UFC parts ways with 7 more fighters in second recent wave of roster transactions

For the second time in the past two weeks, a batch of UFC fighters were removed from the roster list.

The number of UFC departures in recent weeks is now up to 15, as more fighters have officially separated from the promotion.

Days after eight fighters including seasoned veterans Ilir Latifi and Makwan Amirkhani were announced as no longer on the roster, MMA Junkie has confirmed seven more names that first surfaced on algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch.

Check out the seven names below. Please note: It’s unclear whether the fighters were released mid-contract or departed the promotion following the conclusion of their promotional agreements, unless denoted otherwise.

UFC Fight Night 220 post-event facts: Nurullo Aliev makes history for Tajikistan

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 220, which saw Nurullo Aliev put Tajikistan on the map of the UFC win column.

UFC Fight Night 220, which took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, is likely an event the promotion will want to put in the rear-view mirror as quickly as possible.

Three fights, including the original headliner, were called off within 48 hours of the card beginning, resulting in a 10-bout lineup that saw [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC) finish [autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) by third-round submission in the makeshift middleweight main event.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 220.

UFC Fight Night 220 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Brendan Allen’s $11,000 tops card

UFC Fight Night 220 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 220 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $104,000.

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 220 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 220 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yohan Lainesse[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gabriella Fernandes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jordan Leavitt[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Victor Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $6,000
def.[autotag]Carl Deaton[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag][Nurullo Aliev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Rafael Alves[/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 2207 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2201 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: $1,157,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $15,676,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 220.

UFC Fight Night 220 shuffle results in Erick Gonzalez vs. Trevor Peek

Erick Gonzalez and Trevor Peek were supposed to fight at UFC Fight Night 220, just not against one another.

[autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag] have been matched up for UFC Fight Night 220.

Originally scheduled to face different opponents, Gonzalez (14-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) and Peek (7-0 MMA, ) will now fight each other Feb. 25 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the change informed MMA Junkie of the shuffle Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Middle Easy first reported the bout.

It is unclear why Gonzalez’s original opponent Darrius Flowers and Peek’s original opponent Alex Reyes are no longer on the card.

Gonzalez, 31, seeks his first UFC victory after losses against Jim Miller and Terrance McKinney.

Peek, 28, enters his UFC debut with a head full of steam after he defeated Malik Lewis to a earn a promotional contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in September.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 220 lineup includes:

  • Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann
  • Brendan Allen vs. Andre Muniz
  • Don’Tale Mayes vs. Augusto Sakai
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Mike Malott vs. Yohan Lainesse
  • Erick Gonzalez vs. Trevor Peek
  • Gabriella Fernandes vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Rafael Alves vs. Nurullo Aliev
  • Jordan Leavitt vs. Victor Martinez
  • Charles Johnson vs. Ode Osbourne
  • Hailey Cowan vs. Ailin Perez
  • Garrett Armfield vs. Jose Johnson
  • Joe Solecki vs. TBA

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Dec. 12-18)

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 from Dec. 12-18.

UFC on ESPN 40 post-event facts: Sam Alvey’s winless skid sets all-time record

UFC on ESPN 40 was a historic card with all finishes, but Sam Alvey left with a dubious record attached to his name.

UFC opened its August schedule in historic fashion on Saturday. UFC on ESPN 40 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas featured a finish in all 10 fights.

The main event needed the additional rounds, however, because [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) battled with [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in the fourth frame before securing a TKO stoppage that continued to his rise in the light heavyweight division.

For more on the numbers behind the record-setting event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 40.

UFC on ESPN 40 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jamahal Hill nets $6k for main event

UFC on ESPN 40 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 40 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $140,000.

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 40 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 40 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zac Pauga[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brogan Walker[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Miranda Granger[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/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 $40,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-40 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,393,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $11,560,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 video: Terrance McKinney makes quick work of Erick Gonzalez, calls out Paddy Pimblett

Terrance McKinney had his Paddy Pimblett callout ready to go after he submitted Erick Gonzalez at UFC on ESPN 40.

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag] returned to the win column in a big way Saturday when he quickly submitted former Combate Global standout [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 40 in Las Vegas.

The lightweight bout kicked off the main card at the UFC Apex and did not last long. McKinney (13-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) submitted Gonzalez (14-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) via standing rear-naked choke at 2:17 of Round 1.

The finish came with McKinney in the backpack position. Gonzalez unsuccessfully hand-fought as McKinney sunk his arm under the chin. The two fighters leaned sideways but did not fall. The tap came and referee Chris Tognoni intervened.

After the fight, McKinney struck while the iron was hot when he called out rising superstar Paddy Pimblett, who most recently competed in a win July 23 over Jordan Leavitt.

“Paddy ‘The Baddy’, where you at?” McKinney said. “Let’s get it.”

With the win, McKinney keeps his 100 percent finishing rate alive. He has two submissions and one knockout in the UFC, with his only loss a TKO to Drew Dober in March. Meanwhile, Gonzalez comes up short again, losing for the second time inside the distance under the UFC banner.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC adds Terrance McKinney vs. Erick Gonzalez to Aug. 6 event

Lightweight prospects Terrance McKinney and Erick Gonzalez will look to get back to the win column when they square off in August.

Lightweight prospects will look to get back to the win column when they square off in August.

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Aug. 6, which doesn’t yet have a publicly known venue or location.

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

McKinney will aim to rebound after a hot start to his UFC career. The 27-year-old needed just seven seconds to put his name on the map when he starched Matt Frevola at UFC 263 and followed it up with another first-round finish in February when he submitted Fares Ziam. McKinney took a big opportunity when he made a 14-day turnaround to face Drew Dober on short notice at UFC Fight Night 203 in March, but was ultimately stopped in Round 1 after almost finishing Dober early.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez will be in search of his first octagon win. The Combate Americas veteran suffered a knockout loss to Jim Miller in his promotional debut this past October at UFC Fight Night 195 and was scheduled to face Devonte Smith in March, before having to withdraw due to a foot injury.

With the addition, the Aug. 6 lineup includes:

  • Thiago Santos vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Vicente Luque vs. Geoff Neal
  • Miranda Granger vs. Cory McKenna
  • Stephanie Egger vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
  • Erick Gonzalez vs. Terrance McKinney

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With Erick Gonzalez out, Ludovit Klein steps in to face Devonte Smith at UFC 272

Devonte Smith will get a change in opponent just a week out from UFC 272.

[autotag]Devonte Smith[/autotag] will get a change in opponent just a week out from UFC 272.

[autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag] has been forced out and [autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will step in on short notice to face Smith (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) next Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Smith confirmed the booking on social media Thursday following an initial report from Eurosport Nederland.

Smith has split his past four appearances. After returning from an almost two-year layoff in February 2021 to score a TKO over Justin Jaynes, the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate was stopped in the second round by Jamie Mullarkey at UFC Fight Night 193.

Klein also will look to rebound. After scoring a head kick knockout of Shane Young in his promotional debut at UFC 253, the 27-year-old saw his eight-fight winning streak snapped when he dropped back-to-back bouts to Mike Trizano and, most recently, Nate Landwehr.

The current lineup for UFC 272 includes:

  • Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal – five-round fight
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev – five-round fight
  • Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Edson Barboza vs. Bryce Mitchell
  • Greg Hardy vs. Serghei Spivac
  • Ludovit Klein vs. Devonte Smith
  • Mariya Agapova vs. Maryna Moroz
  • Jamie Mullarkey vs. Jalin Turner
  • Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Kevin Holland vs. Alex Oliveira
  • Jessica Eye vs. Manon Fiorot
  • Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
  • Brian Kelleher vs. Umar Nurmagomedov

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