Tag: Lucas Almeida

Two UFC 309 fighters withdraw in week prior to Madison Square Garden event

The UFC’s return to Madison Square Garden takes multiple lineup hits just 10 days out from the event.

Two fighters have withdrawn from UFC 309 less than two weeks before the event.

Light heavyweight [autotag]Azamat Murzakanov[/autotag] and featherweight [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag] are out of their respective Nov. 16 bouts that were scheduled for Madison Square Garden in New York.

Four people with knowledge of the changes recently informed MMA Junkie of them but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Murzakanov (30-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) was expected to fight [autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a UFC-ranked battle, but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. It is unclear if Krylov will remain on the card.

Almeida (15-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is also out for reasons undisclosed. He was scheduled to fight [autotag]David Onama[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who will remain on the card against a new opponent to be determined. News of Almeida’s withdrawal was first reported by MMA Fighting.

  • Champion Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for heavyweight title
  • Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira – five-round bout
  • Viviane Aruajo vs. Karine Silva
  • Paul Craig vs. Bo Nickal
  • Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman
  • Jhonata Diniz vs. Marcin Tybura
  • Mauricio Ruffy vs. James Llontop
  • Nikita Krylov vs. TBA
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee
  • Damon Jackson vs. Jim Miller
  • David Onama vs. TBA
  • Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Mickey Gall
  • Oban Elliott vs. Bassil Hafez
  • Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Lucas Almeida attributes UFC on ESPN 58 win to mental work: ‘There was nothing to fear’

Lucas Almeida opens up about working on his mental struggles, which allowed him to leave victorious at UFC on ESPN 58.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]’s two fight losing streak came to an end this past Saturday.

The Brazilian featherweight defeated Timmy Cuamba (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) by unanimous decision on the main card of UFC on ESPN 58 at the UFC Apex. Almeida (15-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) entered the bout with a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but he was able to handle it just fine due to the work his done on improving his mental fortitude.

“After my last two fights, my coach mentioned that I wasn’t making mistakes in my training,” Almeida said at the UFC on ESPN 58 post-fight press conference. “The training was the same, it was mentally that I needed to change.

“I went back to (my psychotherapist) and we did a wonderful job to strengthen me up mentally and also to bring my family close to church, which helped us a lot and strengthened all of us. My coaches said I was a different person, and I was mentally strong, I was bulletproof. The mental job that was done after my last fight and getting closer to Church that made me mentally stronger.”

Almeida said his mental work revolved around addressing his fear, which were holding him back in the fight game.

“During the work with my psychotherapist, I identified my fears,” Almeida said. “I realized there was nothing to fear. I identified what it was and what I needed to fear. I knew I didn’t have to be afraid of my opponent. Cuamba is a young guy, and he’s going to be better, just like how I learned from mine. I’m going to get better as well. You’re going to see a mentally stronger person when I come back.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Lowest total payout of 2024

UFC on ESPN 58 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 58 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $116,000.

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 58 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 58 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Timmy Cuamba[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Brady Hiestand[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Asu Almabayev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Adam Fugitt[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jimmy Flick[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Carli Judice[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Gabriella Fernandes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Shayilan Nuerdanbieke[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julia Polastri[/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 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,580; 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 $58,000 while title challengers get $58,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-58 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,451,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,188,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC on ESPN 58 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 58 took place Saturday with 11 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

You can hear from all the UFC on ESPN 58 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

Lucas Almeida vs. Timmy Cuamba prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 58

Featherweight Lucas Almeida and Timmy Cuamba meet in the UFC on ESPN 58 feature bout. Who returns to the win column?

[autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag] and [autotag]Timmy Cuamba[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 58 from UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Lucas Almeida vs. Timmy Cuamba UFC on ESPN 58 preview

Almeida (14-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will look to end a two-fight skid. His last victory was a TKO stoppage of Michael Trizano in June 2022, but was then stopped by Pat Sabatini and Andre Fili in back-to-back fights. … Cuamba (8-2 UFC, 0-1 UFC) will enter the UFC’s octagon for the second time and is in search of his first victory with the promotion. He stumbled in his February debut, losing a split decision to Bolaji Oki.

Lucas Almeida vs. Timmy Cuamba UFC on ESPN 58 expert pick, prediction

Serving as the lone featherweight offering on the main card is a battle between Almeida and Timothy Cuamba.

Despite many in my area of Las Vegas being high on Cuamba, I’m having a hard time justifying the local fighter as a favorite in this spot.

Aside from the fact that Cuamba is the less-proven competitor, Almeida holds superior on-paper accolades in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay Thai.

Cuamba will likely be the quicker fighter with more active footwork on fight night, but I suspect that the smaller octagon of the UFC Apex will limit the 25-year-old American’s movement and feed the action into Almeida’s wheelhouse.

Even though I think Cuamba has a bright future down the road, this could be a case of too much too soon as far as the big stage is concerned.

I’ll officially pick Almeida to score a club-and-sub in Round 1.

Lucas Almeida vs. Timmy Cuamba UFC on ESPN 58 odds

The oddsmakers are favoring the younger fighter, listing Cuamba as a -192 favorite and Almeida as a +154 underdog, via FanDuel.

Lucas Almeida vs. Timmy Cuamba UFC on ESPN 58 start time, how to watch

As the main card feature bout, Almeida and Cuamba are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 11:35 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC on ESPN 58: Timmy Cuamba vs. Lucas Almeida odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 58 odds between Timmy Cuamba vs. Lucas Almeida, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round featherweight bout on the main card, Timmy Cuamba and Lucas Almeida meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 58 — also known as UFC Vegas 93 — at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 58: Cuamba vs. Almeida odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 7 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN2/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Records: Cuamba (8-2-0) | Almeida (14-3-0)

The 25-year-old prospect Cuamba made his UFC debut with a split-decision loss Feb. 10 against Bolaji Oki, so he is still looking for his first company win.

Team Kioshi fighter Almeida has dropped the past 2 fights, with Andre Fili getting knocked out in Round 1 at UFC 296 last time out and a Round 2 submission setback to Pat Sabatini prior to that. Almeida’s most recent win came via KO/TKO against Michael Trizano in June 2022, so it’s been a minute.

Almeida has managed a 5.05 significant strikes landed per minute mark while landing 52.33% of those strikes.

Cuamba ended up with just 2.53 significant strikes landed per minute in his fight against Oki while posting a dismal 35.43% accuracy on those strikes, so he has plenty of work to do.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC on ESPN 58: Cuamba vs. Almeida odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:33 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Cuamba -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Almeida +165 (bet $100 to win $165)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over +110 | Under -145)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +150 | No -210)

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UFC on ESPN 58: Cuamba vs. Almeida picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Cuamba (-200) will cost you 2 times your potential return, and that’s too much risk for not enough reward. While Almeida (+165) has dropped 2 fights in a row, and he has just 1 win at the UFC level, Cuamba is still too risky of a play straight up.

Instead, let’s consider CUAMBA BY POINTS (+200) for the chance to double up. We have 2 young fighters in desperate need of a victory. Cuamba cannot afford going 0-2 in his first 2 UFC fights, while Almeida is staring at a 3-bout losing skid and short stay with the company. Both fighters will be desperate, yet they’ll also be playing it rather close to the vest, too.

Over/Under (O/U)

YES (+150): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is a strong play at plus-money.

OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (+110) is also a value play if you’d like a little wiggle room in the event of a late Round 3 finish.

Cuamba went the distance in his only UFC fight to date, and he has ended up going the distance 5 times in his past 9 pro bouts across all formats.

Almeida hasn’t gone the distance in 3 fights at the UFC level; he did need 3 rounds against Trizano.

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/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC on ESPN 58’s Lucas Almeida ‘had to go through a lot’ to cope with back-to-back losses

Lucas Almeida hopes to “inspire” younger fighters by showing he can rebound from back-to-back losses at UFC on ESPN 58.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag] enters Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 58 matchup against Timmy Cuamba with back-to-back losses, but he’s ready to change the narrative.

After losing just once in his first 15 professional fights, Almeida (14-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has dropped his past two by stoppage against Andrei Fili and Pat Sabatini. He’s taken time to reflect why he came up short, and is eager to right the ship in a featherweight bout vs. Cuamba (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN2, ESPN+).

“This is new to me,” Almeida told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Thursday’s media day. “Never in my life, never in my career have I actually had two straight losses. I’m always just racking up consecutive wins, so it was new to me to actually go through that. I had to go through a lot of stuff to understand what’s happening, why that happened and what can be done. That’s the work that you put in.”

For Almeida, 33, it’s important to bounce back to show the younger generation that the lows that come with an MMA career can be overcome.

“You want to show what you’re here for,” Almeida said. “I want to make sure that I inspire people and I show why I’m here to those who look up to me, because I do have people to inspire that look up to me that do it as well. And you want to go back into the win column.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 58.

UFC 296 post-event facts: Colby Covington joins rare company with 0-3 title fight record

The best facts to come out of UFC 296, which saw Colby Covington and Tony Ferguson join exclusive and unfortunate clubs in defeat.

The UFC’s final event of the 2023 started with a bang, but ended somewhat slow as UFC 296 unfolded at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The two championship fights to close out the calendar year saw both belts stay put. [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defeated [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) by unanimous decision to defend welterweight gold in the headliner, while [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also got the nod on the scorecards over [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to retain flyweight gold.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 296.

UFC 296 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2023 total closes at $8.1 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

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 296 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 296 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Martin Buday[/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 $4,500; 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: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,707,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Andre Fili def. Lucas Almeida at UFC 296: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Andre Fili’s first-round TKO win over Lucas Almeida at UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag] at UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, Getty Images)