UFC 296 post-event facts: Colby Covington joins rare company with 0-3 title fight record

The best facts to come out of UFC 296, which saw Colby Covington and Tony Ferguson join exclusive and unfortunate clubs in defeat.

The UFC’s final event of the 2023 started with a bang, but ended somewhat slow as UFC 296 unfolded at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The two championship fights to close out the calendar year saw both belts stay put. [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defeated [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) by unanimous decision to defend welterweight gold in the headliner, while [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also got the nod on the scorecards over [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to retain flyweight gold.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 296.

UFC 296 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2023 total closes at $8.1 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

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 296 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 296 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $4,500

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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,707,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

UFC 296 video: Tagir Ulanbekov taps Cody Durden with relentless submission attack

Tagir Ulanbekov tried, tried, and tried again – until he finally tapped out Cody Durden at UFC 296.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag] tried, tried, and tried again – until he finally tapped out [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag].

At UFC 296, Ulanbekov (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) put forth a relentless performance against Durden (16-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC), who he submitted with a rear-naked choke at 4:25 of Round 2. The flyweight bout took place at T-Mobile Arena as part of the event’s prelims.

The bout was full of scrambles, submission attempts, and near-sunk-in chokes. While Durden shut down many of Ulanbekov’s attempts, he didn’t shut down them all – and that’s what mattered.

After a lengthy along-the-fence battle with Ulanbekov on his back, Durden was dragged to the canvas during a rear-naked choke attempt. The tap came seconds later.

With the win, Ulanbekov, an Islam Makhachev training partner, has now won back-to-back fights. His only career loss was a unanimous decision dropped to Tim Elliott in March 2022.

With the loss, Durden has a four-fight winning streak snapped. The stretch of success turned his career around after a 1-2-1 start to his promotional tenure.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 296 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Tagir Ulanbekov def. Cody Durden at UFC 296: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Tagir Ulanbekov’s second-round submission win over Cody Durden at UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag] at UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, Getty Images)

UFC 296 pre-event facts: Inside the numbers of UFC’s stacked 2023 finale

The best facts and figures about UFC 296, which features a loaded card of title fights, contender matchups and notable names with records.

The UFC goes out with a bang for its final event of 2023 on Saturday as a loaded UFC 296 is scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the main card set to air on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.

The 43rd and final card of the year features two championship fights at the top of the bill. In the main event, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) puts his welterweight title on the line against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), while in the co-headliner, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) looks to defend flyweight gold for the first time in a rematch with [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC).

The rest of the card features a mix of contenders, familiar names and more with history inside the octagon. For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 296.

* * * *

Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington

Cody Durden unsure why he was bumped out of top 15: ‘I don’t think I’ve lost a round in the past four fights’

Cody Durden is confused why he’s no longer a ranked UFC flyweight.

[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag] is confused why he’s no longer a ranked UFC flyweight.

Winner of four in a row, Durden (16-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) meets Tagir Ulanbekov (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.

Durden says he was ranked in the UFC’s flyweight division at one point, but was replaced by David Dvorak. Considering Dvorak currently is on a losing skid, Durden finds that decision strange. Either way, Durden still has his sights set on the top.

“It gets me one step closer to my goal, and my goal is top five now,” Durden told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve reached the top 15, even though I got bumped out by David Dvorak – which, he’s on a three-fight losing streak and he’s 3-3 in the UFC. I just believe that should be my spot, personally. But I think it gets me closer to my goal, which is top five.”

Durden’s past three unanimous decision wins have been pretty dominant, and a win over Ulanbekov likely will lead to a number next to his name.

“I don’t think I’ve lost a round in the last four fights,” Durden said. “It’s been good, man, taking it one fight at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time, and just being the best person I can be every day.”

Durden, who trains at American Top Team, recently has been spending time on the mats with top contenders Calvin Kattar and Rob Font. He thinks his high-level training will help him reach his goal of facing the upper echelon of the division.

“I do have a goal in mind and that’s to get in the top five and fight one of the top five guys: Kai Kara-France, Amir Albazi, Brandon Royval,” Durden said.  “There’s some studs out there.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

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

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.

‘I actually saw God for a second’: Jake Hadley reveals brutal weight cut after UFC on ESPN 50 loss to Cody Durden

Jake Hadley says his devastating weight cut compromised his performance at UFC on ESPN 50.

[autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag] says his devastating weight cut compromised his performance at UFC on ESPN 50.

Hadley (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) lost a unanimous decision in an all-out war against [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag] (16-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) in their flyweight bout this past Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Hadley released a statement on social media, revealing that he experienced a near-death situation during his weight cut.

“Lost the fight few things went wrong before the fight I almost died during the weight cut I actually saw God for a second. couldn’t rehydrate like normal felt like that had a major effect on my performance because I couldn’t push like normal anyone who knows me knows I never gas.”

“Fix theses mistakes ready for the next one respect to Cody he showed he was a true warrior surviving that armbar what a gangster. Nashville fans was absolutely amazing they really showed me some love lot of people telling me should of been FOTN I dunno but Durden deserves a bonus.”

With the loss, Hadley saw his two-fight winning streak snapped by the hands of Durden, who has now won three straight.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

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UFC on ESPN 50 post-event facts: Cory Sandhagen, Rob Font set dubious record for lack of strikes

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 50, where Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font set a dubious record for strikes landed in a fight.

The UFC made its sixth stop in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 50, which took place at Bridgestone Arena and saw seven of 12 fights on the card end in a decision.

Among those were the main event, where [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) cruised to a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a 140-pound catchweight fight that featured a substantial lack of action.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 50.

UFC on ESPN 50 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jessica Andrade’s $21,000 tops card

UFC on ESPN 50 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $170,500.

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 50 took place at Bridgestone Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 50 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeremiah Wells[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/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 $50,000 while title challengers get $50,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-50 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,222,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,811,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.