Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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. 15-21.
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 50, where Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font set a dubious record for strikes landed in a fight.
The UFC made its sixth stop in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 50, which took place at Bridgestone Arena and saw seven of 12 fights on the card end in a decision.
Among those were the main event, where [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) cruised to a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a 140-pound catchweight fight that featured a substantial lack of action.
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 on ESPN 50.
UFC on ESPN 50 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $170,500.
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 on ESPN 50 took place at Bridgestone Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 50 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeremiah Wells[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000
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 $50,000 while title challengers get $50,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-50 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $5,222,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,811,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.
Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville, Tenn.
UFC on ESPN 50 took place Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
In the main event, Cory Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) took on Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a key bantamweight fight. In the co-feature, former women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) meets unbeaten contender Tatiana Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC).
Check out round-by-round updates below.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Check out the best photos from Dustin Jacoby’s first-round TKO win over Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 50 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (Photos by Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY Sports)
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 odds and lines between Dustin Jacoby and Kennedy Nzechukwu with MMA picks, tips and predictions.
In a light heavyweight bout on the main card, Dustin Jacoby and Kennedy Nzechukwu meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 50 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 50: Jacoby vs. Nzechukwu odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims are on ESPN/ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET and the main card is on ESPN/ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET.
Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.
Records: Jacoby (18-7-1) | Nzechukwu (12-3-0)
Jacoby is looking to turn things around after suffering a split-decision loss to Azamat Murzakov in mid-April and a unanimous-decision loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. in Oct. 2022. Jacoby had been 6-0-1 in his UFC career prior to dropping those 2 bouts. The American fighter has gone the distance on 4 occasions in his last 5 fights with a lone 1st Round KO/TKO over Da Woon Jung in July 2022 as his only finish.
Nzechukwu has posted 3 straight victories heading into this fight, including a pair of KO/TKO wins and a submission victory over Devin Clark last time in the octagon in early May. He has gone the distance just once in the previous 7 bouts.
Nzechukwu, a.k.a. “The African Savage”, takes the walk with an impressive 7-inch reach advantage. The southpaw also has a slight 0.69-to-0.40 takedown advantage and a 50.0% takedown accuracy percentage. Jacoby has a slight 5.44-to-4.89 significant strikes landed per minute advantage while managing a 49.87% accuracy percentage in that category.
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Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:10 a.m. ET.
The favorite NZECHUKWU (-165) has an astonishing 7-inch reach advantage, and he’ll use that to keep Jacoby at a distance until he decides otherwise. Jacoby simply won’t be able to get next to him, and the Nigerian-born fighter will dictate the tempo and pace of the fight.
In addition, METHOD OF VICTORY 5-WAY: NZECHUKWU BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (+175) is a strong value. He has 3 straight finishes, and it’s hard to envision a scenario where Jacoby is able to get into Nzechukwu’s kitchen to start cooking.
If you want to take Nzechukwu by KO/TKO or DQ (+200) on the 7-way line, that pays slightly better, but it’s nice to have a little insurance in case he can tap Jacoby, and it isn’t that much more expensive.
I also like KO/TKO/DQ (+100) for the generic fight finish at even money, and you needn’t declare a winner on that prop.
UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (+110) is a strong play at plus money. If this one ends as I think, and Nzechukwu gets it done with a stoppage, it will be well before the midway point of Round 3.
In addition, NO (-120): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is slightly more expensive but it’s also a good play if you’re a little more conservative.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.
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Check out the stats behind UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville, where Jessica Andrade becomes the first female to join UFC’s 25-fight club.
The UFC returns to Nashville, Tenn., for the sixth time in company history on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 50, which takes place at Bridgestone Arena with a card that airs entirely on ESPN.
Two bantamweight contenders will meet in a 140-pound catchweight main event when [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on replacement opponent [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC), who stepped in for the injury Umar Nurmagomedov.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC on ESPN 50.
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Fortis MMA fighter Kennedy Nzechukwu won’t rush his journey to UFC gold.
DALLAS – [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag] won’t rush his journey toward UFC gold.
Nzechukwu (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) currently rides a three-fight winning streak all by finish. He will look to continue his ascent up the light heavyweight rankings when he takes on Dustin Jacoby (18-7-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 main card at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
The Fortis MMA fighter doesn’t plan to jump the ladder. Nzechukwu is ready to take on each challenge as it comes without demands.
“I’m taking it slowly, step at a time,” Nzechukwu told MMA Junkie. “Not trying to get greedy like other fighters and kind of call out fighters above me. If you’re not ready for that level, you got to wait, groom yourself as God is grooming me. I take each opponent as it comes and not try to rush it. Eventually I’m going to get there, and I will be blessed.”
Nzechukwu takes on seasoned striker Jacoby, who’s in a slightly different career trajectory as he aims to snap a two-fight losing skid. Nonetheless, Nzechukwu knows he has a dangerous challenge ahead of him.
“Dustin Jacoby, very good striker,” Nzechukwu said. “He’s fought in K-1 I believe, so has a lot of fights under his belt. He’s a very good striker. We have oriented our game plan around it and know what we can employ, and how we can capitalize on his weaknesses. He’s a tough guy, tough opponent, but victory shall be mine on Saturday.”
It’s not the first time Nzechukwu takes on an accomplished striker. The 31-year-old fighter scored a memorable knockout of Carlos Ulberg at UFC 259, and relishes the opportunity to stand toe-to-toe with another skilled striker like Jacoby.
“That’s a great challenge, another accolade I can have under my belt. I’ve fought wrestlers, I previously fought a striker, but it’s good to be well-balanced. So, it’s great to fight another striker that has a lot of experience and get that under my belt.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from May 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from May 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month award for May.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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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 or officially announced by a promotion from May 16-21.
