Jim Miller walked away with a six-figure payday after UFC on ESPN 11.
[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] walked away with a six-figure payday after UFC on EPSN 11.
After choking out rising lightweight fighter [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag] in the first round of their main card bout Saturday, Miller (32-14 MMA, 21-13 UFC) pocketed $208,0000.
MMA Junkie today acquired a list of fighter salaries from the Nevada Athletic Commission for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, airing on ESPN and streaming on ESPN+.
Miller, 36, was not the only fighter to earn a six-figure paycheck at the event.
Headline victor [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] earned $180,000 for his unanimous decision victory over [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]. Co-headliner participant [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] took home $152,000 as a result of his back-and-forth brawl win over [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag]. [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] earned $100,000 for his unanimous decision victory against [autotag]Lyman Good[/autotag]. Former UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] collected $126,000 for her unanimous decision win against [autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag].
The total disclosed pay for the 12-fight card was $1,655,000.
The full list of UFC on ESPN 10 salaries includes:
The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC on ESPN 11 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.
For example, UFC officials also handed out a “Fight of the Night” bonus to Emmett and Burgos – and two $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses to Jaynes and Miller.
In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 11, which saw Curtis Blaydes defeat Alexander Volkov in Las Vegas.
The UFC’s run of events continued Saturday with UFC on ESPN 11, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and aired on ESPN/ESPN+.
The main event featured a historic performance from [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who beat [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (31-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) by unanimous decision with the help of a record number of takedowns landed.
It was one of several notable happenings to occur on the card. For more on the numbers, check below for 55 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 11.
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* * * *
General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $178,500.
Debuting fighters went 1-1 at the event.
[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag], [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 11 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN 11 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 7-5 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 9-6 (currently 8-6) in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:32:32.
Main card
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Blaydes’ four-fight UFC winning streak in heavyweight competition is tied with Francis Ngannou and Augusto Sakai for the longest active streak in the division.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed set the single-fight record for a UFC heavyweight bout.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed are tied for the third most in a single UFC fight behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (21 at UFC 160) and Sean Sherk (16 at UFC 73).
Blaydes’ 59 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Volkov fell to 7-2 since his final Bellator bout in June 2015.
Volkov has suffered four of his seven career losses by decision.
Emmett (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) improved to 5-1 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in October 2017.
Emmett has landed 10 knockdowns in his past six fights.
Emmett’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11).
Burgos (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]’s (11-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) eight victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (11).
Pennington’s total fight time of 3:07:33 in UFC women’s bantamweight competition is most in divisional history.
Pennington has earned six of her eight UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag]’s (9-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Reneau has suffered all six of her career losses by decision.
[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) improved to 7-1 in his past eight fights dating back to February 2017. His lone defeat came against Geoff Neal at UFC on ESPN+ 1.
Muhammad has earned 12 of his 17 career victories by decision. That includes six of his eight UFC wins.
[autotag]Lyman Good[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights.
Good has suffered five of his six career losses by decision.
Miller’s (32-14 MMA, 21-13 UFC) 21 victories in UFC competition are third most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (23) and Demian Maia (22).
Miller’s 10 submission victories in UFC competition are tied with Royce Gracie for third most in history behind Charles Oliveira (14) and Demian Maia (11).
Miller’s 43 submission attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.
Preliminary card
[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (35-20 MMA, 15-14 UFC) fell to 3-3 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Guida’s 54 takedowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (84) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (57).
[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]’ (11-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) snapped her four-fight losing skid for her first victory since December 2017.
Torres’ seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10).
Torres has earned 10 of her 11 career victories by decision.
[autotag]Brianna Van Buren[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has suffered all three of her career losses by decision.
[autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) snapped his three-fight losing skid for his first victory since September 2018.
[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-4-1 MMA, 2-4 UFC) has suffered four consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.
Piechota has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]’s (8-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) five victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Valentina Shevchenko and Katlyn Chookagian for most in divisional history.
Robertson’s five stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson’s four submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] (9-8 MMA, 4-7 UFC) fell to 1-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in May.
Casey fell to 2-4 in her past six fights since January 2017.
Casey has suffered both of her career stoppage losses by submission.
[autotag]Frank Camacho[/autotag] (22-9 MMA, 2-5 uFC) fell to 2-3 since he dropped to the UFC lightweight division in November 2017.
Camacho has suffered seven of his nine career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) improved to 4-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.
Murphy’s three-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Shevchenko (five).
Murphy’s four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Shevchenko (five), Chookagian (five) and Robertson (five).
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-17 MMA, 3-5 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over her past eight fights.
Modafferi has suffered 13 of her 17 career losses by decision. That includes all five of her UFC defeats.
[autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his five-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC on ESPN 11 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $178,500.
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 11 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 11 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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:
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 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.
See what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 11 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.
[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: “At My Leisure (Freestyle)” by Steelo Bass
[autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag]: “Pony” by Ginuwine
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 11, which features a Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov main event.
The UFC puts on its eighth card since the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 11, which takes place at the UFC Apex and airs on ESPN/ESPN+.
In the main event, heavyweight contenders [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will battle to see who moves one step closer to a title shot.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 70 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 11.
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Main event
Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes’ three-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Francis Ngannou (four) and August Sakai (four).
Blaydes has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. That includes five of his eight UFC victories.
Blaydes absorbs 1.86 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Blaydes’ 45 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes has achieved 43:03 of top control time in UFC heavyweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Randy Couture (51:19).
Blaydes completes 55.6 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (63.2 percent).
Blaydes’ takedown rate of 7.05 per 15 minutes of fighting is third highest in UFC history.
Blaydes’ 10 takedowns landed against Mark Hunt at UFC 221 tied the record for second most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Cain Velasquez’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC 155.
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.
Alexander Volkov
Volkov is a former Bellator heavyweight champion.
Volkov is 7-1 since his final Bellator bout in June 2015.
Volkov’s average fight time of 15:00 in UFC heavyweight competition is tied for second longest in divisional history behind Blagoy Ivanov (17:00).
Volkov has earned 23 of his 31 career victories by stoppage.
Volkov lands 6.19 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Cain Velasquez (6.48).
Volkov defends 59.5 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Volkov defends 82.8 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
Co-main event
Josh Emmett
[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is 4-1 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in October 2017.
Emmett has landed eight knockdowns in his past five fights.
Emmett’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11).
Emmett’s four knockdowns of Felipe Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118 are tied for third most in a UFC fight. Only Stephens (five) at UFC 215 and Forrest Petz (five) at UFC Fight Night 6 have scored more knockdowns in a fight.
Emmett is the only fighter in UFC history to land four knockdowns in a single round. He accomplished the feat against Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118.
Emmett defends 72 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) defends 90.9 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Jose Aldo (91 percent).
Burgos lands 7.09 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Remaining main card
Raquel Pennington at UFC 246. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Pennington’s total fight time of 2:52:33 in UFC women’s bantamweight competition is most in divisional history.
Pennington’s seven victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (11).
Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
Pennington is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.
[autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag] (9-5-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC), 43, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Reneau competes in her 11th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Pennington (12) and Nunes (12).
Reneau, at 40, became the oldest female fighter to earn a UFC victory when she defeated Sara McMann at UFC on FOX 28.
Reneau’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Nunes (eight) and Rousey (six).
Reneau defends 65.2 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the third highest rate in divisional history behind Germaine de Randamie (66.5 percent) and Liz Carmouche (65.8 percent).
Reneau’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Rousey (three).
Reneau’s victory at the 4:54 mark of Round 3 against Talita Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 115 is the second latest stoppage in a three-round UFC women’s bantamweight fight behind Lauren Murphy’s win at 4:55 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 83.
Reneau fought to the first draw in a women’s UFC fight when she met Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 106.
Jim Miller
[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) competes in his 35th UFC bout, tied with Donald Cerrone for the most appearances in company history.
Miller’s total fight time of 5:21:47 in UFC lightweight competition is most in divisional history.
Miller’s 20 victories in UFC competition are tied with Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping for third most in company history behind Cerrone (23) and Demian Maia (22).
Miller’s 19 victories in UFC lightweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Miller’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13).
Miller’s nine submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Miller’s 42 submission attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Miller’s 11 fight-night bonuses for UFC lightweight bouts are tied with Nate Diaz for third most in divisional history behind Cerrone (15) and Lauzon (15).
[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 21-day stretch. He defeated Brok Weaver at UFC on ESPN 9 on May 30.
Preliminary card
Clay Guida
[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (35-19 MMA, 15-13 UFC) is 3-2 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Guida’s 51 takedowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (84) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (57).
Guida has achieved 1:41:52 of control time in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history. His 1:18:00 of top position time of also most in divisional history.
[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) is 1-5 (with one no contest) in his past seven fights dating back to November 2014.
[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]’ (10-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) competes in her 12th UFC strawweight bout, the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (15), Randa Markos (14) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (13).
Torres’ four-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.
Torres’ four-fight losing skid in UFC strawweight competition is tied with Kailin Curran for longest in divisional history.
[autotag]Marc Andre Barriault[/autotag]’s (11-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.
[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.
Cortney Casey
[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) makes her second UFC appearance in a 35-day stretch. She beat Mara Romero Borella at UFC on ESPN 8 on May 16.
[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) competes in her seventh UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Katlyn Chookagian for the most appearances in divisional history.
Robertson’s average fight time of 5:49 in UFC women’s flyweight competition is the shortest in divisional history.
Robertson’s four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chookagian (five) and Valentina Shevchenko (five).
Robertson’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson’s three submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Montana De La Rosa for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Frank Camacho[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is 2-2 since he dropped to the UFC lightweight division in November 2017.
Mexanne Modafferi
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) competes in her seventh UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Chookagian for the most appearances in divisional history.
Modafferi’s average fight time of 15:35 in UFC women’s flyweight competition is longest in divisional history.
Modafferi has earned 34:09 of control time in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Modafferi has alternated wins and losses over her past seven fights. She won her most recent bout at UFC 246 in January.
[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.
Murphy is one of five female fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a knee strike. She accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 5.
[autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 25, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Ahead of her flyweight debut on Saturday, relive Cynthia Calvillo’s win over Cortney Casey at UFC on ESPN 1.
Although [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] wasn’t able to get the fight to the ground against [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] last year, she showed off some of her striking skills en route to a notable win.
Calvillo (8-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) faced Casey at UFC on ESPN 1 in February 2019 looking to make it two wins in a row.
In Round 1, Calvillo used effective leg kicks to keep Casey at bay and was able to land a strong knee in the clinch, followed by a right hand off the break. She continued to mix things up nicely by going to the body as well, as she showed solid improvements to her striking game.
Calvillo opened up Round 2 with some more leg kicks as Casey struggled to score anything effective moving forward. Calvillo landed a nice overhand right, using it to grab a hold of Casey’s back, but Casey was able to disengage with relative ease. Casey was having a hard time landing, but she did connect with a good lead right and a low kick that seemed to hurt Calvillo.
Casey recognized that Calvillo’s leg was bothering her, and looked to capitalize by attacking with leg kicks. Calvillo looked for the takedown by stacking Casey against the cage, but Casey defended well. The crowd started to grow restless as both women continued to engage in a gritty, tactical battle.
But as the clapper sounded to mark the final 10 seconds of the fight, Calvillo and Casey bit down on their mouthpieces and landed perhaps the best exchanges of the fight as the fight went all the way to the scorecards. After the judges rendered their scores, Calvillo had done enough to earn the decision win.
Calvillo then went on to battle to a majority draw with Marina Rodriguez last December in a fight where she missed weight by four-and-a-half pounds. Now she will make her flyweight debut this Saturday when she takes on Jessica Eye in the main event of UFC on ESPN 10. The event will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Before she faces Eye, relive Calvillo’s win over Casey in the video above.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from May 2020.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from May 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for May.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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The Nominees
Thiago Moises def. Michael Johnson at UFC on ESPN+ 29
[autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) showed why one should never be counted out of a fight when he turned the tables on Michael Johnson (19-16 MMA, 11-12 UFC) for the biggest win of his career.
After getting picked apart for the first round, Moises came out in the second and bum-rushed Johnson. He managed to tie Johnson up and falling back into an ankle lock. The tap came quickly after, and Moises was awarded the victor in a stunning comeback.
Cortney Casey def. Mara Romero Borella at UFC on ESPN 8
[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) picked up arguably the best win of her UFC career on Saturday when she finished Mara Romero Borella (12-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in resounding fashion at UFC on ESPN 8.
Casey not only finished Borella in the first round, but she did it with an armbar that caused the Brazilian to scream out loud while tapping out. The victory marked a successful move up to the women’s flyweight division for Casey after spending her previous 10 octagon appearances at strawweight.
Bantamweight prospect [autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag] (15-3-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) submitted veteran Louis Smolka (16-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) in perhaps the best performance of his career.
Kenney wobbled Smolka early in the first round and then sunk in a one-arm guillotine choke to finish the bout. With the win, Kenney rebounded from his first octagon defeat.
Former LFA champion [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) took the first step toward getting to title contention at the highest level when he put away Tim Elliott (15-11-1 MMA, 4-9 UFC) in a “Fight of the Night” affair.
Royval submitted longtime UFC fighter and former title challenger Elliott with an arm-triangle choke. Royval was a slight underdog in the fight and got the stoppage at the 3:18 mark of the middle round.
Mackenzie Dern def. Hannah Cifers via kneebar at UFC on ESPN 9
[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) had to work through a relentless Hannah Cifers (10-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in the early going, but ultimately did what she does best.
Dern made relatively quick work of Cifers – but only after she was able to get the fight to the canvas, where she forced Cifers to tap with a kneebar. The finish for Dern, the biggest favorite on the card, was the first leg-related submission in a women’s UFC fight.
Moises picked up the biggest win of his career when he defeated Johnson in a stunning turnaround.
In the beginning of the fight it seemed the version of Johnson who owns victories over the likes of Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier had arrived. He stopped Moises’ takedowns and got his striking off in the first round of the lightweight bout, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
Then the second round came, and Moises was a different fighter. He rushed Johnson immediately and pulled guard when he was met with resistance. From there, he fell back and locked in a tight heel hook that forced Johnson to tap out at the 0:25 mark of Round 2.
The defeat put Johnson on a three-fight skid and dropped him to 3-8 in his past 11 UFC appearances. He appeared to suffer damage to his knee during the finish, too.
Moises, for his part, completed his UFC contract with a big finish. He made it clear he wants to stick around with a new contract, and called out former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis.
Less than a week removed from her last fight, Cortney Casey already has another fight booked.
Less than a week removed from her last fight, [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] already has another matchup booked.
Casey will face [autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] in a flyweight bout at the UFC’s June 20 event. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup after an initial report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN. The event does not have a location or venue at this time.
Last week at UFC on ESPN 8, Casey (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) scored a first-round submission win over Mara Romero Borella, earning her a “Performance of the Night” bonus. She has won two of her last three.
Robertson (7-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was scheduled to face Talia Santos in her home country of Canada before the coronavirus outbreak caused a change in event location and opponent. She is coming off a first-round stoppage loss to Maycee Barber last October. Prior to that, she scored back-to-back finishes over Veronica Macedo and Sarah Frota.
With the addition, the current June 20 lineup includes:
Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris will be forced to take a little recovery time after taking some damage in the UFC on ESPN 8 main event.
[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] will be forced to take a little recovery time after each taking some damage in the UFC on ESPN 8 main event.
Both men sustained knockdowns during the heavyweight headliner, but ultimately it was Overeem (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) who emerged victorious with a second-round TKO over Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC).
UFC on ESPN 8 took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card aired on ESPN.
MMA Junkie obtained a list of the UFC on ESPN 8 athletes’ medical suspensions from the Florida Boxing Commission on Monday.
More time could be tacked on to the suspension, or they could be reduced, pending further health testing on multiple athletes.
Check out a full list of the UFC on ESPN 8 medical suspensions below.
* * * *
Alistair Overeem: Suspended 45 days
def. Walt Harris: Suspended 45 days
[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: No suspension
[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
def. [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days
[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: No suspension
def. [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days
[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
def. [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days
[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag]: No suspension
def. [autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag]: 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: 30 days or until cleared by a physician
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: No suspension
Main event winner Alistair Overeem took home a sizable purse as the top earner from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.
Main event participants [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] were among the top earners on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8.
Monday, MMA Junkie obtained a list of disclosed UFC on ESPN 8 salaries from the Florida State Boxing Commission, who oversaw Saturday night’s event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
Overeem (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) produced a comeback victory in the headliner, rallying to stop Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) with a second-round TKO. “The Reem” was the highest earner on the card, netting $400,000 in disclosed pay.
Check out a full list of the UFC on ESPN 8 salaries below:
Alistair Overeem: $400,000
def. Walt Harris: $75,000
The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC on ESPN 8 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.
