UFC adds Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson to first 2025 event

A flyweight fight has been added to the first UFC event of next year.

The first UFC event of 2025 continues to build with the addition of a new flyweight matchup.

[autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Felipe Bunes[/autotag] will square off at the UFC’s Fight Night event Jan. 11, expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the matchup Wednesday, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Johnson (16-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) aims to bounce back from a June loss to Asu Almabayev. The defeat was his second in his three most recent outings.

Bunes (13-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is a former LFA champion who made his UFC debut in January when he lost by TKO to Joshua Van. The defeat dropped him to 3-2 in his most recent five.

With the addition, the UFC’s Jan. 11 lineup now includes:

  • Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden
  • Nicolle Caliari vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
  • Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano
  • Andreas Gustafsson vs. Preston Parsons
  • Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson

UFC on ESPN 58 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Lowest total payout of 2024

UFC on ESPN 58 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 58 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $116,000.

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

The full UFC on ESPN 58 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Timmy Cuamba[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Brady Hiestand[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Asu Almabayev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Adam Fugitt[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jimmy Flick[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Carli Judice[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Gabriella Fernandes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Shayilan Nuerdanbieke[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julia Polastri[/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 $4,580; 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 $58,000 while title challengers get $58,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-58 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,451,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,188,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 58

Flyweights Asu Almabaev and Jose Johnson meet on the UFC on ESPN 58 main card. Who will keep their momentum going?

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag] and [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 58 from UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 preview

Almabaev (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has won 15 straight fights, having not suffered defeat since 2017. He made his UFC debut in August 2023, where he submitted Ode Osbourne. In his second appearance, Almabaev won a decision against CJ Vergara. … Johnson (16-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) enters on the heels of his first UFC victory, which was a submission of Chad Anheliger in November. After dropping his promotional debut last August, Johnson will look to stop Almabaev’s lengthy streak and get above .500 in the UFC.

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is an interesting flyweight affair between Almabayev and Johnson.

Despite standing 6-foot tall, Johnson will be looking for a change of scenery as he drops down to 125 pounds for the first time in his career. That said, the Michigan native will have a tough hurdle to get past this Saturday.

Unbeaten in the last 7 years, Almabayev is a well-rounded fighter with a solid wrestling base.

Although Almabayev appears talented enough to stand with Johnson, I suspect that the American’s height and the smaller octagon of the Apex force Almabayev into another grapple-heavy affair.

For that reason, I’ll side with the Kazak fighter to wear down Johnson by the third frame for a submission win.

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the more natural flyweight, listing Almabayev as a heavy -650 favorite, with Johnson a big underdog at +440, via FanDuel.

Asu Almabaev vs. Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN 58 start time, how to watch

As the second main card bout, Almabaev and Johnson are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 10:35 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 5-11)

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 Feb. 5-11.

Jose Johnson wanted to hurt Chad Anheliger for ‘talking a lot of sh*t on Instagram’ before UFC Fight Night 232 ​ 

Jose Johnson got his first UFC win after a twister submission loss in his August debut, and he apparently enjoyed it against Chad Anheliger.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag] beat Chad Anheliger with a third-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 232 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Johnson, who got his first UFC win after a twister submission loss in his debut in August.

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 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: Jose Johnson submits Chad Anheliger with 11 seconds left

Jose Johnson took his fate out of the hands of the judges against Chad Anheliger with a late finish at UFC Fight Night 232.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag] took his fate out of the hands of the judges against [autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag] with a late finish at UFC Fight Night 232 – even if he didn’t need it.

After a competitive bantamweight contest over the course of nearly a full fight on Saturday at the UFC Apex, Johnson (16-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) locked in a rear-naked choke on Anheliger (12-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) that forced the tap at the 4:49 mark of Round 3.

Check out the footage below (via X):

Johnson was submitted with a historic Twister by Da’Mon Blackshear in his octagon debut earlier this year. His sophomore promotional appearance came with a different result beating Anheliger on both rounds of all scorecards before ending it.

He was very emotional during his post-fight interview with Paul Felder, thanking his friends, family and team.

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 (Sept. 25-Oct. 1)

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 Sept. 25-Oct. 1.

UFC on ESPN 51 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Two veterans earn max non-title sum of $21,000

UFC on ESPN 51 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 51 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,000.

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 51 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 51 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Hakeem Dawodu[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Iasmin Lucindo[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]AJ Dobson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tafon Nchukwi[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jamie Pickett[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Marcus McGhee[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]JP Buys[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Mike Breeden[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Francis Marshall[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Isaac Dulgarian[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Montserrat Conejo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Da’Mon Blackshear[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Luana Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [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 $4,510; 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 $51,000 while title challengers get $51,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-51 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,395,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,984,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.