Nerd World Order: The Fighting Nerds and their quest for ‘bully payback time’

Led by Caio Borralho and coach Pablo Sucupira, Nerds are taking over the UFC – and they’re looking for revenge.

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] sat in the corner of a São Paulo gym and glanced up at the clock on the wall. The time for the meetup was near, but there was no sign of his man yet.

Fighters filed in, ready for their training sessions. Behind them entered a smaller man. He didn’t strike Borralho as a fighter. Borralho wasn’t sure exactly who he was looking for, but this couldn’t be the guy.

“Are you Caio? Are you here to train?” he asked.

Borralho nodded and replied, “Yeah, I came to train.”

“Oh, yeah,” the man responded without hesitation. “Let’s go. You’re going to train with me.”

Borralho followed the man, questioning the decision making that led him to this point.

“With this guy?” Borralho thought to himself.

It was 2014 and a few weeks prior to the meetup with the man who would change the course of his life, Borralho asked friend and fellow fighter Bruno Murata how he could fast-track his striking game.

At that time, Borralho was solely a grappler. His standup game was novice, so Murata recommended a mutual friend, Pablo Sucupira, a muay Thai competitor and boxing specialist.

“What the f*ck? OK, I’m not going to go hard with this thin guy. I’m not going to hurt him his first day,” Borralho remembers thinking.

Wrong.

What surprised Borralho more than Sucupira’s unassuming appearance was the beatdown he dished out during their first training session. Borralho remembers peeling himself up off the mat, depleted after just a few minutes.

“Man, that was the biggest ass beating I’ve ever gotten in my life,” Borralho recalled.

Nerds unite

The hard training session that day marked the start of a beautiful bond between teacher and pupil. Initially, Sucupira had one foot in the boxing world and Borralho cross-training with Demian Maia’s team. But as time passed, Sucupira became Borralho’s go-to coach, and Borralho became Sucupira’s star student. Eventually, Sucupira turned his full attention to MMA and decided to start his own gym. Borralho, of course, went with him.

The Fighting Nerds team now consists of one dozen coaches and dozens more fighters. But at the start, there was just two men.

“The name of the fighter who started all of this was Caio Borralho,” Sucupira told MMA Junkie. “When he arrived in the team, he was very raw, yes. I started to work with him. I always had a different vision of the fight. He was one of the guys who truly believed in myself and my vision. He paid the price doing the different things that I proposed to him and the different way of fighting. Then things started to pay off.”

Their gym, formally named Combat Club São Paulo, was literally built with a hammer and a nail by Sucupira.

I painted the walls,” Borralho told MMA Junkie, laughing. “We built a big ring. We put a big octagon, the same size as the UFC octagon. We built that inside the gym. We actually built that together.”

The team slowly gained more members. Maia’s grappling coach, Wagner Mota, jumped on board, but Sucupira wanted an MMA-centric mind too. So he sought out Flavio Alvaro, a Brazilian legend with more than 70 fights.

“He said, ‘Oh, Pablo. I don’t know. Maybe if you pay me a lot,'” Sucupira recalls. “I didn’t have any money. I said, ‘No, no, no, brother.’ I don’t have money. If you want to come, you have to believe in what we’re doing here. Because it’s going to be a bet. I promise you’ll have something. But now, we just have the athletes.’

“He went to our gym, and I spoke with him a lot about my vision. He met Caio and the other guys. By the end, he said, ‘Hey, I’m here for free. I don’t want any money. Let’s make those guys big stars and then I get some money.'”

Pablo Sucupira (left) wins a muay Thai bout during his competition days.

Classroom mentality

The MMA landscape is full of “Pitbulls” and “Lionhearts.” Sucupira and Borralho refused trying to fabricate faux street cred. They were unapologetically nerdy.

Growing up, Borralho loved school. He taught math and chemistry to peers for money. Sucupira worked a desk job as a copywriter.

“Nobody (at work) gave me credit,” Sucupira said. “They said, ‘You’re too crazy. Your ideas are too wild.’ This hurt me a lot. I quit the marketing and just started fighting. But one day I needed to use that.”

One day he did use that marketing background in a monumental way. Brainstorming team names, he blurted out “The Fighting Nerds.” It was an instant selection.

“I was (immediately) like, ‘That’s the name. That’s the name that consumes everything,'” Borralho remembers.

Of all the Fighting Nerd branding angles, none is more distinct than the signature glasses sported by the fighters and corners, and even occasionally in-cage interviewers Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier. Even the UFC, with its generally restrictive policy against props, approved the glasses after some convincing by Sucupira.

In the beginning, they said no,” Sucupira said. “But what I told them is I’m not making any money. I’m not selling glasses. I don’t have a sponsorship with glasses. It’s just the logo of our team. It’s the wig of Paddy Pimblett or Khabib. It’s the same as the big wig that they use. So it’s the same. I just put the glasses on.”

Unanimously, the glasses were a hit.

“This is an easy gift to give to people and attach people to our team,” Sucupira said. “So The Fighting Nerd glasses show to the world that the fighters are smart, because they think when nobody can think. When you’re inside a fight, inside a cage, with another fighter trying to kill you, it’s hard to think inside there. The adrenaline is too strong. If you’re able to think in that situation, you are one of the smartest guys in the world. This is what the glasses represent, that we think when nobody can think. We think when bullets are being fired.

“The Fighting Nerds are the most intelligent guys in the world, because they think when they are throwing kicks, throwing punches inside the cage.”

Pablo Sucupira lends Joe Rogan a pair of Nerd glasses after a win from Jean Silva.

Sucupira buys hundreds of pairs of lens-less black plastic glasses at a time. The signature piece of tape on each pair, Sucupira adds by hand.

“Just for this fight, I brought 350,” Sucupira said with a big grin. “… We make them. I bought just the glasses and then put the tape here. We keep the whole day doing it. It’s like therapy.”

The best thing about the glasses, explained Borralho (who admits he wore taped glasses in high school), is how it’s shown them how much they are respected across the globe after years being ridiculed for their name and appearance on the Brazilian regional scene.

“When I am in the (UFC Performance Institute), guys from other teams go, ‘Oh, give me a glasses,’ and they put the glasses on,” Sucupira said. “The most impressive thing, in Brazil, we had a fight. We fought, and our fighter won the fight, but the other guy went to our locker room and asked for a glasses, a Fighting Nerd glasses. He said, ‘I lost the fight, but can I have a Fighting Nerd glasses?’

“I thought, ‘This is bigger than the team.'”

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 28: Caio Borralho prepares to fight Aaron Jeffery in a middleweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season five week five at UFC APEX on September 28, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Not f*cking leaving

The Fighting Nerds breakthrough moment finally came in 2021. Seven years after the journey began, Borralho received an offer to compete for a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.

In Sucupira’s coaching methodology, fighting is a problem needing to be solved. A proponent of formulating game plans specific to individual opponents, Sucupira instilled in Borralho a mentality of fighting smarter, not tougher.

“You have to find the best way to solve any problem,” Sucupira explained. “A fight is a big problem to solve.”

When Borralho fought Aaron Jeffery on the series, he solved the equation … but only part of it. The fight wasn’t exciting enough for Dana White, who passed on extending a contract offer.

The shuttle ride back to the hotel was quiet until Borralho perked up.

“Pablo, I’m not coming back,” Borralho said.

Sucupira replied, “How’s that, Caio? You have to come back.”

“No, I’m not coming back. I’m just coming back with the contract,” Borralho argued back. “I’m just going to train here.”

Sucupira texted Mick Maynard to inform him of the impromptu decision.

The response dots appeared. Maynard was typing.

“Awesome,” Maynard wrote back.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: Caio Borralho reacts after his TKO victory over Jesse Murray in a light heavyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season five, week eight at UFC APEX on October 19, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

The gamble paid off. Maynard circled back a few weeks later and offered Borralho a short notice fill-in spot, up a weight class vs. Jesse Murray.

It was an easy yes. This time, however, the approach needed tweaking. Excitement was a necessary part of the equation.

“We knew that we needed to put on a show,” Sucupira said. “That was the way to solve that problem – and he did that. He put on a show.”

Borralho finished Murray in Round 1, and the UFC contract came, a massive moment for the entire squad of Nerds.

“I felt it was really hard to burst onto the scene,” Sucupira said. “But when we did that, it was a takeover.”

Nerds standing in front of a Nerd mural at their gym (left to right: Icao Brito, Jean Silva, coach Pablo Sucupira, Thiago Moises, Mauricio Ruffy)

Nerd World Order

Three years later, it’s another milestone. Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 62 headliner between Borralho and Jared Cannonier will mark the team’s first main event.

The Nerds enter with a tremendous amount of momentum. Although Borralho is the unofficial captain, other clubhouse leaders have emerged. Fans have become attached to the fighters – and their personalities.

Everyone is different,” Borralho said. “We see [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag]. He smokes cigarettes and all this sh*t. He drinks a lot and other stuff. But when it comes about fighting, about studying, about putting a serious thing on the line, he’s one of the best. He trains his ass off. He’s very into it. Then we have [autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag], who is a crazy motherf*cker that barks, that talks sh*t a lot and other stuff. But when it comes about training, about fighting, about studying, he’s one of the hardest workers that I’ve ever seen.”

More than the glasses or their in-cage success, the team is tied by the message they want to send. It’s time for nerds to get their revenge – and inspire.

 “When you think about a nerd guy, you always see a guy who wants to be the best in the class room,” Borralho said. “The nerd, if he’s going into a test and he took a B+, he would be upset. Like, ‘I wanted my A+.’ …We have a big message to inspire people. We’ve seen a lot of bully things happening in the world. A lot of this sh*t happening, it’s bully payback time.

“… Imagine a guy who suffers bullying all the time for being a nerd or wearing glasses or anything like that, and he sees big nerds fighting on the biggest stages of the world, fighting the baddest guys in the world and beating their ass. It’s really bully payback, so that really inspires them, not just to fight but just to be whoever they want. They have this powerful thing inside of them, just to overcome everything that happens in their life about bullying and other sh*t.”

Sucupira echoed, “We prove that you don’t need to be a bully to win fights. You don’t need to be angry to beat a guy. You don’t need to vibe in a bad way. We knock people out. We do bonus performances. But we do it in a love vibe. We do it liking each other.”

Brazil’s Carlos Prates celebrates his win by knocking out China’s Li Jingliang in their men’s welterweight division event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 305 at the Perth Arena in Perth on August 18, 2024. (Photo by COLIN MURTY / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — (Photo by COLIN MURTY/AFP via Getty Images)

Beyond Borralho and the cigarette-smoking sniper Prates and the barking Silva, there’s [autotag]Mauricio Ruffy[/autotag], a powerful striker who already has fans buzzing after just one UFC appearance. There’s [autotag]Bruna Brasil[/autotag], who recently beat Molly McCann. There’s veteran [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag], who joined the team after years at American Top Team. There’s UFC lightweight [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag].

Sucupira and Borralho say to also keep an eye out for unsigned prospects Icaro Brito, Geovanis Palacios, Natalia Alves, Felipe Douglas, and Fabricio Azevedo, who could make a splash in years to come.

“I’m more hungry. I’m more pumped,” Sucupira said. “I like to be the best that I can. Now we are in the UFC, I think we have the structure to go one step ahead also. You can expect a better Fighting Nerds each year, more guys, more performances, and you can count on that. In one or two years, you can count on a Fighting Nerd champion.”

Sucupira and Borralho constructed a gym. They crafted a mentality. They formed a team around them and built a culture. Borralho gets emotional reflecting on the journey now that it’s paying off.

I’m always thankful because when we started this sh*t, we were like, ‘Maybe we’re just crazy guys who believe a lot in ourselves. Let’s see if this works.’ We didn’t know. We already knew, but we didn’t know,” Borralho said. “To see it all the way through and all that we have already accomplished and to see all that we will accomplish, because it’s just the beginning of the takeover.

“… Seeing everything changing: money perspective, fame perspective, sparring perspective. It’s crazy. It’s weird to think about how far we’ve come and how far we’re still going. It’s the first headliner, the first of many. I’m top 12 in the world, soon to be top five.”

And perhaps someday, Sucupira and Borralho will break out the hammers and nails once more – to hang up something special.

“We’ll put a big belt on the wall for sure,” Borralho said.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

Kurt Holobaugh proud to have family at UFC on ESPN 60, explains how four-year-old son went TikTok viral

Ages 13 and 4, Kurt Holobaugh’s sons already have experience competing.

LAS VEGAS – Loud and clear, it was a family affair for [autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag] as he won Saturday at UFC on ESPN 60.

As Holobaugh (21-8 MMA, 2-5 UFC) defeated [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) by unanimous decision at the UFC Apex, his wife and two sons were very audibly rooting him on.’

“I can definitely hear them and that’s how they are in the gym when I’m sparring,” Holobaugh told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “My youngest son is always trying to holler instructions and to do spinning kicks and stuff like that. It’s always fun, but I love it.”

Holobaugh said it was the first time his children got to watch him fight in the promotion from cage-side, as the promotion recently implemented a new policy where each fighter gets four cage-side seats for their fight at the UFC Apex.

The family’s energy stems from passion for their father and husband, but also for the sport. Holobaugh says his sons have been in the gym since before they could walk – literally.

“Our youngest, that’s our four-year-old,” Holobaugh said. “Me and my wife both own two mixed martial arts gyms. From the very first day he was born, we went back to work. So we brought his crib to the gym. He’s in the gym every single day. He’s been training jiu-jitsu since he could literally walk. There are videos out there of him training jiu-jitsu when he just started walking. He’s still training jiu-jitsu and competing all over the world. He just competed in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago.”

UFC 292 Ceremonial Weigh-ins: Kurt Holobaugh’s sons shake hands with Dana White on stage in Boston.

While Holobaugh is the first of his surname to compete in the UFC, he may not be the last. Holobaugh’s 13-year-old son, Zayden, has already competed in eight youth MMA fights. His four-year-old son, Raiden, is a bit of a TikTok sensation.

“All of my kids fight, even my 13-year-old. He has like eight fights inside the cage already at 13 years old. But my four-year-old, being that he does a lot of competitions. We posted a video and it went viral. There were fighters like Jon Jones and all the big names commenting on it. So he went TikTok famous. He’s got like 30,000 followers on TikTok that all follow his journey as well. This is just another big part of his journey and it’s amazing.”

It’s still years out from another Holobaugh potentially stepping foot inside the UFC. So for now, Holobaugh aims to keep making his children the cool kids at school.

“I think it’s special,” Holobaugh said. “It’s once in a lifetime opportunities for kids to do that. I feel like this is why I love doing what I do so much. It’s because of my kids. I feel like they get to be the cool kids at school. They get to go to school and say, ‘Hey, my dad is in the UFC, or, ‘My dad just won ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ He fights on TV.’ Now, my kids get to actually come and watch a UFC event cageside, basically. How many kids at their school wish they could even go to a UFC event. I feel like we’re so blessed with these opportunities.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.

UFC on ESPN 60 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $27 million

The UFC has issued more than $27 million in Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay to fighters after UFC on ESPN 60.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 60 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $139,000.

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 60 took place at the UFC Apex. The main card ESPN and streamed on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 60 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Seungwoo Choi[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Hyder Amil[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jeong Yeong Lee[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dione Barbosa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Thomas Petersen[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,500

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 $4,600; 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 $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-60 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,268,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $27,005,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.

Kurt Holobaugh vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 60

Will the lightweight bout between Kurt Holobaugh and Kaynan Kruschewsky produce a fast finish at UFC on ESPN 60?

[autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 60 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 4-1-1
UFC main cards, 2024: 58-52-3

Kurt Holobaugh vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky UFC on ESPN 60 preview

Few fighters get a second shot in the UFC after their first run, but even fewer get a third after their second, like Holobaugh (20-8 MMA, 1-5 UFC). In the  tournament championship of “The Ultimate Fighter 31,” Holobaugh earned another spot on the roster by submitting Austin Hubbard. His momentum was halted, however, by Trey Ogden in his first fight of the year in April. … Kruschewsky (15-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will look to pick up his first win in the UFC after being knocked out by Elves Brener in his November debut. The result snapped a six-fight unbeaten run that led to his entrance into the promotion after a submission win on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Kurt Holobaugh vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky UFC on ESPN 60 expert pick, prediction

Serving as a solid lightweight action fight is a matchup between Holobaugh and Kruschewsky.

Both men appear to be similar versions of one another – but at different points in their careers.

Kruschewsky is the younger and larger of the two, so it’s no surprise to see him favored on the betting lines. That said, I suspect that Holobaugh is a live underdog in this spot.

Aside from having more than enough ground skills to compete with Kruschewsky, Holobaugh is also an incredibly fast starter with some deceptive pop on the feet.

Couple that with Holobaugh’s experience edge and the chaos that the smaller octagon encourages, and I can’t help but take a flier on the American to score the upset.

The pick is Holobaugh by first-round TKO.

Kurt Holobaugh vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky UFC on ESPN 60 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the younger fighter, listing Kruschewsky -138 and Holobaugh +113 via FanDuel.

Kurt Holobaugh vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky UFC on ESPN 60 start time, how to watch

As the main card feature bout, Holobaugh and Kruschewsky are expected to make their walks to the cage at approximately 9:35 p.m. ET (6:35 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams live on ESPN+.

[lawrence-related id=2756596,2755937,2755782]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.

UFC books Kurt Holobaugh vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky for July 20 in Las Vegas

A pair of lightweights will look to get back on track in the desert this summer.

A pair of lightweights will look to get back on track in the desert this summer.

[autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 1-5 UFC) is set to take on [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at the UFC’s July 20 Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A person with knowledge of the booking confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie, but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Holobaugh found himself outside the UFC after three straight losses in his second stint in the promotion. But he worked his way back to Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and got true redemption when he beat Austin Hubbard to win the lightweight season. In his follow-up against Trey Ogden in March, though, he dropped a decision for his first loss since 2019.

Kruschewsky, a 33-year-old Brazilian, choked out Dylan Mantello this past September on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a shot in the UFC. But in his promotional debut less than two months later, he was knocked out in the first round by Elves Brener for his first setback in nearly five years.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

UFC Fight Night 231 post-event facts: Jailton Almeida sets ground control time record

Check out all the facts from UFC Sao, which saw Jailton Almeida log a record amount of ground control time over Derrick Lewis in the main event.

The UFC’s return to Sao Paulo after more than four years proved to be a forgettable one on Saturday, with UFC Fight Night 231 seeing six of 10 bouts go the distance with three canceled fights in the 48 hours leading up.

One of the fights go to the scorecards was the main event, [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) earned a lopsided but somewhat underwhelming unanimous decision over [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) to remain undefeated in heavyweight competition.

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 231.

UFC Fight Night 231 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2023 total passes $7 million

UFC Fight Night 231 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

SAO PAULO – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 231 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $145,000.

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 231 took place at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Brazil. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 231 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Eudarda Moura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Montserrat Conejo[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kaue Fernandes[/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 2311 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: $7,033,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,552,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231.

Elves Brener def. Kaynan Kruschewsky at UFC Fight Night 231: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Elves Brener’s first-round knockout win over Kaynan Kruschewsky at UFC Fight Night 231 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag]’s first-round knockout win over [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 231 at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. (Photos by Jason da Silva, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC Fight Night 231 video: Elves Brener faceplant KOs short-notice opponent, calls for top-15 fight

Elves Brener left octagon newcomer Kaynan Kruschewsky unconscious on the canvas after calling out top 15 names at UFC Fight Night 231.

[autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag] continued the hot start to his octagon tenure on Saturday when he violently finished newcomer [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 231.

Brener (16-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had some early struggles figuring out Kruschewsky (15-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the 165-pound catchweight bout at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, but he got the big highlight he was looking for when he landed a huge overhand that clipped his opponent and send him crashing face-first into the mat for the knockout at the 4:01 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay of Brener’s brutal finish below (via X):

After starting his UFC run with upsets of Tagir Ulanbekov and Guram Kutateladze, the Brazilian got a major highlight against Kruschewsky. Now, he wants a step up into the top 15 in the lightweight division.

“Props to Kaynan, he took this fight last minute – I’ve had a lot of opponents back out of fights, I don’t know what’s happening,” Brener told Michael Bisping through an interpreter during his post-fight interview. “I’ll fight anyone. Dana (White), give me someone in the top 15.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 231 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231.

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Fresh Ink: Meet the 25 fighters the UFC signed in September 2023

Find out who joined the UFC in September and learn more about them here.

The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.

Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, “Dana White’s Contender Series” signees, or rare straight-up additions. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.

“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.

Check out the September 2023 list below.