Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 194 event has an 11th hour change to the lineup.
Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 194 event has an 11th hour change to the lineup.
With [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) out of his welterweight fight to open the main card against [autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will take an extreme short-notice fight for his UFC debut.
A person with knowledge of the booking informed MMA Junkie of Curtis’ short-notice opportunity Friday. The new booking first was reported by MMA DNA.
Curtis, a former CES welterweight champion, posted short videos on his Instagram stories early Friday showing him in the sauna, as well as covered in towels in an apparent weight cut ahead of the official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 194. The videos were presented without commentary.
UFC Fight Night 194 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Curtis, who trains in Las Vegas, had a shot at the UFC in 2018 on Dana White’s Contender Series. But despite a third-round TKO win, he wasn’t awarded a contract. He went on to sign with the PFL, where he went 1-3 in the promotion’s inaugural 2019 season.
But since three straight setbacks in PFL, Curtis is on a five-fight winning streak. Most recently, he outworked former longtime UFC fighter Kenny Robertson for a unanimous decision at XMMA 2 in July.
Hawes has a seven-fight winning streak. He got his UFC shot after a 78-second knockout win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, then knocked out Jacob Malkoun in just 18 seconds in his promotional debut at UFC 254. Since then, he has back-to-back decision wins over Nassourdine Imavov and Kyle Daukaus in 2021.
The UFC has not yet made a formal announcement about Winn’s withdrawal from the card.
With the change, the UFC Fight Night 194 lineup now includes:
Phil Hawes already had a fight booked against Deron Winn on July 17 before making the walk at UFC on ESPN 24.
[autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag] already knew what was next before making the walk against Kyle Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 24.
Prior to defeating Daukaus by unanimous decision Saturday, Hawes (11-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was double booked to face [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on July 17. Pending the results of his medical suspension, it will be right back to work for Hawes, who will take on standout wrestler Winn in two months.
A person with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the booking Sunday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an announcement. Hawes first mentioned the matchup in an interview with Pub Sports Radio.
“I’ve got Deron on the schedule – I think I’ve got him in July, booked or whatever,” Hawes told Pub Sports Radio prior to fighting Daukaus. “But the opportunity came, the UFC hit me up and they came and asked me do I want to fight Kyle Daukaus, and I said yeah. I always want a chance to prove that I’m the best in the world and showcase my skills, but it’s a testament to show that the UFC believes in me because they double booked me. A lot of people aren’t doing that. I can’t name anyone really in the UFC roster that’s got two fights scheduled, contracted.”
Winn was quick to comment on his next fight after Hawes picked up a win over Daukaus”
“Disrespectfully double booked is what I’ll call it. I hope this dude is medically cleared and back in the gym on Monday! He’s not gonna be able to rely off his wrestling to win this fight. I’ll be more prepared and sound than I’ve ever been! July 17th is about to be a certified banger!”
In his most recent outing in December, Winn snapped a two-fight skid with a unanimous decision win over Antonio Arroyo. Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Hawes will look to remain unbeaten in the octagon when he competes for the third time this year.
Take a look inside Deron Winn’s win over Antonio Arroyo at UFC Fight Night 183 in Las Vegas.
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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag] beat Antonio Arroyo with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 183 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Winn, who snapped a two-fight skid with a mild upset win.
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 183, which saw Stephen Thompson beat Geoff Neal in Las Vegas.
The UFC closed out its 2020 schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 183, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The 41st and final headliner of the year saw [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (16-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) put on a classic striking clinic against [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) to secure a unanimous decision victory in the matchup of ranked welterweights.
For more on the numbers behind the card, as well as the rest of the event, check below.
UFC Fight Night 183 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 Fight Night 183 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $170,000.
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 Fight Night 183 took place at UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC Fight Night 183 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:
“UFC Fight Night 183: Thompson vs. Neal” – $170,000
Jamahal Hill, Tim Elliott, Luis Pena and Deron Winn have been suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission for positive drug tests.
Four UFC fighters have been given suspensions at the latest Nevada Athletic Commission hearing.
On Thursday, the NAC suspended and fined [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag], [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] and [autotag]Luis Pena[/autotag] for testing positive for cannabis, while [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag] was suspended for testing positive for amphetamines.
Elliott (16-11-1 MMA, 5-9 UFC) and Pena (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) each were suspended four and a half months and fined 15 percent of the fight purses from their corresponding bouts. They each received reduced suspensions since they had taken their fights on short notice.
Elliott lost to Brandon Royval on May 30 at UFC on ESPN 9. Pena lost to Khama Worthy on June 27 at UFC on ESPN 12. Both fighters lost by submission.
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Hill (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) most recently fought at UFC on ESPN 9 on May 30 and picked up a first-round TKO victory over Klidson Abreu. The win over Abreu was overturned to a no contest due to his violation. He also received a six-month suspension and a fine of 15 percent of his fight purse.
Winn (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) received a $1,800 fine and a nine-month suspension for his positive test. The American Kickboxing Academy product most recently competed on March 7 where he fell short to Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 248.
All suspensions are retroactive to the date of the failed tests.
Hill and Elliott’s positive tests came from May 30 collections. Pena’s positive test came from a sample collected July 27. Winn’s positive test came March 7.
Israel Adesanya is one of six fighters in need of further evaluation after UFC 248.
[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is one of six fighters in need of further evaluation after UFC 248.
The UFC middleweight champion Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who defended his title in a unanimous decision over Yoel Romero (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in Saturday’s headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, needs X-rays on both of his feet before obtaining clearance to fight again.
Monday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, the body that oversaw the event.
Complete UFC 248 medical suspensions include:
* * * *
Israel Adesanya: Needs X-rays of both feet. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until April 9; minimum suspension no contact until April 29.
[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]: Suspended until May 5; no contact until April 22.
[autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]: Suspended until May 5; no contact until April 22.
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: Needs MRI on right knee. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until April 9.
[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: Needs MRI on left shoulder. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on left foot. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Jose Quinonez[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on left foot. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on left ankle. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag]: Suspended until April 7; no contact until March 29.
[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Danaa Batgerel[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on right foot. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.
[autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was the highest earner at UFC 248, taking home more than double that of the card’s other champ.
Middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] was the highest earner at UFC 248, taking home more than twice as much disclosed pay as the card’s other defending champ.
Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) made $500,000 with no win bonus for his main event title defense against challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Romero made $350,000 in defeat.
The other defending champion on the card, Zhang Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) netted $200,000 for beating [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who got $106,000 in the memorable title contest.
The total disclosed payroll for the event was $2.086 million.
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Complete disclosed salaries for UFC 248:
Israel Adesanya: $500,000 (no win bonus)
def. Yoel Romero: $350,000
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 248 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 handed out additional $50,000 UFC 248 fight-night bonuses to Dariush and O’Malley for “Performance of the Night,” and Weili and Jedrzejczyk for “Fight of the Night.”
In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.
The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 248, which saw Israel Adesanya beat Yoel Romero in the main event.
The UFC returned to Las Vegas for the second time this year on Saturday with UFC 248, which took place at T-Mobile Arena with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Two title fights sat atop the card, and neither champion was unseated. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) kept ahold of his middleweight strap with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in the main event, while [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) managed retain her strawweight title by edging out [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a split decision.
For more on the numbers to come out of the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts from UFC 248.
Betting favorites improved to 5-2 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 2:16:14.
Main card
Israel Adesanya
Adesanya’s 19-fight winning streak is third longest among active UFC fighters behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (28) and Zhang (21).
Adesanya’s 19-fight winning streak is the longest among active UFC middleweights.
Adesanya’s eight-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.
Romero’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Romero fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to July 2017.
Romero has suffered all four of his UFC losses by decision.
Zhang Weili
Weili extended her winning streak to 21 fights. She hasn’t suffered a defeat since her MMA debut in November 2013.
Weili’s 21-fight winning streak is the second longest among all fighters on the UFC roster behind Nurmagomedov (28).
Weili’s five-fight UFC winning streak at strawweight is with Tatiana Suarez and Yan Xiaonan for the longest active streak in the division.
Weili and Jedrzejczyk combined for 351 significant strikes landed, the third most in UFC title-fight history. Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega hold the record with 400 total at UFC 231.
Jedrzejczyk fell to 2-4 in her past six fights dating back to when she lost the UFC strawweight title in November 2017.
Jedrzejczyk is one of two fighters UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in eight separate fights. Max Holloway also accomplished the feat.
Jedrzejczyk has suffered three of her four career losses by decision.
Dariush’s (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) 12 UFC lightweight victories since 2014 are the most in the division.
[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Neil Magny
[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]’s (22-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).
Magny’s 15 victories since 2013 in UFC competition are second most among active fighters in the company behind Donald Cerrone (17).
Magny has earned nine of his 15 UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by decision.
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) improved to 8-5 (with one no contest) in UFC welterweight competition.
[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to July 2018.
Griffin has suffered seven of his eight career losses by decision.
Preliminary card
Sean O’Malley
O’Malley (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned eight of 11 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered three of his four career losses by decision. That includes both of his UFC defeats.
[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all seven of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished both of his UFC wins by submission.
[autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his middleweight debut.
Safarov has suffered all of his career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has earned 28 of his 30 carer victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his UFC wins.
[autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 6-0.
Winn suffered the first submission loss of his career.
[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by (split) decision.
[autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 248 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $257,000.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 248 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $257,000.
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 248 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The full UFC 248 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:
