Tag: Luke Sanders

Former UFC bantamweight Luke Sanders announces retirement from MMA

Just months after parting ways with the UFC, Luke Sanders has announced his retirement from MMA.

Just months after parting ways with the UFC, [autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag] has announced his retirement from MMA.

The former RFA bantamweight champion took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce the news.

“Cool Hand! Out! I’m officially retired after 8 ufc frights two performance of the night awards multiple records held in my division. And whipping everybody’s ass that was put in front of me. It’s been a great ride…thank you to all my coaches, friends, Family, and fans All this was for y’all. Many blessing, All the love guys❤️🙏🏽”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CT2F8wml4nH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Sanders (13-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) leaves the sport on a two-fight losing skid. Most recently, he dropped a unanimous decision to Felipe Colares at UFC on ESPN 23 in May. He fought out the final fight on his UFC contract against Colares and was removed from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool following the loss.

The 35-year-old Arizona-based fighter holds notable UFC wins over Maximo Blanco and former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao, earning a “Performance of the Night” bonus in both bouts.

In eight UFC fights, Sanders averaged the fifth shortest fight time in the division’s history, the sixth highest significant strike accuracy, as well as the least bottom position time.

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UFC parts ways with Luke Sanders, four other fighters

Five fighters are no longer on the UFC roster.

[autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag] and four others are the latest fighters to part ways with the UFC.

Multiple people with knowledge of the situation recently confirmed to MMA Junkie the roster moves after TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter and Sherdog’s Tom Feely noted that the fighters were missing from the promotion’s online fan-ranking eligibility. The people who confirmed the roster moves asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

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 promotional deals.

UFC on ESPN 23 post-event facts: Jiri Prochazka’s KO of Dominick Reyes was historic

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 23, which saw Jiri Prochazka brutally knock out Dominick Reyes in Las Vegas.

The UFC’s busy May schedule kicked off on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card aired on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.

The main event of the night featured a knockout for the ages. [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] (28-3-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) landed just the third spinning back elbow knockout in UFC history when he flattened [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in the second round of their light heavyweight contender matchup, seemingly securing a title shot for himself.

For more on the numbers to come out of the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 23.

UFC on ESPN 23 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Cub Swanson nets highest total

UFC on ESPN 23 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 23 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $146,500.

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 23 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 23 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $6,000
vs. [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili [/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Poliana Botelho[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]TJ Brown[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]KB Bhullar[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Felipe Colares[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Luke Sanders[/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 $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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $833,500
Program-to-date total: $833,500

UFC on ESPN 23 results: Felipe Colares rallies from beating, edges Luke Sanders

Felipe Colares snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when he rallied to beat Luke Sanders at UFC on ESPN 23.

[autotag]Felipe Colares[/autotag] snatched victory from the jaws of defeat Saturday when he rallied to beat [autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 23.

Colares (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) took a brutal thumping from Sanders (13-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) in the first round of their featherweight bout, which opened the card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He got dropped multiple times and appeared on the verge of being stopped by TKO, but then Colares turned it around.

After escaping the opening frame, Colares got some momentum in the second when he hurt Sanders with some big shots before picking him up and slamming him to the canvas. He got back mount in the final seconds and pounded away on Sanders to nearly get a stoppage of his own with strikes. Sanders, to his fortune, though, was saved by the bell.

The fight was hanging in the balance to begin the third, and both men left it all in the octagon. Sanders and Colares exchanged big strikes and takedowns in hopes of getting the final edge, but Colares racked up the points in the key moments to emerge victorious by unanimous decision with 29-28 scorecards across the board.

It was a razor-thin fight, but Colares thought he was the rightful winner with his display of heart after a rough first round.

“I feel great,” Colares said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “An amazing moment for me. Thank you for my opponent.”

Colares has now split results in his first four octagon appearances, while Sanders has dropped three of his past four bouts.

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UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions: Seven face potential 180-day terms due to bone breaks

Seven fighters could be out six months due to injuries sustained during their fights.

Seven fighters face six-month suspensions as a result of their respective UFC on ESPN 18 fights – but headliners [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] walked away unscathed.

Neither the winner, Smith, nor the loser, Clark, received a medical suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission medical staff.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC on ESPN 18, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Fighters can return to action sooner than their suspensions indicate should they receive medical clearance from a doctor.

Among the pack of those suspended, co-main event participant [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] was given a 180-day term for a potentially fractured left orbital in his loss to [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag].

Main card winners [autotag]Parker Porter[/autotag], [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag], and [autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag] could be looking at 180-day suspensions due to potentially broken hands.

[autotag]Ashlee Evans-Smith[/autotag] (left hand), [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag] (right foot), and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] (right hand) also were handed the same 180-day suspensions.

The full list of UFC on ESPN 18 medical suspensions includes:

  • Anthony Smith: No suspension.
  • Devin Clark: No suspension.
  • Miguel Baeza: No suspension.
  • Takashi Sato: Suspended 180 days or until fractured left orbital floor is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • Parker Porter: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • Bill Algeo: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Norma Dumont: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 12 days with no contact.
  • Ashlee Evans-Smith: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to a nasal laceration.
  • Jonathan Pearce: Suspended 180 days or until right foot is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Kai Kamaka[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Anderson Dos Santos[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Gina Mazany[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • Rachael Ostovich: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to upper lip laceration.

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UFC on ESPN 18 post-event facts: Heavyweights set new benchmark for output

heck out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 18, which saw Anthony Smith submit Devin Clark in Las Vegas.

The UFC’s final event of a busy November went down Saturday with UFC on ESPN 18, which unfolded at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The makeshift headliner saw [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] (33-16 MMA, 9-6 UFC) regain momentum as a light heavyweight contender in the form of a first-round submission win over [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind Smith’s victory, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 18.

UFC on ESPN 18 adds Nate Maness vs. Luke Sanders to Nov. 28 lineup

Bantamweights will collide at UFC on ESPN 18.

Bantamweights will collide at UFC on ESPN 18.

[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag] will square off at the Nov. 28 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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

Maness (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns for his sophomore UFC bout after a successful first outing against Johnny Munoz by unanimous decision in August. Maness, 29, has won back-to-back fights. His lone career loss came against former UFC fighter Taylor Lapilus.

Sanders (13-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has not competed since a February 2019 TKO win vs. former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao. Most recently scheduled to fight in August against Chris Gutierrez, Sanders withdrew from the fight for undisclosed reasons.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 18 lineup includes:

  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis
  • Jonathan Pearce vs. Sean Woodson
  • Norma Dumont vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith
  • Josh Parisian vs. Parker Porter
  • Gina Mazany vs. Rachael Ostovich
  • Malcolm Gordon vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Rafael Fiziev vs. Renato Moicano
  • Devin Clark vs. Anthony Smith
  • Miguel Baeza vs. Takashi Sato
  • Amir Albazi vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
  • Martin Day vs. Anderson Dos Santos
  • Bill Algeo vs. Spike Carlyle
  • Nate Maness vs. Luke Sanders

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Chris Gutierrez vs. Luke Sanders in the works for UFC event on Aug. 1

A bantamweight fight is in the works for August 1 in Las Vegas.

The UFC’s Aug. 1 lineup continues to grow.

A bantamweight matchup between [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Sanders[/autotag] is currently in the works for the event expected to be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While the fight is not finalized, verbal agreements are in place and paperwork is expected to be issued shortly.

Two people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the targeted booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Gutierrez (15-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has won three straight fights since losing his promotional debut to Raoni Barcelos in November 2018. Gutierrez, 29, most recently competed at UFC on ESPN 9 in May. That night, he became the 11th fighter in UFC history to win by TKO via leg kicks, defeating Vince Morales in Round 2.

Sanders (13-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has not competed since February 2019 due to a March 2019 knee surgery. A winner of two of his most recent three outings, Sanders most recently defeated former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao by second-round TKO.

With the addition, the current Aug. 1 lineup includes:

  • Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana
  • Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Markus Perez vs. Eric Spicely
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Trevin Giles vs. Jun Yong Park
  • Ed Herman vs. Da Un Jung
  • Randy Brown vs. Vicente Luque
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Jennifer Maia
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Frankie Saenz
  • Chris Gutierrez vs. Luke Sanders

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