A full recap of 2019’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producers Michael Carroll, here are some of 2019’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
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EVENTS
Octagon girls at UFC 238
The UFC held 42 events in 39 different cities across 15 countries and five continents.
Within those events, there were 516 fights across 13 different weight classes (including catchweight bouts).
Those 516 fights combined for a total cage time of 94:59:04.
The longest event of the year was “UFC on ESPN+ 19: Joanna vs. Waterson” in Tampa, Fla., at 2:57:27. It was the second longest in company history behind “UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” (3:04:18).
The shortest event of the year was “UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos” in Minneapolis at 1:38:12.
“UFC on ESPN+ 13: de Randamie vs. Ladd” featured 62 seconds of total fight time in the main and co-main event, the single-event record in company history.
At those events, the UFC drew an announced total attendance of 548,023 for a live gate total of $61,050,133.74 (Note: Live gate was not announced for 11 events; no attendance was revealed for one event).
The highest reported attended event of the year was “UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in Melbourne (57,127), which was the all-time company record, while the lowest attended event was “UFC on ESPN+ 20: Maia vs. Askren” in Singapore (7,155).
The highest reported income gate of the year was “UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz” in New York ($6,575,996.19) while the lowest reported income gate of the year went to “UFC on ESPN+ 4: Lewis vs. Dos Santos” in Wichita, Kan. ($636,417.26).
In 2019, 168 fight-night bonuses were given out for a sum of $8.4 million.
The most knockouts at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos,” “UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz” and “UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington” with seven each.
Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes
“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a new single-event record. UFC 231 held the previous high with 1,647.
The most submissions at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 5: Covington vs. Lawler” with five.
The most fights to go to a decision at a single event went to “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” with 10.
“UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” featured nine consecutive decision results, tied for the single-event UFC record.
“UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” started with nine consecutive decision results, the single-event record.
“UFC on ESPN 7: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik” marked the third event in company history to feature two draws. UFC 22 and UFC 216 were the others.
Betting favorites went 319-182. Fifteen fights ended in a draw, no contest or had even odds.
Betting favorites went 22-18 in event headliners. Two fights ended in a no contest or had even odds.
“UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos” and “UFC on ESPN+ 22: Blachowicz vs. Jacare” had the most favorites come through victorious, with 10 each. On the flip side, seven underdogs won at three separate events.
Aspen Ladd
A total of 30 fighters officially missed weight for their respective contests. The 28 fighters in that group to compete went 10-17-1 in their respective bouts.
A total of 135 fighters made their UFC debut in 2019. Those fighters went 57-74-2 with two no contests. Debuting fighters who faced an opponent with at least one bout of UFC experience went 43-58-2 with two no contests.
A variety of circumstances caused a total of 19 UFC main event or co-main event fights to be adjusted, postponed or canceled entirely.
One entire event was canceled (UFC 233 in January in Anaheim, Calif.)
Dustin Poirier says he’s back to full health and looking to book his return to the octagon for April.
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[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] says he’s back to full health and looking to book his return to the octagon for April.
The former interim lightweight champion is in need of opponent, though, and Poirier (25-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) is looking for a meaningful name that will make it clear he still belongs at the top of the divisional pecking order.
Given how the 155-pound weight class stands currently, a rematch with [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) could be the most attractive option. UFC 249, which takes place April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y., is still in need of a co-main event, and with lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov scheduled to defend against Tony Ferguson in the headliner, it would make sense to put another key matchup for the division on the card.
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Gaethje recently said he agreed with that sentiment, he just didn’t know what opponent would make sense for him. Poirier, who handed “The Highlight” a fourth-round knockout loss at UFC on FOX 29 in April 2018, is willing to run it back in a key matchup of contenders (via Twitter):
He’s been on the sidelines since, but has been active in making it known he wanted a marquee fight upon his return to the octagon. He’s pushed for a rebooking against Nate Diaz, or even a jump up to the welterweight division if the right opportunity presents itself.
Should none of those other options materialize, though, a rematch with Gaethje – who has three consecutive first-round knockout wins since their first meeting – has massive potential consequences.
Michael Chiesa talks about how Dustin Poirier’s recent success inspired him to move up a weight division.
Since moving up to welterweight, [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] has gone 2-0 and has never felt better.
And Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) says the motivation to make the move up was largely in part to the success former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has had since moving up from featherweight, where he has gone 9-2.
“For me, the biggest one was Dustin Poirier,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “When he was at ’45, I remember seeing him at the airport one time and was like, ‘Dude, this guy is, like, wide – he is barrel-chested. That’s a big ’55-pounder, and he’s cutting to ’45.’ So I would see him and be like, ‘I’m not alone. At least I’m not the only guy cutting a lot of weight.’ And I saw him go up in weight class and saw the success he was having.
“I mean, look at his win streak he had, going into that Khabib (Nurmagomedov) fight. I was like, ‘Maybe that’s what I need to do. Maybe I need to make a change in my weight class.’ Look at the success Dustin Poirier is having, look at what he’s doing. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t give myself the opportunity to do the same thing.”
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But it’s not like “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 winner didn’t have success at lightweight. Chiesa was able to take out some notable names, such as Al Iaquinta, Beneil Dariush and Jim Miller. But eventually, the cut for Chiesa, who walks around at nearly 200 pounds, started to take a toll on his body.
After suffering back-to-back losses to Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis, Chiesa decided to make the move to 170 pounds, and said contrary to what many people may think, his grapple-heavy approach works better when he’s not cutting so much weight.
“With my style of fighting, I just don’t think weight cutting really makes a lot of sense,” Chiesa said. “I know a lot of people will say, ‘You’re a grappler and cutting the most amount of weight makes the most sense so you can be the biggest guy, and it’s like, no. I really disagree with that. I think if you’re going to be a grappler, you need to lift a lot of weights, you need to get really physically strong and fast, and you need to work on your strength and conditioning as a whole, and you can’t do that if you’re going to cut a bunch of weight.
“For my style, I need to not cut a ton of weight. I need to hit the weights more. It’s like the polar opposite. So seeing Dustin Poirier’s success was really kind of what influenced me to make that jump.”
Chiesa is heading into arguably one of the biggest fights of his career on Jan. 25, a matchup with former UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Raleigh, N.C.
Ever since he started competing at welterweight, he has found new life, and is rejuvenated to continue his goal of one day wrapping a UFC title around his waist.
“Ever since I’ve done that, I feel like I started my career over again,” Chiesa said. “I’m training all the time. I never want a break. When I fought at ’55, I’d get done with a fight and it’s like I don’t even want to touch the gym for a month. I’m burned out. The camps at welterweight are tougher, but my body can handle it because I can eat and I can nurture myself.”
MMA can be crazy to follow and watch, but there’s a lot to be thankful for in this sport we love.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hopefully you’re enjoying today – or you will or you have depending on when you read this – with family and loved ones.
We know mixed martial arts can be crazy to watch and follow this at times – actually often. But that’s why we love it. Isn’t it? With that in mind, may we present to you what we’re thankful for in MMA this Thanksgiving.
Thank you …
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To the fighters, for their time
The athletes in MMA are the reason this whole thing exists. They fuel everything in the industry, are the reason this website exists, and it’s an honor to have a part in telling their stories.
While every minute of time over the phone, at a media day, an open workout, and all the other platforms is appreciated, there were two particularly special moments for me in 2019.
The first was at UFC 241 media day in August, when, after nearly an hour of interviews, [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] was being pulled away from the media day stage by UFC public relations staff. But ‘DC’ saw me and cameraman Dave Mandel waiting in line and told the PR team to allow him one final interview with us. It’s hard to express how much that meant.
A special shout-out also goes to [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], who offered up hours of interview time with MMA Junkie in the weeks leading up to his UFC 242 title-unification bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Poirier helped bring the “Dustin’s Diaries” series to life, and in addition to that, allowed John Morgan and I to conduct an elaborate pre-fight interview in Abu Dhabi just days before the event.
These fighters could easily just stick to the bare minimum in terms of media, only doing what the UFC requires as mandatory leading up to and during a fight week. Some do that. The overwhelming majority consistently go above and beyond, though, and there’s no better time than now to express gratitude.
– Mike Bohn
To MMA fans, for their dedication
I get paid to watch people kick each other in the head for a living. Some of my MMA media peers might bristle at reducing our jobs to this, because there’s so much more that goes into what we do. But at the end of the day, that’s really what it is, and the reason I get to do something I love is because of the passionate dedication of the sport’s fans. Being an MMA fan can be a chore. You stick with this through all the madness: the canceled fights, the fights that don’t deliver, the seven-hour cards, you name it. Without you, I’d have to get a real job, and that goes for anyone else who makes a living in some way related to MMA. So thanks for your passion, folks, and Happy Thanksgiving.
– Dave Doyle
To technology, for making work a little more enjoyable
My thankful-for-MMA list is short, but important. I considered putting the free serve-yourself fountain drink stations at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., as the top spot on my list – because that means, during Bellator events when I’m there, I get free Mtn Dew all night. But I’ll just consider that a fringe benefit and say what I’m most thankful for is that with only a few rare exceptions, when it comes to watching fights for work, I can do it almost exclusively from my phone. That means, if I don’t feel like leaving my home office to sit in front of the TV, I don’t have to – I can stream just about everything on my more-than-adequate 6-inch screen. If I need to work in the car while on a road trip while the Missus drives, I can do it. If I want to sit out on the back deck with the dogs during the fights, it’s a thing that can happen and has happened often. A few short years ago, this wasn’t the case. So thank you, technology, for making my work life infinitely more flexible.
– Matt Erickson
To the UFC’s Abu Dhabi deal, a great thing for the Middle East MMA scene
Khabib Nurmagomedov (red gloves) reacts after defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. (Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports)
I am thankful for the UFC finally bringing an event back to the Middle East. Being based here, the UFC’s five-year deal with Abu Dhabi that guarantees a title fight means big events for the region and an opportunity for the sport to grow.
Being on this side of the world, in a market that barely knows anything about MMA, the UFC making the annual visit will certainly garner more interest in the region and grow the overall MMA scene. As a journalist, this will obviously give me more to work with in my region, as well as being able to provide young fighters that continue to struggle to get their name out on a platform.
I am very grateful that I got to cover my first UFC event with MMA Junkie at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, which will forever stick as a memorable moment in my career.
– Farah Hannoun
To better UFC start times and pacing, what a relief
What am I thankful for this MMA Thanksgiving? There are a lot of things, many of which I’ve been thankful for year in and year out. Don’t believe me? How about the fighters, coaches, managers, and others who lend me time, being able to cover the combat sport I love – stuff I don’t take for granted.
So, I tried to think, what’s something new I’m thankful for? Something fresh in 2019?
I’m thankful for the UFC’s implementation of viewer-friendly pacing and East Coast-friendly start times. I know there will be many international readers who roll their eyes at this – and maybe even a colleague or two or three (sorry, Simon, Abbey, and Farah!). But let us East Coasters have our fun. Plus, we all get to enjoy the departure of that horrendous FOX Sports pacing. I wouldn’t have wished that on my worst enemy. Let’s hope this keeps up!
Happy Thanksgiving,Junkie Nation!
– Nolan King
To a special kind of PED, for a super necessary boost
I have to offer a confession. I am a user of PEDs – Performance Enhancing Drinks. Espresso, to be precise. It’s the hot beverage equivalent of attaching your brain to a set of jump leads and, as one of MMA Junkie’s two resident Brits, having the Nespresso machine in my kitchen primed and ready for every fight night is, as Jorge Masvidal would say, “super necessary.”
A standard UFC pay-per-view show starts at around 11:30 p.m. here in the U.K., with the main card kicking off at 3 a.m.. By the time the fights are over, and I’ve watched the post-fight press conference, it’s past 7 in the morning. It means my body clock is in absolute shambles and tends to remain so throughout the week. It’s also probably why I never seem to suffer from jet lag after I visit the U.S. I live on GMT, but work on EST, and that’s why I need the aforementioned PEDs.
And, thanks to the life-giving properties of the maximum-strength espresso pods I have in my kitchen cupboard, I’ve never crashed out and missed a main event. And I’m very grateful for that.
To weight-cutting on the decline, because fighter safety is priority No. 1
This year, I’m grateful for many things in MMA, but the one I’m most grateful for is the continuous change in fighter perspective towards weight-cutting. For some time now, fighters have started to compete closer to their natural weights, and this year was no exception.
The idea of killing yourself to cut down seems more archaic as time goes by. It’s a trend I hope continues in 2020, as fighter safety is the most important priority in our sport. This also serves as a good example for future generations that look to compete in MMA. And, yes, Darren Till is finally at middleweight!
– Danny Segura
To … work?
I’m grateful for MMA Junkie.
Now, it sounds like an easy out to praise your workplace, but I can honestly say this site has been part of my life, in some shape or form, for the last decade. Whether I was an MMA fan, competitor or contributor, MMA Junkie (and eventually the people behind the brand) has always been a reliable resource to me – in many ways – throughout all the highs and lows of the last 10 years.
I’m lucky enough to now find myself working alongside these special individuals, and this job in itself has allowed me opportunities to make friends with other fantastic colleagues and followers of the sport – something that quietly becomes important when you spend a big chunk of your week-to-week life covering MMA. And for that, I am grateful.
– Dan Tom
To the UFC for their new year-end schedule
Listen, when it comes to being a hardcore, I’m right there with any of you. Over-saturation? I can’t stand when people talk about it. Give me MMA every day of the year. That said, I’m loving the UFC’s decision to nix the traditional year-end event (a decision made more from the fine folks at ESPN, as per my understanding).
As a Las Vegas resident, I cover all of the UFC’s events here in town, which has usually meant working intensely on the week of Christmas. Honestly, I’m not much of a sentimental kind of guy, so I didn’t really care. But as my son is getting older, I’m beginning to realize the importance of setting aside those moments to create memories as a family, so I’m thankful for the UFC’s adjusted schedule. UFC 245 is going to be phenomenal, but it’s on Dec. 14 – not Dec. 28, when I would have expected it to take place had you asked me at the beginning of 2019.
There’s still some great MMA to be had at the end of the year, with Bellator and Rizin partnering to create a few great crossover cards, not to mention the PFL handing out a few more million-dollar checks, as well. But I’ll be watching those at home, hopefully with the little man alongside me, at least until it’s his bedtime. That will be a nice change this year.
Conor McGregor vs. Rafael dos Anjos, Nate Diaz vs. Dustin Poirer, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, and more make the list.
There have been numerous highly anticipated UFC matchups that have fallen through over the years because of unfortunate circumstances, and they easily could’ve produced fireworks.
From championship fights, to rivalries, to intriguing stylistic pairings, here are 10 of the best scheduled matchups that never ended up happening.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson
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While it appears that another [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] fight booking is imminent at the time of this writing, let’s just hope the fifth time is the charm.
These two were scheduled to fight on four other occasions, but a series of unfortunate circumstances and injuries has resulted in it never happening. The first booking was during The Ultimate Fighter Finale card on Dec. 11, 2015, when Nurmagomedov was forced out due to injury and replaced by Edson Barboza. Ferguson submitted Barboza in the second round via D’Arce choke, earning both “Performance” and “Fight of the Night” bonuses.
They were then scheduled to fight at UFC on FOX 19 on April 16, 2016, but this time it was Ferguson who pulled out. Ferguson was replaced by newcomer Darrell Horcher, whom Nurmagomedov battered before earning a second-round TKO win.
Then, an interim lightweight championship fight was scheduled to take place at UFC 209 on March 4, 2017, but the fight was canceled due to Nurmagomedov falling ill from a bad weight cut.
Finally, the two were set to meet a fourth time. At UFC 223 in April 2018, Nurmagomedov and then-interim champ Ferguson were going to fight for the undisputed lightweight title. But in a freak accident, Ferguson tripped over a wire and blew out his knee. Max Holloway stepped in briefly, but the New York State Athletic Commission deemed Holloway unfit to compete due to a severe weight cut. Al Iaquinta, who was scheduled to face Paul Felder on the same night, stepped in for the massive opportunity but was dominated by Nurmagomedov in a five-round battle.
Nurmagomedov finally realized his dream of becoming the UFC lightweight champ, and here’s hoping the fight with Ferguson will finally come to fruition in early 2020 as expected.
The latest in notable MMA injuries, including updates on Stephen Thompson, Dustin Poirier, Henry Cejudo, and more.
It’s no secret that MMA is a grueling sport. Injuries occur everywhere from the training room to the cage, and sometimes even beyond that.
Injuries can cause the best set plans to fall by the wayside, derail careers or worse. Still, though, the overwhelming majority of fighters overcome their physical setbacks and eventually find their way back to competition.
Below MMA Junkie tracks the latest in notable MMA injuries, including updates on former interim UFC lightweight champ Dustin Poirier, multi-time UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson, dual UFC champ Henry Cejudo and more.
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Stephen Thompson
Former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (15-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) confirmed to MMA Junkie that he will not require surgery on either hand after damaging them in his “Fight of the Night” victory over Vicente Luque at UFC 244, news that was first reported by MMA Fighting.
According to “Wonderboy,” he is still dealing with some pain and swelling in both hands, but a doctor confirmed no operation will be necessary. Thompson expects his hands to be healed within eight weeks, and at that point he can begin looking at his next fight.
Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. (Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports)
Former UFC interim lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (26-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) is engaging in daily physical therapy sessions after undergoing hip surgery Oct. 24 to repair a lingering injury.
“The Diamond” told MMA Junkie his rehab is currently on track, and Poirier is targeting a return to the octagon in March against a high-profile opponent in the lightweight or welterweight division.
