UFC 301 adds Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai

Rising UFC lightweights will collide in Rio de Janeiro.

Rising lightweights [autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag] and [autotag]Myktybek Orolbai[/autotag] are aligned for a showdown in Rio de Janeiro.

The bout has been added to UFC 301 on May 4 at Jeunesse Arena.

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

Brener (16-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) emerged as one of the breakthrough fighters of 2023 as he racked up seemingly improbable victories over Zubaira Tukhugov, Guram Kutateladze, and Kaynan Kruschewsky. With a knack for the comeback and an ability to defy the odds, Brener looks to extend his winning streak to six.

Kyrgyzstan’s Orolbai (12-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made a statement in his promotional debut up a weight class in November when he submitted Uros Medic. Orolbai took the fight on four days’ notice. The win extended his streak to seven.

With the addition, the UFC 301 fight card includes:

  • Caio Borralho vs. Paul Craig
  • Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Alessandro Costa
  • Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2023

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023, according to the oddsmakers, across Bellator, the UFC, PFL and more.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2023, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers (and how the betting public responds) largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2023. Fights that were eligible were those that multiple major online sportsbooks recognized, and that Tapology recorded before the close of the betting line.

Promotions eligible include UFC, Bellator, PFL, KSW, DWCS, Road to UFC, and ONE Championship.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023 below. Only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month for November: Tom Aspinall claims interim gold in 69 seconds

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from November 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from November 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for November.

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

Nominees

UFC Fight Night 231 post-event facts: Jailton Almeida sets ground control time record

Check out all the facts from UFC Sao, which saw Jailton Almeida log a record amount of ground control time over Derrick Lewis in the main event.

The UFC’s return to Sao Paulo after more than four years proved to be a forgettable one on Saturday, with UFC Fight Night 231 seeing six of 10 bouts go the distance with three canceled fights in the 48 hours leading up.

One of the fights go to the scorecards was the main event, [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) earned a lopsided but somewhat underwhelming unanimous decision over [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) to remain undefeated in heavyweight competition.

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 Fight Night 231.

UFC Fight Night 231 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2023 total passes $7 million

UFC Fight Night 231 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

SAO PAULO – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 231 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $145,000.

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 Fight Night 231 took place at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Brazil. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 231 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Eudarda Moura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Montserrat Conejo[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kaue Fernandes[/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 2311 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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,033,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,552,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231.

UFC Fight Night 231 bonuses: A pair of devastating knockouts awarded $50K

Check out which fighters took home an extra $50,000 for their performances at UFC Fight Night 231 in Sao Paulo.

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including rewards for a few devastating finishes.

After UFC Fight Night 231, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Sao Paulo. Check out the winners below.

Elves Brener def. Kaynan Kruschewsky at UFC Fight Night 231: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Elves Brener’s first-round knockout win over Kaynan Kruschewsky at UFC Fight Night 231 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag]’s first-round knockout win over [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 231 at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. (Photos by Jason da Silva, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC Fight Night 231 video: Elves Brener faceplant KOs short-notice opponent, calls for top-15 fight

Elves Brener left octagon newcomer Kaynan Kruschewsky unconscious on the canvas after calling out top 15 names at UFC Fight Night 231.

[autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag] continued the hot start to his octagon tenure on Saturday when he violently finished newcomer [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 231.

Brener (16-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had some early struggles figuring out Kruschewsky (15-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the 165-pound catchweight bout at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, but he got the big highlight he was looking for when he landed a huge overhand that clipped his opponent and send him crashing face-first into the mat for the knockout at the 4:01 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay of Brener’s brutal finish below (via X):

After starting his UFC run with upsets of Tagir Ulanbekov and Guram Kutateladze, the Brazilian got a major highlight against Kruschewsky. Now, he wants a step up into the top 15 in the lightweight division.

“Props to Kaynan, he took this fight last minute – I’ve had a lot of opponents back out of fights, I don’t know what’s happening,” Brener told Michael Bisping through an interpreter during his post-fight interview. “I’ll fight anyone. Dana (White), give me someone in the top 15.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 231 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 14-20)

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 a promotion from Aug. 14-20.

MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for July: New champion crowned in five-round thriller

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from July 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from July 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for July.

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

Nominees