Tag: Gaston Bolanos

UFC Fight Night 234 post-event facts: Jim Miller adds more records to epic resume

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 234, which saw Jim Miller grow his all-time wins record and add more history to his resume.

The UFC returned from its holiday hiatus on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and although it wasn’t the most stacked lineup, UFC Fight Night 234 delivered seven stoppage results out of 11 bouts.

In the main event, Magomed Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) produced definitive closure on his rivalry with Johnny Walker (21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC), scoring a second-round knockout in their light heavyweight rematch to potentially set himself up for a championship opportunity.

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 234.

UFC Fight Night 234 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jim Miller, Andrei Arlovski get max non-title payouts

UFC Fight Night 234 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 234 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $159,500.

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 Fight Night 234 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 234 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Preston Parsons[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Matthew Semelsberger[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Marcus McGhee[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Farid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Taylor Lapilus[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Felipe Bunes[/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 2341 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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

  • “UFC Fight Night 234: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2” – $159,500

Year-to-date total: $159,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,866,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

UFC Fight Night 234 video: Marcus McGhee batters Gaston Bolanos for standing TKO

Marcus McGhee beat Gaston Bolanos at his own game at UFC Fight Night 234, lighting up the striker on the feet for a TKO.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Marcus McGhee[/autotag] continued the hot start to his octagon tenure on Saturday when he overwhelmed [autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag] en route to a stoppage win at UFC Fight Night 234.

McGhee (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) put the pressure on Bolanos (7-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) early and was utterly relentless throughout the featherweight bout at the UFC Apex, landing punches and kicks until he rocked his opponent and forced referee Mark Smith to stop it at the 3:29 mark of Round 2.

Check out the replay of McGhee’s handiwork below (via X):

McGhee was humble in the aftermath of his win, crediting his opponent and saying he’s determined to reach the top of the 135-pound division, but won’t make any callouts.

“I was blessed to get this fight with Gaston, he has a great striking pedigree,” McGhee said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I’m a great striker too and I’m blessed to get in here and have that striking battle with him and win that game. … Whoever they send me next, that’ll be the task.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 234 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

Gaston Bolanos ready to kick career into high gear at UFC Fight Night 234

Gaston Bolanos says anything good he’s done thus far in his MMA career has just been the warmup.

[autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag] says anything good he’s done thus far in his MMA career has just been the warmup.

Now that he’s in the UFC, Bolanos thinks the ride is about to get really interesting. Bolanos had nine fights under the Bellator umbrella before he signed with the UFC in 2023, and he’s hoping the experience at what was at the time the sport’s second most visible entity pays dividends now that he’s at the promotion at the top of the food chain.

“I can’t tell you I didn’t feel any pressure,” Bolanos told MMA Junkie Radio about his career before the UFC. There was always pressure for every fight, but I was lucky enough that I started my career in such a big platform as Bellator, and before that Lion Fight. So coming into the UFC, I was like, ‘Wow – is this where I’ve always meant to be?’

“I felt like I was at home, if anything. I felt like, ‘Wow – this is it.’ I wouldn’t say (I felt) pressure. I just felt like this is where I make my name and this is where I become who I’ve always Supposed to be. So coming into the second (UFC) fight, I’m excited.”

Bolanos (7-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to bantamweight action next week against Marcus McGhee (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at the ESPN+-streamed UFC Fight Night 234 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The two were set to meet this past August, but Bolanos had to pull out with an injury.

McGhee has a 100 percent finishing rate and has been on a tear since the lone loss of his pro career in LFA in 2022. Since he came to the UFC in 2023, he has back-to-back stoppages and both won $50,000 bonuses.

Bolanos knows he’s in for a test against McGhee, but also knows a win could kick off something big.

“I know Marcus is bringing everything into this fight,” Bolanos said. “I’m bringing everything into this fight. I know we’re both ready to really die in there and give everything that we have. I’m prepared to die, and (other fighters are like, ‘I have nothing else to prove. I’ve done so much in the sport.’

“I just want to give everything that I have, and I just want to show everyone who ‘Dream Killer’ really is.”

A kickboxing and muay Thai standout, Bolanos said no one should be surprised if he brings out some wild striking against McGhee.

“I think as long as people get to see world-class striking from me, which they can always expect when I’m fighting, I think that’s what my fans want to see,” he said. “That’s what they come to see. When I do seminars, they’re always like, ‘You already showed us all this, now show us the spin.’ You can always expect me to spin at some point in the fight. It could happen – it could be a knockout. It could not. There’s been like seven, eight knockouts that way. I’m just looking forward to letting it all loose. I feel like a complete mixed martial artist, and I’m looking forward to showing that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 2-8)

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. 2-8.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (June 26-July 2)

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 June 26-July 2.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (June 5-11)

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 June 5-11.

UFC on ESPN 44 medical suspensions: Three fighters get 60 days after KO losses

The Missouri commission issued medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN 44, the longest of which went to fighters who were knocked out.

Three fighters face 60-day medical suspensions as a result of stoppage losses by strikes at UFC on ESPN 44.

The event took place this past Saturday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The event was overseen by the Missouri Division of Professional Regulation, which suspended 13 of 28 fighters from the card for medical reasons after their bouts, according to a list published Wednesday by the commission.

It’s important to note fighters can return sooner than the expiration date of their medical suspension should they receive proper medical clearance from a doctor. In addition, the commission does not list reasons for medical suspensions – just durations.

Scroll below to see the full list of UFC on ESPN 44 medical suspensions.

UFC on ESPN 44 post-event facts: Max Holloway joins 20-win club, sets other records

Check out the numbers from UFC on ESPN 44, where Max Holloway hit more milestones – including being the first to land 3,000 octagon strikes.

The UFC returned to Missouri after six years Saturday at UFC on ESPN 44, and the card delivered with half the fights ending by stoppage.

One of the bouts to go the distance was the main event, where former champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) once again displayed his greatness in ending the winning streak of [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) with a unanimous decision. In the process, “Blessed” made more history to add to his one-of-a-kind octagon resume.

For more on the numbers to come out of the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 44.

UFC on ESPN 44 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Four fighters get max non-title payout

UFC on ESPN 44 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 44 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $254,500.

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 44 took place at T-Mobile Center. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 44 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Azamat Murzakanov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]T.J. Brown[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Zak Cummings[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ed Herman[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lando Vannata[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Bruna Brasil[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Aaron Phillips[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/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 $44,000 while title challengers get $44,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-44 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,230,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $16,819,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.