Tag: Drakkar Klose

MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for March: A title fight for the ages

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from March 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from March 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for March.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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The Nominees

Alex Oliveira def. Max Griffin at UFC 248

[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) went to great lengths to leave his welterweight fight with [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) as a winner.

The Brazilian fighter had a back-and-forth war with Griffin in a bout where both men were bloodied. Oliveira defeated Griffin by split decision with a pair of 29-28s from two judges’ scorecards.

Beneil Dariush def. Drakkar Klose at UFC 248

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) produced arguably the greatest highlight of his career when he scored a spectacular knockout of [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the second round of their lightweight bout.

After a solid first round, the fight got crazy in the second when Dariush and Klose slugged it out and stunned each other. Dariush was able to push through it better, though, and finally landed a devastated overhand left that sent Klose bouncing off the fence and crashing into the canvas.

Zhang Weili def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248

[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) put on arguably the greatest title fight in women’s MMA history when they went tooth and nail for five rounds to determine who would be the UFC strawweight champion.

Weili ultimately emerged victorious by split decision to retain her belt, but not without going through 25 minutes of hell. The Chinese titleholder and Jedrzejczyk combined for the third most significant strikes in a UFC title fight. It came down to the wire, but there could only be one winner and it was Weili.

Maryna Moroz def. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC on ESPN+ 28

[autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) produced the “Fight of the Night” in Brasilia with a three-round banger in the women’s flyweight division.

Moroz was seemingly one step ahead of Bueno Silva over the course of the bout to take a unanimous decision victory. The win kept Moroz unbeaten since moving up to 125 pounds, and netted her some extra money in the process.

Charles Oliveira def. Kevin Lee at UFC on ESPN+ 28

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 17-8 UFC) picked up his first UFC main event when he defeated [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) to extend his winning streak to seven.

Oliveira extended his streak with a third-round submission win over Lee courtesy of a guillotine choke. The Brazilian waited for his moment to attack with the choke, and when he got it tied the UFC’s all-time stoppage record.

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The Winner: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

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Weili and Jedrzejczyk put themselves through the ringer for the entertainment of the fight world. In the end, the champion prevailed.

Weili and Jedrzejczyk stood toe to toe for five rounds, exchanging strikes and not backing down in a bout that will go down as an all-time classic, resulting in Weili winning by split decision to retain her strawweight title.

By the end of it, Jedrzejczyk was nearly unrecognizable with a bad hematoma causing her entire forehead to swell.

Jedrzejczyk opened the fight by, as promised, using a lot of movement to avoid Weili’s aggression and power. She worked well behind the jab, while Weili attacked with low kicks. The strikes came fast and furious from each side as Weili worked the body, and Jedrzejczyk teed off with combinations. Weili landed her best punch with roughly 90 seconds remaining, but Jedrzejczyk seemed to take it well and continued to fire back.

The action picked up where it left off to begin the second round. The output of both fighters was absurdly high, but Jedrzejczyk seemed to be more composed and accurate in her approach against Weili’s power shots. Weili went for the first takedown of the fight, but Jedrzejczyk shrugged it off, answered with some knees in the clinch, then evaded. Weili landed a huge punch that staggered her opponent, but Jedrzejczyk managed to shake off the cobwebs and do some work to make up the deficit of Weili’s big moment.

The leg kicks from Jedrzejczyk seemingly took a toll on Weili going into the third round. The movement and output slowed, which allowed Jedrzejczyk to pick up the pace and find her range on a less mobile target. Jedrzejczyk landed some very good strikes, both as the aggressor and the counter-striker, and Weili knew she needed something to change. Weili attempted to grapple in the final two minutes, but Jedrzejczyk’s takedown defense couldn’t be penetrated and she ended the round in striking range, but Jedrzejczyk developed a gruesome hematoma on her forehead.

With the momentum seemingly on Jedrzejczyk’s side going into the championship rounds, Weili did not appear deterred. She continued to be aggressive, but Jedrzejczyk showed to be more technical both offensively and defensively. Weili certainly found her openings, landing clean punches. Jedrzejczyk’s chin continued to hold up, though, and the pace of the fight was perfectly suiting her style. She found a strong groove going into the final round, despite having a disturbing amount of bruising on her face.

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With the title hanging in the balance, both fighters came out determined to put an exclamation mark in the fifth round. Jedrzejczyk stayed true to her game plan despite awful damage to her face, stepping in the pocket and engaging Weili in a firefight. Weili’s straight punches did her well, but Jedrzejczyk appeared to be more than comfortable with the power and landed some shots that had Weili briefly on some shaky legs. Weili wouldn’t go way, though, and answered back. They kept at it down the home stretch, both landing clean to cap off an incredible 25-minute championship fight.

“We are all martial artists here,” Weili said through an interpreter in her post-fight interview. “We want to set an example for the kids. Thank you everyone.”

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UFC 248 medical suspensions: Israel Adesanya needs his feet checked out

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.

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UFC 248 salaries: Israel Adesanya takes home good chunk of total payout

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
  • Zhang Weili: $200,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
    def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk: $106,000
  • [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: $40,000
  • [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $152,000 (includes $76,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $64,000
  • [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]: $128,000 (includes $64,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $35,000
  • [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $70,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Jose Quinonez[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]: $66,000 (includes $33,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag]: $22,000
  • [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $10,000
  • [autotag]Danaa Batgerel[/autotag]: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: $14,000

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.

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UFC 248 post-event facts: Numbers support Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk as an all-time title fight

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.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $257,000.

Weili, Jedrzejczyk, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 248 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 0-1 on the card.

UFC 248 drew an announced attendance of 15,077 for a live gate of $2,742,906.20.

Betting favorites went 8-3 on the card.

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.

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UFC 248 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $32 million

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:

* * * *

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jose Quinonez[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Danaa Batgerel[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: $5,000

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: $1,083,500
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: $32,088,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 248 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $265,000.

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 248 with Aerosmith, Lupe Fiasco

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 248 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC 248 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

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UFC 248 results: Beneil Dariush knocks out Drakkar Klose in spectacular fashion

What a finish for Beneil Dariush, who picked up his first knockout win since 2016.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] didn’t need jiu-jitsu to win at UFC 248.

The UFC veteran scored one of the best finishes of his career at Saturday’s UFC 248 pay-per-view event at the T-Mobile Arena, but it didn’t come by way of his nifty ground game. Dariush (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) knocked out [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] in the second round of their lightweight contest after a wild exchange that had the crowd on its feet.

The final seconds were completely opposite to what went down in the first round. For the majority of the opening round, Dariush controlled Klose (11-1-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) as he had taken his back and worked for a standing rear-naked choke.

In the second round, Klose attempted to make up for lost ground and came out swinging hard at Dariush. Klose connected, wobbled Dariush and began to pressure him looking for the finish. But instead of going into defense mode, the Iranian fighter stayed in the pocket and managed to switch the momentum with a hard hook, hurting Klose.

Once rocked, Dariush followed up with a brutal left hook that sent Klose straight to the canvas. It was Dariush’s first KO win since stopping James Vick in 2016.

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Dariush is now on a four-fight winning streak and finds himself in a promising position in the UFC’s lightweight division.

The 155-pound bout was part of the UFC 248 main card at T-Mobile Arena. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 248 results include:

Israel Adesanya ($500k), Yoel Romero ($350k) lead UFC 248 disclosed salaries

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will take home a cool half-million, win or lose, at UFC 248. But what about Zhang Weili?

Middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] will take home a cool half-million, win or lose, at UFC 248.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is scheduled to make $500,000 with no potential win bonus for his main event title fight against challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Romero is set to make $350,000 with no win bonus.

In the co-main event, former women’s strawweight champion and now title challenger [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) actually will make more than defending champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) with a win. Jedrzejczyk is set to make $106,000 to show and another $106,000 to win. Weili is scheduled to make $100,000 to show and another $100,000 to win.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) can make $70,000 to show and double that to win against [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who is set to make $40,000/$40,000.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC) can make $76,000/$76,000 in his welterweight fight against [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who is scheduled to make $64,000/$64,000.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is scheduled for $64,000/$64,000 at featherweight against [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC), who can make $35,000/$35,000.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole reported the salaries from the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Now, the usual disclaimer: 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 oftentimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials will hand out additional $50,000 bonuses for “Performance of the Night” and/or “Fight of the Night” honors.

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

Drakkar Klose aims to finish ‘flat-footed’ and ‘chinny’ Beneil Dariush at UFC 248

Drakkar Klose sees Beneil Dariush as a sitting target, looking to hand him another stoppage loss.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] sees [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] as a sitting target.

Klose (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) takes on Dariush (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) on the UFC 248 main card Saturday looking to notch his fourth win in a row. Although Klose hasn’t scored a finish in almost five years, he envisions taking out Dariush, who’s last two losses have come by knockout.

“He’s real flat-footed, he’s slow on the feet, he’s real chinny,” Klose told MMA Junkie at Thursday’s media day. “He’s almost visited Jesus a couple of times. I’m not trying to sit him there right now, but he’s been on the doorstep.”

The pair originally was scheduled to fight last July, but an injury forced Dariush out, and the fight was subsequently scrapped.

An unamused Klose expressed his frustration towards Dariush for pulling out at the time, but just days ahead of their rescheduled bout he’s happy to see him make it this time.

“I’m glad he showed up,” Klose said. “I guess those toes really hurt him last time, so I’m just glad he’s here, and we’re gonna put on a show Saturday night.”

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But it’s all water under the bridge for Klose who’s taken a different approach this time around.

“I’ve been going to a sports psychologist, and we’ve been talking a lot about partnership,” Klose said. “I need Beneil to show up and bring the best out of me, so I hope he’s injury free, had a great camp, because it’s just going to make me better.

“Just mentally, I used to go into fights thinking of it as a war, but now it’s a partnership. He’s only going to make me better – win, lose, or draw. I’m just going to get better from the experience.”

UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full UFC 248 pre-fight interview with Klose in the video above.

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UFC 248 predictions: Who’s picking underdog upsets in the two title fights?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 248 main card, which features Adesanya vs. Romero and Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk title fights.

Adesanya
vs.
Romero		 Weili
vs.
Jedrzejczyk		 Dariush
vs.
Klose		 Jingliang
vs.
Magny		 Griffin
vs.
Oliveira
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 28-16		 adesanya2020
Adesanya
(54%)		 zhang2020
Weili
(69%)		 dariush2020
Dariush
(55%)		 jingliang2020
Jingliang
(58%)		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
(77%)
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 38-11
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 romero2020
Romero		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 griffin2020
Griffin
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 37-12		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 37-12		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 klose2020
Klose		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 37-12		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 griffin2020
Griffin
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 36-13
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 36-13		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 klose2020
Klose		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 36-13		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 36-13		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 35-14
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 klose2020
Klose		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 35-14		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 34-15		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 zhang2020
Weili		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 griffin2020
Griffin
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 34-15
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 adesanya2020
Adesanya		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 31-18		 romero2020
Romero		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 dariush2020
Dariush		 jingliang2020
Jingliang		 oliveira2020
Oliveira
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 23-26		 romero2020
Romero		 jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk		 klose2020
Klose		 magny2020
Magny		 oliveira2020
Oliveira

The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week, and a pair of title fights are at the top of the bill.

UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he meets challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). Adesanya is as much as a 3-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he’s got a big lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers – only three of which are taking Romero in an upset.

The co-main event is another title fight. Women’s strawweight champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) puts her belt up for the first time when she takes on former champ [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Zhang is a mild favorite, but she’s got a fairly significant 9-5 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at lightweight. Dariush is a -170 favorite, and he’s got a big 10-4 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) also is about a -170 favorite in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC). That bout is our most contentious – Jingliang has just an 8-6 picks edge.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is just a slight favorite over [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC), but he’s got a big 11-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Adesanya (54 percent), Weili (69 percent), Dariush (55 percent), Jingliang (58 percent) and Oliveira (77 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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