UFC books Jeka Saragih vs. Westin Wilson for June event

At the UFC Apex, Indonesia’s Jeka Saragih will battle American Westin Wilson.

Indonesia’s [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag] has his next UFC assignment after a massive knockout victory.

At the UFC Fight Night event June 15, Saragih (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) returns vs. [autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 0-2 UFC). The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Saragih, 29, was the Road to UFC lightweight runner-up in 2023. After a TKO loss to Anshul Jubli in the final, Saragih made the most of his second official UFC fight when he bludgeoned Lucas Alexander in November.

A seasoned regional veteran, Wilson, 35, ascended to the big leagues in 2023. He seeks his first UFC victory after first-round knockout losses to Joanderson Brito and Jean Silva. Wilson is a friend and training partner of UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson, but is known for his submission skills.

With the addition, the June 15 lineup includes:

  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Martin Buday
  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz
  • Jimmy Flick vs. Nate Maness
  • Adam Fugitt vs. Josh Quinlan
  • Gabriella Fernandes vs. Carli Judice
  • Josefine Knutsson vs. Julia Polastri
  • Garrett Armfield vs. Brady Hiestand
  • Jeka Saragih vs. Westin Wilson

Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2023

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023, according to the oddsmakers, across Bellator, the UFC, PFL and more.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2023, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers (and how the betting public responds) largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2023. Fights that were eligible were those that multiple major online sportsbooks recognized, and that Tapology recorded before the close of the betting line.

Promotions eligible include UFC, Bellator, PFL, KSW, DWCS, Road to UFC, and ONE Championship.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2023 below. Only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

Jeka Saragih motivated by doubt from home fans in Indonesia before win at UFC Fight Night 232

Jeka Saragih got his first win in the UFC after a loss in his February promotional debut.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag] beat Lucas Alexander with a first-round knockout Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 232 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Saragih, who got his first win in the UFC after a loss in his February promotional debut.

UFC Fight Night 232 post-event facts: Brendan Allen on an all-time submission streak

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 232, which saw Brendan Allen put him name in the books with Royce Gracie and Demian Maia.

The UFC closed its November schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 232, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw 10 of 14 fights end in a stoppage.

One of those finishes belonged to main event winner [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 11-2 UFC), who submitted [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] (17-7-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their middleweight clash, extending his winning streak to six and putting him in the discussion among the more serious contenders in the weight class.

For more on the numbers behind Allen’s performance, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 232.

UFC Fight Night 232 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Top earners get $16,000

UFC Fight Night 232 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 232 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $158,500.

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

The full UFC Fight Night 232 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Leavitt[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Payton Talbott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nick Aguirre[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Myktybek Orolbai[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Christian Duncan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Denis Tiuliulin[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Mick Parkin[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Alexander[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Rafael Estevam[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charles Johnson[/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 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2321 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: $7,464,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,983,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.

UFC Fight Night 232 bonuses: Four finishers rack up $50,000 in Las Vegas

Check out which fighters took home an extra $50,000 for their performances at UFC Fight Night 232 in Las Vegas.

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including rewards for a few devastating finishes.

After UFC Fight Night 232, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

UFC Fight Night 232 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC Fight Night 232 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 232 took place Saturday with 14 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

You can hear from all the UFC Fight Night 232 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.

UFC Fight Night 232 video: Jeka Saragih slumps Lucas Alexander with 91-second knockout

Jeka Saragih got his first octagon victory at UFC Fight Night 232, and he did it with an upset in just 91 seconds.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag] got his first octagon victory Saturday at UFC Fight Night 232, and he did it just 91 seconds.

Saragih (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) got the eighth opening-round finish of his career when he pounced on [autotag]Lucas Alexander[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and caught him with a big punch that led to a knockdown and fight-ending blows in the featherweight contest, which took place at the UFC Apex.

[lawrence-related id=2697269,2697275,2697272]

Check out the replay of the stoppage blow (via X):

Saragih entered the fight as a nearly 4-to-1 betting underdog against the dangerous Brazilian Alexander. He wasn’t having any of the odds, however, and the Indonesian athlete put himself in the UFC win column, which came as the result of much sacrifice.

“This journey is very long for me,” Saragih said through an interpreter during his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “I spent more time in the United States than I spent with my family this year. I want to thank everyone so much. I’m going to go back home to my village.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 232 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 30-Nov. 5)

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 the promotions from Oct. 30-Nov. 5.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 2-8)

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 the promotions from Oct. 2-8.