Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN 8 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Claudia Gadelha and Dan Ige were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event in Jacksonville, Fla., who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

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Let’s take a look at the main card …

Rodrigo Nascimento

Wants to fight: [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag]

The callout: “Yeah, there is a name I’d like: Chase Sherman. I saw him fight. He won; I won. Why don’t we do that fight?”

The reality: [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] produced an impressive performance in his octagon debut to defeat Don’Tale Mayes, then issued a perfectly pitched callout against a fellow fighter looking to move his way up the heavyweight division.

Chase Sherman made a victorious return to the UFC as he kicked off his second stint with the promotion with a solid win over Ike Villanueva at UFC on ESPN+ 29 earlier in the week, and Nascimento reckons the pair should meet next.

It’s a callout that makes perfect sense. Both men are on the same timeline, both are coming off wins, and both appear to have some promise as rising heavyweight prospects. One of them can move their way up the ladder with a win, so why not book it?

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Next up: “The Trailblazer” fancies a drop to 170

UFC on ESPN 8 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Veterans take home $20k each

UFC on ESPN 8 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $184,500.

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 on ESPN 8 took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 8 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $3,500

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:

Year-to-date total: $1,949,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $32,953,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 8 with House of Pain, Biggie

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.

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 on ESPN 8 went with as their backing tracks in Jacksonville, Fla.

UFC on ESPN 8’s Claudia Gadelha responds to Carla Esparza: ‘Stop with the (expletive) excuses’

At the UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight press conference, Claudia Gadelha responded to Carla Esparza’s accusations of greasing.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] directed some parting words at a past opponent at the end of her UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight interview Saturday.

After Gadelha (18-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) defeated Angela Hill (12-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) by split decision in the card’s co-main event, UFC commentator Paul Felder asked if she had an opponent in mind for her next fight.

“Hey, [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag],” Gadelha said into the microphone. “Let’s do it again.”

The callout got a reaction out of Esparza (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC), the first strawweight champion in UFC history, who responded with a tweet reading, “Let’s run it back. Leave the grease at home this time.”

At the UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight press conference, Gadelha responded to Esparza’s tweet. Gadelha said Esparza is looking for excuses why she lost their first meeting.

“Man, it’s 2020,” Gadelha told MMA Junkie. “This sport is evolving so much. Come on. I have the commission at least following me from the time I step in the octagon till the time the fight is finished. How the (expletive) am I going to grease? Carla Esparza, stop with the (expletive) excuses. Let’s get back in there again.”

Esparza, 32, competed a week ago at UFC 249. Taking on Michelle Waterson, Esparza earned a split decision. Gadelha indicated she had watched the fight and largely refrained from commenting on what she saw.

“Right now, I wouldn’t say much because everyone is going through crazy times,” Gadelha said. “It’s tough to train. It’s tough to do anything. I don’t know how her camp was. Not a lot of things happened in that fight, so I can’t say much.”

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The inaugural meeting between Gadelha and Esparza took place at UFC 225 in June 2018. The two strawweights fought for 15 minutes with Gadelha getting the split decision.

The week after their bout in Chicago, Esparza publicly called Gadelha a “dirty fighter throughout (her career)” and “a cheater.”

“And just for the record, I would never publicly accuse someone of anything unless I was 100 percent sure,” Esparza added.

UFC on ESPN 8 took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

Check out Claudia Gadelha’s full UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight press conference in the video above.

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UFC on ESPN 8 results: Claudia Gadelha edges Angela Hill, calls for Carla Esparza rematch

Former title challenger Claudia Gadelha extended her winning streak to three with a split decision win over Angela Hill at UFC on ESPN 8.

[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] continues to climb back toward title contention.

The former UFC title challenger picked up a split decision win over [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8. Gadelha won with a pair of 29-28s on the judges’ scorecards. A third judge had it 29-28 for Hill.

The women’s strawweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 8 co-main event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The bout was an exciting, high-paced back-and forth affair.

In Round 1, Gadelha (18-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and Hill (12-8 MMA, 7-7 UFC) exchanged evenly on feet, but deep into the round Gadelha was able to score a takedown and control her opponent. It was a clear round for the Brazilian.

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The second went well for Hill. She dropped Gadelha early in the round and continued to overwhelm her with volume while avoiding takedowns and keeping the fight at range.

It seemed to come down to the third, when both fighters shined on the feet. Hill seemed to land the higher volume, but Gadelha pressured forward and landed clean shots of her own.

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Gadelha now has won her last three trips to the octagon. She called for a rematch with Carla Esparza during her post-fight interview. Esparza, who fought Wednesday and beat Michelle Waterson, also expressed interest in the rematch following her win. Gadelha’s most recent loss came to Nina Ansaroff in December 2018. Hill saw a three-fight winning streak come to an end. The bout was her seventh in 14 months.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 8 results include:

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5 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 8

MMA Junkie’s Dave Doyle walks you through the five biggest storylines going into the UFC’s third show in eight nights.

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It’s been a memorable run for the UFC in Jacksonville, Fla., but the festivities finally come to an end Saturday night.

UFC on ESPN 8 marks the third fight card in eight days to close out the promotion becoming the first major North American sports entity to begin running events during the coronavirus pandemic.

A previously scheduled main event finally gets a chance to go, and it’s a good one: a heavyweight battle between veteran [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]. Additionally, the co-headliner has the always active [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] returning to meet [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag], and there are several other matchups that make this event worth a look.

UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

Without further ado, then, here are five burning questions.

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Can Alistair Overeem hit the reset button one more time? 

Alistair Overeem. (USA TODAY Sports)

Stop if you’ve heard this one before: Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) is looking to get himself back into contention after making a critical mistake to lose a fight he was winning.

Several times over the course of his impressive career, Overeem has gone on remarkable runs, only to have them end with tough-to-watch moments. It’s one of the veteran’s most endearing tendencies, as anyone can relate to a person who puts in hard work, nearly gets the job done, comes up just short, then gets started all over again.

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This time, though, things feel a little bit different. Overeem was well on his way to victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik when Rozenstruik hit a home run in his last-ditch effort and scored the knockout at the 4:56 mark in the final round of their Dec. 7 fight, leaving Overeem with a gnarly lip injury.

And while we’ve seen “The ‘Reem” bounce back before, sometimes better than ever, he also turns 40 on Sunday. Somewhere along the way, this mountain is going to get a little bit too steep to climb. Harris (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) is no joke, so we’re going to find out real fast whether Overeem still has it.

Angela Hill: UFC on ESPN 8 win over Claudia Gadelha shoots me to top of strawweight division

Angela Hill sees herself entering women’s strawweight title contention with a win Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8.

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] sees herself entering title contention with a win Saturday.

Hill (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) faces former UFC strawweight title challenger [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 8.

After a rough 3-5 stretch, Hill has had a career resurgence with three straight wins, including two stoppages. She faces a significant step up in competition in Gadelha and is grateful for the opportunity to face an established name in the division.

“I think right now, the strawweight division has been turning over a lot,” Hill told said during Thursday’s UFC on ESPN 8 virtual media day. “I don’t remember how many fights (champion Zhang) Weili won before she got a title shot, but it wasn’t that many – at least not that many ranked opponents that she beat. So I feel like a win over Claudia is just going to shoot me up to the top. So I definitely feel a little lucky with the fact that I was able to get this matchup right now.

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“I feel like in normal circumstances, I would have had to fight maybe a top 10 to 15 fighter and then Claudia if I did well. But I feel like it’s a good matchup for me, especially how I’m feeling in the cage and in the gym right now. A win over her would be a great way to argue that I deserve a title shot.”

Hill’s past six fights have come in about 11 months and she’s ready to prove she can compete with the division’s elite.

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UFC on ESPN 8 predictions: Are we taking Alistair Overeem or Walt Harris in a heavyweight clash?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 8 main card in Jacksonville, Fla., featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris.

Overeem
vs.
Harris
Gadelha
vs.
Hill
Barboza
vs.
Ige
Anders
vs.
Jotko
Vera
vs.
Yadong
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 44-26
harris2020
Harris
(53%)
gadelha2020
Gadelha
(73%)
barboza2020
Barboza
(65%)
anders2020
Anders
(54%)
yadong2020
Yadong
(53%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 51-17
overeem2020
Overeem
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
jotko2020
Jotko
yadong2020
Yadong
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 50-18
trophy copy 2017 Champion
harris2020
Harris
gadelha2020
Gadelha
ige2020
Ige
anders2020
Anders
vera2020
Vera
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 50-18
overeem2020
Overeem
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
anders2020
Anders
yadong2020
Yadong
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 50-18
harris2020
Harris
gadelha2020
Gadelha
ige2020
Ige
anders2020
Anders
yadong2020
Yadong
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 48-20
trophy copy 2014 Champion
overeem2020
Overeem
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
jotko2020
Jotko
yadong2020
Yadong
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 48-20
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
overeem2020
Overeem
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
jotko2020
Jotko
yadong2020
Yadong
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 48-20
harris2020
Harris
gadelha2020
Gadelha
ige2020
Ige
anders2020
Anders
vera2020
Vera
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 48-20
harris2020
Harris
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
jotko2020
Jotko
yadong2020
Yadong
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 47-19
trophy copy 2018 Champion
harris2020
Harris
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
jotko2020
Jotko
yadong2020
Yadong
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 46-22
overeem2020
Overeem
hill2020
Hill
barboza2020
Barboza
jotko2020
Jotko
vera2020
Vera
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 46-22
overeem2020
Overeem
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
jotko2020
Jotko
yadong2020
Yadong
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 44-24
harris2020
Harris
gadelha2020
Gadelha
ige2020
Ige
anders2020
Anders
vera2020
Vera
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 40-28
overeem2020
Overeem
gadelha2020
Gadelha
barboza2020
Barboza
anders2020
Anders
yadong2020
Yadong
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 31-37
overeem2020
Overeem
hill2020
Hill
barboza2020
Barboza
anders2020
Anders
vera2020
Vera

The UFC wraps up its mini-residency in Florida on Saturday with its third show in eight days.

UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. The event is closed to fans, but the fights still will take place and will be broadcast with essential personnel on site.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) takes on [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) at heavyweight. Harris is the favorite in the fight at around -150, but it’s Overeem with a slight 8-6 edge in the picks from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-main event, former women’s strawweight title challenger [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC), who is fighting for the seventh time in 14 months. Gadelha is the biggest favorite on the card at -210, and she’s the biggest favorite in our picks at 12-2.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) makes the drop from lightweight to featherweight to take on [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has won five straight. Barboza is a slight favorite, but he’s got a big 10-4 lead from our staff pickers.

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) may be a mild underdog in his middleweight fight against [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), but our pickers see it as a coin flip. The picks are dead even at 7-7.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (17-5-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) meets [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (15-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in a featherweight fight. Yadong nearly is a 2-1 favorite, and he’s got a heavy 9-5 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Harris (53 percent), Gadelha (73 percent), Barboza (65 percent), Anders (54 percent) and Yadong (53 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC on ESPN 8 faceoffs video highlight, photo gallery

Check out the fighter faceoffs for UFC on ESPN 8, headlined by Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris in a heavyweight clash.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The UFC’s three-events-in-eight-days swing wraps up with UFC on ESPN 8, and on Friday were the official weigh-ins and faceoffs.

In the main event, a heavyweight clash goes down between former title challenger [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]. And in the co-headliner, former strawweight title challenger [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] meets the streaking [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag].

You can watch the complete UFC on ESPN 8 pre-fight faceoffs in the video above and also check out our gallery below.

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UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

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UFC on ESPN 8: Claudia Gadelha vs. Angela Hill odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 fight between Claudia Gadelha and Angela Hill, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Claudia Gadelha and Angela Hill will tangle in a women’s strawweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 8 – also known as ESPN Fight Night 172 – at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Gadelha (17-4) is the considerable favorite in this one, as she looks to collect herself and get back on track. Across the past four bouts she is just 2-2, all unanimous decisions. She did post a win over Randa Markos at UFC 239. It was the ninth time in her past 10 bouts that went the distance. She is 7-0 in her professional career winning via submission, including 1-0 at the UFC level. She has never won or lost via KO/TKO at the UFC level.

Hill (12-7) is a 35-year-old veteran who has won just five of her 12 fights at the UFC level. However, after a slow start since arriving at the top level of mixed martial arts, she has steadied the ship by going 3-0 across her past three outings. That including a unanimous decision win over Loma Lookboonmee Feb. 22, 2020. Seven of Hill’s 10 fights at the UFC level have gone to the judges and their cards. She has never won by submission during her professional career while losing twice in that fashion.


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Claudia Gadelha vs. Angela Hill betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, May 14 at 5 a.m. ET.

GADELHA (-189) is a strong favorite to make quick work of Hill (+155) and end her winning streak. While Gadelha might be 2-2 across the past two fights, she is the more seasoned fighter, and she has the better body of work, too. Hill will look to keep things upright, but if Gadelha gets her to the canvas it will be over. Gadelha dominates with a 3.34 to 0.50 takedown- average advantage, 47.14 to 37.50 takedown-accuracy percentage and, more importantly, a 0.81 to 0.17 submission average.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Gadelha (-189) to win returns a $5.29 profit. A $10 bet on Hill (+155) to win fetches a $15.50 profit.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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