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Check out the best photos from Alonzo Menifield’s unanimous decision win over Dustin Jacoby at UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag] at UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA Today Sports)
The best facts and figures about UFC 296, which features a loaded card of title fights, contender matchups and notable names with records.
The UFC goes out with a bang for its final event of 2023 on Saturday as a loaded UFC 296 is scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the main card set to air on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.
The 43rd and final card of the year features two championship fights at the top of the bill. In the main event, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) puts his welterweight title on the line against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), while in the co-headliner, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) looks to defend flyweight gold for the first time in a rematch with [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC).
The rest of the card features a mix of contenders, familiar names and more with history inside the octagon. For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 296.
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UFC 296 competitor Dustin Jacoby recently snapped a two-fight skid, a win he attributes to modeling his mindset after Justin Gaethje’s.
[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag] is always concentrated on the task at hand, but sometimes the focus is directed inward.
The mental side of the fight game has been a focus of Jacoby (19-7-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) in recent fights, particularly in the wake of a successful attempt to snap a two-fight losing skid, which he did in August when he finished Kennedy Nzechukwu in 88 seconds.
“The last fight with Kennedy, I just felt no pressure, man,” Jacoby recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “I just felt like, ‘Go out there and have fun. Go out there and enjoy the moment. Enjoy the crowd. Enjoy the opportunity. Enjoy the experience.’ The fight could not have went any better. I was just in a really good mental zone for that camp and for that fight night. I told my coach right after, ‘If I can find that same zone every single time, I feel like I could be unbeatable.’
“That’s all it really is, is a mind state, a state of mind. Every fight is different. You try to reenact these things and recreate these moments but you can’t. Every moment is different. You’ve just got to go with the flow and prepare and hope for the best. I think that’s what I did in my last fight vs. Kennedy and it really showed. It was one of my best performances and it was a great night.”
In a profession largely determined by wins and losses, Jacoby admits it’s difficult to stay in the moment and focus on the process rather than results. But he knows when he does just that is usually when the best outcomes flourish.
In order to understand that mindset more, Jacoby modeled his composure after one of the most violent and exciting fighters in UFC history.
“You know what fired me up for that fight, too?” Jacoby questioned. “The week before, Justin Gaethje had fought in Salt Lake City. It was a big pay-per-view card in Salt Lake City. I remember just thinking of those fighters, and Gaethje, in particular. He goes out there and just owns the moment. It doesn’t matter what else is going on. It doesn’t matter how you feel or if you had a bad camp or you just didn’t get enough sleep the night before. None of that matters. All that matters is the 15 minutes you get the opportunity to go out there and showcase your skills. I completely just let everything go and I think that was it.”
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Jacoby, 35, returns on Dec. 16 at UFC 296 when he battles Alonzo Menifield (14-3-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) in an attempt to transform a standalone win into a two-fight streak. With his newfound mental solidity, Jacoby is confident and has top 10 aspirations in mind.
“I’m coming off a big win, but I’m still of that mindset that my back is against the wall,” Jacoby said. “I need to win this fight. I need to get back and keep my ranking at No. 14 and go into 2024 with that top 10 mindset, the mentality of getting into the top 10 and seeing what the opportunities (are) and what they may be.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.
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 Oct. 9-15.
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 50, where Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font set a dubious record for strikes landed in a fight.
The UFC made its sixth stop in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 50, which took place at Bridgestone Arena and saw seven of 12 fights on the card end in a decision.
Among those were the main event, where [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) cruised to a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a 140-pound catchweight fight that featured a substantial lack of action.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 50.
UFC on ESPN 50 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $170,500.
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 on ESPN 50 took place at Bridgestone Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 50 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeremiah Wells[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000
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 $50,000 while title challengers get $50,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-50 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $5,222,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,811,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.
Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville, Tenn.
UFC on ESPN 50 took place Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
In the main event, Cory Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) took on Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a key bantamweight fight. In the co-feature, former women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) meets unbeaten contender Tatiana Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC).
Check out round-by-round updates below.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Check out the best photos from Dustin Jacoby’s first-round TKO win over Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 50 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (Photos by Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)
Dustin Jacoby had been brought back down to earth his past two fights, but is back in the win column with a fast finish in Nashville.
After a crazy 8-0-1 run that included his return to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag] had been brought back down to earth his past two fights.
Jacoby (19-7-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC might be back in the mix at light heavyweight after a brutal finish of Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville, Tenn. Jacoby took a shot, but drilled Nzechukwu with one of his own and sent him to the canvas.
Jacoby pounced on the slight favorite quickly and soon after had his first win in more than a year. He needed just 82 seconds for the TKO. After the win, he called out former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir.
Check out Jacoby’s stoppage of Nzechukwu below.
👊 @TheHanyakDJ’s world class striking on display at #UFCNashville! pic.twitter.com/splmN0vYYC
— UFC (@ufc) August 6, 2023
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 odds and lines between Dustin Jacoby and Kennedy Nzechukwu with MMA picks, tips and predictions.
In a light heavyweight bout on the main card, Dustin Jacoby and Kennedy Nzechukwu meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 50 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 50: Jacoby vs. Nzechukwu odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims are on ESPN/ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET and the main card is on ESPN/ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET.
Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.
Records: Jacoby (18-7-1) | Nzechukwu (12-3-0)
Jacoby is looking to turn things around after suffering a split-decision loss to Azamat Murzakov in mid-April and a unanimous-decision loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. in Oct. 2022. Jacoby had been 6-0-1 in his UFC career prior to dropping those 2 bouts. The American fighter has gone the distance on 4 occasions in his last 5 fights with a lone 1st Round KO/TKO over Da Woon Jung in July 2022 as his only finish.
Nzechukwu has posted 3 straight victories heading into this fight, including a pair of KO/TKO wins and a submission victory over Devin Clark last time in the octagon in early May. He has gone the distance just once in the previous 7 bouts.
Nzechukwu, a.k.a. “The African Savage”, takes the walk with an impressive 7-inch reach advantage. The southpaw also has a slight 0.69-to-0.40 takedown advantage and a 50.0% takedown accuracy percentage. Jacoby has a slight 5.44-to-4.89 significant strikes landed per minute advantage while managing a 49.87% accuracy percentage in that category.
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Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:10 a.m. ET.
The favorite NZECHUKWU (-165) has an astonishing 7-inch reach advantage, and he’ll use that to keep Jacoby at a distance until he decides otherwise. Jacoby simply won’t be able to get next to him, and the Nigerian-born fighter will dictate the tempo and pace of the fight.
In addition, METHOD OF VICTORY 5-WAY: NZECHUKWU BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (+175) is a strong value. He has 3 straight finishes, and it’s hard to envision a scenario where Jacoby is able to get into Nzechukwu’s kitchen to start cooking.
If you want to take Nzechukwu by KO/TKO or DQ (+200) on the 7-way line, that pays slightly better, but it’s nice to have a little insurance in case he can tap Jacoby, and it isn’t that much more expensive.
I also like KO/TKO/DQ (+100) for the generic fight finish at even money, and you needn’t declare a winner on that prop.
UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (+110) is a strong play at plus money. If this one ends as I think, and Nzechukwu gets it done with a stoppage, it will be well before the midway point of Round 3.
In addition, NO (-120): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is slightly more expensive but it’s also a good play if you’re a little more conservative.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.
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