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Check out the best photos from Drakkar Klose’s first-round knockout win over Joe Solecki at UFC on ESPN 52 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]’s first-round knockout win over [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 52 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photos by Dustin Safranek, USA TODAY Sports)
At UFC Austin, Drakkar Klose bounced Joe Solecki’s head off the canvas like a basketball during a nasty slam knockout.
Slam knockouts almost never happen in the UFC, but Saturday was different.
On the UFC on ESPN 52 prelims at Moody Center in Austin, Texas, [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (14-2-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) elevated and slammed [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) for a rare slam knockout. The stoppage came at the 1:41 mark of Round 1.
Solecki’s undoing turned out to be an armbar attempt off his back. As Solecki sought a fight-ending torque, the side of his head was driven hard into the canvas with the slam for a direct impact. Solecki’s head bounced like a basketball off the mat and his lights went out.
WHAT A KNOCKOUT 😳 #UFCAUSTIN pic.twitter.com/Sv2EdyC9kE
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 2, 2023
The bout was Klose’s first since July 2022 and extended his winning streak to three. On the flip side, Solecki had a two-fight winning streak snapped.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 52 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.
The UFC is heading back to Austin, Texas, it seems, as it’s taken out a permit from the state’s commission for December.
It appears the UFC is headed back to “The Lone Star State” for its final domestic Fight Night event of 2023.
The promotion has requested an event permit to hold a card Dec. 2 in Austin, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which oversees the state’s combative sports events.
Three people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the targeted location but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an announcement. Additionally, two fighters set for the card, [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] and [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag], also publicly indicated on social media Austin would be the location for their fight.
It’s the first time the promotion has been back to Texas since a San Antonio event in March at Moody Center. The promotion most recently visited Austin in March 2022 for UFC on ESPN 37. At the time, the event was the largest-grossing non-pay-per-view event in promotion history. The card topped by Josh Emmett vs. Calvin Kattar was action-packed with nine finishes on the card. UFC CEO Dana White was so impressed, all nine finishers received $50,000 performance bonuses.
The card does not currently have an announced headliner, though multiple contender bouts are slated for the card including Gastelum vs. [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag], [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], and [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag].
The current UFC Fight Night lineup for Dec. 2 includes:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2.
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 or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 25-Oct. 1.
The bad blood is real, so real Mark Madsen went to find Drakkar Klose at the hospital.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] tried to take [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] up on his offer, but wasn’t able to find him.
Rivals due to past training ties, Madsen (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Klose (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) were expected to fight this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 213. However, an ACL injury to Klose nixed the grudge match, at least for now.
“I’m still excited to fight Drakkar Klose,” Madsen told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday at UFC Fight Night 214 pre-fight news conference. “I can’t wait to get in there and punch my right hand through his face. He called me out early.”
The withdrawal didn’t soften the hard feelings. If anything, it sparked even more disdain between the two lightweight fighters. After Klose told Madsen to meet him outside the cage to settle the score, Madsen took him up on the offer and showed up at Mayo Clinic, where Klose was supposedly treated.
“I actually went there,” Madsen said. “He was supposed to have surgery. I asked at the front desk. Nobody heard about Drakkar. Nobody has seen him. He did not manifest on any list. I don’t know what’s going on with Drakkar. I know he pulled out, but let me send the message out right here. I’m ready to fight Drakkar Klose any time. If it’s a case of him not being injured as severely as some people say, I’m ready to go tomorrow.”
“… I was going to fight Drakkar Klose anywhere he wanted to – even at a hospital. … Let me go with my game plan. Kick the crutches. Punch him in the face. I don’t know if Mayo Clinic is paying for that, but anywhere he wanted.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj_ayIlJtp2/
Unable to successfully meet up with Klose, Madsen now has Grant Dawson in front of him. Dawson (18-1-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) sports an undefeated record inside the promotion.
“Great matchup,” Madsen said. “Undefeated vs. undefeated in the UFC. There’s always a nice ring to that. Grant has been dominating with his wrestling, with his grappling. He has some amazing skills in the areas where I also have amazing skills, so I’m excited. It’s a great matchup. This is really a fight that will put me toward the top 15, the big fights. Going in there, putting a clinic on Grant Dawson, getting a dominant win and really putting him away is going to put me on the map.”
Once Dawson is out of the way, Madsen indicated his attention will fall back on – you guessed it.
“I could beat Drakkar Klose on a Friday and then fight Saturday,” Madsen said. “I’ll probably get around that. I don’t know how long Drakkar is going to be out. As I told you guys, I’ll fight him anywhere he wants it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.
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UFC lightweights Drakkar Klose and Mark Madsen won’t settle the score Oct. 29 – or any time in the foreseeable future.
The grudge match between [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] and [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] won’t happen at UFC Fight Night 213 – or any time in the foreseeable future, for that matter.
Previously scheduled for the Oct. 29 event in Las Vegas, the fight no longer will happen. The bout was canceled after Klose (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) suffered a torn ACL in training, two people with knowledge of the injury recently informed MMA Junkie. It is not yet determined whether or not Madsen (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will remain on the card.
Neither Madsen nor Klose have commented publicly since the cancellation.
There was bad blood and hard feelings behind the matchup. Klose called for it after an April win over Brandon Jenkins because of Madsen’s ties to his former coaching staff.
“If they want, we can line up all their coaches against my coaches and we can have a big royal rumble that night,” Klose said.
With the change, the UFC Fight Night 213 lineup includes:
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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 Sept. 26-Oct. 2.
Drakkar Klose will get his wish when he meets Mark Madsen later this month.
[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] will get his wish.
Klose (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is set to meet [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) on Oct. 29 at UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Both fighters confirmed the news on social media after an initial report by Vegas Insider.
“I can’t wait for this one. I’m gonna treat my hands as cocaine and @marktheolympianmadsen face as if it was his coaches nose” 👊🏽🎱❄️👃#cocaineisahelluvadrug #ufc #Oct29th.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjLobtUJNMi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Following his bonus-winning TKO over Brandon Jenkins at UFC on ESPN 34 in April, Klose called out Madsen. The 34-year-old didn’t immediately get the fight, eventually drawing Rafa Garcia at UFC 277 in July. Klose won that bout by unanimous decision.
Madsen, 38, improved to 4-0 in the octagon when he out-grappled Vinc Pichel for the decision win at UFC 273 in April. The Olympic wrestling silver medalist fired back at Klose, taking aim at him for withdrawing against Jeremy Stephens after he was aggressively shoved and injured during their weigh-ins face-off.
“I finally get a chance to fight the dude who pulled out after he got pushed by a featherweight. I ain’t a featherweight nor your girlfriend. Don’t pull out princess
@drakkarklose.”
I finally get a chance to fight the dude who pulled out after he got pushed by a featherweight. I ain’t a featherweight nor your girlfriend. Don’t pull out princess 👸🏻@drakkarklose @espnmma @MMAFighting @MMAJunkie @BloodyElbow https://t.co/Z9Sc0Hn6Mr
— Mark O. Madsen (@MarkTheOlympian) August 17, 2022
With the addition, the Oct. 29 lineup includes:
Tony Ferguson rubbed Drakkar Klose the wrong way, and now he wants to fight him.
DALLAS – [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] rubbed [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] the wrong way, and now he wants to fight him.
Klose (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) picked up a unanimous decision win over Rafa Garcia this past Saturday at UFC 277 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas. The win marked his fifth in six outings.
In his post-fight interview in the octagon, Klose called out [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and there’s a reason for it.
“He’s from Michigan, from Muskegon, and a couple of years back after I fought Christos (Giagos) in Anaheim (Calif.), I seen him at the bar and he was like, ‘Are you the guy with the Michigan tattoo?'” Klose told reporters at his UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “I’m like, ‘Motherf*cker, you know who I am. Don’t try to f*cking play me like that.’ So I want to make sure he remembers my name.”
Other than that, the surging Klose also is looking to add a marquee name like former interim lightweight champion Ferguson to his resume.
“I’m not here to fight nobodies,” Klose said. “I want to fight the best. If I just want to go in there and get a paycheck, give me someone off (Dana White’s) Contender Series, you know what I mean? I want to be known as one of the top guys in this division, and I only can do that if I’m fighting the best guys.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 277.
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Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 277 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $313,500.
DALLAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 277 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $313,500.
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 277 took place at American Airlines Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
The full UFC 277 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $32,000
[autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Matthew Semelsberger[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Rafael Alves[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Hamdy Abdelwahab[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Adam Fugitt[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ji Yeon Kim[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Nicolae Negumereanu[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Orion Cosce[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Blood Diamond[/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.
Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $5,253,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $11,420,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 277.
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