Tag: Kay Hansen

UFC Fight Night 182 prospect Kay Hansen: ‘I’m not the average 21-year-old’

Kay Hansen was uplifted by Ronda Rousey’s praise after her octagon debut and plans to show more at UFC Fight Night 182.

[autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag] spoke to reporters at virtual media day on Thursday ahead of UFC Fight Night 182.

Hansen (7-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) discussed her strawweight bout with Cory McKenna (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), fighting a fellow 21-year-old, her goals of being champion, getting praise from Ronda Rousey following her successful octagon debut, and more.

Watch the video above for Hansen’s full pre-fight interview.

UFC Fight Night 182 takes place Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

Kay Hansen vs. Cory McKenna joins UFC’s Nov. 14 event

A battle between two of the UFC’s youngest strawweight prospects, Kay Hansen and Cory McKenna, is the latest addition to the Nov. 14 card.

A battle between two of the UFC’s youngest strawweight prospects is the latest addition to the promotion’s Nov. 14 card.

The UFC has added [autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag] (5-1) to the lineup for the event. No location or name designation has been announced for the event at this time.

UFC officials announced the bout during the Dana White’s Contender Series 29 broadcast Tuesday.

McKenna, the first Welsh female fighter in UFC history, earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series 28 when she defeated Vanessa Demopoulos by unanimous decision. The 21-year-old has won her past three and trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif.

Hansen, who’s also 21, made good in her UFC debut when she submitted Jinh Yu Frey at UFC on ESPN 12, earning a “Performance of the Night” bonus. She has finished six of her seven pro wins.

With the addition, the latest Nov. 14 lineup includes:

  • Kanako Murata vs. Livinha Souza
  • Julian Marquez vs. Saparbek Safarov
  • Kay Hansen vs. Cory McKenna

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How Kay Hansen campaigned for her UFC shot by sliding into Mick Maynard’s DMs at just 18

See the string of messages Kay Hansen sent the UFC matchmaker over a two-year period leading to her debut win this past Saturday.

At just 20 years old, [autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag] turned some heads by scoring a “Performance of the Night” bonus in her UFC debut. But if you think she’s young now, imagine if she’d have earned her way into the promotion on her own schedule.

While UFC commentator Jon Anik joked about matchmaker Mick Maynard sliding into Hansen’s DMs to offer her a UFC deal, that moment was actually the conclusion of a campaign Hansen (7-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) launched more than two years earlier.

It started out simply enough, with Hansen reaching out to Maynard via Instagram with the “anyone, anywhere, anytime” attitude that UFC officials often like to see.

“Hey. My name is Kay. I’m 18 years old. I’m 1-0. I fought for Invicta in December. Just wanted to throw my name out there. I’m young and hungry. My last fight is on UFC fight pass. I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. Thank you.”

Just 18 at the time, Hansen made it clear to Maynard that she was ready to set foot in the octagon, despite having just one professional fight to her name. Maynard advised the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu product to keep gaining experience and that he would keep an eye on her progression.

Hansen went out to do exactly that, and although her second professional fight under the Invicta FC banner didn’t go her way, she made sure to let Maynard know she was still intent on making it to the UFC.

“Hi. I know I just lost but I still want to let you know if you ever need a straweight for UFC I’m ready. I just fought for invicta March 24. Thank you.”

Three months later, when Hansen rebounded with a win on the regional scene, she certainly wasn’t going to let the victory go unnoticed.

“Hi, can you take 1 minute out of your day and watch my last post. I fought yesterday, a jiu jitsu black belt and smashed her. I just want to let you know that I’m what you’re looking for. Thank you”

Hansen remained in touch with Maynard, who steadfastly advised her to continue gaining experience, especially against proven talent. She did exactly that, competing six times in her first 13 months as a professional.

With Maynard’s stance clear, Hansen began to offer a helping hand in how best he could utilize her talents in the UFC by suggesting matchups with Mackenzie Dern, Maycee Barber or Hannah Cifers, and even volunteering to fight for free.

“Just throwing it out there that I would like to fight in my hometown at UFC 233 in Anaheim. I can sell tickets, no travel cost, I would even fight for free. I fight next friday for Invicta, if I come out with a W I would be so ready. Mackenzie Dern, the winner of Macee Barber vs Cifers? I don’t really care. I saw you were already matching for it. Just want to throw my name out there? For 115 or 125.”

UFC 233 was expected to take place in January 2019 before it was ultimately scrapped when the promotion struggled to find a suitable headliner. Hansen was undaunted, messaging Maynard about potential fights on Dana White’s Contender Series and letting the matchmaker know she did have a passport ready and would happily fly to Brazil to face Alexa Grasso when the Mexican strawweight was briefly left without an opponent for UFC on ESPN+ 2 in February 2019.

Maynard stuck to his guns: Keep winning, and he’d keep watching.

Hansen was similarly resolute, and the push finally paid off when Maynard reach out to her just six days prior to this past weekend’s card at UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a simple request.

“Hi Kay, can you make weight for June 27? I have an opening v jinh yu Frey”

Hansen lived up to her promise, taking the short-notice fight and securing an impressive third-round submission win over former Invicta FC atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey, taking home an extra $50,000 in the process.

So if you learn one thing today, people, let the famous words of Wayne Gretzky ring true: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Oh, and apologies to Maynard for what’s probably about to happen to his inbox.

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The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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UFC on ESPN 12 salaries: Dustin Poirier leads three fighters with six-figure paydays

Dustin Poirier was the biggest winner at UFC on ESPN 12, both figuratively and financially.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] was the biggest winner at UFC on ESPN 12, both figuratively and financially.

After gutting out a grueling unanimous decision win over [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] in the main event Saturday, Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) took home a $300,000 disclosed purse. Add on his “Fight of the Night” bonus, and Poirier pocketed $350,000 total for his efforts.

MMA Junkie on Monday obtained a list of fighter salaries from the Nevada Athletic Commission for UFC on ESPN 12, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Poirier, 31, was among three fighters to earn a six-figure paycheck. Joining him were Hooker, who earned $110,000, and [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], who pocketed $180,000 after defeating [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag], who made $50,000.

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The total disclosed pay for the 10-fight card was $1.14 million.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 12 salaries includes:

  • Dustin Poirier: $300,000 (includes $150,000 win bonus) def. Dan Hooker: $110,000
  • Mike Perry: $180,000 (includes $90,000 win bonus) def. Mickey Gall: $50,000
  • [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag]: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Gian Villante[/autotag]: $75,000
  • [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Jason Witt[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) def. Sean Woodson: $12,000
  • [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: $80,000
  • [autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag]: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Jinh Yu Frey[/autotag]: $14,000
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag]: $20,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC on ESPN 12 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials also handed out a “Fight of the Night” bonus to Poirier and Hooker – and two $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses to Hansen and Erosa.

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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UFC on ESPN 12 medical suspensions: Dustin Poirier, Dan Hooker get matching terms

Three fighters are facing 180-day suspensions as a result of UFC on ESPN 12.

Three fighters are facing 180-day suspensions as a result of UFC on ESPN 12 – but neither of the card’s headliners is among them.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of UFC on ESPN 12 medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspensions if cleared by a doctor.

Despite a back-and-forth battle for 25 minutes, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] walked away relatively unscathed. Both men received a 60-day suspension due to a “tough fight.”

The three fighters facing the longest suspensions are [autotag]Gian Villante[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag], and [autotag]Khama Worthy[/autotag]. All three combatants were handed potential six-month terms due to various injuries.

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Villante suffered a hand injury in his main card loss to [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag], right after Allen sustained injuries to his nose and eye against [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]. Allen’s manager, Brian Butler, revealed the extent of his fighter’s injuries in a post on Sunday. As for Worthy, the promotional sophomore injured both his knee and hand in a win over [autotag]Luis Pena[/autotag], according to the medical report.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 12 medical suspensions include:

  • Dustin Poirier: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days due to a “tough fight”
  • Dan Hooker: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days due to a “tough fight”
  • [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days or until left eyebrow lacerations are cleared by a doctor
  • [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Maurice Greene: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left cheek laceration
  • Gian Villante: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • Brendan Allen: Suspended 180 days or until left orbital, nasal, and sinus fractures are cleared by an ear, nose, and throat doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • Kyle Daukaus: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days due to eyebrow laceration
  • [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Jason Witt[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye laceration
  • [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Khama Worthy: Suspended 180 days or until right ankle x-ray and left knee MRI are cleared by an orthopedic doctor.
  • Luis Pena: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days, or until left eye laceration is cleared by a doctor
  • [autotag]Jinh Yu Frey[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag]: No suspension

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How to watch UFC on ESPN 12: Poirier vs. Hooker, with full fight card betting odds

How to watch Poirier vs. Hooker, with betting odds for the full UFC on ESPN 12 fight card.

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UFC on ESPN 12 is set for Saturday at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card, highlighted by the main event between Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and Dan “The Hangman” Hooker, will begin at 8 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 5 p.m. ET and the entire fight card is available on ESPN and ESPN+. Below, we look at BetMGM‘s betting odds for UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker.

How to watch UFC on ESPN 12: Poirier vs. Hooker

Where can I watch UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker

The main card is available on ESPN and ESPN+; sign up for ESPN+ here.

Prelim bouts are available on ESPN and ESPN+.

What time is UFC Fight Night?

The main card is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.

Prelims are set for 5 p.m. ET.

When is UFC Fight Night?

Saturday, June 27.

Where is UFC Fight Night taking place?

UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker will be held at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

UFC on ESPN 12: Poirier vs. Hooker full main card

Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. All lines last updated Friday at 7:45 a.m. ET.

Dustin Poirier (-228) vs. Dan Hooker (+185)

The No. 3 contender in the lightweight division, Poirier is being given a sizable edge against the fifth-ranked Hooker. Poirier is 25-6 heading into the fight against the 20-8 New Zealander.

Mike Perry (-313) vs. Mickey Gall (+250)

Perry (13-6) comes into this one with a considerable experience advantage over Gall (6-2). Both fighters are unranked in the welterweight division.

Brendan Allen (-304) vs. Kyle Daukaus (+240)

Allen is the No. 13 middleweight contender with a record of 14-3. Daukaus is unranked despite a perfect 9-0 MMA record. He beat Nolan Norwood by submission for the Cage Fury Fighting Championships title Jan. 31.

Gian Villante (+190) vs. Maurice Greene (-239)

The lone heavyweight bout on the main card features two unranked fighters. Villante (17-11) is giving up four inches of both height and reach, and 38 pounds to the 6-foot-7 Greene (8-5).

Sean Woodson (-435) vs. Julian Erosa (+330)

Woodson is the heaviest favorite on the entire UFC Fight Night card as he puts his 7-0 record on the line against the 22-9 Erosa in this catchweight fight. Erosa snapped a three-fight losing skid with a win over A.J. Bryant at CageSport 60 in February.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN 12? Place bets at BetMGM online in CO, IN, NJ and WV! New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

UFC on ESPN 12 prelims card

The prelim card is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. ET.

Luis Pena (-250) vs. Khama Worthy (+200)

Pena is the heaviest favorite on the prelims card in his lightweight bout against Worthy. Pena is 8-2 and has a four-inch height advantage against his 15-6 opponent.

Mara Romero Borella (NA) vs. Miranda Maverick (NA)

Romero Borella (12-8) is three inches taller with a four-inch reach advantage over Maverick (7-2) in a women’s flyweight bout. Borella has lost her last three UFC Fight Night tilts, most recently being submitted by Cortney Casey in Round 1 of a May 16 fight.

Philipe Lins (-115) vs. Tanner Boser (-106)

Lins (14-4) has a slight edge over Boser (17-6-1) in another heavyweight contest. The Canadian Boser is 10 pounds heavier, but both fighters stand at 6-foot-2.

Takashi Sato (-134) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (+110)

Sato (15-3) is favored over Brahimaj (8-2) in a welterweight bout. Both contestants stand at 5-foot-10, weigh 170 pounds and have 73 inches of reach.

Jordan Griffin (+100) vs. Youssef Zalal (-121)

Griffin (18-7) is a slight underdog despite being considerably more experienced than Zalal (8-2). Both fighters are coming off wins in February.

Kay Hansen (-173) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (+145)

Hansen (6-3) and Frey (9-4) will open UFC Fight Night with a women’s strawweight bout and the edge goes to Hansen.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some betting action on any of these MMA bouts, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Invicta FC contenders Jinh Yu Frey, Kay Hansen to square off at UFC on ESPN 12

Jinh Yu Frey and Kay Hansen can now call themselves UFC fighters.

[autotag]Jinh Yu Frey[/autotag] and [autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag] are now members of the UFC roster.

The Invicta FC staples have signed with the promotion and are expected to face off against one another Saturday at UFC on ESPN 12. Oren Hodak of KO Reps management, which represents Frey, confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Sunday.

Frey (9-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a former Invicta champion, alluded to her signing in an Instagram post Sunday. Hansen (6-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) announced her signing outright.

A professional since 2013, Frey has competed largely under the Invicta banner, with stops in RIZIN and Road FC along the way. In February, Frey defeated Ashley Cummins by unanimous decision. However, she was stripped of her title upon missing weight prior to the fight.

At 20, Hansen becomes the second youngest fighter on the UFC’s roster – one year the elder of Chase Hooper. Entering her UFC debut, Hansen won back-to-back fights against Nicolle Caliari and Liana Pirosin.

UFC on ESPN 12 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event will simulcast on ESPN and ESPN+.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 12 lineup now includes:

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker
  • Mickey Gall vs. Mike Perry
  • Brendan Allen vs. Kyle Daukaus
  • Maurice Greene vs. Gian Villante
  • Luis Pena vs. Khama Worthy
  • Tanner Boser vs. Philipe Lins
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Jennifer Maia
  • Kyle Nelson vs. Sean Woodson
  • Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Takashi Sato
  • Jinh Yu Frey vs. Kay Hansen

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10 female fighters you can expect to see on Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 4

The return of Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t far off, and here are 10 female fighters who are candidates to appear on the show.

Image via Iridium Sports Agency

Dana White’s Contender Series has become a focal point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.

With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting win on the show, and you’re in.

Rumored for a late-June start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced quite yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.

In the final installment, we feature 10 deserving female fighters …

* * * *

Image via Invicta FC

Erin Blanchfield

Record: 5-1
Age: 20
Height: 5’4″
Birthplace: New York
Weight Class: Flyweight

Six fights into her professional career, [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] has only lost once – a close split decision to current UFC fighter Tracy Cortez in February 2019. She’s competed four times under the Invicta FC banner and won three of them. She holds wins over notables Victoria Leonardo and Kay Hansen. She’s finished back-to-back fights by head kick and Americana, which shows her versatility. At 20, there’s no rush. However, Blanchfield is ready to take the next step on DWCS.

Image via Iridium Sports Agency

Lupita Godinez

Record: 4-0
Age: 26
Height: 5’2″
Birthplace: Aguascalientes, Mexico
Weight Class: Strawweight

Born in Mexico, [autotag]Lupita Godinez[/autotag] has taken her talents north, across two borders, into Canada. After wins in the United States and Mexico, Godinez added “The Great White North” to her resume this past November. At BTC 8, Godinez won the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title, going all five rounds against home-country fighter Lindsay Garbatt. Although it’s fairly early on in Godinez’s career, DWCS would be a great gauge to see where she is at. If worse comes to worst, she’ll need to go back to the regional scene for more sharpening. Regardless, the learning experience of DWCS will help her as she progresses.

More fighters on the next page:

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