Tag: Joaquin Buckley

UFC fighters are losing it over Joaquin Buckley’s jaw-dropping knockout kick

This was *ridiculous.*

If you weren’t watching the prelim card of UFC’s Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen on Saturday night, you missed a stunning finish that one MMA legend is calling one of the craziest knockouts in the history of the sport.

Middleweight underdog Joaquin Buckley wowed the MMA world with a devastating spinning kick to the face of favorite Impa Kasanganay, who made the unfortunate decision to catch one of Buckley’s kicks and hold onto his heel. With his left foot in the air, Buckley spun and caught Kasanganay with a beautiful spinning kick, knocking him out before he hit the mat. Dana White should have walked to the octagon with a stack of bills and handed Buckley his $50,000 bonus on the spot.

UFC fighters were blown away.

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Impa Kasanganay replaces Abu Azaitar at UFC on ESPN+ 37, takes on Joaquin Buckley

Impa Kasanganay is staying active, as he’s now set for his third fight in the past two months.

It looks like it’s a busy fall season for [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag].

The unbeaten middleweight prospect returns to action on Oct. 10 when he takes on [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 37. Kasanganay (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) replaces Abu Azaitar, who withdrew from the bout due to undisclosed reasons.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news with multiple sources Saturday and it was later announced on the UFC 253 broadcast.

This will be Kasanganay’s third bout in the last two months. Kasanganay made his UFC debut on Aug. 29 where he outpointed Maki Pitolo. The 26-year0old fighter earned a UFC contract that same month after defeating Anthony Adams on an Aug. 11 “Dana White Contender Series” show.

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Meanwhile, Buckley (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will look to get his first UFC victory. The former Bellator competitor made his UFC debut on Aug. 8, where he was stopped by Kevin Holland in the third round. Prior to that he was on a two-fight winning streak.

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UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions: Yana Kunitskaya, three others face six months off

Four fighters are facing lengthy suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 32 injuries.

Four fighters are facing potential six-month suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective UFC on ESPN+ 32 bouts.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (neck and arm), [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (facial fractures), [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (left ribs), and [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag] (right hand, right wrist, and left eye) will not be able to fight until Feb. 5, 2021, unless they are cleared by a doctor beforehand.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Headlining victor [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] did not receive a suspension, while his opponent, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], received a 45-day suspension for lacerations sustained in the fight.

Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and his opponent, [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], both received 30-day suspensions after their co-main event bout.

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Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions:

  • Derrick Lewis: No suspension.
  • Aleksei Oleinik: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye and lip lacerations.
  • Chris Weidman: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to a “hard fight.”
  • Omari Akhmedov: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to laceration under left eye.
  • [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left scalp laceration.
  • [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • Yana Kunitskaya: Suspended 180 days or until MRI of neck and right arm are cleared by orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Scott Holtzman: Suspended 180 days or until left inferior orbital floor fracture cleared by maxillofacial surgeon; Also suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Laureno Staropoli[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye lacerations.
  • [autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days, or until right eye is cleared by doctor.
  • [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • Peter Barrett: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Irwin Rivera: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand and wrist is cleared by doctor and possible left eye corneal abrasion is cleared by an ophthalmologist.
  • [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to sutures on nasal bridge.

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‘Inside LFA with Ron Kruck:’ Looking back on Championship July, ahead to Phase II

Check out the latest on what’s happening in LFA.

“Inside LFA with Ron Kruck” is LFA’s weekly look at prior and upcoming fights, as well as the latest news and notes within the promotion, and you can watch Episode 8 in the video above.

WHAT’S COVERED:

  • With every one of LFA’s titleholders having moved on to top-level promotions, the organization had plenty of belts to hand away in finding a new crop of talent. LFA did just that, handing out four championship belts in July.
  • Of course, it’s not just LFA champions that earn the call to the UFC. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] reminded the world that a strong performance in any LFA bout might earn you an octagon invite.
  • Even those that don’t get straight into the UFC still have options, as [autotag]Jordan Leavitt[/autotag] proved with his Dana White’s Contender Series slot.
  • After a quick two-week hiatus, LFA will return with Phase II of the organization’s 2020 comeback with four consecutive weeks of events, starting on Aug. 21, all of which take place in Sioux Falls, S.D.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Tim Means leads $162,000 payout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

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+ 32 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 32 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/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: $3,763,000
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: $34,767,500

Kevin Holland vs. recent LFA winner Joaquin Buckley a late addition to UFC on ESPN+ 32

This week’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event has a late addition fight for the card featuring a recent LFA winner.

This week’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event has a late addition fight for the card.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who picked up a second-round TKO win over Jackie Gosh at LFA 87 this past Friday, did enough in that fight to earn a short-notice call from the UFC. A matchup with [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at middleweight is set for the event, multiple people with knowledge of the booking told MMA Junkie. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the UFC has not yet made the booking official.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Holland was scheduled to take on Trevin Giles this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 31. But when Giles fained ahead of the fight, he had to be removed from the card, leaving Holland without an opponent. The UFC wanted to get him matched up again quickly and wasted little time.

The 27-year-old Holland got back in the win column in May with a 39-second TKO of Anthony Hernandez. It put him back on the plus side after a submission loss to Brendan Allen this past October snapped a three-fight winning streak.

Buckley took out Gosh with a brutal stoppage in South Dakota in a bout that streamed on UFC Fight Pass. It was his second straight LFA win after coming to the promotion after a five-fight run in Bellator that saw him go 3-2. One of those two losses came by TKO to Gosh in November 2016, so the win over him was a matter of revenge nearly four years later.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN+ 32 card now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman
  • Maki Pitolo vs. Darren Stewart
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Julija Stoliarenko
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Scott Holtzman

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Tim Means vs. Laureano Staropoli
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alex Munoz
  • Andrew Sanchez vs. Wellington Turman
  • Justin Jaynes vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Peter Barrett vs. Youssef Zalal
  • Ali Alqaisi vs. Irwin Riverac
  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Kevin Holland