5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN+ 27: Sorting out the flyweight mess and more

Thoughts and analysis on the biggest storylines to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 27, where Deiveson Figueiredo won the main event by TKO.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 27 in Norfolk, Va.? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. The flyweight mess

The UFC flyweight division endured its worst-case scenario with [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) stopping [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) with strikes in the second round of the main event, thus keeping the title vacant because the Brazilian missed weight by 2.5 pounds for the contest, making him ineligible to claim the belt.

Figueiredo is a good fighter and went out there and performed as he needed to under the circumstances, but his win puts the weight class in a troublesome state going forward. From Day 1, when one of the inaugural 125-pound bouts between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall was improperly scored, the weight class has not gotten off the ground in a way anyone had hoped.

From Johnson’s inability to get over with the casual audience, to Henry Cejudo’s decision to relinquish the strap, to this situation with Figueiredo, it’s been challenge after challenge. The UFC has as good an excuse as ever now to put the death blow on the weight class and dissolve it all together, but I don’t think that will happen just yet. Only time will tell, though.

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UFC on ESPN+ 27 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Norfolk

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the seven newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For seven athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression they made on the sport’s biggest stage from Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va.

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Spike Carlyle

Division: Featherweight
Result: Spike Carlyle def. Aalon Cruz via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1.25
Record: (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A

[autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] certainly isn’t an average MMA featherweight, and he gave us a glimpse of his potential with an impressive quickfire finish of fellow debuting prospect Aalon Cruz.

“The Alpha Ginger” danced his way to the octagon and giggled his way through Bruce Buffer’s introduction before blasting Aalon Cruz to a first-round TKO defeat in a performance that was as impressive as it was clinical.

After Cruz had started with a succession of range-finding kicks, Carlyle stunned Cruz with a superb leaping left high kick of his own as he closed the distance and looked to rough up the taller, leaner man at close quarters.

Cruz looked to grab a double-leg, but the California native stuffed the takedown and connected with a huge elbow behind the ear that clearly rocked his opponent. A host of elbows later, Cruz was on the mat with Carlyle unloading a barrage of punches until the referee dived in to call it after just 85 seconds.

All in all, it was hugely impressive against a man who had produced a highlight-reel performance in Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his UFC deal. Carlyle proved he certainly deserved his, then showed his unique personality with a short, to-the-point post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.

Carlyle looks like a man who’s going places, and we may find out more about how fast and how far when he gets his next assignment, which might come pretty quickly.

UFC on ESPN+ 27 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Deiveson Figueiredo’s pay downgraded after missing weight

UFC on ESPN+ 27 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

NORFOLK, Va. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $119,500.

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+ 27 took place Saturday at Chartway Arena. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 27 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Zarah Fairn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Gabriel Silva[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Tom Breese[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Luis Pena[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]TJ Brown[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Aalon Cruz[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ismail Naurdiev[/autotag]: $4,000

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: $826,500
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: $31,831,000

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN+ 27 with Queen, Steppenwolf, Chili Peppers

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event in Norfolk, Va.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 27 went with as their backing tracks in Norfolk, Va.

UFC on ESPN+ 27 bonuses: Kyler Phillips vs. Gabriel Silva nabs ‘Fight of the Night’

Kyler Phillips and Gabriel Silva had a combined one previous UFC fight between them, but that didn’t stop them from taking home postfight bonuses.

If you didn’t know the names [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag] and [autotag]Gabriel Silva[/autotag] before UFC on ESPN+ 27, you should commit them to memory now.

The bantamweights had a combined one career UFC fight between them heading into Saturday night’s show in Norfolk, Va. But UFC post-fight bonuses are eligible to everyone on the card, and Phillips and Silva once again proved the bonus system to be egalitarian.

The duo put on an exciting scrap, and while the debuting Phillips earned across-the-board scores for his performance, Silva showed plenty of heart and tenacity in defeat.

And that was enough to earn both competitors $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses.

Meanwhile, two fighters put in strong efforts to earn themselves “Performance of the Night” awards in [autotag]Megan Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag].

Anderson stated her case for a shot at featherweight champion Amanda Nunes with a first-round knockout of Norma Dumont. Griffin had a second-round submission finish.

It was the first career UFC post-fight bonuses for all four competitors.

The UFC announced an attendance of 7, 08 paying a gate of $402,958 at Chartway Arena.

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UFC on ESPN+ 27: Make your predictions for Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo in Norfolk

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event in Norfolk, Va.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 27 event in Norfolk, Va.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN+ 27 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN+ 27 takes place Saturday at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. The card streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for all six main card fights inside: