Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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 Feb. 20-26.
Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 213, where Arnold Allen became just the sixth in history to go 10-0 in the octagon.
The UFC closed its October schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 213, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
In the main event, [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) kept his perfect octagon record intact when he picked up a second-round injury TKO win over [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in their featherweight bout.
For more on the numbers to come out of the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 213.
UFC Fight Night 213 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 213 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $166,500.
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 213 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC Fight Night 213 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Jared Vanderaa[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Joseph Holmes[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Mota[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Joshua Weems[/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 2137 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2131 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 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $7,095,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $13,273,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC Fight Night 213 in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reported live from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 213 event, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
In the main event, Calvin Kattar (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) took on Arnold Allen (17-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) at featherweight. In the co-feature, Max Griffin (19-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) met Tim Means (32-14-1 MMA, 14-11 UFC) at welterweight.
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC Fight Night 213 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway ) on Twitter.
Tresean Gore notched his first octagon win in devastating fashion at UFC Fight Night 213.
[autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag] notched his first octagon win in devastating fashion at UFC Fight Night 213.
Gore (4-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) choked [autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) out cold at the 0:49 mark of Round 2 in their middleweight bout at the UFC Apex. He used a guillotine choke to get the job done.
Check out the replay of his finish below (via Twitter):
A WILD SUBMISSION WIN 🤯 #UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/osMIP2E5Ea
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 29, 2022
As Fremd was working for a single-leg takedown, Gore latched onto his neck and put on a tight squeeze with a particularly violent-looking finish. With the win, the Season 29 “Ultimate Fighter” alum snapped a two-fight skid.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 213 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
[vertical-gallery id=2592275]
[vertical-gallery id=2592273]
Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 213 main card, which features Calvin Kattar vs. Arnold Allen in Las Vegas.
| Kattar vs. Allen |
Griffin vs. Means |
Cortes-Acosta vs. Vanderaa |
Fremd vs. Gore |
Jacoby vs. Rountree |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 167-100 |
 Allen (56%) |
 Griffin (58%) |
 Cortes-Acosta (81%) |
 Fremd (66%) |
 Jacoby (66%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 179-93  2018 Champion |
Allen |
Griffin |
Cortes-Acosta |
Fremd |
 Rountree |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 172-100 |
Allen |
 Means |
Cortes-Acosta |
 Gore |
Rountree |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 170-102 |
Allen |
Griffin |
Cortes-Acosta |
Gore |
Rountree |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 169-103 |
 Kattar |
Griffin |
Cortes-Acosta |
Gore |
Jacoby |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 169-103 2014 Champion |
Allen |
Means |
Cortes-Acosta |
Fremd |
Jacoby |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 166-106 |
Allen |
Means |
Cortes-Acosta |
Fremd |
Jacoby |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 165-107 |
Allen |
Griffin |
Cortes-Acosta |
Fremd |
Jacoby |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 159-113 2017 Champion |
Kattar |
Griffin |
Cortes-Acosta |
Gore |
Jacoby |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 159-113 |
Kattar |
Griffin |
Cortes-Acosta |
Fremd |
Jacoby |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 152-120 |
Kattar |
Means |
Cortes-Acosta |
Gore |
Jacoby |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 133-138 |
Kattar |
Griffin |
Cortes-Acosta |
Fremd |
Jacoby |
The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week with an intriguing featherweight matchup at the top of the bill.
UFC Fight Night 213 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (23-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) at 145 pounds. The fight is a virtual pick’em at Tipico Sportsbook. Allen is at -115; Kattar is at -110, and our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are split, too. They have Allen with the narrowest possible 6-5 picks lead.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (18-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) meets [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (32-13-1 MMA, 14-10 UFC) at welterweight. Griffin is a 2-1 betting favorite and has a 7-4 picks lead.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is our only unanimous pick in his official UFC debut against [autotag]Jared Vanderaa[/autotag] (12-9 MMA, 1-5 UFC), who has dropped four straight. Although Cortes-Acosta only is a 2-1 favorite, he has an 11-0 picks shutout.
[autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag] (3-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in a middleweight bout that has Fremd a -170 favorite at the betting window. Our pickers think it’s close, though, and have Fremd with just a slim 6-5 lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag] (18-5-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) is nearly a 2-1 favorite at light heavyweight against [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC). Three of our pickers are going with Rountree in an upset.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Allen (56 percent), Griffin (58 percent), Cortes-Acosta (81 percent), Fremd (66 percent) and Jacoby (66 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
[vertical-gallery id=2592135]
Josh Fremd isn’t expecting something he’s never seen before out of Tresean Gore at UFC Fight Night 213 in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag] isn’t expecting something he’s never seen before out of [autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag].
Fremd (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) takes on Season 29 “Ultimate Fighter” alum Gore (3-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 213 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
The pair was booked for a matchup in July, but after Fremd withdrew, the promotion rescheduled them for Saturday, which has given Fremd plenty of time to study Gore.
“He’s a body type, he’s a style that I have fought many times,” Fremd told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s pre-fight news conference. “I don’t put too much stock into camp changes or anything like that. I have my camp, I have my group. I’ve got Cody Brundage over there, so I’m pretty happy with where I’m at, and I’ve just got to go and put some work on this guy.”
Fremd will be in search of his first octagon win. His UFC debut came on short notice when he stepped in to face Anthony Hernandez at UFC 273 in April. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
“(My) mindset is I need to get a win,” Fremd said. “I don’t care how that win comes. Obviously, I want to get a finish because there’s a good chance for a bonus if that happens. But I told a lot of people I still don’t consider myself a UFC fighter yet until I get that win and until I get my hand raised. Then I’ll be able to enjoy it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
[listicle id=2591485]
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past two weeks.
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 April 18-May 1.
The UFC managed to find Kelvin Gastelum a replacement opponent for UFC 273, but it required some shifts to the overall fight card.
The UFC managed to find [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] a replacement opponent for UFC 273, but it required some shifts to the overall fight card.
After Nassourdine Imavov was forced out the April 9 event due to visa issues, the promotion has elevated [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] into a middleweight bout with Gastelum (16-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC)
Du Plessis (16-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was already scheduled to compete on the card against [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag], but he was removed from that matchup and elevated into a more high profile bout with “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner Gastelum, who is currently 1-5 in his past six bouts. Du Plessis is unbeaten in his young UFC career, meanwhile, and has finished his opponent in all of his victories.
MMA Junkie verified the changes with multiple people close to the situation, who wished to remain anonymous because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
UFC 273 takes place at VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Although Hernandez (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) had his opponent taken away, he will still get the chance to compete at UFC 273. Promotional newcomer [autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his debut on short notice to round out what’s currently a 15-fight lineup.
The latest UFC 273 lineup now includes:
[vertical-gallery id=535894]
[vertical-gallery id=631943]
The UFC has added two prospects to its roster courtesy of “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.”
The UFC has added two prospects to its roster.
In the latest episode of the UFC Fight Pass series “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight,” White awarded contracts to [autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag] (9-2) and [autotag]Isaac Dulgarian[/autotag] (5-0), who each picked up finishes in their bouts Sunday at FAC 12 in Independence, Mo.
While the episode has yet to air, it is not known if more fighters were signed. But Iridium Sports Agency head Jason House confirmed the signings of Fremd and Dulgarian, two of his fighters.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZqR3UqsP0a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Fremd submitted Joel Bauman in the second round. Dulgarian won the featherweight title when he finished TeeJay Britton for his fifth straight first-round finish.
But perhaps the most impressive finish of the night came courtesy of former Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas, who finished Dana White’s Contender Series alum Jose Alday with a thunderous head kick knockout. There has been no official word on whether or not Dantas was offered a UFC contract.
HEAD KICK OUT OF NOWHERE🤯
[ @DuduDantasMMA | #FAC12 LIVE NOW on @UFCFightPass 📺 ] pic.twitter.com/4CAAek3kj2
— UFC (@ufc) February 7, 2022
For this event, White was joined by YouTube stars The Nelk Boys, who offered one fighter a brand sponsorship from their merchandise line Full Send. The fighter they picked has not yet been announced.
