Tag: Ilir Latifi

NAC temporarily suspends UFC’s Ilir Latifi after in-cage interview admitting he fought with staph infection

Following his UFC Fight Night 211 win, Ilir Latifi revealed to the world he fought with a fever and swollen leg caused by a staph infection.

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] is facing disciplinary action for an admission he made in the cage after his recent win at UFC Fight Night 211.

At a monthly Nevada Athletic Commission meeting held Tuesday, Latifi was temporarily suspended for admitting to knowingly competing with a staph infection in his Oct. 1 win vs. Aleksei Oleinik. The suspension will end when a resolution on disciplinary action is reached.

“Even this week, my leg is swollen,” Latifi told commentator Paul Felder post-fight on the broadcast. “I didn’t even tell my coaches, but I got a staph infection two days ago. As you can see, my leg is all swollen. It’s an amazing sport, but the margins are so small. You put in so much work, and this thing happens the last day. Today, actually when I woke up, my leg was swollen. I was like, ‘I can’t cancel again.’ So I had to fight like this with a fever and a staph infection. That’s part of being a fighter.”

According to the NAC, Latifi failed to inform the promotion or commission of his infection prior to admitting it on camera. The commission called the decision “risky” and added the “behavior cannot be tolerated.”

The NAC has been in touch with Latifi, whom it described as “remorseful.” Latifi will not be permitted to compete until an agreement is reached and announced.

Latifi, 40, also indicated in his in-cage interview the win over Oleinik could be his final MMA fight. If so, he finishes on a two-fight winning streak with a 16-8 overall record and 9-6 in the UFC.

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UFC Fight Night 211 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2022 total hits $6.5 million

UFC has paid out $6.5 million in Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay to its athletes this year after UFC Fight Night 211.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 211 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $164,500.

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 211 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 211 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Don Shainis[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Daniel Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]John Castaneda[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Joaquim Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jesse Ronson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Randy Costa[/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 2117 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2111 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 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,491,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $12,658,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 211.

UFC Fight Night 211: Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 211 odds and lines between Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a heavyweight bout in the prelims, Ilir Latifi and Aleksei Oleinik meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 211 at UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the UFC Fight Night 211: Latifi vs. Oleinik odds, with expert picks and predictions.

The fight can be viewed on ESPN+ with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET and the main card at 7 p.m. ET.

It’s rather surprising this veteran battle is on the prelims portion of the card, especially since it’s a rather weak card overall. Some of the main card fights should be blowouts, but this has Fight of the Night potential.

Latifi, a.k.a. “The Sledgehammer”, takes the walk with a split-decision win over Tanner Boser in his most recent showing in June 2021, stopping a 3-bout losing skid. However, losses to Corey Anderson, Volkan Oezdemir and Derrick Lewis are certainly nothing to be ashamed of. He looks to work his way back up the ladder with a win over the veteran Oleinik.

The 45-year-old Oleinik, a.k.a. “The Boa Constrictor”, is still a formidable force despite being a little long in the tooth. Just ask Jared Vanderaa, who was submitted by the craft veteran in Round 1 at UFC 273 in April.

Oleinik’s calling card is his work on the mat, posting a 47-2 record via submission in his 77 career professional bouts. Can he do it one more time?

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 211 Latifi vs. Oleinik odds

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:35 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Latifi -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Oleinik +145 (bet $100 to win $145)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -140 | Under +102)

Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

UFC Fight Night 211 Latifi vs. Oleinik picks and predictions

Records: Latifi (16-8-0) | Oleinik (60-16-1)

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

It’s actually quite surprising these 2 veteran fighters haven’t fought each other yet, either at the UFC level or in any other organization. Latifi doesn’t have as long of a history as OLEINIK (+145), and the Swedish fighter is going to be in for a war.

Look for Oleinik to keep Latifi at bay with his 7-inch reach advantage, picking and choosing his spots to go in for the takedown. The Boa Constrictor will want to get this fight to the mat, which is where he does his best work, and always has. Latifi is no slouch on the canvas, but he hasn’t faced a grappler like the veteran Oleinik.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-140) is a good play, as Oleinik will bide his time looking for the right time to get this one to the mat. It won’t be a quick fight, by any means, although it isn’t going the distance, either.

However, No (-320): Fight to go the distance is just too expensive, so AVOID that. It is worth taking a flyer on OLEINIK BY SUBMISSION (+225) for the chance to multiply your initial wager by more than 2 times. In addition, going lightly on a 2-round block of OLEINIK IN ROUND 2 (+720) and OLEINIK IN ROUND 3 (+1700) is worth a shot. If he wins in Rounds 2-3, you will lose on one end, but you’ll still be well ahead.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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UFC 273 news: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Kelvin Gastelum off, Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik added

The UFC’s April pay-per-view event sees a shake-up in the lineup, losing one fight and adding another previously canceled bout.

April’s UFC pay-per-view event sees a pair of changes to the lineup.

Due to visa issues, [autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag] will no longer compete against [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag], the promotion officially announced on Monday. The fight has been canceled from the card and there will be no replacement opponent for Gastelum.

Imavov (11-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC), 26, will have to wait a little longer to compete in his first fight of 2022, as he was anticipating the opportunity to extend his current win streak to three straight.

The former middleweight title challenger Gastelum (16-8 MMA, 11-8-1 UFC), 30, has not competed since August, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Jared Cannonier, and would have looked to snap a two-fight skid.

It is unclear if the bout will be rebooked at a later date or if the promotion will move on to a different matchup.

While one fight is lost, another is gained in a previously canceled heavyweight matchup. At UFC on ESPN 33, [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] was scheduled to face [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], but the fight fell apart just hours before the event. Latifi was forced to pull out of the fight with a non-COVID-related illness. The promotion moved quickly to reschedule the bout, and it will now take place at the pay-per-view event which is headed by two title fights.

With the changes, the UFC 273 lineup now includes:

  • Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung – for the featherweight title
  • Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan – for the bantamweight title
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
  • Irene Aldana vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Ian Garry vs. Darian Weeks
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura
  • Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik
  • Mickey Gall vs. Mike Malott
  • Pat Sabatini vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos
  • Mark Madsen vs. Vinc Pichel
  • Kay Hansen vs. Piera Rodriguez

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UFC on ESPN 33 predictions: Who’s our lone unanimous pick in Columbus?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 33 main card, featuring Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus.

Blaydes
vs.
Daukaus		 Grasso
vs.
Wood		 Barberena
vs.
Brown		 Askarov
vs.
Kara-France		 Latifi
vs.
Oleinik		 Borshchev
vs.
Diakiese
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
47-19		 blaydes2022
Blaydes
(75%)		 grasso2022
Grasso
(79%)		 brown2022
Brown
(72%)		 askarov2022
Askarov
(64%)		 latifi2022
Latifi
(51%)		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
(76%)
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
45-21		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 wood2022
Wood		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 oleinik2022
Oleinik		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
44-22
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
44-22
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 wood2022
Wood		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 oleinik2022
Oleinik		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
43-23		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
42-24		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 diakiese2022
Diakiese
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
41-25		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 diakiese2022
Diakiese
Nolan King
@mma_kings
41-25		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 barberena2022
Barberena		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
40-26		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 wood2022
Wood		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 oleinik2022
Oleinik		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
39-27		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 barberena2022
Barberena		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev
brian Garcia
@thegoze
38-28
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 karafrance2022
Kara-France		 latifi2022
Latifi		 diakiese2022
Diakiese
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
28-38		 blaydes2022
Blaydes		 grasso2022
Grasso		 brown2022
Brown		 askarov2022
Askarov		 latifi2022
Latifi		 borshchev2022
Borshchev

The UFC makes its long-awaited return to Ohio this week with a heavyweight bout at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 33 takes place Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at heavyweight. Blaydes is a heavy -450 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Daukaus is +310. With Blaydes the biggest favorite on the main card, it’s no surprise our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have him in our only unanimous pick at 11-0.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is a -250 favorite in her women’s strawweight bout against [autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC). Grasso has a big 8-3 lead in our picks.

Also on the main card, hometown fan favorite [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (23-18 MMA, 16-12 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick against [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in their welterweight bout. Although Barberena is a -115 favorite to -110 to Brown, Brown has a 10-1 rout in the picks.

[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] (14-0-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) is a -420 favorite at flyweight against [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and is a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-16-1 MMA, 8-7 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Latifi is a -210 favorite at the betting window, and he’s got an 8-3 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is a mild -160 favorite against [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC), and he has a big 8-3 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blaydes (75 percent), Grasso (79 percent), Brown (72 percent), Askarov (64 percent), Latifi (51 percent) and Borshchev (76 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC heavyweights Ilir Latifi, Aleksei Oleinik to square off March 26 in Columbus

UFC Columbus continues to load up on fights – and now a physically big one is headed that way.

It’s just a little over a month-and-a-half away, but UFC Columbus continues to gain fights.

The most recent addition is one in the heavyweight division, as [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) and [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-17-1 MMA, 8-7 UFC) will face off inside the UFC cage at the March 26 event. The UFC Fight Night card takes place at Nationwide Arena and airs on ESPN+.

A person with knowledge of the booking Friday confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. BJPenn.com was first to report the bout.

Oleinik, 44, is the oldest fighter on the UFC roster. He’s competed in more professional MMA fights than any other athlete on the current roster. He’ll look to snap a three-fight losing skid, potentially with his signature submission maneuver, the Ezekiel choke.

Latifi,38, returns for his third fight at heavyweight and his first since eye surgery. The medical procedure repaired injuries that nearly left Latifi blind. Latifi. Since he moved up from light heavyweight, Latifi is 1-1 with a loss to Derrick Lewis before a win over Tanner Boser.

With the addition, the UFC Columbus lineup includes:

  • Aleksandar Rakic vs. TBA
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson
  • Max Griffin vs. Neil Magny
  • Sara McMann vs. Karol Rosa
  • Tucker Lutz vs. Seungwoo Choi
  • Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France
  • Danaa Batgerel vs. Montel Jackson
  • Bryan Barberena vs. Matt Brown
  • Nate Landwehr vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Alexa Grasso vs. Joanne Wood
  • Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Abusupiyan Magomedov
  • David Dvorak vs. Matheus Nicolau
  • Marc Diakiese vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
  • Luis Saldana vs. Bruno Souza
  • Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik

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UFC adds Ilir Latifi vs. Alexandr Romanov to Feb. 19 lineup

Ilir Latifi will return to action in February after suffering a career-threatening eye injury.

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] will return to action in February after suffering a career-threatening eye injury.

Latifi (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) faces [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 19, promotion officials announced Tuesday. The event does not yet have a confirmed location or venue.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYBxcHBKKnq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In his most recent outing in June, Latifi snapped a three-fight skid when he edged out Tanner Boser at UFC Fight Night 189. But Latifi didn’t come out of the fight unscathed. He suffered a serious eye injury due to a poke that compromised his vision for three to four weeks.

Moldova’s Romanov remained unbeaten when he scored a second-round TKO of Jared Vanderaa at UFC Fight Night 194 in October. The former EFC heavyweight champion has finished all but one of his pro wins.

With the addition, the Feb. 19 UFC lineup includes:

  • Kyle Daukaus vs. Julian Marquez
  • Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger
  • Chad Anheliger vs. Jesse Strader
  • Austin Lingo vs. Jonathan Pearce
  • Mario Bautista vs. Khalid Taha
  • Chas Skelly vs. Mark Striegl
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. TBA
  • Ilir Latifi vs. Alexandr Romanov

UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions: Alan Patrick facing up to six months after eye poke

Alan Patrick could be looking at 180 days on the sidelines after getting poked in the eye at UFC Fight Night 189.

[autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag] could be looking at 180 days on the sidelines after getting poked in the eye at UFC Fight Night 189.

Patrick’s lightweight fight with [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] at the UFC Apex was ruled a no contest after an accidental eye poke rendered him unable to continue. Patrick must have doctor clearance for his left eye peri-orbital laceration before getting cleared to compete again.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of the UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions handed out by the Nevada Athletic Commission from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Also potentially facing six months on the shelf is [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] who claimed he suffered multiple arm fractures in his split decision win over [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]. Latifi needs doctor clearance for his left eye hyphema and must have an MRI of his left elbow.

The third fighter also potentially benched for a while is [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag], who edged out [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] in the prelims. Woodson needs an X-ray of his left hand and an MRI of his left knee before getting cleared.

The full list of UFC Fight Night 189 medical suspensions includes:

Despite debut loss, Ilir Latifi content at heavyweight: ‘I’m coming for the biggest guys in the division’

“I’m coming for the biggest guys in the division. I’m a giant slayer, so you know it.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] may not have succeeded in his UFC heavyweight debut, but he plans on staying in the division.

Latifi (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) faced knockout artist Derrick Lewis at February’s UFC 247, going the full three rounds in a fight that he was largely able to use his grappling to stifle the legendary power of “The Black Beast.” Still, officials awarded the fight to Lewis, a disappointing result for Latifi, who was adamant that he was robbed by the judges.

Despite the loss, Latifi plans on taking some time to get accustomed to the weight class and wants to continue chasing after the biggest guys on the roster.

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“I’m taking my time to getting used to this division,” Latifi said at a recent Dominance MMA media day. “I had some complications before the fight, and I just pushed on. I needed this fight, it was a big matchup, and I look forward fighting in this division.

“I started my career in heavyweight, and I will probably finish in heavyweight, but I’m a person that loves challenges. I’ve been an underdog all my life, so I could go down to 205 later in the future, too, but right now, I see myself fighting in the heavyweight division. I’m coming for the biggest guys in the division. I’m a giant slayer, so you know it.”

The fight with Lewis might be a loss on his record, but Latifi said he still banked many positives, making him confident that he can take on the division’s best.

“Right now, just focusing on getting used to the division, and I see myself coming back as soon as possible as I’m ready,” Latifi said. “I don’t see this fight as a loss. I beat a top-five contender in the heavyweight division, a guy that finished a lot of guys in the first round, and to be honest, I think I controlled him pretty easy, three rounds.”

To hear more from Latifi, check out the video above.

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