Bo Nickal opens up as massive betting favorite over Cody Brundage at UFC 300

The odds for a Bo Nickal win continue to skyrocket.

The odds for a [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] win continue to be skyrocket.

Nickal (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) on April 13 at UFC 300 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

One of the most highly touted prospects in MMA, Nickal has lived up to the hype so far – and the oddsmakers expect him to continue his dominance with ease.

According to DraftKings, Nickal is a whopping -1450 favorite, meaning a $1450 bet would be needed on the standout wrestler to return $100 profit. Brundage is a +750 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the Factory X fighter would win $750.

Nickal, 27, has run through his competition so far. After two successful appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series, Nickal submitted Jamie Pickett at UFC 285, then scored a 38-second TKO of Val Woodburn at UFC 290. All five of his finishes have come in Round 1.

Brundage has been up and down to start his octagon tenure. After dropping three straight, the 29-year-old rebounded with back-to-back wins over Jacob Malkoun by disqualification, then a Performance of the Night slam knockout of Zachary Reese at UFC on ESPN 52 earlier this month.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2023

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023, according to the oddsmakers, across Bellator, the UFC, PFL and more.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2023, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers (and how the betting public responds) largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2023. Fights that were eligible were those that multiple major online sportsbooks recognized, and that Tapology recorded before the close of the betting line.

Promotions eligible include UFC, Bellator, PFL, KSW, DWCS, Road to UFC, and ONE Championship.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023 below. Only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month for December: Josh Emmett flattens Bryce Mitchell

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from December 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from December 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for December.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

Nominees

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Dec. 18-24)

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. 18-24.

Dana White announces first UFC 300 bookings with Prochazka-Rakic, Sterling-Kattar, Bo Nickal

The historic UFC 300 lineup has its first trio of fights as UFC CEO Dana White rolled out some matchups on Thursday.

The historic UFC 300 lineup has its first trio of fights as UFC CEO Dana White rolled out some matchups on Thursday.

After teasing a loaded lineup for the monumental April 13 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the opening slate of matchups features two former champions and one of the top undefeated prospects in the sport.

White took to social media and revealed former light heavyweight champ [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] (29-4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will take on [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), former bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) makes his featherweight debut vs. [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC), and rising middleweight star [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) clashes with [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

Prochazka, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, will attempt to rebound from his vacant title fight loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 295 in November, where he was stopped by second-round TKO. He’ll be charged with welcoming back No. 8-ranked Rakic, who hasn’t competed since he blew out his knee in an injury TKO loss to Jan Blachowicz at UFC on ESPN 36 in May 2022.

Kattar, No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, will also try to rebound from a knee injury TKO loss against Arnold Allen in October 2022 when he welcomes No. 3-ranked bantamweight Sterling to a new division after he dropped the belt to Sean O’Malley by second-round TKO at UFC 292 in August.

Lastly, Nickal will try to add to his hype at 185-pounds following a 38-second knockout of Val Woodburn at UFC 290 in July when he meets Brundage, who is coming off a historic slam knockout at UFC on ESPN 52 this month.

The latest UFC 300 lineup now includes:

  • Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Cody Brundage vs. Bo Nickal

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC on ESPN 52 medical suspensions: Headliners, Bobby Green among 12 fighters facing 180 days off

A dozen UFC Austin competitors including Arman Tsarukyan, Beneil Dariush, and Bobby Green have been given lengthy suspensions by Texas.

UFC on ESPN 52 took place Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas and featured a dozen fights.

Of the 24 competitors on the card, 12 fighters were suspended 180 days due to injuries sustained in their bouts, according to documentation from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the commissioning body that oversaw the event.

Among those who received the lengthiest suspensions are both sides of the main event, Arman Tsarukyan and Beneil Dariush, as well as co-main eventer Bobby Green.

The TDLR does not reveal injury specifics, just the duration of the suspensions. Fighters are permitted to return to competition prior to the conclusion of their suspension durations should they be cleared by a doctor beforehand.

Check out the 24 medical suspension durations below:

5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 52: Is referee’s remorse enough after egregious Turner vs. Green stoppage?

Analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN 52, which proved to be one of the most memorable events of 2023.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 52 in Austin, Texas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

Cody Brundage wants break after historic slam KO at UFC Austin – even if it’s just till January

Cody Brundage can’t tell a lie: He saw Drakkar Klose’s slam knockout just before he walked out for his own fight.

AUSTIN, Texas – [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag] can’t tell a lie: He saw Drakkar Klose’s slam knockout just before he walked out for his own fight.

And yeah, he liked it. And yeah, it might have put an idea in his head.

A few minutes later at UFC on ESPN 52, Brundage (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) tried to slam his way loose from Zach Reese (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), bounced the back of the UFC newcomer’s head off the canvas, and a couple punches later he had a finish for the history books.

Brundage’s slam might not have been as visually impressive as the one Klose hit on Joe Solecki at Moody Center in Austin, Texas – in that KO, Solecki turned his head to the side while Klose was trying to slam out of trouble, and he hit the canvas temple first and was out cold. That was just the 13th KO slam in the UFC’s 30-year history, so the fact Brundage got the 14th just one fight later and not a few years later, like the average might suggest, was impressive enough in its own right.

Suffice it to say, it was the first time in UFC history back-to-back fights ended with slam knockouts.

“I caught a glimpse of it. It was pretty impressive,” Brundage said of Klose’s slam. “It gave me a little inspiration, maybe. It feels awesome. I think I have one of the top comebacks, too, so this one definitely feels better than that.”

Not surprisingly, Brundage’s finish in the middleweight fight on the preliminary card earned him an extra $50,000 bonus for Performance of the Night. And Saturday, he had to share that honor with eight other finishers. Each fighter who got a stoppage win in Austin – nine in total – left with a performance bonus.

Brundage said the approaching holiday season means that $50,000 will get put to good use spoiling his daughters a little bit – “to give them everything I ever had growing up and more.”

But he also was in a giving mood after Reese was back up and said he told the Texas-based debutant he’ll bounce back the same way Brundage recently did after a three-fight skid.

“He’s 6-0 (before the fight). I got in the UFC when I was 6-1,” Brundage said. “I just told him you’re going to have ups and downs. You’re fighting the best guys in the world. It takes a minute to find your stride and find your confidence, and I feel like I’m starting to find it.”

As for who will be in front of him when he next sets out to put his confidence to the test, Brundage said it won’t matter.

“I’m not really worried about the (next opponent),” he said. “I think eventually that’s something you deal with. There’s little things you can do to prepare for people. But if I’m on my ‘A’ game, there’s not a dude that I’m going to fight right now that I can’t go in there and finish – and I know that.

“Really, it’s just nose to the grindstone. I’m a workhorse. I always show up. I didn’t take any damage this fight. … I told coach before this fight, ‘Man, I’m going to go smash this dude and then I’m going to take a little break.’ But now I won, so you’ll probably see me back in January.”

It’s Christmas time. I got, I got two little girls and uh, you know, I’m trying to give them everything I ever had growing up and more. So, uh, you know, I know the bonuses are few and far between, but if I could get one, that would, that would be pretty awesome. Yeah.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

UFC on ESPN 52 post-event facts: Clay Guida sets dubious record with 18th octagon loss

Check out all the facts from UFC on ESPN 52, which saw a record two slam KOs and Clay Guida tying the UFC record for most losses.

The UFC’s third-to-last event of 2023 went down as one of the best of the year. UFC on ESPN 52 delivered with nine stoppages in 12 fights.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) capped off the night with the quickest finish of the bunch. He dropped and stopped [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) just 64 seconds into their high-stakes lightweight headliner, solidifying himself as a top contender.

For more on the numbers behind the card, which featured a number of historic feats, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 52.

UFC on ESPN 52 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Four fighters get max non-title money

UFC on ESPN 52 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

AUSTIN, Texas – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $225,000.

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 on ESPN 52 took place at Moody Center. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 52 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Joaquim Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Julia Avila[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Rodolfo Bellato[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Veronica Hardy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/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 $4,520; 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 $52,000 while title challengers get $52,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-52 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,689,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,208,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.