Kai Kamaka vs. TJ Brown added to UFC Fight Night card on May 1

Featherweights Kai Kamaka and TJ Brown will look to rebound when they square off on May 1.

A pair of featherweights will look to rebound in May.

[autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]TJ Brown[/autotag] (14-8 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in an event which does not yet have an official venue or location.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Reporter Rob DeMello was first to report the news.

Hawaii’s Kamaka made good on his promotional debut when he outlasted Tony Kelley in a “Fight of the Night” effort at UFC 252 in August. In his past outing in November, Kamaka saw his six-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Jonathan Pearce in a second-round stoppage loss.

After earning a UFC contract on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in August 2019, Arkansas native Brown has dropped his first two UFC bouts to Jordan Griffin and most recently a unanimous decision to Danny Chavez in August.

With the addition, the May 1 lineup includes:

  • Damon Jackson vs. T.J. Laramie

  • TJ Brown vs. Kai Kamaka

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UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions: Seven face potential 180-day terms due to bone breaks

Seven fighters could be out six months due to injuries sustained during their fights.

Seven fighters face six-month suspensions as a result of their respective UFC on ESPN 18 fights – but headliners [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] walked away unscathed.

Neither the winner, Smith, nor the loser, Clark, received a medical suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission medical staff.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC on ESPN 18, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Fighters can return to action sooner than their suspensions indicate should they receive medical clearance from a doctor.

Among the pack of those suspended, co-main event participant [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] was given a 180-day term for a potentially fractured left orbital in his loss to [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag].

Main card winners [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag], [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag], and [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] could be looking at 180-day suspensions due to potentially broken hands.

[autotag]Ashlee Evans-Smith[/autotag] (left hand), [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] (right foot), and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] (right hand) also were handed the same 180-day suspensions.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions includes:

  • Anthony Smith: No suspension.
  • Devin Clark: No suspension.
  • Miguel Baeza: No suspension.
  • Takashi Sato: Suspended 180 days or until fractured left orbital floor is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • Parker Porter: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • Bill Algeo: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Norma Dumont: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
  • Ashlee Evans-Smith: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to a nasal laceration.
  • Jonathan Pearce: Suspended 180 days or until right foot is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Anderson Dos Santos[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Gina Mazany[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • Rachael Ostovich: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to upper lip laceration.

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Kai Kamaka steps in for Sean Woodson, fights Jonathan Pearce at UFC on ESPN 18

Kai Kamaka has stepped in on eight days’ notice to fight Jonathan Pearce.

[autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] has a new opponent for UFC on ESPN 18.

After [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag] withdrew from his scheduled Nov. 28 lightweight fight for unknown reasons, [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag] has stepped in to fight Pearce (9-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on eight days’ notice.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the booking Saturday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Pearce looks to rebound from an unsuccessful UFC debut in October 2019. After earning his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Pearce was quickly finished by Joe Lauzon at UFC on ESPN 8 in Boston.

Kamaka (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made his UFC debut on short notice at UFC 252 in August. He took on fellow newcomer Tony Kelley, whom he defeated in a “Fight of the Night” bonus-earning unanimous decision win.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 18 lineup now includes:

  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis
  • Norma Dumont vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith
  • Josh Parisian vs. Parker Porter
  • Gina Mazany vs. Rachael Ostovich
  • Malcolm Gordon vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Rafael Fiziev vs. Renato Moicano
  • Devin Clark vs. Anthony Smith
  • Miguel Baeza vs. Takashi Sato
  • Amir Albazi vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
  • Martin Day vs. Anderson Dos Santos
  • Bill Algeo vs. Spike Carlyle
  • Nate Maness vs. Luke Sanders
  • Kai Kamaka vs. Jonathan Pearce

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UFC 252 medical suspensions: Stipe Miocic, Daniel Cormier both need eye clearance

Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier both need to have issues with their left eyes checked out following their trilogy bout at UFC 252

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] both need to have issues with their left eyes checked out following their heavyweight title trilogy bout at UFC 252 on Saturday.

MMA Junkie obtained the full list from the Nevada Athletic Commission on Monday. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.

Miocic (20-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) and Cormier (22-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) had a grueling five-round fight in the headliner of the event at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, with Miocic keeping the belt. A second-round eye poke on Cormier apparently tore his cornea, and that’s one of the issues “DC” will need checked out post-fight. Miocic, meanwhile, needs hie eye examined, too.

Outside of the main event, bantamweight prospect [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) faces the longest medical suspension. He hurt his leg in a first-round TKO loss in the co-main event, and will need his ankle cleared, otherwise he’s out until February 2021.

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Complete UFC 252 medical suspensions included:

  • Stipe Miocic: Must have retinal specialist clearance on left eye; minimum suspension until 9/30/20, no contact until 9/15/20
  • Daniel Cormier: Must have left eye cleared by an ophthalmologist or no contest until 2/12/21. Minimum suspension until 9/30/20, no contact until 9/15/20
  • [autotag]Marlon Vera:[/autotag] No suspension
  • Sean O’Malley: Must have orthopedic doctor clearance on right ankle or no contest until 2/12/21. Minimum suspension until 9/30/20, no contact until 9/15/20
  • [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]: Must have laceration under left eye cleared by a doctor or no contest until 10/15/20, no contact until 9/30/20
  • [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag]: Suspended until 9/30/20, no contact until 9/15/20 due to left eyebrow laceration
  • [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: Suspended until 9/30/20, no contact until 9/15/20 due to right eyebrow laceration
  • [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]John Dodson[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Vinc Pichel[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: Must have cut on bridge of nose cleared by doctor or no contest until 9/30/20, no contact until 9/15/20
  • [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Felice Herrig[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Danny Chavez[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]TJ Brown[/autotag]: Must have left orbital fracture cleared by an ophthalmologist or no contest until 2/12/21. Minimum suspension until 9/15/20 with no contact until 9/6/20
  • Livinha Souza: No suspension
  • [autotag]Ashley Yoder[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag]: Suspended until 9/15/20, no contact until 9/6/20
  • [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]: Must have facial lacerations cleared by doctor or no contest until 9/30/20, no contact until 9/15/20
  • [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag]: Suspended until 9/15/20, no contact until 9/6/20 due to forehead laceration

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UFC 252 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Daniel Cormier takes home $30k for final fight

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 252 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $201,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 252 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $201,000.

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 252 took place at UFC Apex. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 252 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]John Dodson[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Vinc Pichel[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Felice Herrig[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Danny Chavez[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]TJ Brown[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Livinha Souza[/autotag]: $4,000
def.[autotag]Ashley Yoder[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Tony Kelley[/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: $3,964,000
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: $34,968,500

UFC 252: Kai Kamaka post-fight interview

Kai Kamaka talks to media after his UFC 252 victory

Kai Kamaka talks to media after his UFC 252 victory