Tag: Cub Swanson

UFC on ESPN 63 weigh-in results: No misses for final card of 2024

The final UFC weigh-in session of 2024 is in the books, and everyone kept it professional for UFC on ESPN 63.

TAMPA, Fla. – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC on ESPN 63 fighter weigh-ins, where there we no issues on the scale.

The early weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel, and preceded the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) at Amalie Arena. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event (ESPNews, ESPN2, ESPN+)

Among those weighing in were former interim welterweight champion [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) and surging contender [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who meet in the main event. Also stepping on the scale will be UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) and [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who fight in the co-feature.

The full UFC on ESPN 63 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (ESPN2, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Colby Covington (171) vs. Joaquin Buckley (171)
  • Cub Swanson (146) vs. Billy Quarantillo (146)
  • Manel Kape (125) vs. Bruno Silva (126)
  • Dustin Jacoby (205.5) vs. Vitor Petrino (204.5)
  • Daniel Marcos (136) vs. Adrian Yanez (136)
  • Navajo Stirling (206) vs. Tuco Tokkos (206)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Ottman Azaitar (156) vs. Michael Johnson (156)
  • Joel Alvarez (156) vs. Drakkar Klose (156)
  • Fernando Padilla (145.5) vs. Sean Woodson (145.5)
  • Miles Johns (146) vs. Felipe Lima (146)
  • Jamey-Lyn Horth (126) vs. Miranda Maverick (126)
  • Davey Grant (136) vs. Ramon Taveras (136)
  • Josefine Knutsson (116) vs. Piera Rodriguez (116)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

Tampa native Billy Quarantillo might be happiest he’s ever been getting Cub Swanson fight

In 2010 as a 0-1 amateur, Billy Quarantillo jogged around Amalie Arena and imagined fighting there. Saturday, he’ll co-headline UFC Tampa.

TAMPA, Fla. – [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] recalls jogging around Amalie Arena as an 0-1 amateur fighter, chuckling under his breath at his pipe dream of maybe fighting there one day.

The far-fetched goal is now a reality. Buffalo-born, Quarantillo (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has called Tampa his home for nearly 15 years and Saturday at UFC on ESPN 63, he’ll face the legendary Cub Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in that very building.

“It was something that I was dreaming of, but I knew I had so many obstacles in the meantime,” Quarantillo told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “When I first moved here in 2010, I was an 0-1 amateur fighter. I would literally run around Amalie. I’d go to the Sabres-Lightning games. I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to fight here one day.’ But that was deep in the back of my head. It was almost like a joke. Sure enough, the universe has a funny way of showing you what’s possible. I’ve said it all week long. I’m grateful to be here and it is really a dream come true.”

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Quarantillo, 36, hasn’t fought since a March loss to Youssef Zalal. In the weeks that followed, Quarantillo hoped for a matchup that would excite him – and Swanson certainly fit that bill.

“My wife later described it as the happiest she’s ever seen me,” Quarantillo said. “I’m obviously married with two kids, so I guess that was one of the bigger moments. That’s the happiest I’ve been apparently (but not really obviously). I was super excited. Cub’s a legend of the sport. I remember watching him before I even trained martial arts. I was at a party watching him in the WEC and I wasn’t even training MMA. He’s been there done that and it’s exciting to fight him. But at the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and get my hand raised.”

Since a 3-0 start to his UFC tenure, Quarantillo has struggled to find consistent results. He’s alternated losses and wins over the course of his most recent seven. Quarantillo hopes to kick off a streak Saturday vs. one of the longest-tenured fighters on the roster.

“I don’t know if it’s some mental thing that I’ve got to overcome,” Quarantillo said. “But no matter what, I go out there to try to win every fight. Saturday night is not going to be any different.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

Cub Swanson excited to welcome Billy Quarantillo ‘to the master’s division’ at UFC Tampa

Cub Swanson says Billy Quarantillo’s recent birthday puts him in “the master’s division” for Saturday’s UFC Tampa co-main event.

TAMPA, Fla. – [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] doesn’t look at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 63 matchup with Billy Quarantillo as a clash of different generations.

Although Quarantillo, 36, said he was watching Swanson, 41, fight before he even turned professional in MMA, there is only a five-year age gap between the featherweights gong into their co-main event matchup at Amalie Arena (ESPN2, ESPN+).

For Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC), he appreciates the fandom that once came from his opponent, and is happy to compete against Quarantillo (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC).

“I kind of expected (he was a fan) because I think I have a fan-friendly fighting style,” Swanson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “It makes me proud. I’ve got no problem with it. I know he just had a birthday, so I’m excited to welcome him into the master’s division. He’s one of the old guys like myself. He’s been around for a little while, so I’m happy to welcome him to the master’s division.”

Swanson is set to fight for the 32nd time in his UFC/WEC career this weekend, which is the most appearances of any 145-pound fighter. He said he intends to continue fighting “for a little bit longer,” but doesn’t have a specific timeline in mind.

One of Swanson’s key driving forces at this point, he said, is to set an example. Part of his transition out of being an active competitor is to run a management company, which he’s already been doing for several years with multiple UFC fighters already in his stable.

Swanson wants to guide those athletes, and he said the best way to do that is to practice what he preaches.

“I’d say my main motivation at this point is I have Bloodline, the management company and I have a whole crew of guys that I mentor and really try to show them what to do, what not to do,” Swanson said. “Helping them with training, their mental game and it’s one thing for a coach to say, ‘Do this, do that.’ It’s another thing to show them.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

Billy Quarantillo seeks Hall of Fame type-fight vs. Cub Swanson at UFC on ESPN 63

Billy Quarantillo sees Cub Swanson as the perfect dance partner to deliver a memorable fight at UFC Tampa.

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] sees [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] as the perfect dance partner to deliver a memorable fight.

Quarantillo (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) meets Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in a featherweight bout Dec. 14 at UFC on ESPN 63 from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Swanson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for his all-out war against Doo Ho Choi in December 2016, and Quarantillo hopes they can replicate that fight.

“When people ask me, ‘Are you excited for this fight?’ Yeah, I’m excited, but I know the type of violence he brings. I know the type of violence I bring,” Quarantillo told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s in the Hall of Fame for – that’s how exciting he is. He had such an exciting fight that it put him in the Hall of Fame, and that’s the type of fights I want to have.

“I want to have that fight where after, people remember it for the rest of their lives. I definitely think we could get the bonus. We’re both coming off of losses, we both need a win, so that’s the most important thing. But I think with both of our styles, I don’t think there’s a way it’s going to be a boring fight.”

Swanson, 41, has seen mixed results in his past six outings, but Quarantillo isn’t taking that into account. He still views Swanson as a dangerous threat.

“I know how good he looked in his last two fights. He arguably won both of his last two fights against Andre Fili, against ‘Mean’ Hakeem,'” Quarantillo said. “Both two really good fighters. So there’s no point in me faking it. He knows what he got himself into fighting me. He probably only has a few fights left, so I’m sure he’s going to give it everything he has.

“I actually remember when he fought Kron Gracie in Tampa, he had a really good fight against him, and it’s just a huge opportunity for me. I’m excited. Leading up to the fight, I’m going to give him all the respect because he earned it. He’s literally a Hall of Fame fighter already, but when it comes to fight night, I’m going to do exactly what he’s going to do, and I’m going to try to put his lights out in front of everyone.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

Cub Swanson reveals new contract ahead of UFC Tampa, taking things ‘fight by fight’

UFC veteran Cub Swanson knows the end is near, but he isn’t ready to call it a career quite yet.

[autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] knows the end is near, but he isn’t ready to call it a career quite yet.

Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) will make his 25th octagon appearance when he takes on Billy Quarantillo (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) on Dec. 14 at UFC on ESPN 63 from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Ahead of his fight against Quarantillo, 41-year-old Swanson revealed to MMA Junkie that he signed a new contract with the UFC.

“I just signed a new multifight deal, four fights,” Swanson told MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s fight by fight, but this would have been my last one, so I told them I didn’t intend on fighting out of my contract and going other places. I want to stay here. I think it’s fitting, and so we did a new deal. But it’s fight by fight.”

Swanson has split his past six appearances. He’s fought the who’s who at featherweight throughout his career and is happy to draw someone who isn’t a rising contender on a tear.

“I know that he’s tough, he’s gritty,” Swanson said of Quarantillo. “He wants to be in the exciting fights, and he’s been in a bunch of them, so I think that’s what he wants. He wanted a fight like me so he could go out there and have a big performance, something he could be proud of. That’s the kind of fighter I think he is.

“He’s getting up there in age. He’s been around for a little bit, so I like the matchup. I kept getting told stop fighting the youngsters who are on their way up, and I think the last two opponents have been good opponents. They’re guys who like to fight, but they’ve been around for a while. I think the fans appreciate it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

UFC Tampa adds Billy Quarantillo vs. Cub Swanson

A featherweight banger is headed to Florida.

UFC featherweight veterans will collide as part of the promotion’s final 2024 event.

Tampa-area resident [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] will face UFC Hall of Fame fight combatant [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] at the Dec. 14 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

Quarantillo (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) announced the bout on social media Oct. 4 with Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) confirming Thursday.

Quarantillo, 35, has alternated wins and losses in his most recent eight outings. He most recently fought in March, when he lost by submission to Youssef Zalal. It was the first submission loss of his career.

The results for Swanson, 40, have been similarly consistently inconsistent. He’s alternated wins and losses over his most recent six, having most recently dropped a split decision to Andre Fili. The June bout earned them Fight of the Night honors.

With the addition, the UFC Tampa lineup includes:

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino
  • Tracy Cortez vs. Miranda Maverick
  • Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva
  • Billy Quarantillo vs. Cub Swanson
  • Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez
  • Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras

REPLAY VIDEO: MMA Junkie Radio milestone Episode #3500 with big-name guests galore!

Celebrate MMA Junkie Radio’s 3,500th episode with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” as they welcomed in a plethora of big-name guests.

Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio is like no other!

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” celebrated their 3,500th episode with a special live stream of the show.

A plethora of big-name guests joined the show, including UFC stars of the past and present: [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], [autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag], Chael Sonnen, [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag], [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag], [autotag]Johny Hendricks[/autotag], and [autotag]Frank Trigg[/autotag]. Also joining the show were Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, UFC reporter Megan Olivi, commedian/actor Joey Diaz, the legendary Burt Watson, as well as members of the MMA Junkie staff. Tune in!

You can watch the live stream of episode #3500 in the video above.

UFC 303 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Alex Pereira leads card with $42,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 303 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $306,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 303 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $311,500.

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

The full UFC 303 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Macy Chiasson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Payton Talbott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yanis Ghemmouri[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Rei Tsuruya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $11,000

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 $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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,948,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,685,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

UFC 303 results: Andre Fili squeaks by Cub Swanson in split decision nod

Two scrappy veterans in Andre Fili and Cub Swanson went the distance at UFC 303, leaving the judges split in their decision.

All-action veterans [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag] and Cub Swanson turned in a fun 15-minute scrap that split the judges.

The featherweight bout was part of the UFC 303 preliminary card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. When the dust settled, two judges saw the bout in favor of Fili (24-11 MMA, 12-10 UFC) over Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) with dueling scores of 29-28.

The feel-out process saw both fighters light on their feet, bouncing around the octagon, hunting for an opening. As they settled in, the initial exchanges were single, darting strikes from both fighters.

Fili found a home for a head kick and a hard kick to the body to get Swanson’s attention. Regardless, Swanson continued his forward pressure, eventually connecting with a sharp punch down the middle, which Fili played off by taunting.

Just as Swanson looked to pick up his pressure on the feet in Round 2, Fili switched things up with his grappling game by hitting an early takedown followed by clinch work against the fence. Swanson separated midway through the round and connected with another clean punch. Swanson defended another takedown attempt and let his hands go in a nice flurry, getting the crowd riled up.

With the fight seemingly up for grabs on the scorecards, both came out firing and landing well early in Round 3.

Fili was successful with a takedown, but Swanson didn’t allow the fight to stay on the canvas. Back on the feet, Swanson continued to pressure as Fili circled on the outside, with both landing in heated striking exchanges until the final horn.

The judges did have the fight tied going into the final round, in which two of them, Mike Bell and Ron McCarthy favored Fili’s work, while Adalaide Byrd scored Round 3 for Swanson.

With the win, Fili bounces back from a first-round finish at the hands of Dan Ige in February. The 34-year-old California-based fighter has produced mixed results over his past six fights, having not put together back-to-back wins since 2019.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC 303 results include:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

Andre Fili def. Cub Swanson at UFC 303: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Andre Fili’s split decision win over Cub Swanson at UFC 303.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] at UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos by Mark J. Rebilas and Per Haljestam, USA Today Sports)