Tag: Liliya Shakirova

Roosevelt Roberts, five others among most recent UFC departures

The UFC roster is six fighters smaller with Roosevelt Roberts and five others departing the promotion in recent days.

Six more fighters have parted ways with the UFC.

Multiple people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the roster moves but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion hasn’t made an official announcement. The roster changes were first confirmed by MMA Fighting after the fighters were moved to the “former fighters” section of the UFC’s website.

Check out the recent UFC departures below. The roster moves, unless explicitly noted, are not necessarily a “cut.” The UFC may have elected not to re-sign certain fighters who were at the end of their contracts.

USADA suspends UFC fighter Liliya Shakirova two years for positive test

Liliya Shakirova made her UFC debut up a weight class on short-notice in October.

[autotag]Liliya Shakirova[/autotag] won’t fight for a while.

On Monday, the UFC’s anti-doping partner USADA announced Shakirova (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) accepted a two-year sanction as a result of a positive test for meldonium.

The sample was collected during a Dec. 5, 2020 urine test, so her suspension will be retroactive to that date. She will be eligible to compete again Dec. 5, 2022.

According to USADA, meldonium is “a non-Specified Substance in the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and it is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and the UFC Prohibited List.”

Debuting UFC athletes are typically exempt from being flagged for violations should they declare the use of a prohibited substance upon their entry into the USADA testing pool. However, Shakirova never made such a declaration, per USADA.

Shakirova, 29, made her promotional debut at UFC 254 in October. As a short-notice replacement, Shakirova moved up to the flyweight weight class where she was defeated by top contender (and now next title challenger) Lauren Murphy via second-round submission. Shakirova had not competed, nor was scheduled to fight since.

Prior to her UFC signing, Uzbekistan’s Shakirova competed mostly in Russia and won three of her fights inside the distance for local promotions.

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UFC 254 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Khabib, Gaethje combine for $80k total

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 254 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $215,000.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 254 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $215,000.

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 254 took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 254 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag]: $40,000

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Liliya Shakirova[/autotag]: $3,500

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

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Casey Kenney[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Da Un Jung[/autotag]: $3,500
vs. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Yakovlev[/autotag]: $5,000

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: $5,405,500
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: $36,410,000