Tag: Ibo Aslan

Self-proclaimed ‘rising star’ Ibo Aslan wants to test his power against UFC champ Alex Pereira

Turkey’s Ibo Aslan came into UFC 308 with 13 wins, 13 knockouts. His streak continued, and he’s already got sights on the champ.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag] beat Rafael Cerqueira with a first-round TKO Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Take a look inside the fight with Aslan, who despite one of the fastest finishes in the UFC this year was denied recognition with a post-fight bonus award.

Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira

Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira, UFC 308 (via UFC)

Result: Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:51
Updated records: Aslan (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Cerqueira (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: All 14 of Aslan’s wins have been by knockout.

Aslan on the fight’s key moment

Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira, UFC 308 (©Craig Kidwell, special to MMA Junkie)

“Like always, I go inside the cage, I knock my opponent out, and I come out. This is, for me, something normal – not special. ”

Aslan on his family being there to see him fight

“I was in the camp for three months. I didn’t see my family. As soon as my mother (got to the airport), she hugged me. She gave me the energy. She gave me the motivation. If there was an ox in front of me, I would take it down. It doesn’t matter to me. My mother came to watch me fight for the first time in 10 years. She was very motivated, so I was very confident.”

Aslan on what he wants next

Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira, UFC 308 (©Craig Kidwell, special to MMA Junkie)

“The UFC knows already I am the future rising star. This is just the beginning. I don’t want to rush. Every opponent, everything has its time and step, step, step – then become champion. (Alex Pereira) is a great champion. I like him. I wish him all the best. I don’t know (if I hit harder than him). I don’t know. We must see this in the cage.

“I am ready (to fight often). I have no injuries, nothing. I don’t feel like I fought tonight. My warmup was longer than my fight. I’ll take tomorrow rest, and Monday I start again with training.”

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

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

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UFC 308 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Ilia Topuria’s $42,000 leads card

Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway combined for $74,000 of the Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay for UFC 308.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 308 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $252,000.

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 308 took place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+

The full UFC 308 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Armen Petrosyan[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Rafael Cerqueira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Mateusz Rebecki[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Myktybek Orolbai[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Farid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Victor Hugo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ismail Naurdiev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Leal[/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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,896,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,633,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira at UFC 308: Best photos from Abu Dhabi

Check out the best photos from Ibo Aslan’s first-round TKO win over Rafael Cerqueira at UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Rafael Cerqueira[/autotag] at UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. (Photos by Craig Kidwell, special to MMA Junkie; MMA Junkie; UFC)

UFC 308 video: Ibo Aslan wrecks Rafael Cerqueira in 51 seconds using ‘Turkish Power’

Ibo Aslan made the most of the UFC 308 featured prelim treatment with a violent sub-one minute performance.

[autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag] waited six months to return to the cage, but once in there he only needed 51 seconds.

In the featured prelim Saturday at UFC 308, Aslan (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) stopped [autotag]Rafael Cerqueira[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with punches standing for a first-round TKO stoppage. The light heavyweight bout took place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Aslan clipped Cerqueira with a punch that sent the Brazilian backward. As Cerqueira covered up, Aslan relentless ripped the body and head. Cerqueira was stunned badly with multiple headshots and eventually was saved standing by referee Marc Goddard.

https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1850232005507588128

Aslan called his hands “Turkish Power” after the fight, and repeatedly issued a warning to the rest of the light heavyweight division. Saturday’s performance comes six months after he made a scintillating debut in a Fight of the Night knockout win over Anton Turkalj.

Cerqueira loses for the first time as a professional. He was initially scheduled to fight on Dana White’s Contender Series weeks prior, but was bumped into a UFC shot directly.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 308 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC on ESPN 54 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $24.5 million

UFC on ESPN 54 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,000.

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 54 took place at Boardwalk Hall. The main card aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 54 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Connor Matthews[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/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 $4,540; 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 $54,000 while title challengers get $54,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-54 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,842,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,579,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 play-by-play, live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 54 in Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – UFC on ESPN 54 took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie live play-by-play and official results. UFC on ESPN 54 (ESPN/ESPN+) took place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

In the main event, Erin Blanchfield (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) took on Manon Fiorot (12-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in a likely women’s flyweight title eliminator. Joaquin Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) took on Vicente Luque (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) in the welterweight co-feature, and former middleweight champion Chris Weidman (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returned against Bruno Silva (23-11 MMA, 4-5 UFC).

Below, you can check out the results and play-by-play from UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 video: Ibo Aslan avenges loss to Anton Turkalj with third-round TKO

With his eye swelled shut and on the cusp of defeat, Ibo Aslan landed a one-hitter quitter on Anton Turkalj to turn his UFC on ESPN 54 debut into a win.

[autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag] had to overcome some adversity in his octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 54, but he ultimately found a way to win against [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag].

After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aslan (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) got the unique opportunity to debut against the man who handed him his only career loss in Turkalj (8-4 MMA, 0-4 UFC) in a light heavyweight matchup at Boardwalk Hall.

For more than two rounds it looked like history might repeat itself, with Turkalj landing some heavy shots and swelling Aslan’s eye to a close. But then Aslan landed a huge punch in the third round that knocked Turkalj down, and the referee jumped in for the TKO at the 1:32 mark of Round 3.

Check out the replay of the final sequence below (via X):

After the win, Aslan proudly stated he’s ready to make waves as the only active UFC fighter from Turkey. He hopes to do big things in the 205-pound division, especially with the lone blemish on his resume now wiped away.

This guy runs for four years from me. I get him in the UFC in my debut. I knocked him out. I am not here to win the fight. I am here to knock people out.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 54 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Ibo Aslan def. Anton Turkalj at UFC on ESPN 54: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Ibo Aslan’s third-round TKO win over Anton Turkalj at UFC on ESPN 54.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]’s third-round TKO win over [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. (Fight and venue photos by Ed Mulholland, USA Today Sports)

UFC on ESPN 54 official weigh-in results: Fighter somehow gains weight between attempts, misses mark

The UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins ended oddly as Julio Arce somehow gained 0.25 pounds between attempts and his team was scratching their heads.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Ahead of Saturday’s fights at Boardwalk Hall, the 28 fighters involved in UFC on ESPN 54 hit the scales at the host hotel. One missed weight.

Atop the event, which airs on ESPN/ESPN+, is a pivotal women’s flyweight main event between top contenders [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

In the co-main event, welterweight standouts [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) collide. Also on the card, former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) attempts to reenter the win column against [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

All of those fighters made weight, but one from the prelims. [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] missed the featherweight limit after previously missing at bantamweight in April 2022. He was given two attempts and gained 0.25 pounds between attempts.

Arce’s re-weigh was the last weigh-in of the day. A different New Jersey State Athletic Commission (NJSAC) representative than who weighed in the other 27 fighters and Arce’s first attempt, weighed in Arce the second time. This caused further frustration and disbelief from Arce’s team, who said they had weighed 146 on their own scale. Arce was fined 20 percent of his purse and the fight will continue as scheduled.

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Check out the full UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins results below:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Erin Blanchfield (125) vs. Manon Fiorot (125.25)
  • Joaquin Buckley (170) vs. Vicente Luque (170)
  • Bruno Silva (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186)
  • Sedriques Dumas (185) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (185)
  • Bill Algeo (146) vs. Kyle Nelson (145)
  • Rhys McKee (170.25) vs. Chidi Njokuani (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Nate Landwehr (145.25) vs. Jamall Emmers (145)
  • Loopy Godinez (115) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)
  • Julio Arce (147)* vs. Herbert Burns (145)
  • Dennis Buzukja (145.25) vs. Connor Matthews (145)
  • Ibo Aslan (205) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)
  • Viktoriia Dudakova (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)
  • Jacob Malkoun (185) vs. Andre Petroski (186)
  • Caolan Loughran (135) vs. Angel Pacheco (135)

* Arce missed featherweight limit by 1 pound; 20 percent fine

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 15-21)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights 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, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.