Tag: Ian Heinisch

Callout Collection: Who UFC 250 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Herbert Burns and Neil Magny were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC 250 in Las Vegas.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC 250 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

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First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …

Herbert Burns

Wants to fight: [autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag] or [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]

The callout: “I want to get back quickly, I want to get back soon. I want to fight on the ‘Fight Island’. We already know the location – they already decided it’s in Abu Dhabi – so the plan is to go there and fight again soon, and hopefully against a good guy. I gave two names: Bryce Mitchell and Ryan Hall, two grapplers. Ryan Hall’s even ranked – he’d be my first choice. But if he doesn’t want (it), I know Mitchell is a tough guy (and) he doesn’t run from a challenger. I’m a challenger, so let’s go.”

The reality: [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag] may have kicked off his UFC career with a knockout, but he returned to his grappling roots to score an impressive win over Evan Dunham at UFC 250 and his post-fight suggestions for his next opponent showed where his strengths lie.

Burns very smartly called out a pair of fellow grapplers who few people are keen to face right now, which should give him a great chance of landing one of them for his next fight. Mitchell will face anyone and would have no qualms about testing his own impressive ground game against the Brazilian grappling ace. But the fight that offers the most intrigue for me is the Hall fight. “The Wizard’s” very specific set of ground skills has made him a must-avoid opponent at 145 pounds, which makes Burns’ callout all the more interesting.

Both matchups seem like valid options for Burns, but the Hall fight offers a bout against ranked opposition and gives “The Blaze” the chance to catapult himself towards title contention at 145 pounds while his older brother Gilbert attempts to capture gold at 170. A two-pronged Burns brothers title charge would certainly make for an interesting narrative, so sending Herbert down the faster track could make promotional sense here.

Next up: Middleweight campaigner offers two solid options

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UFC 250 salaries: Amanda Nunes leads way with half-a-million-dollar purse

In total, UFC 250 had five fighters earning six-figure paydays.

UFC women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] topped the list of UFC 250 fighter payouts.

On Saturday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of fighter salaries from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) earned $500,000 for her winning effort against [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] in the UFC 250 main event. As for Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), the title challenger took home $125,000 in defeat.

The second-highest paid athlete on the card, former bantamweight champion [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag], took home $260,000 for his knockout of [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag], who earned $79,000.

Other fighters earning six-figure paydays include [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] ($152,000), [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] ($158,000), and [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] ($116,000).

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UFC 250 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view after prelims simulcasted on ESPN/ESPN+.

The full list of UFC 250 salaries included:

  • Amanda Nunes: $500,000 (includes $150,000 win bonus) def. Felicia Spencer: $125,000
  • Felicia Spencer: $200,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus) def. Amanda Nunes: $350,000
  • Aljamain Sterling: $152,000 (includes $76,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $80,000
  • Cody Garbrandt: $260,000 (includes $130,000 win bonus) def. Raphael Assuncao: $79,000
  • Neil Magny: $158,000 (includes $79,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]: $48,000
  • [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag]: $46,000
  • [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $116,000 (includes $58,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $27,000
  • [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $72,000 (includes $36,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag]: $98,000
  • [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag]: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $14,000
  • [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Evan Dunham[/autotag]: $60,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 250 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials will hand out additional $50,000 UFC 250 fight-night bonuses.

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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UFC 250 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2020 total passes $2 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 250 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $266,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 250 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $266,000.

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 250 took place at UFC Apex. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 250 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: $40,000
[autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag]: $15,000
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $5,000
[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag]: $15,000
[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Evan Dunham[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Herbert Burns[/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: $2,329,500
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: $33,334,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 250 with lots of Queen, Biggie, Eminem

Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 250 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC 250 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

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UFC 250 results: Ian Heinisch steamrolls Gerald Meerschaert

Prior to UFC 250, all of Ian Heinisch’s UFC bouts went the distance.

Whether or not [autotag]Ian Heinisch [/autotag] was looking to make a statement Saturday night, one was made – and in a definitive manner, to boot.

Heinisch went the full 15 minutes in each of his first four UFC fights, splitting wins and losses But Heinisch didn’t waste any time in his UFC 250 bout against [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]. The Colorado native was both aggressive and precise in earning a TKO win in just 74 seconds.

Heinisch, who has switched up his training to Thailand, where he worked out prior to the coronavirus pandemic, showed his newfound aggressiveness right off the bat.

 

Heinisch (14-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) threw low kicks from the outset, then made a level change to which Meerschaert (31-13 MMA, 6-5 UFC) committed. He dropped his hands, and Heinisch changed up with an expertly thrown overhand right that dropped his opponent. From there, Heinisch landed right hands, and when Meerschaert pivoted to his hands and knees, Heinisch opened up with lefts and rights until the bout was waved off.

“The whole mantra of this fight was movement, kicks, and set up that right hand,” Heinisch said.

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Heinisch’s fifth career KO/TKO snapped a two-fight losing streak, while Meerschaert has now dropped two of three.

The middleweight bout was part of the UFC 250 preliminary card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+ ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 250 results include:

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Ian Heinisch vs. Gerald Meerschaert back on at UFC 250 after false positive COVID-19 test

UFC 250 reinstates Ian Heinisch vs. Gerald Meerschaert after a false positive coronavirus test.

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] is back on for UFC 250.

The middleweight bout was temporarily called off after one of Heinisch’s cornermen tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of Saturday’s card. Anthony Ivy was pegged as a replacement to fight Meerschaert (31-12 MMA, 6-4 UFC).

However, further testing showed the initial test to be false – and Heinisch’s cornerman was cleared, people with the knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie on Thursday. The fight was reinstated, as a result. Ivy is expected to remain on the UFC roster, as MMA Fighting first reported.

After winning his first two UFC bouts, the Dana White’s Contender Series alum Heinisch (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has dropped two in a row to Derek Brunson and Omari Akhmedov. He recently revealed he signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC.

Meerschaert has won two of of his most recent three bouts. A Roufusport product, Meerschaert most recently defeated Deron Winn at UFC 248 in March.

With the change, the UFC 250 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s featherweight title
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Neil Magny vs. Anthony Rocco Martin
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Eddie Wineland

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Alex Caceres vs. Chase Hooper
  • Anthony Ivy vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Brian Kelleher vs. Cody Stamann
  • Charles Byrd vs. Maki Pitolo

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Jussier Formiga vs. Alex Perez
  • Devin Clark vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Herbert Burns vs. Evan Dunham

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UFC 250 cornerman tests positive for COVID-19, fighter removed from card

A person expected to corner at UFC 250 this Saturday has tested positive for COVID-19. 

A person expected to corner at UFC 250 on Saturday has tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a source close to the situation, a cornerman for [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, Heinisch was removed from his UFC 250 bout against Gerald Meerschaert for precautionary reasons.

Multiple sources told MMA Junkie the positive test was cause for concern among numerous other athletes and teams on the ground, especially fighters who had recently been around Heinisch. The UFC was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

TSN was the first to report the news after a tweet from anonymous Twitter user @DonKingLV.

The event and its preceding fight week currently is being overseen by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Contact tracing is part of the NAC’s recently instated COVID-19 safety protocols, should someone within the closed system test positive, and could be key in assessing if any other athletes should face precautionary measures.

Heinisch’s cornerman is the first known positive UFC test since Ronaldo Souza and his team tested positive during UFC 249 fight week in May.

With Heinisch out, his originally scheduled opponent Gerald Meerschaert now fights UFC newcomer Anthony Ivy.

UFC 250 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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Ian Heinisch out of UFC 250, Gerald Meerschaert vs. Anthony Ivy in the works

Anthony Ivy will make his promotional debut at UFC 250 on Saturday against Gerald Meerschaert after Ian Heinisch withdrew.

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] won’t be fighting at UFC 250.

Originally scheduled to fight Saturday against [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag], Heinisch (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) withdrew from the bout Thursday. The reason pertaining to Heinisch’s departure from the lineup is not clear at this time.

Sources close to the situation informed MMA Junkie of Heinisch’s departure and Ivy’s entry, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting was the first to report Heinisch’s removal. Combate was the first to report Ivy’s entry.

Stepping into Heinisch’s spot is WXC welterweight champion [autotag]Anthony Ivy[/autotag]. Ivy (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a Texas based fighter, has won five straight bouts entering his UFC debut. In his most recent outing, the 30-year-old fighter derailed highly-touted prospect Willis Black III by fourth-round knockout.

Meerschaert (31-12 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has won two of of his most recent three bouts. A Roufusport product, Meerschaert most recently defeated Deron Winn at UFC 248 in March.

With the change, the UFC 250 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s featherweight title
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Neil Magny vs. Anthony Rocco Martin
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Eddie Wineland

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Alex Caceres vs. Chase Hooper
  • Anthony Ivy vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Brian Kelleher vs. Cody Stamann
  • Charles Byrd vs. Maki Pitolo

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Jussier Formiga vs. Alex Perez
  • Devin Clark vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Herbert Burns vs. Evan Dunham

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UFC 250 prelims pre-event facts: Why isn’t Jussier Formiga higher on card with these stats?

The best facts, figures and footnotes about the UFC 250 prelims, where Alex Caceres meets Chase Hooper in the featured bout.

Before the UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday with UFC 250, the event’s preliminary lineup goes down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is set to air on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The featured prelim bout sees longtime octagon veteran [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] (15-12 MMA, 10-10 UFC) take on the youngest fighter on the roster, 20-year-old [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), in a featherweight affair.

For more on the numbers behind the lineup, check below for 25 pre-facts about the UFC 250 prelims.

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Featured ESPN prelim

Alex Caceres

Caceres is 5-4 since he returned to the UFC featherweight division in January 2015.

Caceres has earned seven of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Caceres is one of seven fighters in UFC/WEC bantamweight history to land 100 or more significant strikes in two different fights.

Hooper, 20, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Other ESPN prelims

Ian Heinisch

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2019.

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has earned 28 of his 30 career victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his UFC wins.

Meerschaert’s five submission victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Demian Maia, Rousimar Palhares, Thales Leites and Antonio Carlos Junior for most in divisional history.

Meerschaert is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 102.

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] (21-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 24-day stretch. He won at UFC on ESPN+ 29 on May 13.

[autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag] (10-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2018.

ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelims

Jussier Formiga

[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) competes in his 16th UFC flyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Joseph Benavidez (17).

Formiga enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.

Formiga’s nine victories in UFC flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Benavidez (13) and Demetrious Johnson (13).

Formiga’s three submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Johnson (five).

Formiga defends 87.1 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Kai Kara-France (90.9 percent) and Ian McCall (90 percent).

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]’s (23-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 123.

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all of his career victories by stoppage. Eight of those wins are by knockout.

[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. He was victorious his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February.

Clark has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision. He’s suffered all of his losses by stoppage.

Evan Dunham

[autotag]Evan Dunham[/autotag] (18-8-1 MMA, 11-8-1 UFC), 38, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Dunham returns to competition after retiring from MMA following a loss at UFC Fight Night 137 in September 2018.

Dunham’s three-fight winless skid is tied for the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2016.

Dunham has landed 1,225 significant strikes in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history. He also holds the record for most total strikes with 1,587.

Dunham is one of three lightweights in UFC history to land 100+ significant strikes in four separate fights. Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson also accomplished the feat.

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