Tag: Daniel Rodriguez

Bryan Barberena undergoes emergency surgery, out of Nov. 14 UFC Fight Night bout

Bryan Barberena is “extremely disappointed” to have to withdraw from his fight against Daniel Rodriguez.

UFC welterweight [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] has undergone emergency surgery and will miss his fight next week.

Barberena, who was booked against [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] on the UFC Fight Night 182 main card Nov. 14, had an “emergency exploratory laparotomy due to internal bleeding from a couple ruptured arteries in his omentum.” The news was announced Saturday on his Instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHS5fyip1na/?igshid=zzldm708cqap

Bryan had an emergency exploratory laparotomy due to internal bleeding from a couple ruptured arteries in his omentum. He had 1.5 liters of blood in his abdomen. Bryan’s surgery was successful. He is having pain, which is expected, but he is doing good. The doctor said because he is young and healthy he will have a quick recovery. Unfortunately, due to the surgery, Bryan will not be fighting on November 14th. He is extremely disappointed, and was ready to put on a show, but he will be back ASAP (once he’s healed). He apologizes to his opponent Daniel Rodriguez, and wishes him all the best. There are not enough words in the world to properly thank our support system. We have an incredible family, and friends we call family, and we are so very blessed.
-Team BAM BAM

Barberena, 31, was set to fight for the second time this year. In his last fight in September, Barberena (15-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) snapped a two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision win over Anthony Ivy.

It’s unclear if a replacement opponent will be sought for Rodriguez (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). The 33-year-old is on a nine-fight winning streak that dates back to February 2018, including his first three UFC bouts. Rodriguez made his promotional debut this past February at UFC Fight Night 167 and defeated Tim Means by submission. Rodriguez followed that up with a decision win over Gabriel Green and a first-round knockout of Dwight Grant.

Daniel Rodriguez sees Mike Perry as ideal next fight: ‘I wanna sock that fool’

Daniel Rodriguez will fight anyone, but if it was up to him, he’d like to get his hands on Mike Perry.

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] will fight anyone, but if it was up to him, he’d like to get his hands on [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag].

Rodriguez (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) notched his third win this year when he rallied to stop Dwight Grant in the first round at UFC on ESPN 15. “D-Rod” has impressed since joining the UFC roster and is ready for a step up in competition.

In Perry (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC), he sees double incentive. It’s an opportunity to face a fighter on the cusp of the top 15 welterweight rankings, as well as someone that he’s not very fond of. Rodriguez isn’t a fan of Perry as a person and also wants to get one back for his good friend, Mickey Gall, who Perry beat in June.

“I’ll fight anybody, but everybody wanna fight Mike Perry,” Rodriguez told MMA Junkie. “I wanna fight Mike Perry. I wanna sock that fool. That’s an ideal fight for me, to kind of jump up in the rankings, as well as kind of next-level opponents. I feel like I’m ready. Even though I got caught with a punch in that last one, I feel like every fight that I’ve had so far in the UFC, I kind of showed something a little different.”

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He continued, “I don’t think anybody likes (Perry). Plus, he just beat one of my homies. I’m that type of person. He just fought my dude Mickey Gall. That’s me, the way I’ve always been, like you’re messing with my little homie so I gotta get your ass. You’re next.”

Personal feelings aside, Rodriguez acknowledges that a matchup with Perry would stylistically deliver. Both men possess fight-ending abilities and durability, which Rodriguez says makes for an exciting fight.

“As entertaining as that last one was, to be honest with you, I feel like my style is a great matchup for that,” Rodriguez said. “He’s got power in his punches; I got power in my punches, too. I know when I gotta step up my game, and really every fight I gotta adjust somehow, some way. So really I’ll fight anybody. But if I can fight anybody, I’d rather it be Mike Perry. That guy is a (expletive) tool bag for real.”

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Daniel Rodriguez thinks ‘ideal fight’ would be with Mike Perry

Daniel Rodriguez talks of his growth in mma, would like a fight with Mike Perry.

Daniel Rodriguez talks of his growth in mma, would like a fight with Mike Perry.

UFC on ESPN 15 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $35 million

UFC on ESPN 15 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 15 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $88,000.

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 15 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 15 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Dwight Grant[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Mizuki Inoue[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Ike Villanueva[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Carlton Minus[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Matthew Semelsberger[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Timur Valiev[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag]: $3,500

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:

Year-to-date total: $4,052,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $35,056,500

UFC on ESPN 15 video: Daniel Rodriguez TKOs Dwight Grant in ‘Round of the Year’ contender

Wow, what a comeback from Daniel Rodriguez to win his third UFC fight of 2020.

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] came out on the winning end of a wild one-round fight with [autotag]Dwight Grant[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 15.

In an action-packed welterweight bout that’s likely to hold up as a “Round of the Year” contender, Rodriguez (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) produced a thrilling rally against Grant (10-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) for the first-round TKO at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Grant came out of the gate extremely strong and hurt Rodriguez badly. He was swarming, causing referee Chris Tognoni to vocalize multiple warnings to keep moving. Rodriguez did enough to stay in it, then when he got back up, the momentum changed.

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Rodriguez landed a hard shot that staggered Grant then applied the pressure. He landed multiple powerful shots against Grant, who tried to persevere. He couldn’t keep upright from a final strike, though, and the referee stepped in at the 2:24 mark of Round 1 to conclude a thrilling affair.

Check out the replay below (via Twitter):

With the win, Rodriguez joined Merab Dvalishvili and Youssef Zalal as the lone fighters to win three times in the UFC in 2020.

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With opponents out, Dwight Grant and Daniel Rodriguez now open UFC on ESPN 15 main card

Dwight Grant and Daniel Rodriguez made weight without issue Friday for UFC on ESPN 15, but their opponents had issues.

[autotag]Dwight Grant[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] made weight without issue Friday for UFC on ESPN 15.

But for varying reasons, their scheduled opponents won’t be fighting on the card. Luckily for Grant (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Rodriguez (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), they both fight at welterweight – meaning it took just a few pen strokes to rebook them against each other and save their spots in the lineup.

Grant and Rodriguez now will open up the main card at UFC on ESPN 15, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

Grant was set to fight promotional newcomer [autotag]Calen Born[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the prelims. But Born didn’t attend Friday’s official weigh-ins and took himself off the card for what a person with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie was for “personal reasons.”

Rodriguez was supposed to fight [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) to open the main card. Sato actually made weight at 170.5 pounds, but Rodriguez posted on Instagram afterward that Sato was not cleared by the Nevada Athletic Commission. No reason was announced.

The UFC did not make a formal announcement of the reasons for the new booking, other than to introduce the new fight during Friday’s faceoffs following the official weigh-ins.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 15 lineup drops to 10 fights.

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET)

  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Frankie Edgar
  • Alonzo Menifield vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Marcin Prachnio vs. Mike Rodriguez
  • Mariya Agapova vs. Shana Dobson
  • Dwight Grant vs. Daniel Rodriguez

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

  • Mizuki Inoue vs. Amanda Lemos
  • Austin Hubbard vs. Joe Solecki
  • Ike Villanueva vs. Jordan Wright
  • Carlton Minus vs. Matthew Semelsberger
  • Trevin Jones vs. Timur Valiev

Daniel Rodriguez hopes for ranked opponent after Takashi Sato at UFC on ESPN 15

Daniel Rodriguez can go 3-0 in the octagon with a win at UFC on ESPN 15. If he pulls it off, he wants ranked competition.

Ahead of UFC on ESPN 15, [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] spoke with reporters Wednesday during media day.

Rodriguez (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) discussed his welterweight bout with Takashi Sato (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), his start in MMA, his desire to fight ranked competition with a win, his diehard passion for the Los Angeles Lakers, and more.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

UFC on ESPN 15 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+

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Daniel Rodriguez vs. Takashi Sato joins UFC’s Aug. 22 lineup

A matchup between rising welterweights Daniel Rodriguez and Takashi Sato is the latest addition to the UFC’s Aug. 22 event.

A matchup between two rising welterweights is the latest addition to the UFC’s Aug. 22 event.

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will face [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the upcoming card, which is expected to take place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas barring any new restrictions involved with the coronavirus pandemic.

MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with two people with knowledge of the situation. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Rodriguez made a splash in his UFC debut in February when he submitted Tim Means in the second round at UFC on ESPN+ 25. He followed that up with a unanimous decision win over newcomer Gabe Green in May, extending his winning streak to eight fights.

Winner of three of his past four, Japan’s Sato is coming off a 48-second finish of Jason Witt at UFC on ESPN 12 in June. All of his last seven wins have come by stoppage.

With the addition, the lineup for the UFC’s Aug. 22 event now includes:

  • Uriah Hall vs. Yoel Romero
  • Mizuki Inoue vs. Amanda Lemos
  • Mariya Agapova vs. Shana Dobson
  • Angela Hill vs. Michelle Waterson
  • Shamil Gamzatov vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Daniel Rodriguez vs. Takashi Sato

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Kevin Holland gives shoulder injury update, wants Daniel Rodriguez fight rebooked

Kevin Holland gives an update on his injured shoulder and says he still wants to fight should-have-been UFC on ESPN 9 opponent Daniel Rodriguez.

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] didn’t fight at UFC on ESPN 9 last weekend.

A recurring shoulder injury, the same one which hindered him in his June 2019 victory over Alessio Di Chirico, flared up once again. Despite his willingness to compete, Holland’s team made him withdraw from his scheduled fight with Daniel Rodriguez in the days leading up to the fight.

“I did the therapy for (the injury in the Di Chirico fight), but it’s a shoulder that’s always gave me a problem,” Holland told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I got it looked at. They said I had some tears in there, I guess. To me, it just felt really inflamed. It just felt like it was hard to move. Ultimately, I wasn’t using it during the week, week-and-a-half of camp, you can say we had. My manager was catching a whiff of it, so they pulled the plug so I could get it officially looked at and stuff like that.”

Despite withdrawing just one week ago, Holland (17-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is already itching to return. He estimated his shoulder is at 25 percent, but indicated he doesn’t need it to return to 100 percent before returning to action. With rehab and acupuncture, Holland expects to be back in action in about six weeks.

“I’m not in a position to sit down,” Holland said. “My name is nowhere near where it needs to be, nor am I, in my career. I can adjust. I can move around it. It’s part of martial arts. You know what I mean? If somebody else feels it’s a handicap, while it’s officially their handicap. It’s like, no, I don’t stress about this shoulder. I’ve got other parts I can hit you with.”

“… I don’t care what anybody says. I want to fight again in six weeks. If the UFC books me a fight, I want to fight again in six weeks. If I can fool them in four weeks, I’ll fight in four weeks. … I got a little flame after the fight. I don’t what that flame to go down. I want it to go up.”

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Rodriguez (12-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) did fight last weekend, defeating late replacement and UFC newcomer Gabe Green by unanimous decision. Holland watched Rodriguez’s performance and hopes the UFC rebooks the matchup.

“Let’s talk about D-Rod winning his fight,” Holland said. “He had to take a last-second opponent on short notice. Hats off to him. I sent him a little message and he said, ‘Run it.’ It’s like, in six weeks, me and him have business, so let’s handle it.

“Yeah, I was impressed. He got the job done. A last-second change of opponent. He got the job done. He pumped the jab out there. It looked good. He chucked that left hand as hard as he could. He couldn’t put that guy away (and) and that was a 155-er if I’m not mistaken. I’m an 185-er. I’m going to eat that – good.”

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UFC on ESPN 9 medical suspensions: Two fighters face potential 180-day layoffs

Two fighters face potential lengthy suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN 9 fights on Saturday.

Two fighters face potential six-month suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN 9 fights Saturday.

The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) handed [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] and [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag] potential 180-day terms for injuries sustained in their respective bouts.

UFC headliners [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] and [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] were each suspended, with Woodley getting 45 days due to a facial laceration. Burns, who was victorious after a five-round unanimous decision, was handed a potential 30-day suspensions.

MMA Junkie obtained a list of the UFC on ESPN 9 athletes’ medical suspensions from the NAC on Monday. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.

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UFC on ESPN 9 took place Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.

The complete list of UFC on ESPN 9 medical suspensions:

  • Gilbert Burns: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • Tyron Woodley: Suspended 45 days or until left eyebrow laceration is cleared by physician; no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Blagoy Ivanov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • Spike Carlyle: Suspended 180 days or until left knee MRI is cleared by an orthopedic physician; no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Brok Weaver[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Antonina Shevchenko[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Gabe Green[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Klidson Abreu[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days; no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Louis Smolka[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days; no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: No suspension
  • Vince Morales: Suspended 180 days or until right orbital fracture is cleared by opthalmologist with minimum 45-day suspension; no contact for 30 days

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