While bout orders aren’t always an exact science, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 has one fight that seems in a bit of an odd spot.
LAS VEGAS – While bout orders aren’t always an exact science, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 has one fight that seems in a bit of an odd spot.
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) and [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) face off in just the second fight of the night in a prelim that airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ from UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
According to the UFC’s own rankings, Modafferi sits at No. 6 in the women’s flyweight division, with Murphy checking in behind at No. 7, and the winner could very well be in discussion for an upcoming No. 1 contender bout. Yet two will meet at approximately 2:30 p.m. PT local time, some five hours before the night’s headliners enter the cage.
“I’ve gone back and forth on that,” Modafferi told MMA Junkie. “At first, when I heard about it, I was very surprised and I was disappointed, and then I thought, ‘It’s fine. Whatever. You’re still going to beat her, and you’re going to make your money. You’re going to rise in the ranks, and it doesn’t matter.’
“I’m not on any media day. I don’t have any interviews. I don’t really feel that important. But I’m kind of used to it. I’m not a super cute, young, up-and-comer star. I think I’m going to have a hard path back up to the title. Lauren’s probably about the same. We’re both veterans. I don’t know. I’m just going to operate in the UFC system and take what fights and cards that they offer me, and since I’m early, I’ll be able to get out early and go eat Mexican food with my team. Fiesta Mexicana, here I come.”
It’s the type of positivity you’d expect from Modafferi, the 17-year veteran known as “The Happy Warrior.” In fact, even that matchup, itself, was booked largely because she and Murphy have such respect for each other’s body of work, they asked to be paired together.
“As I looked at the top-10, five of them have missed weight, and I don’t do well with women that miss weight,” Modafferi said. “I’m not saying that I lost because they missed weight, but to be real, my only losses outside of the title fight were to women who missed weight. I beat everybody else.
“We’re ranked next to each other, so we’re both like, ‘Yeah, this seems good.’ Let’s do it. That’s how that came on.”
Modafferi looks to build on the strength of a decision win over formerly undefeated prospect Maycee Barber in January. The upset result caught plenty of attention at the time, but Modafferi said she doesn’t put too much stock in one performance.
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“I think every win is huge at this point for me,” Modafferi said. “I don’t know. It’s very interesting how people’s perspectives are different. It felt like a good win, I’ll say that.”
It wasn’t the first time Modafferi has unseated a rising contender, having downed a then-undefeated Antonina Shevchenko in 2019. She’s been a bit of a “prospect killer” as of late, but Modafferi said she hasn’t made that a priority.
“I guess cool if I’m known like that,” Modafferi said. “That’s fine. I just want to keep winning and keep beating up other ladies in my division.”
To that end, Modafferi has used her time in isolation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to better herself as a martial artist. At 37, Modafferi appears to be physically in the best shape of her life, and she credits added strength training with Lorenzo Pavlica, wrestling sessions with Neil Melanson and Tywan Claxton and continued striking training with A.J. Matthews for her improvement during quarantine.
Now that Syndicate MMA is operational once again, Modafferi believes her work is all coming together under the watch of John Wood.
“I try to put on a strong front, but things are really crazy,” Modafferi said. “Up and down. Huge emotional rollercoaster all the time. I was super stressed. I wasn’t sure if I should leave the house, but man, I think it’s been one of the best times in my life, to be honest with you.
“I really got to focus 100 percent on myself. I feel like I really made strength gains, and I couldn’t wait to get back to Syndicate to try out all this new and improved stuff on my teammates, which finally happed, thank goodness. So part one of my training camp was basically in a garage and at the park. Then part two was Syndicate opened up again, and I got to back back in the cage and train with the team again.”
Modafferi will get to put her work to the test on Saturday. Is the fight scheduled where it should be on the night’s lineup? Perhaps not. But that doesn’t matter once the bell sounds.
Nearly two decades into her professional career, Modafferi believes she’s reached a new level and is anxious to prove it.
“I’ve always felt like just a martial artist who fights, but nowadays, people have become athletes,” Modafferi said. “UFC fighters are athletes. I finally feel like I’m not behind. Before, I felt behind. … Now I feel like I’ve caught up and can hold my own, so we’ll see. Maybe I’ll feel super strong in this fight. It will be cool. I’m excited to see what happens, actually.”
The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 11, which features a Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov main event.
The UFC puts on its eighth card since the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 11, which takes place at the UFC Apex and airs on ESPN/ESPN+.
In the main event, heavyweight contenders [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will battle to see who moves one step closer to a title shot.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 70 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 11.
* * * *
Main event
Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes’ three-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Francis Ngannou (four) and August Sakai (four).
Blaydes has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. That includes five of his eight UFC victories.
Blaydes absorbs 1.86 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Blaydes’ 45 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes has achieved 43:03 of top control time in UFC heavyweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Randy Couture (51:19).
Blaydes completes 55.6 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (63.2 percent).
Blaydes’ takedown rate of 7.05 per 15 minutes of fighting is third highest in UFC history.
Blaydes’ 10 takedowns landed against Mark Hunt at UFC 221 tied the record for second most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Cain Velasquez’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC 155.
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.
Alexander Volkov
Volkov is a former Bellator heavyweight champion.
Volkov is 7-1 since his final Bellator bout in June 2015.
Volkov’s average fight time of 15:00 in UFC heavyweight competition is tied for second longest in divisional history behind Blagoy Ivanov (17:00).
Volkov has earned 23 of his 31 career victories by stoppage.
Volkov lands 6.19 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Cain Velasquez (6.48).
Volkov defends 59.5 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Volkov defends 82.8 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
Co-main event
Josh Emmett
[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is 4-1 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in October 2017.
Emmett has landed eight knockdowns in his past five fights.
Emmett’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11).
Emmett’s four knockdowns of Felipe Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118 are tied for third most in a UFC fight. Only Stephens (five) at UFC 215 and Forrest Petz (five) at UFC Fight Night 6 have scored more knockdowns in a fight.
Emmett is the only fighter in UFC history to land four knockdowns in a single round. He accomplished the feat against Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118.
Emmett defends 72 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) defends 90.9 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Jose Aldo (91 percent).
Burgos lands 7.09 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Remaining main card
Raquel Pennington at UFC 246. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Pennington’s total fight time of 2:52:33 in UFC women’s bantamweight competition is most in divisional history.
Pennington’s seven victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (11).
Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
Pennington is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.
[autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag] (9-5-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC), 43, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Reneau competes in her 11th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Pennington (12) and Nunes (12).
Reneau, at 40, became the oldest female fighter to earn a UFC victory when she defeated Sara McMann at UFC on FOX 28.
Reneau’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Nunes (eight) and Rousey (six).
Reneau defends 65.2 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the third highest rate in divisional history behind Germaine de Randamie (66.5 percent) and Liz Carmouche (65.8 percent).
Reneau’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Rousey (three).
Reneau’s victory at the 4:54 mark of Round 3 against Talita Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 115 is the second latest stoppage in a three-round UFC women’s bantamweight fight behind Lauren Murphy’s win at 4:55 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 83.
Reneau fought to the first draw in a women’s UFC fight when she met Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 106.
Jim Miller
[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) competes in his 35th UFC bout, tied with Donald Cerrone for the most appearances in company history.
Miller’s total fight time of 5:21:47 in UFC lightweight competition is most in divisional history.
Miller’s 20 victories in UFC competition are tied with Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Michael Bisping for third most in company history behind Cerrone (23) and Demian Maia (22).
Miller’s 19 victories in UFC lightweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Miller’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13).
Miller’s nine submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Miller’s 42 submission attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Miller’s 11 fight-night bonuses for UFC lightweight bouts are tied with Nate Diaz for third most in divisional history behind Cerrone (15) and Lauzon (15).
[autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 21-day stretch. He defeated Brok Weaver at UFC on ESPN 9 on May 30.
Preliminary card
Clay Guida
[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (35-19 MMA, 15-13 UFC) is 3-2 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Guida’s 51 takedowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (84) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (57).
Guida has achieved 1:41:52 of control time in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history. His 1:18:00 of top position time of also most in divisional history.
[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) is 1-5 (with one no contest) in his past seven fights dating back to November 2014.
[autotag]Tecia Torres[/autotag]’ (10-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) competes in her 12th UFC strawweight bout, the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (15), Randa Markos (14) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (13).
Torres’ four-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.
Torres’ four-fight losing skid in UFC strawweight competition is tied with Kailin Curran for longest in divisional history.
[autotag]Marc Andre Barriault[/autotag]’s (11-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.
[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.
Cortney Casey
[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) makes her second UFC appearance in a 35-day stretch. She beat Mara Romero Borella at UFC on ESPN 8 on May 16.
[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) competes in her seventh UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Katlyn Chookagian for the most appearances in divisional history.
Robertson’s average fight time of 5:49 in UFC women’s flyweight competition is the shortest in divisional history.
Robertson’s four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chookagian (five) and Valentina Shevchenko (five).
Robertson’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson’s three submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Montana De La Rosa for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Frank Camacho[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is 2-2 since he dropped to the UFC lightweight division in November 2017.
Mexanne Modafferi
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) competes in her seventh UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Chookagian for the most appearances in divisional history.
Modafferi’s average fight time of 15:35 in UFC women’s flyweight competition is longest in divisional history.
Modafferi has earned 34:09 of control time in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Modafferi has alternated wins and losses over her past seven fights. She won her most recent bout at UFC 246 in January.
[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.
Murphy is one of five female fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a knee strike. She accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 5.
[autotag]Max Rohskopf[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 25, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
A women’s flyweight matchup between Roxanne Modafferi and Lauren Murphy is in the works.
A UFC women’s flyweight matchup is in the works for the June 20.
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] is slated to fight [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup after an initial report from MMA Fighting. The news came after Murphy announced signing a bout agreement but didn’t reveal her opponent on Instagram.
The UFC’s June 20 event does not yet have a name or location, nor is there streaming or broadcast information at this time.
Modafferi (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) is coming off an upset win over Maycee Barber at UFC 246, bouncing the highly touted prospect out of the ranks of the unbeaten. Since her second stint in the UFC, Modafferi has alternated wins and losses and will look to notch back-to-back wins for the first time in the octagon when she faces Murphy.
Since moving down to flyweight, Murphy (12-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is enjoying the best stretch of her UFC career, winning three of her last four. The former Invicta FC bantamweight champion is coming off two straight wins over Mara Romero Borella and Andrea Lee.
Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes are facing short suspensions. Valentina Shevchenko, on the other hand, could be out for a while.
[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] battled for five rounds at UFC 247, but it seems they’ve come out relatively unscathed.
The pair of headliners each received a 31-day suspension, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation document obtained Tuesday. The Texas commission was responsible for regulating UFC 247, which took place at Toyota Center in Houston.
Conversely, UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] is facing a potentially lengthy suspension after her third-round TKO victory over [autotag]Katyln Chookagian[/autotag] in the evening’s co-main event. According to the TDLR, Shevchenko is facing a 181-day suspension, while Chookagian was handed a potential 45-day term.
Two other winners, [autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag] and [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag], are also facing potential 181-day suspensions.
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Check out a full list of the UFC 247 medical suspensions below.
(Note: No specific injury details were given. It’s also important to note that, due to the lack of specific information, it’s unclear if any fighters have the ability to have their suspensions shortened if cleared by a doctor.)
[autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
[autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
Andre Ewell: Suspended 181 days
[autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
Journey Newson: Suspended 181 days
[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
[autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
See who champs Jon Jones and Valentina Shevchenko should fight next after their title defenses at UFC 247.
After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 247’s key winning fighters.
Those included light heavyweight champ [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) and women’s flyweight titleholder [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who defended their respective belts in the main and co-main event from Toyota Center in Houston, as well as [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) and [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC).
* * * *
Lauren Murphy
Roxanne Modafferi
Should fight: [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] Why they should fight: Whether or not you agree with the result, Murphy got the split-decision win over Andrea Lee and is now 3-1 since dropping down to the flyweight division.
Murphy is among the most durable and fearless fighters at 125 pounds, and it seems the former Invicta FC champion could be near a title shot. She called out Modafferi (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) post-fight, and that’s a pretty perfect scenario given the lay of the land. Modafferi responded shortly thereafter on social media, announcing she was all for it.
Joanne Calderwood is probably the frontrunner to next fight champ Shevchenko, so a matchup between Murphy and Modafferi would be perfect to determine who is next in the queue.
Derrick Lewis
Curtis Blaydes
Should fight: [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] Why they should fight: Lewis won over Ilir Latifi by the skin of his teeth, taking a unanimous decision in front of his hometown crowd after a performance loaded with lots of flying knees and questionable fight IQ.
“The Black Beast” came out triumphant, though, and now he’s riding back-to-back wins since his title-fight loss to Daniel Cormier and in position for another big fight in the heavyweight division. The matchup with Latifi didn’t make a whole lot of sense, and it’s hard to determine whether it helped or hurt Lewis’ stock.
If he wants to get through the top of his weight class, however, he’s going to have to overcome those type of styles. He mentioned Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) pre-fight as an opponent of interest next, and that would be a really tough matchup. Blaydes is essentially a stylistic nightmare for Lewis, but they are both side-by-side in the rankings, and from that standpoint, it’s the fight to make.
Dan Ige
Shane Burgos
Should fight: [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] Why they should fight: Ige pushed his featherweight winning streak to five when he edged Mirsad Bektic by split decision for what has to be considered the biggest win of his career.
After stumbling in his UFC debut a few years ago, Bektic has rattled off a promising run of victories and definitely has some attributes in his game that can make for many fun fights at 145 pounds.
A clash with Burgos (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) stands out as one pairing that could be quite compelling. Burgos is coming off a pair of notable wins over Cub Swanson and Makwan Amirkhani and, like Ige, is a promising rising name in the division. The only problem is he’s currently a free agent, but assuming the UFC makes the smart choice and signs him, a matchup with Ige would be great.
Valentina Shevchenko
Joanne Calderwood
Should fight: [autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag] Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Shevchenko should fight Calderwood (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) next for her fourth title defense.
Jon Jones
Corey Anderson
Should fight: Winner of [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 25 Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Jones should fight the winner of the UFC on ESPN+ 25 main event between Anderson (13-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and Blachowicz (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) for his fourth title defense.
“Every round was close. I didn’t know who was winning. I was tired, she was tired, and I just had to really show my heart to the whole world.”
Murphy on not giving up
“I just kept telling myself, ‘I’m not going to quit in front of my husband and my coaches. I’m not going to let her make me quit today.'”
Murphy on what she wants next
“Hopefully, with this result, I’ll get a fight in the top five and get a win there, too, and hopefully fight three times this year. I called out Roxanne (Modafferi) in the octagon, but really I’d face her or (Joanne Calderwood) next – either one. I think they are the only ones in the top five because Viviane (Araujo) is coming from a loss and (Jennifer) Maia and (Jessica) Eye both missed weight. So Jojo and Roxanne are the only ones right now coming from wins and making weight, so they are the only ones I’m interested in facing next.”
To hear more from Murphy, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 247, which saw Jon Jones defeat Dominick Reyes in the main event.
The UFC returned to Texas on Saturday with UFC 247, which took place at Toyota Center in Houston with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Two championship fights topped the card. In the main event, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) defended the UFC light heavyweight title by the skin of his teeth with a ultra-competitive unanimous decision win over [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), while [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) utterly dominated [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) en route to a third-round TKO in the co-main event.
Both fights for the gold provided some historic footnotes, but that’s not all the card had to offer. For more on the numbers, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 247.
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General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $243,000.
UFC 247 drew an announced attendance of 17,401 for a live gate of $3,549,418.
Betting favorites went 6-5 on the card. One fight had even odds.
Betting favorites improved to 3-0 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:48.
Main card
Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes
Jones’ 14 victories in UFC championship fights are most in company history.
Jones’ 20 victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Jones’ 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak is the longest among active UFC fighters.
Jones 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak is the longest in company history.
Jones’ 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak in light-heavyweight competition is the longest active streak in the weight class and longest in divisional history.
Jones’ four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied with Corey Anderson for the longest active streak in the division.
Jones’ 1,835 total strikes landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Jones’ 1,473 significant strikes landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Jones’ 42 takedowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Anderson (53), Rashad Evans (50) and Ryan Bader (46).
Jones’ total fight time of 5:40:15 in UFC light heavyweight competition is most in divisional history.
Reyes had his 12-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Valentina Shevchenko
Shevchenko’s two consecutive UFC women’s flyweight title defenses are most in divisional history.
Shevchenko improved to 5-0 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in February 2018.
Shevchenko’s five-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Shevchenko’s five victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Shevchenko’s three stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (four).
Shevchenko’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Maycee Barber for most in divisional history.
Shevchenko earned the eighth knockout in UFC history to stem from the crucifix position. Gary Goodridge, Matt Hughes, Dong Hyun Kim, Paul Kelly, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier and Tyson Pedro also accomplished the feat.
Shevchenko has completed at least one takedown against nine of her 10 UFC opponents.
Chookagian fell to 4-2 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in January 2018.
Chookagian suffered the first knockout loss of her career.
Justin Tafa
[autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all four of his career victories by knockout.
[autotag]Juan Adams[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a five-fight winning streak.
Adams has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is the fourth longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Alexander Volkanovski (six).
[autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career.
Bektic suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Derrick Lewis
[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (17), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]’s (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Latifi was unsuccessful in his UFC heavyweight debut.
Preliminary card
Trevin Giles
Giles (12-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 2-2 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017.
Krause (27-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has suffered three of his four UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.
[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in her career.
Lee has suffered both of her UFC losses by split decision.
[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his seven-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Lauren Murphy and Dan Ige were among those with specific names in mind for their next fight after UFC 247.
Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.
So after Saturday’s UFC 247 event in Houston, TX., who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.
* * * * *
First up, let’s take a look at the night’s prelim winner.
Lauren Murphy
Wants to fight: [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] or Joanne Calderwood
The callout: “I called out Roxanne in the octagon, but really I’d face her or Jojo [Calderwood] next. Either one. I think they are the only ones in the top 5 because Viviane [Araujo] is coming from a loss, [Jennifer] Maia and [Jessica] Eye both missed weight. So Jojo and Roxanne are the only ones right now coming from wins and making weight, so they are the only ones I’m interested in facing next.”
The reality: Following her win over Mara Romero-Borella last time out, [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] picked up a big win against Andrea Lee to claim notable back-to-back victories, and her callout of Roxanne Modafferi seems perfectly pitched, too.
Modafferi is a tough test for anyone in the division and probably isn’t someone too many of her fellow 135ers will readily accept, so the UFC matchmakers are likely to welcome Murphy’s callout, and a meeting between the pair later this year may prove to be a useful addition for one of the UFC’s summer cards.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 247 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.
HOUSTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 247 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.
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 247 took place at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The full UFC 247 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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:
Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 247 event.
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 247 went with as their backing tracks in Houston.
