Tag: David Dvorak

UFC Fight Night 216’s Manel Kape: I have more weapons than ‘stiff guy’ David Dvorak

Manel Kape expects his power and speed to be too much for David Dvorak at UFC Fight Night 216 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] expects his power and speed to be too much for [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag].

Kape (17-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meets Dvorak (20-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 216, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

With his five most recent wins by knockout, Kape expects to take out Dvorak, who he doesn’t think will be able to keep up with his movement.

“He’s a stiff guy,” Kape said on MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s a fight I can win not easily, but I can win more easy than the other fights because he’s a perfect match for me. When I fight somebody more stiff, his footwork is not so developed so I can make my game – it’s where I see I have more weapons than him.”

Both men have dropped decisions to Matheus Nicolau, which has allowed Kape to draw confidence and plenty of takeaways from that fight.

“He’s going to feel not just the speed, but the power,” Kape said. “I have crazy power for my division. He’s going to feel my power, and when he feels the power, he’s going to try and take me down. He’s going to shoot for the takedown, because I saw his last fight with Matheus Nicolau and Matheus Nicolau dropped him.

“And if Matheus Nicolau dropped him, what am I going to do? Because I fought Matheus Nicolau and Matheus Nicolau is a fast guy. He’s one of the fastest guys, but he’s fast with his hands with no power. So if one guy is fast with no power and he drops you, then what am I going to do to you?”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 216.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Nov. 14-20)

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 Nov. 14-20.

UFC on ESPN 33 salaries: Curtis Blaydes leading earner as four fighters crack six figures

UFC on ESPN 33 was one of the rare events in the modern climate where disclosed fighter salaries have trickled into the public.

UFC on ESPN 33 was one of the rare events in the modern climate where fighter salaries have trickled into the public.

Curtis Blaydes (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), who defeated Chris Daukaus (13-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) by second-round TKO in the main event of the card this past Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, was the highest paid athlete on the card, netting $262,000 in disclosed earnings from the event.

The total salaries from the 12-bout card was $1,434,000, with just four names cracking the six-figure mark with their payouts.

MMAFighting.com received salary information from the Ohio State Athletic Commission on Tuesday.

Check out the full fight purses for UFC on ESPN 33.

UFC on ESPN 33 post-event facts: Neil Magny ties Georges St-Pierre’s win record, sets another

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 33, which saw Neil Magny tie Georges St-Pierre’s long-held wins records.

The UFC returned in front of crowds for non-PPV events in the U.S. on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 33 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The 12-fight card was capped off by a sensational showing from [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who used his hands and no wrestling to crush [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) into a second-round TKO and remind everyone that he’s still a young and evolving player in the heavyweight division.

Blaydes set some personal records in the win, but there were other bits of UFC history across the card, as well. For more on the numbers, check below for 45 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 33.

Joanne Wood vs. Alexa Grasso, two more bouts added to UFC Fight Night on March 26

Joanne Wood vs. Alexa Grasso was scrapped last year, but they’ll get a chance to do it again.

[autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] has been rebooked for UFC Columbus.

Wood will take on Grasso at UFC Fight Night on March 26, promotion officials announced Wednesday. The event takes place at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and airs on ESPN.

Wood (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) and Grasso (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) originally were scheduled to fight last November at UFC Fight Night 198, but Grasso was forced out because of an injury.

Wood has lost four of her past six fights. After defeating Jessica Eye at UFC 257, Wood dropped a unanimous decision to former title challenger Lauren Murphy at UFC 263. She drew Taila Santos after Grasso’s withdrawal and lost the bout by first-round submission.

Grasso was booked to fight Viviane Araujo next week at UFC 270. But when Araujo pulled out due to injury, the fight was scrapped. The 28-year-old Mexican fighter strung together her first winning streak in the UFC when she scored two consecutive wins over Ji Yeon Kim and Maycee Barber, and now she’ll turn her attention to Wood.

Also joining the UFC Columbus lineup is a middleweight matchup between Dana White’s Contender Series graduate [autotag]Aliaskhab Khizriev[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and fellow debutant [autotag]Abusupiyan Magomedov[/autotag] (24-4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), and a matchup between ranked flyweights [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

With the additions, the UFC Columbus lineup includes:

  • Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson
  • Sara McMann vs. Karol Rosa
  • Tucker Lutz vs. Seungwoo Choi
  • Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France
  • Danaa Batgerel vs. Montel Jackson
  • Bryan Barberena vs. Matt Brown
  • Nate Landwehr vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Joanne Wood
  • Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Abusupiyan Magomedov
  • David Dvorak vs. Matheus Nicolau

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With Raulian Paiva out, Juancamilo Ronderos steps in to face David Dvorak at UFC Fight Night 188

Juancamilo Ronderos will step in on just a day’s notice to face David Dvorak at UFC Fight Night 188.

[autotag]Juancamilo Ronderos[/autotag] will step in on just one day’s notice to compete Saturday at UFC Fight Night 188.

Prior to weigh-ins Friday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] was forced out due to a rough weight cut. Ronderos (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step in on short notice to face [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC), in a bout which will now take place on the prelims.

UFC officials informed MMA Junkie of the switch prior to Friday’s official weigh-ins. MMA Fighting was first to report that Paiva had withdrawn from the fight.

Colombia’s Ronderos hasn’t competed since December 2019, when he edged out ex-UFC fighter Eric Shelton to defend his Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting flyweight title. Prior to signing with the UFC, Ronderos was expected to face Fury FC flyweight champion C.J. Vergara on the upcoming season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Training out of Xtreme Couture, the unbeaten 26-year-old has won 13 straight dating back to his amateur career.

Boasting an impressive winning streak at 15 in a row, Dvorak has started his UFC tenure with back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Bruno Silva and most recently Jordan Espinosa at UFC Fight Night 178 in September. The performances were enough to project him into the UFC rankings after just two promotional performances.

With the change, the current UFC Fight Night 188 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Carla Esparza vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Justin Tafa vs. Jared Vanderaa
  • Norma Dumont vs. Felicia Spencer
  • Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • Jack Hermansson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Chris Barnett vs. Ben Rothwell
  • Court McGee vs. Claudio Silva
  • Victor Rodriguez vs. Bruno Silva
  • Josh Culibao vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
  • David Dvorak vs. Juancamilo Ronderos
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Rafael Alves vs. Damir Ismagulov

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David Dvorak vs. Raulian Paiva added to UFC Fight Night on May 22

The UFC flyweight division is getting busy.

The UFC flyweight division is getting busy.

An 125-pound bout between [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag] and [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] has been booked for a UFC Fight Night event May 22. Both fighters confirmed the news on social media following a report by AgFight.

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Dvorak (19-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) currently is on a 15-fight winning streak. The bout against Paiva is the first booking Dvorak will have in 2021. He joined the UFC early 2020 and picked up decision wins over Bruno Silva and Jordan Espinosa. He’s currently ranked No. 10 in the UFC’s official flyweight rankings.

Brazil’s Paiva, ranked No. 11, (20-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) hasn’t competed since August 2020. Paiva was supposed to fight Amir Albazi in October, but had to withdraw due to injury. Paiva has won two fights in a row, which broke a two-fight losing skid that marked his start in the UFC.

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UFC on ESPN+ 36 medical suspensions: Tyron Woodley, Sarah Alpar, two others face 180-day terms

Three main card fighters and one prelim fighter are facing lengthy suspensions.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] is among four fighters facing potential 180-day medical suspensions as a result of damage sustained at UFC on ESPN+ 36 on Saturday.

Woodley suffered a rib injury in the fifth round of his main event fight against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], which resulted in a TKO. Monday, Woodley revealed his ribs were broken earlier in the fight and shifted on a fifth-round guillotine choke submission attempt, which led to the finish.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commissions’ official record keeper.

Joining Woodley on the list of UFC on ESPN+ 36 fighters facing potential six-month suspensions is co-headliner [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag], who fought to a draw with [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]. Price may have suffered a serious injury to his right hand, according to the medical records.

[autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag], who was submitted by [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] via armbar in the first round of their main card fight, injured her elbow and will need clearance to compete before her 180-day term is up.

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Preliminary card fighter and UFC debutant [autotag]Sarah Alpar[/autotag] suffered a nasal fracture as a result of damage sustained against [autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag]. The finish garnered attention from many reporters and viewers alike, including UFC president Dana White. Midway through Round 3, referee Chris Tognoni stopped the fight for a legal knee. The action resumed, but Alpar was finished with strikes shortly thereafter.

Alpar has also been suspended 180 days – or until a doctor grants her clearance.

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 36 medical suspensions:

  • Colby Covington: No suspension.
  • Tyron Woodley: Suspended 180 days or until left costochondral tear is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • Donald Cerrone: No suspension.
  • Niko Price: Suspended 180 days or until right hand X-ray is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • Mackenzie Dern: No suspension.
  • Randa Markos: Suspended 180 days or until left elbow is cleared by doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left eyebrow laceration.
  • [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag]: Suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to right foot pain.
  • [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag]: Suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left tibia contusion.
  • [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Mara Borella[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • Jessica-Rose Clark: No suspension.
  • Sarah Alpar: Suspended 180 days or until nasal fracture is cleared by ENT doctor; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 15 days.
  • [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]T.J. Laramie[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to facial lacerations.
  • [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to facial abrasions.
  • [autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Jerome Rivera[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.

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UFC on ESPN+ 36 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone gets highest payout

UFC on ESPN+ 36 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+ 36 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $169,000.

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+ 36 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 36 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]: $20,000
vs. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mara Borella[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sarah Alpar[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]TJ Laramie[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jerome Rivera[/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: $4,598,500
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: $35,603,000

UFC on ESPN+ 28 rookie report: Grading David Dvorak, the lone newcomer in Brasilia

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time. How did the lone newcomer perform at UFC Brasilia?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For one athlete, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event marked that special moment in his career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression he made on the sport’s biggest stage from Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil.

* * * * *

David Dvorak

Division: Flyweight
Result: David Dvorak def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Record: (18-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: C+

Riding a 13-fight, 13-finish winning streak, [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag] headed into Brasilia with an air of confidence despite stepping in on short notice. That belief was evident as he went to work against Bruno Silva in their early preliminary card bout.

Dvorak looked calm and composed through the early exchanges and didn’t allow the adrenaline rush of his octagon debut to lure him into a wild start. Instead, he worked the outside and kept Silva (10-5-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on the end of his reach advantage for most of the first half of the opening round. By the middle of his first five minutes in the octagon, the Czech had connected with a host of punches, found his range with kicks to the legs and body, and stuffed a pair of the Brazilan’s takedown attempts.

But Dvorak had to weather a storm in the final minute of the round. He ate a huge kick to the face and was taken the mat as the Brazilian made the first serious breakthrough of the fight. Replays showed the kick landed flush and with power, but the Czech’s chin check held up and he came back looking untroubled at the start of Round 2.

Dvorak battled on equal terms with Silva throughout a closely contested second round, and narrowly missed with a jumping knee in the final seconds of the frame as he pushed the pace and showed that he was still looking to add to his impressive finish streak.

With Dvorak needing a big third round to give himself a shot at victory, the Czech looked to load up early, but was immediately taken to the ground. Impressively, he reversed position and, after getting back to his feet, punished Silva with solid knees to the body. Dvorak continued to push the pace, switching stances as he started to find a home for his strikes at the half-way point in the round. “Undertaker” poured on the pressure for the remainder of the final round in a desperate bid to score a late finish, but he just couldn’t quite land the knockout shot to secure victory as the bout went to the judges’ scorecards.

That strong final round proved decisive as he took the win on all three scorecards with scores of 29-28. The fact he didn’t get the finish may have contributed to his surprise at hearing his name after going all the way to the scorecards, but his grit, constant forward pressure and willingness to leave it all in the octagon should ensure he gets another solid booking in his next matchup.

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