Tag: Ilir Latifi

UFC 247 medical suspensions: Jones, Reyes face equal time; Shevchenko out potential 6 months

Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes are facing short suspensions. Valentina Shevchenko, on the other hand, could be out for a while.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] battled for five rounds at UFC 247, but it seems they’ve come out relatively unscathed.

The pair of headliners each received a 31-day suspension, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation document obtained Tuesday. The Texas commission was responsible for regulating UFC 247, which took place at Toyota Center in Houston.

Conversely, UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] is facing a potentially lengthy suspension after her third-round TKO victory over [autotag]Katyln Chookagian[/autotag] in the evening’s co-main event. According to the TDLR, Shevchenko is facing a 181-day suspension, while Chookagian was handed a potential 45-day term.

Two other winners, [autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag] and [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag], are also facing potential 181-day suspensions.

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Check out a full list of the UFC 247 medical suspensions below.

(Note: No specific injury details were given. It’s also important to note that, due to the lack of specific information, it’s unclear if any fighters have the ability to have their suspensions shortened if cleared by a doctor.)

  • [autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
  • [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
  • [autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • Andre Ewell: Suspended 181 days
  • [autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
  • Journey Newson: Suspended 181 days
  • [autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
  • [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
  • [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
  • [autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • [autotag]Juan Adams[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
  • [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
  • Katlyn Chookagian: Suspended 46 days
  • Valentina Shevchenko: Suspended 181 days
  • Dominick Reyes: Suspended 31 days
  • Jon Jones: Suspended 31 days

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Ilir Latifi reacts to Derrick Lewis loss at UFC 247, suggests trainers or fighters serve as judges

Ilir Latifi thinks he was robbed against Derrick Lewis.

Add [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] to the list of fighters that think they were wronged by the judges in Houston.

Latifi (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) opened up the main card of this past weekend’s UFC 247 in Texas, when he took on Houston’s own [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) in his heavyweight debut.

After a slow start, struggling to get in range, Latifi would eventually get the fight to the mat in Round 2 and get significant ground control. He was able to land another takedown in Round 3, but in the last minute or so of the fight, Lewis managed to make his way back up, throwing a flurry on the feet in a late surge.

That seemed to be enough for Lewis, earning him the third round on all three judges’ scorecards. The trio of cageside officials all had the same tally for the fight, as well, 29-28 for Lewis, with Rounds 1 and 3 going to “The Black Beast.”

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But a disappointed Latifi thinks he was robbed and that Houston resident Lewis was given the hometown decision. Latifi delivered a statement via his Instagram, urging the UFC to invest in better judging.

View this post on Instagram

First of all I want to thank my family, friends, team and all the people that supported me, thank you! When I decided to take this challenge and fight Derrick in his hometown, people thought I was crazy. Saturday night walking in to the arena to fight Derrick Lewis, Houstons home pride, I knew this battle wasn’t going to be easy. The crowd was there for him and even the judges… I think I won that fight and many of the fans and viewers did too, but it is what it is… As fighters, we sacrifice and risk a lot for this sport and it’s very sad to see how they can play around with peoples work and dedication. Hopefully in the future we will see judges and scoring system that’s made for MMA by people of real experience of the sport like fighters and trainers that have better understanding of the sport and can make better judgments. @ufc @ufceurope @joerogan @dominickcruz

A post shared by Ilir Latifi (@ilirlatifi) on

First of all I want to thank my family, friends, team and all the people that supported me, thank you!
When I decided to take this challenge and fight Derrick in his hometown, people thought I was crazy.
Saturday night walking in to the arena to fight Derrick Lewis, Houstons home pride, I knew this battle wasn’t going to be easy.
The crowd was there for him and even the judges…
I think I won that fight and many of the fans and viewers did too, but it is what it is… As fighters, we sacrifice and risk a lot for this sport and it’s very sad to see how they can play around with peoples work and dedication.
Hopefully in the future we will see judges and scoring system that’s made for MMA by people of real experience of the sport like fighters and trainers that have better understanding of the sport and can make better judgments.

The loss comes as a big blow for Latifi, who was looking for new life at heavyweight, but has now lost his last three in a row.

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UFC 247 post-event facts: Jon Jones sets new mark for most title-fight wins

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 247, which saw Jon Jones defeat Dominick Reyes in the main event.

The UFC returned to Texas on Saturday with UFC 247, which took place at Toyota Center in Houston with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Two championship fights topped the card. In the main event, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) defended the UFC light heavyweight title by the skin of his teeth with a ultra-competitive unanimous decision win over [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), while [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) utterly dominated [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) en route to a third-round TKO in the co-main event.

Both fights for the gold provided some historic footnotes, but that’s not all the card had to offer. For more on the numbers, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 247.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $243,000.

[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag], [autotag]James Krause[/autotag], [autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 247 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 2-1 on the card.

UFC 247 drew an announced attendance of 17,401 for a live gate of $3,549,418.

Betting favorites went 6-5 on the card. One fight had even odds.

Betting favorites improved to 3-0 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:48.

Main card

Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes

Jones’ 14 victories in UFC championship fights are most in company history.

Jones’ 20 victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Jones’ 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak is the longest among active UFC fighters.

Jones 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak is the longest in company history.

Jones’ 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak in light-heavyweight competition is the longest active streak in the weight class and longest in divisional history.

Jones’ four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied with Corey Anderson for the longest active streak in the division.

Jones’ 1,835 total strikes landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Jones’ 1,473 significant strikes landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Jones’ 42 takedowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Anderson (53), Rashad Evans (50) and Ryan Bader (46).

Jones’ total fight time of 5:40:15 in UFC light heavyweight competition is most in divisional history.

Reyes had his 12-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

Valentina Shevchenko

Shevchenko’s two consecutive UFC women’s flyweight title defenses are most in divisional history.

Shevchenko improved to 5-0 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in February 2018.

Shevchenko’s five-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Shevchenko’s five victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Shevchenko’s three stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (four).

Shevchenko’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Maycee Barber for most in divisional history.

Shevchenko earned the eighth knockout in UFC history to stem from the crucifix position. Gary Goodridge, Matt Hughes, Dong Hyun Kim, Paul Kelly, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier and Tyson Pedro also accomplished the feat.

Shevchenko has completed at least one takedown against nine of her 10 UFC opponents.

Chookagian fell to 4-2 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in January 2018.

Chookagian suffered the first knockout loss of her career.

Justin Tafa

[autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all four of his career victories by knockout.

[autotag]Juan Adams[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a five-fight winning streak.

Adams has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by knockout.

[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is the fourth longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Alexander Volkanovski (six).

[autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career.

Bektic suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Derrick Lewis

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (17), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]’s (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Latifi was unsuccessful in his UFC heavyweight debut.

Preliminary card

Trevin Giles

Giles (12-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 2-2 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017.

Krause (27-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has suffered three of his four UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.

[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in her career.

Lee has suffered both of her UFC losses by split decision.

[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by knockout.

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his seven-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

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

UFC 247 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jones, Shevchenko take home biggest checks

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 247 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.

HOUSTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 247 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.

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 247 took place at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 247 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Juan Adams[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Austin Lingo[/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: $577,000
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: $31,581,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 247 with Motley Crue, Tupac, Kanye

Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 247 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 247 went with as their backing tracks in Houston.

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UFC 247 results: Derrick Lewis rallies for unanimous decision win over game Ilir Latifi

Derrick Lewis displayed a wild arsenal to steal a victory in his hometown of Houston.

At UFC 247, [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] turned a win into a winning streak.

A hometown favorite in Houston, Lewis (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) defeated heavyweight debutant [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] by unanimous decision with three scores of 29-28 from the judges.

After a competitive first round, Latifi (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) began building momentum. Many believed Latifi’s size disadvantage would be a major factor against him. However, the Swedish fighter tossed Lewis to the ground on multiple occasions – and didn’t look out of place doing it.

Latifi largely controlled the fight on the ground and in the clinch against the cage, but was never able to muster up substantial damage. When the fight rose to the feet, Lewis exploded with a versatile arsenal of strikes, including jumping knees and head kicks. Latifi displayed a strong chin and ate some hard shots from Lewis.

With the fight tied at one round a piece on all three judges’ scorecards entering Round 3, Latifi took Lewis down. Eventually Lewis returned to his feet. With the clock ticking down, Lewis attacked. His late surge stole him the round – and the fight.

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With the victory, Lewis answered back-to-back losses with back-to-back wins. His previous outing was a split decision win against Blagoy Ivanov at UFC 244 in November. As for Latifi, his first fight at heavyweight was an unsuccessful one.

The heavyweight bout opened up the UFC 247 main card at Toyota Center. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 247 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Derrick Lewis’ hometown victory over Ilir Latifi at UFC 247

See the top Twitter reactions to Derrick Lewis’ victory against Ilir Latifi at UFC 247.

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] gave [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] an unsuccessful introduction to the heavyweight division on Saturday at UFC 247.

Lewis (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) took another step up the division’s all-time wins list when he beat Latifi (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) by unanimous decision in the heavyweight matchup, which opened the UFC 247 main card from Toyota Center in Houston.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Lewis’ victory over Latifi at UFC 247.

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‘UFC 247 Embedded,’ No. 6: James Krause steps up on hours’ notice

Watch the sixth episode of “UFC 247 Embedded,” as the fighters wind their way toward the big night.

The UFC’s second pay-per-view of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 247, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready.

The event takes place Saturday at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, Jon Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) defends his UFC light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). In the co-feature, Valentina Shevchenko (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) defends her flyweight title against Katlyn Chookagian (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC).

Additionally, heavyweights [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) and [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) collide in the main card opener.

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The sixth episode of “Embedded” follows the top fighters competing on the main card as they wind through their fight week obligations. Here is the UFC’s description:

On Episode 6 of UFC 247 Embedded, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones enjoys sweet notes from his daughter, a small lunch and big guns. The two title fights are official — and intense — as flyweight queen, Valentina Shevchenko faces off against Katlyn Chookagian, and Jones squares up with Dominick Reyes at the ceremonial weigh-in. Middleweight James Krause steps up on very short notice to compete on Saturday. UFC 247 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the two title fights taking place Saturday, February 8th on Pay-Per-View. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

UFC 247: Derrick Lewis vs. Ilir Latifi odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 247 heavyweight fight between Derrick Lewis and Ilir Latifi, with MMA betting odds, picks and best bets.

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Derrick Lewis and Ilir Latifi will go toe-to-toe at UFC 247 at Toyota Center in Houston in a three-round heavyweight battle on the pay-per-view card (to watch, sign up for ESPN+ now). Below, we breakdown the Lewis-Latifi fight, with UFC 247 betting odds and picks.

Lewis (22-7-0, 1NC) enters this one with two losses to Daniel Cormier and Junior Dos Santos in his past three outings, but he stopped the bleeding against Blagoy Ivanov last time out at UFC 244 with a split-decision victory. He is expected to successfully continue this climb back to the top with this battle. Lewis heads into this one with distinct size advantages, standing 6-foot-3 to the 5-foot-10 Latifi, weighing in at 260 to 205 pounds while also holding the reach advantage at 79″ to 73.5″. In addition, he holds the lead in the significant strikes category at 49.95 significant strike accuracy percentage with 2.63 significant strikes landed per minute. If there is one area Lewis could fail, it’s in the ground game.

Latifi is a compact piece of iron who can take a beating, but his strategy will likely be avoiding a toe-to-toe battle for any length of time, while trying to get Lewis to the canvas early and often. His only advantage in the stats comes in the takedown average (1.85 to 0.52) and takedown accuracy percentage (30.56 to 25.0) departments, while also leading in submission average (0.51 to 0.00). That’s where Latifi will want to fight this main card bout.

Lewis-Latifi odds

Want to place a bet on UFC 247? Place them at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

Per BetMGM Sportsbook, Lewis (-239) is a moderate favorite in his heavyweight bout over Latifi (+175). The oddsmakers also lean to the match not going the distance (three rounds), with odds there being set at a -334 for No – and the odds to go a full three rounds at Yes +220.

Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Latifi to pull the upset returns $17.50 in profit. A $10 bet on Lewis at -239 returns a profit of $4.20 with a victory.

Also See:

Lewis is a solid favorite, and normally a wager at odds lower than -175 is not my cup of tea. However, you can maximize your profits with a series of other bets while putting down a little lettuce on the big favorite, too.

Lewis-Latifi betting guide

The odds are very good that this bout will not going the full three rounds (-334), but that’s a rather risky play. Instead, go with the fight to go Over 1.5 rounds (-118), which will give you a little room to play with, and make you feel better if it does unexpectedly go the distance.

I think Lewis wins this one in Round 2 (+450) or Round 3 (+800). If you don’t want to pinpoint it, bet both. Unless the fight is decided in Round 1 or it goes the distance, you win, and you can win a lot. In fact, if you were to just bet each of these two wagers exclusively, it could be a tidy little payday. In fact, if you were to bet Lewis to win on points (+500), too, it’s a super hedge, but the only way you lose money is if he wins in Round 1 or Latifi wins. It’s a super safe way to bet this bout, but it could be effective if you don’t feel like risking it.

If you want to watch UFC 247, sign up for ESPN+ and catch all of the action. Speaking of action, if you want to bet on UFC 247, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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