Tag: Gavin Tucker

UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions: Yana Kunitskaya, three others face six months off

Four fighters are facing lengthy suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 32 injuries.

Four fighters are facing potential six-month suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective UFC on ESPN+ 32 bouts.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (neck and arm), [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (facial fractures), [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (left ribs), and [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag] (right hand, right wrist, and left eye) will not be able to fight until Feb. 5, 2021, unless they are cleared by a doctor beforehand.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Headlining victor [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] did not receive a suspension, while his opponent, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], received a 45-day suspension for lacerations sustained in the fight.

Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and his opponent, [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], both received 30-day suspensions after their co-main event bout.

[lawrence-related id=543758,543764]

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions:

  • Derrick Lewis: No suspension.
  • Aleksei Oleinik: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye and lip lacerations.
  • Chris Weidman: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to a “hard fight.”
  • Omari Akhmedov: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to laceration under left eye.
  • [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left scalp laceration.
  • [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • Yana Kunitskaya: Suspended 180 days or until MRI of neck and right arm are cleared by orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Scott Holtzman: Suspended 180 days or until left inferior orbital floor fracture cleared by maxillofacial surgeon; Also suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Laureno Staropoli[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye lacerations.
  • [autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days, or until right eye is cleared by doctor.
  • [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • Peter Barrett: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Irwin Rivera: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand and wrist is cleared by doctor and possible left eye corneal abrasion is cleared by an ophthalmologist.
  • [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to sutures on nasal bridge.

[vertical-gallery id=542849]

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

UFC on ESPN+ 32 post-event facts: Derrick Lewis conquers one record and approaches others

All the notable stats to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32, which took place in Las Vegas, and saw Derrick Lewis knock out Aleksei Oleinik.

The UFC’s loaded August schedule continued on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which went down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.

The UFC’s busiest heavyweight picked up another notable win in the headliner when [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) overcame the grappling prowess of [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to net a second-round TKO and extend his current winning streak to three fights.

“The Black Beast” made UFC history with his finish, and for more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32.

* * * *

General

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $162,000.

Debuting fighters went 0-3 at the event.

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 32 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.

Betting favorites went 10-2 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 15-7 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:09.

Main card

Derrick Lewis

Lewis’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Junior Dos Santos for third most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18) and Frank Mir (16).

Lewis’ 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Arlovski, Gabriel Gonzaga and Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13),

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are tied with Thiago Santos for most among active fighters in the organization.

Oleinik has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was successful in his return to the middleweight division.

Weidman earned his first UFC victory where he failed to outland his opponent in strikes.

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (20-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) fell to 3-1-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-1-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Stewart (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) improved to 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.

[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage.

Yana Kunitskaya

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

Kunitskaya outlanded her opponent 209-to-30 in total strikes. The +179 margin is largest in UFC women’s bantamweight history.

Kunitskaya has earned all three of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) earned the eighth knockout in UFC history stemming from a spinning backfist.

Dariush’s four-fight stoppage streak in UFC competition is tied with Justin Gaethje and Francis Ngannou for second longest among active fighters on the roster behind Charles Oliveira (seven).

[autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.

Preliminary card

Tim Means

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (30-12-1 MMA, 12-9 UFC) improved to 10-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

[autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.

[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his submission defeat.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Running on the hamster wheel? No thanks, Gavin Tucker says

Take a look inside Gavin Tucker’s submission of Justin Jaynes at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] beat Justin Jaynes with a third-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Tucker, who was fighting for the first time in more than a year. He picked up his second straight third-round rear-naked choke finish.

Result: Gavin Tucker def. Justin Jaynes via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:43
Updated records: Tucker (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Jaynes (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Key stat: Despite being in trouble early, Tucker outstruck Jaynes 91-33.

Tucker on the fight’s key moment

“Getting tested is a part of this. I think that only accelerates me in the end. All the stuff you work through just shows I’m full of grit. I’m there until the fight is over. I wasn’t going anywhere through any of those things. I got tested on both ends and worked my way through it.”

Tucker on working through adversity

“He was throwing 150 percent on everything, so you had to be super careful with this guy and I got a little loose with my hands, as I have had a tendency to do in the past, and paid the price. When I came in the second, I said, ‘OK, no more looseness. Stay tight. Get back to this sharp kickboxing and get back on track.’ And that’s good. When you get tested like that and you can come back, it makes you confident in yourself. I got tested in both ends, fought through it, came back, got a big win, got a finish and showed my grit and my abilities a little bit more. I’m actually happy with everything that just happened. It was a good experience.”

Tucker on what he wants next

“I’d like to continue the momentum. I’ve tried to rush it, back-to-back fights in the past, and it turns into a bad thing for me because you end up breaking down. I would like to get three fights a year. I think that’s a reasonable amount. I tried to do four and five fights a year and I ended up missing a year because I just pushed myself back into the trench. So I’m going to make the attempt. I don’t want to jinx it. I’m healthy and I’m going to stay healthy. I feel completely fine to fight soon again, so I would like to get back on track as soon as possible without putting myself in a place where I’m going to fall into old habits and do the same things. You have to learn from these mistakes or else you are just running in the hamster wheel and I don’t want to do that.”

To hear more from Tucker, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

[vertical-gallery id=542849]

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

UFC on ESPN+ 32 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Tim Means leads $162,000 payout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

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+ 32 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 32 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: $3,500

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: $3,763,000
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: $34,767,500

UFC on ESPN+ 32 bonuses: Three first-time award winners on action-packed night

There were three first-time bonus winners, including Gavin Tucker, on a night in which the small cage facilitated fast action.

The small cage led to big finishes at UFC on ESPN+ 32. And that, combined with the lack of a barnburner fight, meant there were four $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses handed out after the event.

Just one of the four, [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag], had ever previously won a postfight bonus. The rest were first-timers. The full list:

  • [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) earned his first career postfight bonus for his impressive third-round submission over Justin Jaynes in their undercard featherweight bout.
  • [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) knocked out Wellington Turman at the 4:14 mark of the opening round of their middleweight undercard fight with a hellacious right hand, followed by two more on the ground.
  • [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) used a huge right hook which dislodged Joaquin Buckley’s mouthpiece and put an end to their undercard middleweight bout in the third round.
  • Stewart (11-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) used a tight guillotine choke finish of Maki Pitolo in their middleweight main card bout earned Stewart his third career postfight bonus.

UFC on ESPN+32 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streamed on ESPN+. 

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

[vertical-gallery id=542849]

 

 

UFC on ESPN+ 32: Gavin Tucker post-fight interview

Gavin Tucker talks to media after his UFC on ESPN+ 32 victory

Gavin Tucker talks to media after his UFC on ESPN+ 32 victory

For Gavin Tucker, getting caught with his pants down was a good thing

Gavin Tucker was losing his fight with Justin Jaynes until his shorts fell down. Then he cruised to victory.

The phrase “getting caught with your pants down” rarely has good connotations.

It usually means you’ve been caught unprepared, caught unaware, or worst, you’ve literally been caught cheating on your spouse or partner.

But for [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag], having his pants down turned out out to be the point at which his UFC on ESPN+ 32 bout with Justin Jaynes (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) turned in his favor.

Jaynes had dominated the opening round of the bout, including securing a tight guillotine choke. But Canadian featherweight Tucker (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) managed to escape, then maneuvered Jaynes into a tight head-and-arm choke of his own.

Tucker’s fight shorts fell off in the process. But that didn’t detract from his laser focus on finishing the fight. In his underwear, Tucker bore down for a near-submission, with Jaynes getting saved by the horn.

[lawrence-related id=542408,542404,542718]

From there, the fight was all Tucker’s. He turned up the heat in Round 2. Jaynes survived the round, but in the final frame, Tucker picked Jaynes apart in the standup, got a tight rear-naked choke – this time with his trunks in proper position – and got the tapout at the 1:43 mark.

That’s two straight wins for Tucker. And hey, maybe when the Reebok era is done, Venum will get him a pair of properly fitting trunks.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streamed on ESPN+. 

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

[vertical-gallery id=542849]

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

Justin Jaynes wanted more time to face Gavin Tucker at featherweight but wasn’t going to pass up opportunity

“Not an ideal situation for featherweight, but it is what it is. I show up, I blow up, I’m gonna knock Gavin Tucker out.”

[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] admits cutting down to 145 pounds in a relatively quick turnaround is far from ideal.

Jaynes (16-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who knocked out Frank Camacho in his UFC debut in June, is dropping down a weight class less than two months later to take on [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Jaynes has competed all the way up to 170 pounds throughout his career, but when his manager called with the offer to face Tucker (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at featherweight, Jaynes couldn’t turn it down.

“I love quick turnarounds,” Jaynes told MMA Junkie. “I wasn’t thrilled about going down to featherweight for this one. When Jason (House) called, he was in Abu Dhabi, and I was at the bar drinking beer and eating pizza. He called. He’s like, ‘Hey, we have an offer for Gavin Tucker in four weeks. Can you make weight?’ I said, ‘Can we ask for an extension? Like a week or two extension?’ He said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’ Long story short, no extension. UFC knocks, I answer the door – 145, 155, 170.

“(It’s) not an ideal situation for featherweight, but it is what it is. I show up, I blow up. I’m going to knock Gavin Tucker out.”

It took Jaynes only 41 seconds to upset Camacho in a position he thrived in. He takes on Canada’s Tucker and he’ll look to cash in as the betting underdog once again.

“My whole life, I’ve been an underdog,” Jaynes said. “I love being the underdog. I just love the opportunity to create an upset and it’s my time.”

[vertical-gallery id=528526]

UFC adds Gavin Tucker vs. Justin Jaynes to Aug. 8 event

A featherweight matchup is on tap for August 8.

[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] has been added to the UFC’s summer lineup.

The two featherweight fighters will square off as part of the promotion’s Aug. 8 card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking. They asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Bloody Canvas was the first to report the news.

Tucker (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has only competed twice since his promotional debut in February 2017. A loss to Rick Glenn was bookended by two wins, including a victory in his most recent outing against Seung Woo Choi in July 2019. Prior to the current COVID-19 pandemic canceling the event, Tucker was supposed to fight Billy Quarantillo in April in Lincoln, Neb.

Jaynes (16-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) makes a relatively quick turnaround after knocking out Frank Camacho on June 20. The fight was Jaynes’ UFC debut, which he took on just days’ notice. The victory extended Jaynes’ winning streak to five and earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.

With the addition, the Aug. 8 lineup includes:

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Andrew Sanchez vs. Wellington Turman
  • Miranda Granger vs. Nadia Kassem
  • Peter Barrett vs. Steve Garcia
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alex Munoz
  • Tim Means vs. Laureano Staropoli
  • Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze
  • Justin Jaynes vs. Gavin Tucker

[vertical-gallery id=426062]

[vertical-gallery id=388806]

Billy Quarantillo hopes Gavin Tucker fight gets rebooked, eager to end longest healthy layoff of career

The owner of one of 2019’s standout UFC debuts, Billy Quarantillo hasn’t been able to follow up his December performance.

The owner of one of 2019’s standout UFC debuts, [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] hasn’t been able to follow up his December performance.

Quarantillo (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was granted the opportunity for a sophomore appearance at UFC on ESPN+ 31, an event that was supposed to be held April 25. However, the card was one of a handful of event casualties as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“It was weird,” Quarantillo told MMA Junkie in a recent interview. “On one end, we have our boss Dana White saying, ‘Stay ready, stay ready, stay ready,’ which I was cool with. But our gym owner doesn’t want us to come to the gym. We’re worried about getting people sick. We’re just trying to do the right thing. We’ve got people trying to push us in all different directions.

“At the same time, we knew it wasn’t going to be like a regular training camp. We knew we both had to deal with that. So we were prepared to cut weight, make weight and fight. I’ve just been staying in shape since then. It was a crazy time. Obviously, they made the right decision. I’m super excited about these fights that are coming up May 9 and I’m hoping to still get back on a fight card very soon.”

Currently, Quarantillo has been staying active – training when and where he’s able. He’s kept a small circle of training partners, but has limited his sparring.

“We’ve had a really small group that we’ve been able to train with, but mostly it’s been a lot of road work, a lot of jumping rope, and a lot of time in the house,” Quarantillo said. “… Just like everyone, we’re still kind of in shock that this is real.”

[lawrence-related id=495911,469035,466673]

Before the pandemic struck, Quarantillo was booked to fight Canadian featherweight [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]. Since the cancellation, Quarantillo hasn’t heard anything about a rebooking. However, the UFC has made it their priority to rebook fighters who had been previously scheduled. Quarantillo hopes he gets a call soon.

“We basically (told the UFC) at the end of May looks good – or June,” Quarantillo said. “We still wanted to be matched up with Gavin, but we basically said we’ll fight whoever at this point. I know a lot of fighters are hungry to fight. I haven’t fought since Dec. 7. This is one of the longest layoffs I’ve had.

“… They haven’t told us anything. They haven’t confirmed any matchup with Gavin, yet. They haven’t told us that I’m fighting in May or June yet. I’m just staying ready. I’m doing everything I can to stay ready to fight. If it’s Gavin or if it’s someone else, I’m going to ready to go. I can’t wait to get that phone call.”

Check out MMA Junkie’s full interview with Quarantillo below:

[vertical-gallery id=468792]

[vertical-gallery id=424831]