to out-run him? Vergara sprinted away but eventually Lacerda caught him – and dropped him again. Somehow, someway, Vergara survived to Round 2.

The sheer ability to survive injected energy into the crowd. As Round 2 progressed, Vergara’s momentum increased while Lacerda’s energy and success dwindled. Vergara got on top of Lacerda on the ground and landed dozens of strikes before referee Jason Herzog waved off the fight.

Exciting. Improbable. Incredible.

That’s why CJ Vergara’s win over Daniel Lacerda is MMA Junkie’s 2023 Comeback of the Year.

Honorable mentions

Here are some other incredible comebacks that didn’t take home the win but were close behind.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Dec. 4-10)

All the UFC 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.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Dec. 4-10.

UFC 291 fighter pay: Kevin Holland leads limited list after Utah commission amends policy

Utah gave UFC 291 fighters a choice: to disclose their pay to the public or not. Here’s how much those who disclosed were paid.

The sanctioning body for combat sports in Utah has released UFC 291 disclosed payouts – but for only four of the athletes.

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] stood atop a list of disclosed paydays that included also [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag], [autotag]Gabriel Bonfim[/autotag], and [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag], as the four fighters who declined to opt into a pre-fight non-disclosure agreement.

Athletes who competed on the July 29 card in Salt Lake City were given the option by the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission (PSUAC) to make their purse amounts publicly accessible, as revealed by manager Alex Davis on July 28, following official weigh-ins.

Previously, fighter purse information had been released as public record. Though PSUAC executive director Scott Bowler initially declined to provide the information to MMA Junkie after UFC 278 in August 2022, it was eventually provided.

After a recent request for UFC 291 fighters’ purses, Bowler, who also serves as vice president of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC), explained the change in a written response letter to MMA Junkie and called the information “trade secrets.”

“The athletes… have expressed valid concerns regarding the public disclosure of the compensation amount in bout agreements because public disclosure of their purse amounts will negatively impact their individual ability to negotiate compensation or purse amounts for future events,” Bowler wrote. ”

You can read Bowler’s full response here.

Scroll below to see the salaries for the four athletes who declined to sign the waiver and how much they pocketed for their wins.