Photos: UFC 292 official weigh-ins

Check out the best photos from the UFC 292 official weigh-ins including Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley and more.

Check out these photos of the UFC 292 official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel in Boston. (Photos by Nolan King, MMA Junkie)

UFC 292 pre-event facts: Do Aljamain Sterling’s stats confirm bantamweight GOAT status?

The best facts about UFC 292, which sees Aljamain Sterling bring a potentially GOAT-worthy resume into his title defense vs. Sean O’Malley.

The UFC returns to Boston for the seventh time in company history and the first time in nearly four years on Saturday with UFC 292, which takes place at TD Garden and has a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A championship doubleheader takes center stage on the card. In the main event, [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) will seek his fourth consecutive bantamweight title defense when he takes on [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), while the co-main event sees strawweight champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) look for the first defense of her second title reign against dangerous Brazilian challenger [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC).

For the numbers behind both title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 292.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (May 29-June 4)

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 May 29-June 4.

Gerald Meerschaert vs. Andre Petroski added to UFC 292 lineup in Boston

UFC 292 gets a middleweight matchup between Gerald Meerschaert and Andre Petroski in Boston.

The UFC 292 lineup is starting to take shape.

A middleweight bout between [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] and [autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag] has been added to the card, which is set to take place Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup with a person with knowledge of the fight after an announncement by Petroski on social media.

In the main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling defends his title against Sean O’Malley. In the co-feature, women’s strawweight champ Zhang Weili puts her title on the line against Amanda Lemos.

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Meerschaert (35-16 MMA, 10-8 UFC) fought in April and suffered a quick, first-round TKO loss Joseph Pyfer at UFC 287 in Miami. The defeat halted momentum from a submission win over Bruno Silva in August 2022. Meerschaert is 4-2 in his past six trips to the octagon.

Petroski (9-1, 4-0 UFC) will compete in his first fight of 2023. He most recently was seen in action this past November when he defeated Wellinton Turman by unanimous decision at UFC 281. Petroski has yet to taste defeat in the octagon and is on a four-fight winning streak.

With the addition, the UFC 292 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley – for bantamweight title
  • Champ Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos – for women’s strawweight title
  • Mario Bautista vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Andre Petroski

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

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UFC 287 post-event facts: Israel Adesanya makes history as two-time divisional champ

Check out the stats to come out of UFC 287, where Israel Adesanya made history by doing something no middleweight had ever done.

The UFC’s long-awaited return to Miami after more than two decades delivered a memorable moment with Israel Adesanya making history by reclaiming middleweight gold from Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 headliner at Kaseya Center.

Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) avenged his TKO loss to Pereira (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) from November with a highlight-reel second-round knockout in the main event to become the first two-time titleholder in the storied 185-pound division.

For more on the numbers behind Adesanya’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 287.

UFC 287 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Second-highest total of 2023

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 287 took home the second-highest UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout of the year thus far.

MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 287 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $274,500.

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 287 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 287 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Shayilan Nuerdanbieke[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,045,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $16,564,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.

UFC 287 video: Joe Pyfer tees off on Gerald Meerschaert for first-round TKO

“Be Joe Pyfer” continues to ring true, as another TKO was added to the reel at UFC 287.

During “Dana White’s Contender Series” in 2022, the UFC president coined the catchphrase “Be [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag].”

At UFC 287, Pyfer (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) continued to show why fighters should take White’s advice. Pyfer took a step up in competition and finished longtime UFC middleweight [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (35-16 MMA, 10-8 UFC) with punches at 3:15 of Round 1. The event took place Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

A right-left combination put Meerschaert to the canvas. Though he initially looked to be moving toward a return to the feet, Meerschaert flipped to his stomach and covered up. Pyfer pounded away as Meerschaert moved, but his body language was not sufficient enough for referee Marc Goddard, who waved off the fight.

Pyfer, 26, has won both of his UFC bouts by knockout. In September, Pyfer made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 210 and knocked out Alen Amedovski in 3:55. Meerschaert, 35, moved to 1-2 in his most recent three, but has won four of six.

The up-to-the-minute UFC 287 results include:

  • Joe Pyfer def. Gerald Meerschaert via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:15
  • Loopy Godinez def. Cynthia Calvillo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Ignacio Bahamondes def. Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Steve Garcia def. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:36
  • Sam Hughes def. Jaqueline Amorim via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.

UFC 287 video: Joe Pyfer tees off on Gerald Meerschaert for first-round TKO

“Be Joe Pyfer” continues to ring true, as another TKO was added to the reel at UFC 287.

During “Dana White’s Contender Series” in 2022, the UFC president coined the catchphrase “Be [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag].”

At UFC 287, Pyfer (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) continued to show why fighters should take White’s advice. Pyfer took a step up in competition and finished longtime UFC middleweight [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (35-16 MMA, 10-8 UFC) with punches at 3:15 of Round 1. The event took place Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

A right-left combination put Meerschaert to the canvas. Though he initially looked to be moving toward a return to the feet, Meerschaert flipped to his stomach and covered up. Pyfer pounded away as Meerschaert moved, but his body language was not sufficient enough for referee Marc Goddard, who waved off the fight.

Pyfer, 26, has won both of his UFC bouts by knockout. In September, Pyfer made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 210 and knocked out Alen Amedovski in 3:55. Meerschaert, 35, moved to 1-2 in his most recent three, but has won four of six.

The up-to-the-minute UFC 287 results include:

  • Joe Pyfer def. Gerald Meerschaert via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:15
  • Loopy Godinez def. Cynthia Calvillo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
  • Ignacio Bahamondes def. Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Steve Garcia def. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:36
  • Sam Hughes def. Jaqueline Amorim via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.

Joe Pyfer def. Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Joe Pyfer’s first-round TKO win over Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287 in Miami.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] at UFC 287 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Photos by Rich Storry, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC 287 pre-event facts: Jorge Masvidal looks to avoid dreaded four-fight skid

Check out the numbers behind UFC 287 in Miami, where Jorge Masvidal faces the danger of a four-fight losing skid against Gilbert Burns.

The UFC returns to Miami for the first time in more than 20 years Saturday with UFC 287, which takes place at Miami-Dade Arena with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A highly anticipated middleweight championship rematch receives top billing on the card. Reigning titleholder [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will once again meet his rival [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) in the main event in what will be their fourth career combat sports meeting. The Brazilian currently holds a 3-0 lead in the overall series.

For more on the numbers behind both headliners, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 287.