Tag: Junior Tafa

Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker, Josh Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos added to UFC 305 in Perth

The UFC’s return to Australia in August continues to build with the addition of two new fights.

The UFC’s return to Australia in August continues to build with the addition of two new fights.

Australia’s own [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is set to take on [autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at heavyweight. And at featherweight, Australia’s [autotag]Josh Culibao[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC). UFC officials announced the new bookings late Sunday.

https://x.com/UFC_AUSNZ/status/1807538352197193935

UFC 305 is set for Aug. 17 at RAC Arena in Perth (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Tafa will be looking for a return to the win column after a second-round TKO loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 298 in February. Walker, from Brazil, needs a rebound, too. After a 11-0 start to his MMA career, Walker made his promotional debut in April, but dropped a decision to Lukasz Brzeski.

Culibao is working off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. Nearly a year ago, he lost a decision to Lerone Murphy. In March, he dropped a split call to Danny Silva. Ramos has back-to-back setbacks, too – but both of his came by first-round guillotine choke submission. Charles Jourdain tapped him this past September, and Julian Erosa got him in March.

The latest UFC 305 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya – for middleweight title
  • Steve Erceg vs. Kai Kara-France
  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Tai Tuivasa z
  • Josh Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes
  • Tereza Bleda vs. Casey O’Neill
  • Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.

UFC 298 medical suspensions: Henry Cejudo among 9 fighters suspended 180 days

Nine UFC 298 competitors are out a potential 180 days due to injuries sustained in their fights Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.

Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event in Anaheim, Calif. was not a good night to be a limb.

UFC 298 took place at Anaheim, Calif. and featured 12 bouts and 24 fighters. Nine of those fighters were handed six-month suspensions as a result of injuries sustained in their bouts. Eight of those potential injuries were deemed possible fractures.

Monday, California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster, who oversaw the event, provided MMA Junkie with a full list of medical suspensions.

Scroll below to see how much time UFC 298 competitors will have to take off as a result of their bouts Saturday. It’s important to note fighters may return before the conclusion of their suspensions if they are cleared by a physician (unless denoted “no exception” or “mandatory”).

UFC 298 post-event facts: Ilia Topuria makes history with title coronation

The best facts to come out of UFC 298, which saw a number of historic feats, including Ilia Topuria’s title KO of Alexander Volkanovski.

The UFC’s second pay-per-view of 2024 was a memorable one, with UFC 298 on Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., seeing a changing of the guard in the featherweight division.

In the main event, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) became the new featherweight champion when he delivered on his promise to knock out longtime titleholder [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC), which he did in the second round of their fight to claim gold.

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 298.

UFC 298 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Alexander Volkanovski’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 298 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $252,000.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 298 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.

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 298 took place at Honda Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 298 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinya Nakamura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Vera[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Val Woodburn[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andrea Lee[/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 $4,500; 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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,093,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $23,800,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 video: Marcos Rogerio de Lima kicks wreck Junior Tafa’s leg, spoil historic attempt

Junior Tafa’s attempt to win a UFC fight he took on one day’s notice was spoiled with a dozen-or-so hard leg kicks.

[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]’s decision to step into a fight on one day’s notice was commendable by all accounts, but ultimately [autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag] was the better fighter at UFC 298.

In a heavyweight prelim Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., Rogerio de Lima (22-9-1 MMA, 11-7 UFC) battered the lead leg of Tafa (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with kicks until a stoppage at 1:14 of Round 2.

From the first leg kick, Tafa was impaired. He was able to recuperate multiple times when de Lima elected to try grappling and clinch work.

Ultimately, de Lima revisited the leg kicks early in Round 2 and ended the fight emphatically.

With the win, de Lima bounces back from a quick, flying-knee TKO loss to Derrick Lewis in July. He moves to 3-1 in his most recent four.

In defeat, Tafa returns to the loss column after an August win over Parker Porter. Prior to his UFC 298 entry, Tafa was scheduled to fight Karl Williams (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at a UFC Fight Night event March 23. The status of that bout is unclear at this time.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 298 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Junior Tafa at UFC 298: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Marcos Rogerio de Lima’s second-round TKO win over Junior Tafa at UFC 298.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag]’s second-round TKO win over [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] at UFC 298 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. (Fight and venue photos by Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today Sports)

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.

UFC Vegas 89 adds three new fights to lineup, but loses fan-favorite

Three new UFC fights have been booked for March 23 – but a fan-favorite is lost in the shuffle.

Three fights have been added to the UFC Fight Night event March 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The card is currently headlined by former UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (11-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) as she battles perennial contender Amanda Ribas (12-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a flyweight bout.

In the current co-main event, “TUF 31” lightweight winner Kurt Holobaugh (20-7 MMA, 1-4 UFC) takes on gritty veteran Trey Ogden (16-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC).

Check out the three newest additions that the promotion announced Tuesday, as well as the entire UFC Vegas 89 fight card below.

UFC Fight Night 225 post-event facts: Max Holloway sets record with KO of ‘The Korean Zombie’

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 225, which saw Max Holloway add to his legendary resume with a highlight knockout win.

UFC Fight Night 225 took place Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore and saw seven of 13 fights end in a stoppage.

None of those finishes were more memorable than the main event, where former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) lived up to expectations when he scored a brutal third-round knockout of [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] (17-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) to send “The Korean Zombie” into retirement in the featherweight bout.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 225.

* * * *

UFC Fight Night 225 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Max Holloway among three with top non-title money

UFC Fight Night 225 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 225 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $196,000.

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 Fight Night 225 took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 225 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Rinya Nakamura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Fernie Garcia[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Toshiomi Kazama[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rolando Bedoya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Billy Goff[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yusaku Kinoshita[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]JJ Aldrich[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Na Liang[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Seungwoo Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jarno Errens[/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 2251 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: $5,735,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,324,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 225.