Tag: Dricus du Plessis

With Chris Curtis and Albert Duraev out, Dricus Du Plessis now meets Anthony Hernandez at UFC 273

Dricus Du Plessis and Anthony Hernandez have been paired up after losing out on their original opponents at UFC 273.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] have been paired up after losing out on their original opponents.

Du Plessis (16-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was scheduled to face Chris Curtis, whereas Hernandez (8-2-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was booked against Albert Duraev. But after both fighters withdrew, Du Plessis will now take on Hernandez at UFC 273 on April 9 in Jacksonville, Fla.

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Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting was first to report the booking.

A proven finisher, South Africa’s Du Plessis has kicked off his UFC career with a bang. The former two-division EFC champion and ex-KSW champ took out Markus Perez, and most recently a second-round “Performance of the Night” KO of Trevin Giles at UFC 264 in July.

Hernandez is also riding plenty of momentum. The 28-year-old is coming off a massive upset, a second-round submission of ADCC champion Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 258 last February, which earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus.

The latest UFC 273 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung – for featherweight title
  • Champ Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan – for bantamweight title
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov
  • Irene Aldana vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Ian Garry vs. Darian Weeks
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura
  • Mickey Gall vs. Mike Malott
  • Pat Sabatini vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos
  • Mark Madsen vs. Vinc Pichel
  • Kay Hansen vs. Piera Rodriguez

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UFC 273 adds Chris Curtis vs. Dricus Du Plessis to lineup

Chris Curtis will look to derail the hype of another highly touted prospect when he meets Dricus Du Plessis.

[autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] will look to derail the hype of another highly touted prospect.

Curtis (28-8 MMA, 2-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) April 9 at UFC 273, which doesn’t yet have an announced venue or location.

A person with knowledge of the booking verified the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report by MMA Fighting but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make a formal announcement.

Curtis, MMA Junkie’s 2021 “Comeback Fighter of the Year,” came up big as an underdog in his first two octagon bouts. After coming from behind to knock Phil Hawes out in the first round at UFC 268, Curtis scored another upset win when he finished Brendan Allen at UFC on ESPN 31 in December.

South Africa’s Du Plessis has also kicked off his octagon tenure with two finishes. The 28-year-old, who has scored stoppage victories in all 16 of his pro wins, knocked out Markus Perez in his promotional debut, followed by a second-round “Performance of the Night” KO of Trevin Giles at UFC 264 in July.

With the addition, the UFC 273 lineup includes:

  • Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung – for featherweight title
  • Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan – for bantamweight title
  • Irene Aldana vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Pat Sabatini vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Mickey Gall vs. Mike Malott
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nassourdine Imavov
  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura
  • Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos
  • Mark Madsen vs. Vinc Pichel
  • Chris Curtis vs. Dricus Du Plessis

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UFC 269 lineup adds Dricus Du Plessis vs. Andre Muniz

A middleweight bout between Dricus Du Plessis and Andre Muniz is the latest addition to December’s UFC 269 lineup.

A middleweight bout between [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] and [autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag] is the latest addition to December’s UFC 269 lineup.

MMA Junkie verified agreements are in place for the matchup between Du Plessis (16-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Muniz (21-4 MMA, 3-0 UFC) with a person close to the situation following an initial report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN. The person requested anonymity because the promotion hasn’t made an official announcement.

UFC 269 takes place Dec. 11 but does not have a location or venue announced. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+.

Du Plessis, 27, is shining for his native South Africa thus far in his octagon debut. He’s finished both of his UFC wins by stoppage, with knockouts of Trevin Giles and Markus Perez on his resume that includes 16 finishes in 16 wins.

Muniz, 31, meanwhile, will look to make it four consecutive wins to begin his octagon tenure. The Brazilian is coming off his most notable performance to date, as he submitted former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo Souza in gruesome fashion at UFC 262 in May. Muniz has 14 first-round wins on his record.

The latest UFC 269 card now includes:

  • Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Randy Costa vs. Tony Kelley
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Kai Kara-France
  • Priscila Cachoeira vs. Gillian Robertson
  • Maycee Barber vs. Montana De La Rosa
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Andre Muniz

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UFC 264 post-event facts: Dustin Poirier joins exclusive 20-win club

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 264, which saw Dustin Poirier make history with his trilogy-fight win over Conor McGregor.

The biggest MMA event of the year so far went down Saturday when UFC 264 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The highly anticipated lightweight trilogy fight in the main event ended in unexpected fashion when [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 20-5 UFC) defeated [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) by first-round TKO after the former two-division champion suffered a broken tibia.

Regardless of how it happened, it’s a win for “The Diamond,” who further entrenched his legacy in the UFC record books.

For more on the numbers, check below for 50 pre-event facts coming out of UFC 264.

UFC 264 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Conor McGregor nets $11,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 264 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $218,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 264 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $218,000.

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 264 took place at the T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 264 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Sean O’Malley [/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kris Moutinho[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Condit[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jerome Rivera[/autotag]: $4,500

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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,332,500
Program-to-date total: $2,332,500

UFC 264 adds Dricus Du Plessis vs. Trevin Giles to lineup

The middleweight matchup was originally scheduled for March 20, but was canceled due to visa issues.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag] have once again been paired up.

The two middleweight fighters are set to square off July 10 at UFC 264. The event takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by the trilogy bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

The two fighters were originally scheduled to fight March 20 at UFC on ESPN 21 in Las Vegas. It never transpired, however, because Du Plessis (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) encountered visa issues.

Du Plessis, a former KSW champion, won his UFC debut in October when he knocked out Markus Perez in the first round. The victory extended his winning streak to three. Du Plessis has finished 15 of his 17 professional MMA wins.

After Du Plessis withdrew from their originally scheduled meeting, Giles (14-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) faced Roman Doldize, who he defeated by unanimous decision. The win came on the heels of back-to-back victories over James Krause and Bevon Lewis.

With the addition, the UFC 264 lineup includes:

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Jessica Eye vs. Jennifer Maia
  • Ryan Hall vs. Ilia Topuria
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Brad Tavares
  • Jerome Rivera vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
  • Greg Hardy vs. Tai Tuivasa
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Trevin Giles

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Dricus Du Plessis vs. Trevin Giles targeted for UFC Fight Night on March 20

A middleweight matchup between Dricus Du Plessis and Trevin Giles is in the works for UFC Fight Night on March 20.

A middleweight matchup is in the works for UFC Fight Night on March 20.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will take on [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in an event that does not yet have a venue or location.

Two people with knowledge of the booking informed MMA Junkie of the plans but requested anonymity as the UFC has yet to make a formal announcement.

South Africa’s Du Plessis made good in his UFC debut when he knocked out Markus Perez in the first round at UFC Fight Night 179 in October, for his eighth career first-round finish.

Meanwhile, after dropping two straight to Zak Cummings and Gerald Meerschaert, Giles has since rebounded with back-to-back wins over James Krause and, most recently, a third-round TKO of Bevon Lewis in November.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night on March 20 lineup includes:

  • Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland
  • Cheyanne Buys vs. Kay Hansen
  • Julia Avila vs. Julija Stoliarenko
  • Max Griffin vs. Song Kenan
  • Gustavo Lopez vs. Adrian Yanez
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Trevin Giles

Video: Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, Zhang Weili star in UFC’s best faceoffs of 2020

Take a look back at the most intense UFC staredowns of the last 12 months, featuring Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, Zhang Weili and more.

When it comes to covering fight week, few moments get the blood pumping and the anticipation soaring better than a great faceoff. The UFC squares off their fighters before every event for exactly that reason, and some of the sport’s biggest stars have developed their own styles as they use their faceoff opportunities to strike a final mental blow ahead of fight night.

Over the course of 2020, and despite the social distancing rules applied across the globe, we were still treated to a host of memorable faceoffs. To kick off the year – and before COVID-19 arrived – we saw the likes of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] get up close and personal at the UFC 246 ceremonial weigh-ins in January, while [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] exchanged words in a tense staredown ahead of their memorable strawweight title clash at UFC 248 in March.

The arrival of the coronavirus pandemic in March didn’t deprive us of some memorable faceoffs, however, with the fighters allowed to go nose to nose, with or without masks, after being subjected to multiple COVID-19 tests before and throughout fight week.

It meant we got to see debuting former KSW and EFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] go face-to-face with “The Joker,” aka [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag], ahead of UFC Fight Night 179 in October, while middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] enjoyed a pair of tense faceoffs as he locked eyes with rivals [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] and [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] ahead of his two successful title defenses in 2020.

Recap the best of the UFC’s 2020 faceoffs via the video above.

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UFC on ESPN+ 37 medical suspensions: Cory Sandhagen’s win comes with a potential cost

Cory Sandhagen was victorious in the UFC on ESPN+ 37 main event, but his win came at a cost.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] was victorious in the UFC on ESPN+ 37 main event, but his win came at a cost.

Taking on fellow top bantamweight contender [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] on Saturday, Sandhagen (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) picked up a second-round TKO via a spinning wheel kick and punches. Against Moraes (23-7-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC), however, Sandhagen sustained an eye injury that could put him out of action for 180 days.

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

Also receiving potential six-month suspensions are [autotag]Tom Breese[/autotag], [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag], [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag], [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag], and [autotag]Omar Morales[/autotag] for injuries suffered in their fights Saturday.

UFC on ESPN+ 37 took place at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event streamed on ESPN+.

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 37 medical suspensions:

  • Cory Sandhagen: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by an ophthalmologist; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Marlon Moraes: Suspended 45 days for TKO with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for a right eyebrow laceration with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days for a knockout with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Alan Baudot[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for TKO with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for left eyelid laceration with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Tom Breese: Suspended 180 days or until right knee MRI and left tibia/fibula x-rays are cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]K.B. Bhullar[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Rodrigo Nascimento: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by an ophthalmologist; Also suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for right scalp laceration.
  • [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Impa Kasanganay: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by an ophthalmologist; Also suspended 60 days for knockout with no contact for 45 days.
  • Tony Kelley: Suspended 180 days or until right elbow MRI is and right tibia/fibula x-ray are cleared by doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Omar Morales: Suspended 180 days or until right elbow MRI, left tibia/fibula X-ray, and left ankle X-ray are cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right eyebrow laceration with no contact for 21 days.

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UFC on ESPN+ 37 video: Dricus Du Plessis debuts with faceplant KO of Markus Perez

Dricus Du Plessis scored an emphatic knockout of Markus Perez in his octagon debut.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] scored an emphatic knockout of [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag] in his octagon debut Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 37.

Du Plessis (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a former KSW and EFC champion, starched Perez (11-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) into a faceplant knockout finish in the first round of their middleweight bout, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Although Du Plessis looked shaky in the opening minutes, leading to speculation from cage commentators Dan Hardy and Paul Felder that he might be experiencing the infamous “octagon jitters,” Du Plessis was clearly able to overcome them as he caught Perez with an awkward shot then followed up with devastating follow-up blows.

Watch the video of the finish below (via Twitter):

With the win, Du Plessis has won 11 of his past 12 fights. His 100 percent career stoppage rate also remained in tact. Perez, meanwhile, has now lost back-to-back bouts.

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