Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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 from Jan. 23-29.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 279 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $202,000.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 279 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $202,000.
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 279 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNNews and ESPN+.
The full UFC 279 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Macy Chiasson[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Hakeem Dawodu[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Denis Tiuliulin[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamie Pickett[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jake Collier[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Danyelle Wolf[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Heili Alateng[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Elise Reed[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Melissa Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Yohan Lainesse[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Darian Weeks[/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 $4,500; 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.
Year-to-date total: $6,171,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $12,338,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.
Check out the best photos from Norma Dumont’s unanimous decision win over Danyelle Wolf at UFC 279 in Las Vegas.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Danyelle Wolf[/autotag] at UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports)
Check out these photos from the UFC 279 ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday in Las Vegas.
Check out these photos from the UFC 279 ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (Photos courtesy of Ken Hathaway – MMA Junkie)
Check out the photos from the UFC 279 official weigh-ins at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Check out the photos from the UFC 278 official weigh-ins at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (Images by Ken Hathaway–MMA Junkie)
A rare women’s featherweight bout will feature the UFC debut of a 44-fight professional boxer.
Nearly two years ago, [autotag]Danyelle Wolf[/autotag] made the jump to MMA, debuted as a professional on Dana White’s Contender Series, and earned a UFC contract.
She has yet to make her promotional debut, but now has a date and opponent on her calendar. Wolf (1-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will square off with [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at the UFC event Sept. 10 in a rare women’s featherweight bout. The card does not yet have an officially announced location or venue.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking Friday to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag Fight first reported the booking.
Wolf, 38, went 30-14 as a professional boxer from 2010-2019. All of her wins came by decision. Her contract-earning performance on DWCS was also a decision, unanimous in her favor against Invicta standout Taneisha Tennant. Since then, Wolf was booked once by the UFC, for a matchup against Felicia Spencer in May 2021. Wolf withdrew for unknown reasons.
“Normally somebody that’s 0-0 and had a tough performance like that – she fought a girl that was 5-0, though, and was undefeated, and Danyelle hurt her a few times and had her running backwards and putting her head down, things you don’t do unless you’re getting hit really hard, so I’m going to give her a shot,” Dana White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at a DWCS 33 post-fight news conference.
Dumont, 31, most recently competed May 7 at UFC 274 when she lost a split decision to Macy Chiasson. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak against Ashlee Evans-Smith, Felicia Spencer and Aspen Ladd.
With the addition, the UFC’s Sept. 10 lineup includes:
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Former women’s featherweight title challenger Felicia Spencer has a new opponent later this month.
Former women’s featherweight title challenger [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] has a new opponent later this month.
[autotag]Danyelle Wolf[/autotag] (1-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was set to make her UFC debut against Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 188. But with Wolf out, Spencer instead will take on [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC). UFC officials announced the change Thursday.
UFC Fight Night 188 takes place May 22 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Dumont was supposed to fight Erin Blanchfield in a bantamweight bout a month ago. But she came in heavy for the second straight time and the Nevada Athletic Commission canceled the fight. Now she’ll move up to featherweight. This past November, she rebounded from a loss to Megan Anderson with a decision win over Ashlee Evans-Smith.
Spencer, a former Invicta FC featherweight champion, fell short in her pursuit of UFC gold when she lost a unanimous decision to two-division champion Amanda Nunes in June 2020. The Canadian has split her four octagon appearances, including finishes of Megan Anderson and Zarah Fairn Dos Santos.
Three-time USA national boxing champion Wolf punched her ticket to the UFC when she defeated Taneisha Tennant by unanimous decision at Dana White’s Contender Series 33 this past September. It what was her first MMA fight. But now her UFC debut is on hold.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night on May 22 lineup includes:
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Felicia Spencer will welcome Dana White’s Contender Series alum and former USA boxing champ Danyelle Wolf to the UFC.
[autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] will welcome [autotag]Danyelle Wolf[/autotag] to the UFC.
Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meets Wolf (1-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on May 22 at UFC Fight Night, which does not yet have an official venue or location.
A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. BJPenn.com was first to report the news.
Spencer, a former Invicta FC featherweight champion, fell short in her pursuit of UFC gold when she lost a unanimous decision to two-division champion Amanda Nunes last June. The Canadian has split her four octagon appearances, picking up finishes over Megan Anderson and Zarah Fairn Dos Santos.
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Three-time USA national boxing champion Wolf punched her ticket to the UFC when she defeated Taneisha Tennant by unanimous decision on Dana White’s Contender Series 33 in September. It what was her first MMA fight – professional or amateur.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night on May 22 lineup includes:
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USA boxing champion Danyelle Wolf might not have had the greatest MMA debut, but she showed Dana White enough.
LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White stands by his decision to give three-time USA national boxing champion [autotag]Danyelle Wolf[/autotag] a UFC contract.
In her very first MMA fight, Wolf (1-0) defeated Taneisha Tennant by unanimous decision Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 33 and was one of three fighters awarded a UFC deal.
It was a back-and-forth battle in which Wolf shined early with her crisp boxing, but Tennant’s experience allowed her to rally in the second half of the fight. White still scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Wolf and explains that, while she still has room to grow, the hundreds of rounds that she spent in the boxing ring should amount to something.
“Normally somebody that’s 0-0 and had a tough performance like that – she fought a girl that was 5-0, though, and was undefeated, and Danyelle hurt her a few times and had her running backwards and putting her head down, things you don’t do unless you’re getting hit really hard, so I’m gonna give her a shot,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the DWCS 33 post-fight news conference.
“I mean, she’s got like 43 professional fights. It’s not like she can’t fight. It’s not like she’s never been there before. The internet is going crazy saying she lost the fight, and we gave her a shot. Listen, I’ve given people with much less skill shots, so I think she deserves a shot.”
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Considering there are only a few women signed to the UFC featherweight division, White sees Wolf as a welcomed addition.
“Our 45-pound division isn’t some deep division as it is,” White said. “She wants to be in the UFC; she’s always wanted to be in the UFC. She fought her way into the UFC tonight, and it’s up to her whether she stays here or not.”
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Going the full 15 minutes proved to be a valuable experience for DWCS 33 contract winner Danyelle Wolf.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Danyelle Wolf[/autotag] competed in her very first MMA fight on one of the biggest stages, claimed the win and walked away with a UFC contract.
Wolf (1-0) earned a UFC deal Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 33, where she defeated Taneisha Tennant via unanimous decision.
Wolf, a three-time USA national boxing champion, was able to show off her hands early as she utilized crisp combinations and a razor-sharp jab to back Tennant up.
But, midway in Round 2, Wolf was tested when Tennant rallied back by letting her hands go and mixing things up in the clinch.
Considering that Wolf didn’t even have an amateur MMA background, going the full 15 minutes proved to be a valuable experience that she plans on growing from.
“Just from this fight itself, I’ve learned so much, and I’m really appreciative of everything I learned,” Wolf told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after her win at the UFC Apex. “I’m almost glad it went all three rounds so that I can really take a lot from this fight, and I have, and I will and, like I said, I’ll be in the gym tomorrow.”
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The women’s featherweight division in the UFC is still pretty shallow and growing, which gives Wolf a big opportunity to make an impact quickly. Wolf is unsure of what’s next, but she’s eager to get back into the gym and work on correcting those missteps from her MMA debut.
“I guess we’ll talk to Dana and see what he has in store,” Wolf said. “But, for sure, I’m the type of athlete that I just want to go to the gym right now and work on everything that I saw or missed or didn’t do enough of. My coaches will probably punch me for this, but I want to go back to the gym tomorrow.
“I’m just thinking about everything I should have done, could have done better, that’s how I’ve excelled in all the sports I’ve done and how quickly I excelled in boxing and jiu-jitsu is that I don’t stop, and I get right back to the drawing board and I get right back to work.”
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