Joel Alvarez will get a big opportunity when he meets ranked lightweight Thiago Moises.
[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] will get a big opportunity when he meets a ranked opponent.
Alvarez (18-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) faces [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Nov. 13, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after an initial post by Alvarez on social media.
After dropping his promotional debut, Spain’s Alvarez has won his past three in a row. The 28-year-old, who’s never gone the distance in his professional MMA career, is coming off a first-round armbar of Alexander Yakovlev at UFC 254 in October, his 16th career win by submission.
Moises will look to rebound from his submission loss to Islam Makhachev in July, in what was his first UFC headliner. Prior to that, the Contender Series Brazil alum scored three straight wins over Michael Johnson, Bobby Green and Alexander Hernandez.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Nov. 13 includes:
More than six years after his first octagon run ended, Sean Soriano steps back into the octagon against Christos Giagos at UFC 262.
More than six years after his first octagon run ended, [autotag]Sean Soriano[/autotag] is back in the UFC.
MMA Junkie on Thursday learned from two people with knowledge of the booking that Soriano (14-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has replaced [autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and will face [autotag]Christos Giagos[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 4-4 UFC) in a lightweight matchup next week at UFC 262. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has not formally announced the contest.
Visa issues forced Alvarez out the original booking.
Soriano, 31, was undefeated heading into his first UFC run but then struggled in the octagon falling short against notables Tatsuya Kawajiri, Chas Skelly and Charles Rosa in featherweight contests. However, he currently stands at 5-1 in his past six appearances, fighting for CFFC, CES MMA and UAE Warriors en route back to the UFC.
Meanwhile, Giagos looks to build on the momentum of a December win against Carlton Minus in a 160-pound catchweight matchup. “The Spartan” currently stands at 3-1 in his past four octagon appearances, a run that also includes wins over Damir Hadzovic and Mizuto Hirota.
Featuring a lightweight title fight for the vacant UFC belt, UFC 262 takes place May 15 in Houston. The night’s main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
With the addition to the card, UFC 262 now includes:
Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler – for vacant lightweight title
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 254 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $215,000.
ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 254 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $215,000.
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 254 took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The full UFC 254 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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:
Check out the full medical suspensions from UFC on ESPN+ 30.
New UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] won’t be held back by a medical suspension from his title conquest at UFC on ESPN+ 30.
On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.
According to the list, Figueiredo (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who submitted [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] in the first round of their main event title bout, will only be suspended for seven days due to mandatory rest. On the other hand, Benavidez (28-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) faces 45 days. The longtime contender was dropped multiple times before he was submitted.
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The UFC on ESPN+ 30 competitor facing the longest potential suspension is [autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC). The Brazilian was suspended 180 days after suffering a kneebar submission defeat to [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag], which appeared to hyperextend her knee. Carolina can reduce the suspension down to 30 days if an MRI on her left knee is done and cleared by a doctor.
Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 30 medical suspensions:
Deiveson Figueiredo: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
Joseph Benavidez: Suspended 45 days for forehead laceration with no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Rafel Fiziev[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or 30 days minimum with left knee MRI clearance by a doctor. Also, no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO loss with no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Nad Narimani[/autotag]: Suspended for 30 days for left eyebrow laceration and with no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Joseph Duffy[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for “hard bout” and with no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” and no contact for 21 days
[autotag]Davi Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended for 45 days for multiple lacerations and no contact for 30 days
[autotag]Sergey Spivak[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
[autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
Take a look inside Joel Alvarez’s submission of Joe Duffy at UFC on ESPN+ 30 in Abu Dhabi.
ABU DHABI – [autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] beat Joe Duffy with a first-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 30 in Abu Dhabi.
Take a look inside the fight with Alvarez, who sent Duffy into retirement with the win.
“He was using a lot of the kicks. At the end of the fight, we went into grappling and my guillotine took him out. He surprised me with the lateral kicks at the beginning, but we had practiced a little bit to maintain that aspect and at the end of the day, we were able to maintain and control that aspect.”
Alvarez on the “Fight Island” experience
“The experience on ‘Fight Island’ has been great with my team. Everything has been wonderful so far, and hopefully I get to repeat the experience.”
Alvarez on what he wants next
“Whoever the boss says is next, I’m ready for them. I’m ready to fight the best guys in the UFC.”
To hear more from Alvarez, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
All the notable stats and figures to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 30, which saw Deiveson Figueiredo submit Joseph Benavidez in the main event.
The third event in the UFC’s four-card July stretch on “Fight Island” went down Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 30, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with a main card that streamed on ESPN+.
After more than six months with the belt vacant, a new flyweight champion was crowned in the main event when [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) brutalized [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] (28-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) en route to a first-round submission victory. With the win, he became the first Brazilian to hold 125-pound gold.
For more on the numbers behind the 12-fight card, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 30.
* * * *
General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $165,000.
Debuting fighters went 2-2 at the event.
Figueiredo, [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag], [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] and [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 30 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN+ 30 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 7-5 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 13-6 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 1:33:56.
Main card
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JULY 19: Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil celebrates after defeating Joseph Benavidez in their UFC flyweight championship bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 19, 2020 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Figueiredo became just the third flyweight champion in UFC history, joining Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson.
Figueiredo has earned 16 of his 19 career victories by stoppage. That includes six of his eight UFC wins.
Figueiredo’s six stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied with Benavidez for second most ind divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (seven).
Figueiredo’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Figueiredo lands 52.5 percent of his significant strike attempts in UF
Benavidez became the first in UFC history to go 0-4 in undisputed championship fights.
Benavidez suffered the first submission loss of his career.
[autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) has earned 17 of his 21 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) fell to 4-4 (with one no contest) since he moved up to the UFC middleweight division in December 2016. He’s 5-4 (with one no contest) in the organization at 185 pounds.
Gastelum has suffered both his career stoppage losses by submission.
Fiziev (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision.
Diakiese (14-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has suffered three of his four career losses by decision.
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JULY 19: (R-L) Ariane Lipski of Brazil secures a knee bar submission against Luana Carolina of Brazil in their flyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 19, 2020 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Lipski (13-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has earned nine of her 13 career victories by stoppage.
Lipski’s victory at 1:28 of Round 1 marked the second fasted stoppage in UFC women’s flyweight history. Veronica Macedo holds the record with a 69-second win at UFC on ESPN+ 14.
[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.
[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has suffered all five of his career losses by decision.
Preliminary card
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JULY 19: (L-R) Roman Dolidze of Georgia knocks out Khadis Ibragimov of Russia in their light heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 19, 2020 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned all seven of his career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career 8-0.
Ibragimov suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
[autotag]Nad Narimani[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered three of his four career losses by decision.
[autotag]Joe Duffy[/autotag]’s (16-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2017.
[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned all 17 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 15 of those wins by submission.
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned 12 of his 13 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
Gordon suffered the first submission loss of his career.
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Davi Ramos[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by decision.
[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 2-2 earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his eight-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC on ESPN+ 30 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $165,000.
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+ 30 took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island. The main card streamed ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 30 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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:
“UFC on ESPN+ 30: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2” – $165,000
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 event at “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 30 went with as their backing tracks in Abu Dhabi.
