Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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 16-21.
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.
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:
* * * *
[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.
Check out the best photos from Sam Hughes’ unanimous decision win over Jaqueline Amorim at UFC 287 in Miami.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]’ unanimous decision win over [autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag] at UFC 287 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Photos by Rich Storry, USA TODAY Sports)
Regarded as one of the top prospects in MMA, Jaqueline Amorim is set to debut at UFC 287 in April.
IBJJF champion [autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag] has her first UFC assignment since she joined the promotion in September.
Amorim (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make her first promotional appearance April 8 when she takes on [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) at UFC 287 in Miami. The event takes place at Miami-Dade Arena.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently confirmed it to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Ideas first reported the bout.
Amorim, 27, was the LFA women’s strawweight champion at the time of her UFC signing. She began on a combat sports path at a young age. By 22, Amorim won IBJJF, UAEJJF and CBJJ championships.
In 2020, Amorim pivoted to MMA during the COVID-19 pandemic. She went 5-0 en route to an LFA title shot in September when she submitted Ashley Nichols with a first-round armbar and became champion. Undefeated, Amorim has a 100 percent finishing rate with all first-round finishes.
Don't blink or you will miss the sub from the champ Jaqueline Amorim! #LFA142 pic.twitter.com/lNyrlnqzSV
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) September 17, 2022
Hughes, 30, will look to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Piera Rodriguez in October. The defeat snapped a two-fight winning streak that included victories over Istela Nunes and Elise Reed.
With the addition, the UFC 287 lineup includes:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
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 from Feb. 6-12.
The UFC added 32 fighters to its roster last month. Find out who joined and learn more about them here.
The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.
Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, Dana White’s Contender Series signees, or the increasingly rare straight-up additions. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.
“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.
Fresh off her title defense at LFA 142, strawweight champion Jaqueline Amorim has been picked up by the UFC.
Fresh off her title defense at LFA 142, strawweight champion [autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag] has been picked up by the UFC.
The undefeated 27-year-old Brazilian, who won IBJJF, UAEJJF, and CBJJ championships prior to her MMA career, has signed with the UFC, per her manager Brain Butler, of Sucker Punch Entertainment. She has not yet been booked for her debut outing.
Amorim (6-0) took to social media to release a statement, sharing her excitement of the news.
“Its official!! Ya girl is in the UFC!!
“It’s a beginning of dream coming true, since I started BJJ when I was 6 year old and I used to watch mma on the tv with my dad, I knew I wanted to do this to my life and the day is finally here…
“Thank you my management team and my coaches, you guys are awesome! We trusted the process and paid off.
“Thank you @ufc for the opportunity I can’t wait to fight under the big lights!!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CixYWtEOhVV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Training out of American Top Team, Amorim successfully defended her title for the first time when she quickly submitted Ashley Nichols (4-4) with a first-round armbar Friday at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn..
She most recently competed Friday, when she successfully defended her title at #LFA142. pic.twitter.com/6qxsMWslah
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) September 21, 2022
All six of the jiu-jitsu blackbelt’s professional wins have come in the first round. Prior to LFA 142, Amorim turned down a Dana White’s Contender Series opportunity, but has now been given a direct route to the UFC as a result of her recent win.
“Of course, I want to be the champion one day,” Amorim told MMA Junkie in February. “I know I have a lot of work to do. I always put in my head that I’m not just going to go into this sport and be like one more fighter. I really want to be the champion one day. That’s what I’m putting the work in for now.”
[vertical-gallery id=2581960]
IBJJF standout Jaqueline Amorim kept her 100 percent finishing rate alive when she cut through Ashley Nichols like butter.
[autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag] brought quite the grappling resume into her journey down the road of professional MMA fighter – and in the LFA 142 main event, it was once again on display.
The LFA women’s strawweight champion, Amorim (6-0) successfully defended her title for the first time when she methodically took down, controlled, mounted, and armbarred opponent [autotag]Ashley Nichols[/autotag] (4-4) for the quick submission. The stoppage came at 4:39 of Round 1.
LFA 142 took place Friday at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn. and streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
Amorim, 27, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts with IBJJF, UAEJJF, and CBJJ championships to her name. Since her transition to MMA in late 2020, she made the jump to train at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. – with the particular intent of rounding out her game.
Jaqueline Amorim retains her title in Round 1. Snatched another arm. Beautiful. She is really showing all the signs of future UFC contender. 6-0 now. #LFA142 pic.twitter.com/6qxsMWslah
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) September 17, 2022
In the early minutes of the opening round, Amorim showed her striking improvements. She picked apart Nichols, a kickboxing-based fighter, before a well-timed shot took the fight to the canvas.
Once on the mat, Amorim did not let Nichols get comfortable. Amorim constantly worked and transitioned. As soon as she got to mount she grabbed hold of the arm and that was it.
With the victory, Amorim keeps her first-round finishing rate perfect at 100 percent. Through six fights she is unbeaten with five submissions and one knockout.
Prior to LFA 142, Amorim turned down a Dana White’s Contender Series opportunity and even in her post-fight interview Friday was noncommittal to her next move.
The full LFA 142 pro results include:
[vertical-gallery id=2581960]
For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves.
Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.
For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator, or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.
This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.
This month:
