Tag: Jennifer Maia

UFC 286 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Leon Edwards gets maximum money

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 286 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $266,500.

LONDON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 286 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $266,500.

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 286 took place at The O2. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 286 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Gunnar Nelson[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Omar Morales[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Yanal Ashmoz[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Sam Patterson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Jafel Filho[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Gabriel Santos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Christian Duncan[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jai Herbert[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Veronica Hardy[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Juliana Miller[/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: $1,634,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $16,153,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

UFC 286 results: Jennifer Maia hands Casey O’Neill first career loss in technical showcase

Casey O’Neill entered UFC 286 at 9-0, but was handed her first loss by Jennifer Maia.

[autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] utilized her technical striking Saturday to become the first opponent to defeat previously-surging flyweight contender [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag].

The bout was part of the UFC 286 main card at The O2 in London and saw Maia (21-9-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) defeat O’Neill (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

The fight was largely a technical striking match for its duration. While O’Neill found success with her strikes, her combinations were shorter and less in volume than Maia’s. As O’Neill often fired single strikes, Maia would answer with two or three. O’Neill pressed the action, but Maia utilized her footwork to elude the pressuring foe.

Maia’s jab in particular found a home. When O’Neill tried to grapple her in Round 2, Maia reversed position against the fence. In Round 3, O’Neill pursued with an increased level of urgency. She found success with her strikes and range, though Maia bloodied her nose.

In the final minute, the two fighters opened up. Maia shot for a takedown and controlled O’Neill against the fence until the final 10 seconds. O’Neill landed a handful of significant punches in the waning seconds.

With the victory, Maia extends her winning streak to two. In November, Maia defeated Maryna Moroz by unanimous decision. The two-fight streak comes after three losses in the previous four fights, including a UFC 255 title challenge against then-champion Valentina Shevchenko.

O’Neill encounters her first MMA loss at age 25. She spent the months leading up to the fight recovering and readying after an ACL tear in early 2022. Her UFC victories to date include Shana Dobson, Lara Fritzen, Antonina Shevchenko, and Roxanne Modafferi.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 286 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

Jennifer Maia def. Casey O’Neill at UFC 286: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Jennifer Maia’s unanimous decision win over Casey O’Neill at UFC 286 in London.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] at UFC 286 at The O2 in London. (Photos by Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC 286 predictions: Who’s picking Leon Edwards to upset Kamaru Usman again?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 286 main card in London, featuring a Leon Edwards-Kamaru Usman welterweight title rematch.

Edwards
vs.
Usman		 Fiziev
vs.
Gaethje		 Barberena
vs.
Nelson		 Maia
vs.
O’Neill		 Dolidze
vs.
Vettori
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
30-19		 usman2023
Usman
(59%)		 fiziev2023
Fiziev
(52%)		 nelson2023
Nelson
(62%)		 oneill2023
O’Neill
(73%)		 vettori2023
Vettori
(59%)
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
33-16		 usman2023
Usman		 gaethje2023
Gaethje		 barberena2023
Barberena		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 dolidze2023
Dolidze
Nolan King
@mma_kings
30-19/em>		 usman2023
Usman		 fiziev2023
Fiziev		 nelson2023
Nelson		 maia2023
Maia		 vettori2023
Vettori
Matt Erickson
@MattE
30-19		 usman2023
Usman		 gaethje2023
Gaethje		 nelson2023
Nelson		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 dolidze2023
Dolidze
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
30-19		 usman2023
Usman		 fiziev2023
Fiziev		 nelson2023
Nelson		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 dolidze2023
Dolidze
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
29-20		 leonedwards2023
Edwards		 gaethje2023
Gaethje		 nelson2023
Nelson		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 dolidze2023
Dolidze
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
29-20
trophy copy 2018, 2022 Champion		 usman2023
Usman		 fiziev2023
Fiziev		 barberena2023
Barberena		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 dolidze2023
Dolidze
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
28-21		 usman2023
Usman		 fiziev2023
Fiziev		 barberena2023
Barberena		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 vettori2023
Vettori
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
27-22
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 usman2023
Usman		 fiziev2023
Fiziev		 nelson2023
Nelson		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 vettori2023
Vettori
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
27-22		 usman2023
Usman		 gaethje2023
Gaethje		 nelson2023
Nelson		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 vettori2023
Vettori
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
26-23
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 usman2023
Usman		 gaethje2023
Gaethje		 barberena2023
Barberena		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 vettori2023
Vettori
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
26-23		 leonedwards2023
Edwards		 gaethje2023
Gaethje		 nelson2023
Nelson		 oneill2023
O’Neill		 vettori2023
Vettori

The UFC is back in London for the third time in about a year this week with a welterweight trilogy rematch atop the card.

UFC 286 takes place Saturday at The O2 in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) takes on former champ [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) in a trilogy title rematch. Usman had little issue with Edwards for nearly 25 minutes when they fought this past August, but Edwards pulled off a stunning late head-kick knockout to take the title.

Usman is a -250 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Edwards is +200. It’s not a shutout, though it is a blowout. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Usman ahead at 9-2.

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In the co-feature, [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) takes on former interim lightweight champ [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC). Fiziev is more than a 2-1 favorite, but it’s Gaethje who has the slimmest possible picks lead at 6-5.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (18-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) meets [autotag]Gunnar Nelson[/autotag] (18-5-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in a welterweight bout. Nelson is the biggest favorite on the main card at -360, but he has just a 7-4 lead in the picks from our staff members.

[autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] (20-9-1 MMA, 5-5 UFC) takes on the unbeaten [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a women’s flyweight bout. O’Neill is a -170 favorite – the smallest favorite on the main card. Yet she is our closest thing to a unanimous pick at 10-1.

And to open the main card, former middleweight title challenger [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] (18-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) fights [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC). Vettori nearly is a 3-1 favorite at the betting window, but he only has a 6-5 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Usman (59 percent), Fiziev (52 percent), Nelson (62 percent), O’Neill (73 percent) and Vettori (59 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

Jennifer Maia: Valentina Shevchenko still ‘very best’ despite UFC title loss to Alexa Grasso

Jennifer Maia is excited to see fresh blood at the top of the UFC women’s flyweight division after Alexa Grasso’s title upset.

LONDON – [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] is excited to see fresh blood at the top of the UFC women’s flyweight division after Alexa Grasso’s title upset of [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] earlier this month.

That said, former title challenger Maia (20-9-1 MMA, 5-5 UFC) doesn’t think the new champion represents the top fighter in the weight class as she enters a key bout with Casey O’Neill (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 286. The event takes place at The O2 in London with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

“I was very happy with Grasso’s win,” Maia told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at UFC 286 media day on Wednesday. “It shakes things up even though we still believe Valentina’s the very best one in the weight class.”

Maia thinks the turnover of the belt gives a boost of motivation for fighters like herself, who are trying to climb the ranks into another opportunity to compete for gold.

The matchup with O’Neill is a key opportunity for the Brazilian, who will serve as the biggest challenge to date for the undefeated O’Neill. She intends to find out how good she really is.

“I think the biggest difference is she’s a well-rounded fighter,” Maia said. “She can stand, she can grapple – she’s very, very dedicated to her craft. But the biggest difference is I have a lot more experience fighting great fighters than she does, and that’s going to play a part.

“Beating her would give me two victories in a row, which regardless still puts me close to go up in the rankings and have another title shot.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

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

Undefeated Casey O’Neill vs. former title challenger Jennifer Maia in the works for UFC 286

A key women’s flyweight matchup between Jennifer Maia and Casey O’Neill is in the works for London’s UFC 286.

A ranked women’s flyweight matchup is targeted for UFC 286 in London.

A bout between former title challenger [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] and undefeated [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] is being planned for the pay-per-view event on March 18, which takes place at The O2.

MMA Junkie confirmed the fight is in the works with multiple sources following a first report from MMA Island. Details surrounding the matchup are being discussed, but bout agreements have been not signed by both parties at this time.

O’Neill (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) who currently holds the No. 9 spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s flyweight rankings, will compete for the first time after being forced out of a matchup against Jessica Eye at UFC 276 in July due to a torn ACL. Through four fights in the UFC, the 25-year-old O’Neill has recorded three stoppages over Shana Dobson, Lara Fritzen and Antonina Shevchenko. Her most recent victory was a split decision win over Roxanne Modafferi at UFC 271.

On the other side, Maia (20-9-1 MMA, 5-5 UFC) will look to make it two straight in the win column. In her previous outing, Maia, 34, won a unanimous decision over Maryna Moroz to snap a two-fight skid. The upcoming bout against O’Neill also represents the opportunity to stay above .500 since her title shot against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 255 in 2020.

With the addition, the UFC 286 lineup includes:

  • Roman Dolidze vs. Marvin Vettori
  • Jennifer Maia vs. Casey O’Neill
  • Luana Carolina vs. Joanne Wood
  • Malcolm Gordon vs. Jake Hadley

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Jennifer Maia relieved to snap losing streak at UFC Fight Night 215: ‘I feel like a cleansed soul’

Former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger Jennifer Maia can breathe a little easier after picking up a win.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] can breathe a little easier now that she’s got a win under her belt.

The former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger ended a two-fight losing skid at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 215. Maia (20-9-1 MMA, 5-5 UFC) defeated Maryna Moroz (11-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) by unanimous decision on the preliminary portion of the card.

It was the first time Maia entered a bout with two consecutive defeats. She’s relieved that number didn’t extend to three.

“I’m obviously very happy,” Maia told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “I feel like a cleansed soul after a win. I feel like I could’ve done more, but I tried to fight smart and intelligently to come out with the win.”

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Maia admits she felt pressured going into UFC Fight Night 215. She felt like she was in a must-win situation.

“Surely, obviously coming off the losses and also fighting someone below me in the rankings, it’s an added pressure,” Maia said. “I needed this win for myself.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

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UFC Fight Night 215 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Lowest payout in program history

UFC Fight Night 215 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 215 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $80,000.

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 Fight Night 215 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 215 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andre Fialho[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Natividad[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Maria Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Brady Hiestand[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Fernie Garcia[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Natalia Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tereza Bleda[/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 and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts. 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: $7,634,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $13,812,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

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UFC Fight Night 215 post-event facts: Jack Della Maddalena makes waves with third-straight KO

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 215, which featured a number of notable feats.

The UFC closed its November schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 215, a decision-heavy event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

One fighter who didn’t need the judges, however, was [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), who made the most of his makeshift main event opportunity with a second-round TKO of [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] (16-9-1 MMA, 5-8-1 UFC) in their light heavyweight clash.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 215.