Tag: Jhonata Diniz

UFC splits Edmonton co-main event: Derrick Lewis, Alexandr Romanov get new opponents

In a rare move, the UFC has split a previously-finalized co-main event into two new fights.

UFC Edmonton has a new co-main event, though both of its original participants remain on the card against different opponents.

“The Black Beast” [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] will now face kickboxer [autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] at the UFC Fight Night event Nov. 2 at Rogers Place. Additionally, [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag] now gets [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag].

Four people with knowledge of the changes recently informed MMA Junkie of the new matchups but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. The bouts were first reported by Laerte Viana.

It’s unclear why the initial co-main event of Lewis (28-12 MMA, 19-10 UFC) vs. Romanov (17-3 MMA, 6- 3 UFC) was split. However, the Lewis vs. Diniz (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) fight marks a striking-heavy battle on paper.

Lewis has won two of his last three fights. Despite the ups and downs over a decade-plus in the UFC, Lewis has remained one of the most popular fighters on the promotion’s roster.

A former standout kickboxer, Diniz steps into a massive opportunity in just his third UFC fight. After winning on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, Diniz has defeated Austen Lane and Karl Williams thus far in the UFC.

Romanov aims to turn things around after losing three of his most recent four bouts. The three defeats in that stretch are the only of his career.

Nascimento (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) competed in his first UFC headliner when he was finished with strikes by Lewis in May. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Nov. 2 includes:

  • Rose Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield
  • Derrick Lewis vs. Jhonata Diniz
  • Rodrigo Nascimento vs. Alexandr Romanov
  • Ariane da Silva vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
  • Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Ivana Petrovic
  • Chad Anheliger vs. Cody Gibson

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UFC on ESPN 61 winner Jhonata Diniz calls for ‘most dangerous guy’ in division at UFC 309

Now 8-0 after his UFC on ESPN 61 win, Jhonata Diniz is determined to show he’s “ready to fight against the big names” at heavyweight.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] wants matchmakers to find his equal in the heavyweight division after UFC on ESPN 61.

Diniz (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) added to his unblemished record Saturday when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Karl Williams (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex. It was the first time in his career that he’d gone to the scorecards, and with that is valuable experience for the Brazilian.

“I’m so happy because I proved to everybody that I’m ready to fight against grappler, against striker,” Diniz told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC on ESPN 61. “I don’t care against who I fight. If you find someone tough enough to fight me for three rounds, I will hurt them for three rounds. It doesn’t matter.”

Diniz, 33, has proven to have heavy hands inside the cage, and now he knows he can throw them for 15 minutes. In his mind that warrants a step up in competition, and he thinks he’s ready for the some serious names in his weight class.

With two wins already under his belt in 2024, Diniz is looking for the hat trick. He would like to return at UFC 309, which is targeted to take place Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. It’s expected that heavyweight champ Jon Jones will defend against Stipe Miocic in the headliner of that card, and Diniz sees it as a prime opportunity to fight a contender-tier name and show where he stands.

“I think November will be a very good time for me to come back and fight,” Diniz said. “I know they have a big event with Jones and Miocic, and why not? I am ready to fight in New York. Against who? I don’t know. Who is the most dangerous guy in my division? Just bring this name for me. I want to prove to everybody that I’m ready to fight against the big names.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 61.

UFC on ESPN 61 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Event yields second-lowest total of 2024

UFC on ESPN 61 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 on ESPN 61 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $128,000.

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 on ESPN 61 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 61 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chepe Mariscal[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nikolay Veretennikov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Quang Le[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Yana Santos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Toshiomi Kazama[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charalampos Grigoriou[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Karl Williams[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jarno Errens[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Stephanie Luciano[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Talita Alencar[/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 $4,610; 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 $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-61 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,914,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $27,651,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 61.

UFC on ESPN 61 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC on ESPN 61 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 61 took place Saturday with 10 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 on ESPN 61 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 61.

GLORY Kickboxing vet Jhonata Diniz ready for ‘big names’ at heavyweight after UFC on ESPN 55 win

It was former Glory kickboxer vs. former NFL player, and Jhonata Diniz reigned supreme – but he’s not getting ahead of himself.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] broke through Saturday at the UFC Apex, but is taking things step by step.

As he sat onstage for his UFC on ESPN 55 post-fight news conference, Diniz (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) glowed with a huge smile. He broke out his always-improving English to explain the moment of his first UFC victory.

“I feel great today,” Diniz told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “It’s the most special day of my life in my kickboxing and MMA career. I really, really am happy today. … We already knew he was trying to put me down, to work his grappling. But we trained a lot to defend him. I was sure that when we stayed up, I would knock him out.”

Diniz, 32, is a former GLORY Kickboxing combatant who transitioned into MMA in 2022. He earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 and picked up his first UFC win Saturday with a knockout of former NFL player Austen Lane (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC).

While he’s maintained a 100 percent knockout/TKO rate through seven professional outings, Diniz won’t let the statistics go to his head. He recognizes the difference between short-term and long-term goals.

“Of course, I want to fight with the big names,” Diniz said. “Why not? If I want to be the champion, I have to beat the best guys. Who is the best? Just bring the name. I don’t care against who (I fight). … I don’t think about (title fights) because I think it will all come at the right time for me. If the UFC says, ‘OK, you’re ready to fight for the title,’ I will be ready for this one. I have to trust them. I’m just an employee. If they say I’m ready, I will do this one. I don’t care about that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

UFC on ESPN 55 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $25 million

UFC on ESPN 55 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 on ESPN 55 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $175,000.

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 on ESPN 55 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 55 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ariane Da Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Rani Yahya[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michal Figlak[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Marnic Mann[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Na Liang[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Hayisaer Maheshate[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $11,000

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 $4,550; 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 $55,000 while title challengers get $55,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-55 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,640,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $25,377,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

UFC on ESPN 55 video: Jhonata Diniz freezes Austen Lane with KO combination

Former Glory kickboxer Jhonata Diniz finished former NFL player Austen Lane with punches in Round 2 of their UFC bout.

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] has a striking background, and it was on full display again Saturday at UFC on ESPN 55.

On the main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Diniz (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) froze and face-planted former NFL player [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) for a knockout stoppage at 2:12 of Round 2.

Diniz, 32, is a former Glory kickboxer who earned his UFC shot through a first-round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023. He maintains his 100 percent TKO rate and unblemished professional record.

Lane, 36, has lost back-to-back fights. With a no contest also under the UFC banner, Lane has yet to notch his first promotional win through three appearances.

The up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 55 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 55

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a quick look at the UFC on ESPN 55 bout between Jhonata Diniz and Austen Lane.

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] and [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC on ESPN 55 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane UFC on ESPN 55 preview

Diniz (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Lane (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) serve as the lone heavyweight bout on the UFC on ESPN 55 main card. … The undefeated Diniz makes his UFC debut following a first-round finish of Eduardo Neves in his Dana White’s Contender Series appearance in September. … Lane, a fellow DWCS veteran, steps into the octagon for the third time, looking for his first victory. His debut against Justin Tafa was ruled a no contest due to an eye poke, and Lane went on to lose the rebooking less than three months later.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane expert pick, prediction

Last event’s results: 4-1

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2024: 28-29-2

Death, taxes, and the current UFC matchmakers force-feeding us low-level heavyweights on Fight Night main cards.

Despite having solid bangers like Gabriel Benitez vs. Hayisaer Maheshate serving as the curtain-jerker on the prelims, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby seem to be continuing their trend of sullying Joe Silva’s memory with main-card bookings like Diniz and Lane (a fight that would’ve served as a dark match if the diminutive former matchmaker were still in charge).

Given the cult-like status that professional football holds in the North American sports space, I’m guessing that Lane is continually getting featured fights for the cup of coffee he had in the NFL.

Don’t get me wrong: Lane is a talented athlete and seems like a nice guy; I just find it funny that – at least promotionally – we keep treating former football players as some sort of ‘great white hope’ in MMA despite Brendan Schaub arguably being the best of that crop. But I digress.

I’m actually hoping that Lane has continued to improve and can extend this fight into deeper rounds in order to see more from both men. However, it’s hard not to give a decent edge to the former kickboxer in Diniz on the feet.

I definitely wouldn’t mind being wrong, but I’ll pick Diniz by first-round knockout.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian fighter this weekend, listing Diniz -265 and Lane +200 via FanDuel.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Austen Lane start time, how to watch

As the third fight on the main card, Diniz and Lane are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights 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, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 29-Feb. 4.

Fresh Ink: Meet the 25 fighters the UFC signed in September 2023

Find out who joined the UFC in September 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 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.

Check out the September 2023 list below.