Tag: Ed Herman

UFC 265 post-event facts: Ciryl Gane’s beatdown of Derrick Lewis sets record numbers

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 265, which saw Ciryl Gane make history with his interim title win over Derrick Lewis.

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] produced the most statistically lopsided heavyweight title fight win in octagon history on Saturday in the UFC 265 main event.

Gane (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) punished [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) for nearly three full rounds en route to a third-round TKO that gave him interim belt and set up a title unification clash with Francis Ngannou.

For more on the numbers behind Gane’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 265.

UFC 265 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Five fighters get at least $21,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 265 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $278,000.

HOUSTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 265 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $278,000.

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 265 took place at the Toyota Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 265 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Drako Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Anderson dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victoria Leonardo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Johnny Munhoz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamey Simmons[/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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,985,000
Program-to-date total: $2,985,000

Alonzo Menifield vs. Ed Herman added to UFC 265 on Aug. 7

A light heavyweight matchup between Alonzo Menifield and Ed Herman is the latest addition to UFC 265.

A light heavyweight matchup is the latest addition to UFC 265.

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) will take on [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag] (26-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC) on Aug. 7 at a location and venue that has yet to be announced.

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

Menifield, a Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, snapped a two-fight skid with a first-round submission of Fabio Cherant in March. The Fortis MMA fighter has finished all his pro wins before the third round.

Herman, 40, has won three in a row and is coming off a controversial third-round submission of Mike Rodriguez this past September. In the second round of their fight, Rodriguez landed a knee to Herman’s midsection and the referee misidentified it as a low blow, giving Herman five minutes to recover. The fight was allowed to resume and Herman rallied in the third to secure a kimura to finish the fight.

With the addition, the UFC 265 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Jose Aldo vs. Pedro Munhoz
  • Vince Morales vs. Drako Rodriguez
  • Johnny Munoz vs. Jamey Simmons
  • Casey Kenney vs. Song Yadong
  • Angela Hill vs. Tecia Torres
  • Ed Herman vs. Alonzo Menifield

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Kennedy Nzechukwu replaces Ed Herman, meets Danilo Marques at UFC Fight Night 190

The Fortis MMA light heavyweight earned “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC 259 in March.

[autotag]Danilo Marques[/autotag] has lost his original opponent, but remains on UFC Fight Night 190 and takes on a new foe.

Fortis MMA product [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag] replaces [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag] against Marques (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on the June 26 card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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

After a loss to Paul Craig in his promotional debut, Nzechukwu (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) rebounded with back-to-back wins. Following a unanimous decision over Darko Stosic, Nzechukwu earned UFC 259 “Fight of the Night” honors for his back-and-forth battle against Carlos Ulberg, which he won by second-round knockout in March.

Marques, 35, rides a four-fight winning streak into the bout – with two victorious performances in the UFC. After a successful debut in which he defeated Khadis Ibragimov by unanimous decision, Marques returned to submit Mike Rodriguez in February.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 190 lineup now includes:

  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Maxim Grishin vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Tim Elliott vs. TBA
  • Michel Prazeres vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Justin Jaynes vs. Charles Rosa
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Timur Valiev
  • Marcin Prachnio vs. Ike Villanueva
  • Jai Herbert vs. Renato Moicano
  • Warlley Alves vs. Ramazan Emeev
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Julia Avila vs. Julija Stoliarenko
  • Danilo Marques vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu

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Mike Rodriguez assigns no blame in controversial loss: Ed Herman did ‘nothing wrong’

Mike Rodriguez has come to terms with his controversial loss to Ed Herman at UFC on ESPN+ 35 and is ready to move on.

[autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag] has come to terms with his loss to [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 35 and is ready to move on.

Rodriguez (11-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) got the short end of the stick on a blunder from referee Chris Tognoni in the light heavyweight bout this past Saturday. He landed a knee to the midsection of Herman (26-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC) in the second round, and the referee misidentified it as a low blow.

Herman was presented with the standard five-minute recovery window for a groin-strike foul, but the replay showed it landed clean. The fight was allowed to resume after the controversial moment, and Herman rallied in the third to secure a fight-ending kimura and conclude the stunning turn of events.

There was no shortage of outrage afterward, with fighters on social media, the UFC broadcast team and, most emphatically of all, UFC president Dana White going after Tognoni and Herman for their parts in the situation. A few days later, though, Rodriguez said he’s reflected on what happened and won’t assign blame.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve got no ill will towards (Tognoni). It was a simple mistake, and Ed just capitalized on the mistake. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a (expletive) situation. The only thing I really, like, blame Ed for, if anything, is when he got the submission, how he put his feet in the fence. Other than that, it is what it is. There’s nothing we can really do about it.”

Although it’s over in his mind, there are still moving parts stemming from the outcome at UFC on ESPN+ 35. Rodriguez’s manager, Tyson Chartier, said immediately after the fight that an appeal would be filed to have Herman’s win overturned, likely to a no contest.

Rodriguez said he’s going to allow his team to do their jobs in lobbying to make that happen, but he doesn’t necessarily have expectations.

“I’m assuming if anything it would be changed to a (no contest), which is better than a loss,” Rodriguez said. “I have no clue what’s going to happen with that.”

One thing that does allow Rodriguez to be positive after a disappointing situation was how the controversy was received by the UFC brass. White said he was going to pay Rodriguez his win bonus, and that he is viewing it as a win for him.

“That’s exactly what Dana said: ‘You won that (expletive) round. … You finished Ed Herman the second round,'” Rodriguez recalled. “I was sitting in the back, I was a little bummed out, I got caught. The doctors were looking at my shoulder and all of a sudden I looked up and Dana White was right there. He was not happy. I thought I did something wrong. I was instantly like, ‘Oh (expletive), what did I do?’ He was like, ‘That’s bull(expletive), that’s one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. You definitely won.'”

As far as his next move, Rodriguez said he’s not overly eager to run it back with Herman. If the UFC views it as a win for him, he said he’s happy to proceed the same way and take his next step forward.

“If they’re looking at it as a win for me, I’ll just move on,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t work for the commission, I work for the UFC. So, let’s keep running it. They think it’s a win? Let’s keep going. Who else is next? Who else is out there?”

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UFC on ESPN+ 35 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Ed Herman top earner with $20k

UFC on ESPN+ 35 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 35 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $137,000.

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 on ESPN+ 35 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 35 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag]: $5,000
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Khama Worthy[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag]: $5,000
[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $15,000
[autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Julia Avila[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Sijara Eubanks[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: $5,000
[autotag]Kevin Croom[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Roque Martinez[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Brok Weaver[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Anthony Ivy[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Sabina Mazo[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Justine Kish[/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: $4,429,500
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: $35,434,000

Dana White rips ‘Mazzagatti level’ referee blunder in Ed Herman vs. Mike Rodriguez

Dana White called Chris Tognoni’s referee work “disgusting” after a mistake allowed Ed Herman to beat Mike Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN+ 35.

Dana White called Chris Tognoni’s referee work “disgusting” after an apparent error flipped the script in Saturday’s [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag] fight at UFC on ESPN+ 35.

The light heavyweight matchup, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, was marred with controversy when Tognoni misidentified a second-round strike by Rodriguez (11-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) as a low blow instead of a clean shot that dropped Herman (26-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC) and should’ve led to a TKO.

Herman was afforded time to recover, as per the rules of an illegal strike to the groin, and it proved to be a massive turning point. “The Ultimate Fighter 3” finalist managed to rally in the third round, locking in a slick kimura from bottom position that forced Rodriguez to tap out.

White was incensed by the mistake, and he put Tognoni on blast for it.

“It’s hard not to bang on this guy,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC on ESPN+ 35 post-fight news conference. “The worst I’ve ever seen. He’s a (expletive) Mazzagatti level. That’s some (Steve) Mazzagatti-level (expletive) right there. That was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. That kid wins by knockout, technical knockout and loses the fight. It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.”

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White believed the use of an in-fight instant replay would’ve easily rectified the situation. Nevada State Athletic Commission only allow a replay after a fight is called, though, and a bout cannot be restarted once it’s used.

That’s not a good enough system, White said, and he admitted to encouraging the sanctioning body overseeing the event to update its protocols.

“I was all over them tonight about replay,” White said. “We got to have replay. There’s got to be replay. All you’ve got to do is look at the (expletive) replay that’s playing 6,000 times while Herman’s on the ground and say, ‘Oh (expletive), I made a mistake.’ How you think that is a groin kick is next level nuts, but whatever. It happens. What are you going to do it? It happened.”

Rodriguez’s team announced within minutes of the result that it was going to file an appeal of the fight. Whether that proves successful or not remains to be seen, but as of now, it’s almost universally agreed that Rodriguez was robbed of a win on his record.

White said he’s going to do his best to make things right with the fighter on his end, though. He revealed that he will pay Rodriguez the “win” portion of his fight purse since he so strongly believes the athlete was given an unfair shake.

“We’re giving Mike his money, too,” White said. “He won the (expletive) fight.”

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UFC on ESPN+ 35 video: Ed Herman nets insane comeback after apparent referee error

Ed Herman stepped into the octagon for the 25th time at UFC on ESPN+ 35, and it’s safe to say it was his most controversial of the bunch.

[autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag] stepped into the octagon for the 25th time Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 35, and it’s safe to say it was his most controversial fight of the bunch.

Herman (26-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC) left the fight with his hand raised by submission against [autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in their light heavyweight bout, but it came, arguably, with an assist from referee Chris Tognoni.

“The Ultimate Fighter 3” veteran was having a hard time with Rodriguez in the first two rounds of the fight. He got crushed with a hard knee in the second stanza that dropped him to the canvas, but when Herman went down, he held his groin.

That signified to Tognoni that he’d been hit with an illegal strike, and he intervened. Replays, however, appeared to show it was a clean shot to the midsection.

The fight resumed, and then in the third Herman pulled off something miraculous. He locked up a kimura from bottom position, flipped Rodriguez over, then sank it in deep to force the tap, concluding a controversial bout.

Watch it below (via Twitter):

After the fight, Herman did not offer much to make those accusing him of pulling one over on the referee feel better. He admitted he was hurt, but said he didn’t know what he’d been hit with (via Twitter):

The outcome of the fight seemed to resonate with many. MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, who was on-site at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, said UFC president Dana White could be seen rapidly pacing outside the octagon after the conclusion of the bout.

Rodriguez’s agent, Tyson Chartier, posted on Twitter soon after the fight was over that an appeal of the loss already is planned.

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UFC on ESPN+ 35 predictions: Michelle Waterson or Angela Hill in key 115-pound bout?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 35 main card in Las Vegas.

Waterson
vs.
Hill		 Azaitar
vs.
Worthy		 Lee
vs.
Modafferi		 Herman
vs.
Rodriguez		 Nelson
vs.
Quarantillo
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 91-58		 waterson2020
Waterson
(52%)		 worthy2020
Worthy
(64%)		 lee2020
Lee
(61%)		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez
(66%)		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
(84%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 103-46		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 lee2020
Lee		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 102-47		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 lee2020
Lee		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 101-48		 hill2020
Hill		 azaitar2020
Azaitar		 lee2020
Lee		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 99-50
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 waterson2020
Waterson		 worthy2020
Worthy		 lee2020
Lee		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 98-51		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 lee2020
Lee		 herman2020
Herman		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 97-52
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 modafferi2020
Modafferi		 herman2020
Herman		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 96-53		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 modafferi2020
Modafferi		 herman2020
Herman		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 96-53		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 lee2020
Lee		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 nelson2020
Nelson
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 96-53
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 waterson2020
Waterson		 worthy2020
Worthy		 lee2020
Lee		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 93-56
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 lee2020
Lee		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 92-57		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 modafferi2020
Modafferi		 herman2020
Herman		 nelson2020
Nelson
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 91-58		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 modafferi2020
Modafferi		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 89-60		 hill2020
Hill		 worthy2020
Worthy		 modafferi2020
Modafferi		 rodriguez2020
Rodriguez		 quarantillo2020
Quarantillo
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 62-87		 waterson2020
Waterson		 azaitar2020
Azaitar		 modafferi2020
Modafferi		 herman2020
Herman		 nelson2020
Nelson

The UFC stays in Las Vegas this week with a key women’s strawweight bout at the top of the card.

UFC on ESPN+ 35 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) becomes the first Black woman to headline a UFC card when she takes on [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] (17-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC). Hill is a slight favorite, but our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts have her with a big lead at 11-3.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) meets slight favorite [autotag]Khama Worthy[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at lightweight, and despite the reasonably close odds, only two of our pickers are taking Azaitar in a mild upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-17 MMA, 3-5 UFC) in a women’s flyweight bout. Lee is the biggest favorite on the main card at more than 3-1, but our pickers nearly are split down the middle. Lee has just an 8-6 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag] (24-14 MMA, 12-10 UFC) is a +200 underdog at light heavyweight against [autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC), but he’s got his fair share of underdog pickers. Rodriguez has a 9-5 picking edge.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has three pickers taking him in a featherweight upset against [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

(Note: The lightweight fight between Bobby Green (26-10-1 MMA, 7-5-1 UFC) and Alan Patrick (15-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was added to the main card too late for our picks deadline.)

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Waterson (52 percent), Worthy (64 percent), Lee (61 percent), Rodriguez (66 percent) and Quarantillo (84 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

UFC on ESPN+ 35’s Ed Herman on what keeps him going: ‘I’m one of the real BMFs’

The way things have been recently, “Short Fuse” isn’t going to believe he’s fighting until he actually get into the cage.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag] is in town for UFC on ESPN+ 35 fight week, but he’s not going to believe a fight’s actually going down until he’s locked in the cage with Mike Rodriguez.

Can you blame him? Herman (24-14 MMA, 12-10 UFC) has had several fights fall out during the COVID-19 era, most recently having his bout with Gerald Meerschaert fall out on fight day after his opponent caught the virus.

“I was at fight week last time and I didn’t find out until the day of that my fight was canceled,” Herman told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Thursday. “So I’m not counting anything until I step in that cage.” 

But hey, if anyone has earned the right to have such an attitude, it’s Herman, the middleweight competitor who is one of the company’s longest-tenured performers. “Short Fuse” has been with the company since earning runner-up status on “The Ultimate Fighter 3,” so he knows by now how to go with the flow.

“Not giving a (expletive),” Herman said about his attitude. “I’m like hey, it is what it is, a new opponent, this and that. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, man. All kinds of (expletive) happened over the years, so where I’m at in my career, each fight could be my last. You never know, with injuries and things going down with all this COVID stuff, you know, fires burning and tornados and hurricanes, who the hell knows what’s going to happen?”

So, no offense to Rodriguez (11-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC), but Herman, who brings a two-fight winning streak into the bout, has learned over the years not to get too high or too low.

He’s been there, done that.

“I’m one of the real ‘BMF’s for one,” Herman said. “For two, yeah man, it’s just what I do. When I was younger, I didn’t take maybe care of myself as good as I should have, so these days, I’m being a little older and more mature. I’m taking care of my body better. I eat better. I take my recovery seriously. I don’t party like I did when I was a kid, just all those little things add up.

“My family and my friends and my team are the most important to me, and you push the rest out. Just trust the people who are around you who you know are going to have your back.”

UFC on ESPN+ 35 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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