Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All the UFC and Bellator 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 or Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 18-24.
The Missouri commission issued medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN 44, the longest of which went to fighters who were knocked out.
Three fighters face 60-day medical suspensions as a result of stoppage losses by strikes at UFC on ESPN 44.
The event took place this past Saturday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The event was overseen by the Missouri Division of Professional Regulation, which suspended 13 of 28 fighters from the card for medical reasons after their bouts, according to a list published Wednesday by the commission.
It’s important to note fighters can return sooner than the expiration date of their medical suspension should they receive proper medical clearance from a doctor. In addition, the commission does not list reasons for medical suspensions – just durations.
Scroll below to see the full list of UFC on ESPN 44 medical suspensions.
Rafa Garcia says of Clay Guida that “he was one of my heroes growing up,” which made it difficult to fight him at UFC on ESPN 44.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag] admits it was hard to fight [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 44.
Garcia (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) swept the judges’ scorecards in a unanimous decision win over Guida (38-23 MMA, 18-17 UFC) this past Saturday at T-Mobile Center.
While it was special to fight a veteran such as Guida, Garcia has a lot of admiration for him.
“A little bittersweet,” Garcia told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage. “It wasn’t like my decision where I was really excited to fight someone like Clay because it’s someone I admire. I had to prepare myself mentally for three months and be like, he’s somebody you look up to – he was one of my heroes growing up.
“When I met him for the first time, I went to a grappler’s quest and a few fighters denied me and my brother a picture. I went up to Clay before he was competing and he gave us a hug, was super nice to us too. We took a picture. It was me, Cub (Swanson) and my brother, and Clay. So, just to have that mentality, going in there and having to be like, ‘I’m going to have to go in there and try to hurt this guy’ was kind of hard.”
After their fight, Guida took off his gloves and faked a retirement announcement, which had Garcia worried for a second.
“Please don’t do this to me, Clay, I told him,” Garcia said. “I was super happy and super emotional that I won, but I also was just kind of like sad because that’s someone I look up to.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN 44, including Max Holloway’s title hopes and much more.
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 44 in Kansas City, Mo.? Here are a few post-fight musings …
Check out the numbers from UFC on ESPN 44, where Max Holloway hit more milestones – including being the first to land 3,000 octagon strikes.
The UFC returned to Missouri after six years Saturday at UFC on ESPN 44, and the card delivered with half the fights ending by stoppage.
One of the bouts to go the distance was the main event, where former champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) once again displayed his greatness in ending the winning streak of [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) with a unanimous decision. In the process, “Blessed” made more history to add to his one-of-a-kind octagon resume.
For more on the numbers to come out of the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 44.
UFC president Dana White was not impressed with Clay Guida’s fake retirement at UFC on ESPN 44.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] was not impressed with [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]’s fake retirement at UFC on ESPN 44.
Following his unanimous decision loss to Rafa Garcia (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) on Saturday’s card at T-Mobile Center, longtime octagon veteran Guida (38-23 MMA, 18-17 UFC) took off his gloves and was approached for an in-cage interview with Daniel Cormier.
Guida started his speech as though he was going to hang up the gloves, but then said he wasn’t done and proceeded to wish his mother a happy birthday. That did not please the UFC boss.
Clay Guida tricks Daniel Cormier into thinking he's retiring 👀 pic.twitter.com/sGeLhl4WBt
— XcellentMMA (@XcellentMMA) April 16, 2023
“That pissed me off, actually,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC on ESPN 44 post-fight news conference. “That pissed me off. I like him. He’s a nice guy. But you faking your retirement so you can say f*cking happy birthday to somebody? We’re running a live event here. I was not happy about that. … Yeah, that was not good.”
Guida has been one of the longest-tenured fighters on the UFC roster dating back to his octagon debut in August 2006. “The Carpenter” ranks in the top five for most takedowns landed in promotional history.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
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UFC on ESPN 44 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 44 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $254,500.
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 44 took place at T-Mobile Center. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 44 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Azamat Murzakanov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]T.J. Brown[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Zak Cummings[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lando Vannata[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Bruna Brasil[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Aaron Phillips[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/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 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 $44,000 while title challengers get $44,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-44 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $2,230,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $16,819,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
It’s tough to stay in the UFC, never mind for nearly a decade or longer, but these dozen fighters have defied the tests of time.
Two of the longest-tenured fighters, Ed Herman and Clay Guida, step into the cage Saturday at UFC on ESPN 44 after nearly two decades with the promotion.
The majority of UFC fighters don’t last a decade under the promotion’s banner. It’s a difficult feat, but a handful of athletes on the roster have done that. In fact, some are even nearing the 17-year mark.
Some fighters have defied the odds and Father Time in their journey through the world’s top MMA organization. While some of these decade-plus fighters have earned or fought for titles, others have never reached that peak but have figured out how to evolve enough to stay put on the promotion’s roster.
Scroll below to see the 12 longest-tenured fighters on the promotion’s roster.
It’s important to note: This list is based on continuous tenure with the promotion. Fighters who left the promotion, competed elsewhere, and came back are only eligible from the point in which they kicked off their current UFC stint.
Additionally, the fighters need to be on the promotion’s active roster. Fighters who have retired, but the UFC still have the rights to, are ineligible.
The “tenure” is considered to start the date of the first fight of the stint, not at the point of contract signing.
Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 44 main card in Kansas City, Mo., featuring Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen.
| Holloway vs. Allen |
Barboza vs. Quarantillo |
Jacoby vs. Murzakanov |
Boser vs. Cutelaba |
Gutierrez vs. Munhoz |
Garcia vs. Guida |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 45-33 |
 Holloway (62%) |
 Quarantillo (54%) |
 Jacoby (53%) |
 Boser (63%) |
 Gutierrez (71%) |
 Garcia (53%) |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 48-30 |
Holloway |
Quarantillo |
 Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
 Guida |
| Matt Erickson @MattE 48-30 |
 Allen |
 Barboza |
Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Garcia |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 48-30 |
Holloway |
Barboza |
Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Guida |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 47-31 |
Holloway |
Barboza |
Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Garcia |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 45-33 |
Holloway |
Quarantillo |
Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Garcia |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 44-34 |
Holloway |
Quarantillo |
Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Guida |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 44-34  2018, 2022 Champion |
Allen |
Quarantillo |
Murzakanov |
 Cutelaba |
Gutierrez |
Guida |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 44-34 |
Holloway |
Barboza |
Murzakanov |
Cutelaba |
Gutierrez |
Guida |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 43-35 2014 Champion |
Holloway |
Barboza |
Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Guida |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 43-35 2017 Champion |
Holloway |
Quarantillo |
Jacoby |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Guida |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 41-37 |
Holloway |
Barboza |
Murzakanov |
Boser |
Gutierrez |
Garcia |
Five years after its first visit, the UFCc is back in an historic Midwest city this week with a former featherweight champion on the top of the card.
UFC on ESPN 44 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, former featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) takes on England’s [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC), who is unbeaten in the UFC. Holloway is nearly a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, and our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have him in a rout at 9-2.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] (22-11 MMA, 16-11 UFC) meets [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in another potential featherweight banger. Quarantillo is a -175 favorite, but it’s elite striker Barboza who has the slimmest possible edge in the picks at 6-5.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag] (18-6-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) fights [autotag]Azamat Murzakanov[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at light heavyweight, and even though he’s a -165 favorite, it’s Murzakanov who has a near-shutout in the picks as an underdog at 10-1.
Another fight at 205 pounds sees [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (20-9-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) take on [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] (16-9-1 MMA, 5-8-1 UFC). Cutelaba is a slight favorite at -135, but Boser has a big 9-2 picks lead.
[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] (19-3-2 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite against [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) in their bantamweight bout, and he’s our lone unanimous pick from our staff members at 11-0.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) takes on longtime lightweight and UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (38-22 MMA, 18-16 UFC). Garcia is the biggest favorite on the entire card at -275, but the picks didn’t play out that way. Underdog Guida has a 7-4 lead from our pickers.
In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Holloway (62 percent), Quarantillo (54 percent), Jacoby (53 percent), Boser (63 percent), Gutierrez (71 percent), and Garcia (54 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
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Heading into his 35th UFC bout, 41-year-old Clay Guida is still going strong and says “this one’s got Fight of the Night written all over it.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] says he’s in better shape than he’s ever been.
Heading into his 35th octagon bout, 41-year-old Guida (38-22 MMA, 18-16 UFC) has no intentions of retiring anytime soon. He meets Rafa Garcia (15-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) in Saturday’s main card opener at T-Mobile Center. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
“We’re 41 going on 21,” Guida told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I’m in better shape now than I was in my 20’s. We keep that same mentality in our training camps. Outwork everybody, and the rest will fall in place.”
Guida had a stretch where he once fought former champion Charles Oliveira, legend B.J. Penn, and veteran Jim Miller. But lately, the Team Alpha Male fighter has been competing against up-and-comers – and he welcomes all challenges.
“We fought countless veterans, and it’s fun to fight newer faces in the sport as well,” Guida said. “Rafa Garcia is one of these guys who’s been super active since he’s got on the UFC roster, and I feel like a guy like him, in his shoes, he wants to take on a veteran that’s been in the sport for a long time to see where he stands on that list.”
He continued, “He likes to bang, we like to go out there and make it a wild fight, so this one’s got Fight of the Night written all over it.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
