Tag: Mackenzie Dern

UFC 298 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Alexander Volkanovski’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 298 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $252,000.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 298 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 298 took place at Honda Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 298 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinya Nakamura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Vera[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Val Woodburn[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]: $11,000

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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,093,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $23,800,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 results: Amanda Lemos’ superior striking damages Mackenzie Dern in hard-fought decision

In the final UFC 298 prelim, Amanda Lemos left Mackenzie Dern bruised and bloodied after a three-round battle.

[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] showed off her excellent striking skills and submission defense over 15 minutes with Mackenzie Dern.

The women’s strawweight bout closed out the UFC 298 preliminary card at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and it was an entertaining battle with both women having their moments. When it was all said and done, Lemos (14-3-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) racked up unanimous scores of 29-28 from each judge, turning away damaged Dern (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC).

Lemos set the tone early with hard kicks, mixing them to the legs and the body. Swelling on Dern’s left lower left leg became very apparent early into the first round. Midway through the frame before her leg could become more of a liability, Dern completed a nice takedown to bring the fight where she’s best. On the mat, Dern worked to transition and hunt for submissions while landing a few strikes.

According to commentator Joe Rogan, Dern’s corner did not apply ice to Dern’s left shin during the break between rounds.

In Round 2, Lemos continued to have success in space, darting in and out with sharp striking. Hard, accurate punches put Dern in a bad spot, causing her to fall to the canvas while covering her face. Referee Mike Beltran nearly stopped the fight, but opted to let the action continue. Lemos followed the bloodied Dern to the canvas, where the action slowed. But when they returned to standing position, Lemos returned to digging in hard leg kicks, and popping fast punches.

However, Dern wasn’t deterred and kept charging forward. A takedown attempt was reversed, but Dern hit a sweep to take top position to close out the final seconds of the round.

The two fighters hugged before getting into the thick of the last round. Dern then tagged Lemos with a big right hand, but Lemos scored a takedown in response. Dern started working for a leg lock from the bottom, eventually using the hold to claim top position. After giving up some control time, Lemos was able to scramble back to the top and land a couple of punches before the final horn.

With all three judges seeing the fight in her favor, Lemos, 36, returns to the win column with a victory over a short-notice replacement. Lemos was originally scheduled to face Tatiana Suarez, who had to pull out due to injury.

Dern, 30, stepped up and fought with one of her biggest supporters Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg watching closely from cageside, but walked away with her second consecutive defeat.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 298 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern at UFC 298: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Amanda Lemos’ unanimous decision win over Mackenzie Dern at UFC 298.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]’ unanimous decision win over [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] at UFC 298 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. (Fight and venue photos by Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today Sports)

Mackenzie Dern ahead of UFC 298: ‘Page is turned, totally at a better place in my life’

Mackenzie Dern says she’s heading into UFC 298 a lot more focused than her previous fight.

IRVINE, Calif. – [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] says she’s heading into UFC 298 a lot more focused than her previous fight.

Dern (13-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) replaces an injured Tatiana Suarez against Amanda Lemos (13-3-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in Saturday’s featured prelim (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Honda Center in Anaheim.

Dern is coming off a TKO loss to former champion Jessica Andrade at UFC 295. The past year saw a lot of change in which Dern had to deal with switching managers, gyms and a divorce. Despite having a shorter training camp for Lemos, Dern’s mind is a lot clearer after going through those obstacles in her personal life.

“In these four weeks, I trained more than I was able to train in the two months I prepared for Jessica,” Dern said at Wednesday’s UFC 298 media day. “So, just because that page was turned thankfully financially, emotionally, physically. Just everything, how much I could dedicate to my camp even though it was a short amount of time. I’m so happy where I’m at right now.”

Dern expects to put on a much better performance against Lemos after being largely outmatched against Andrade.

“The page is turned, totally at a better place in my life, and a win or loss is part of life,” Dern said. “It could happen. I’m prepared for anything on Saturday, but I’m definitely way more prepared to be able to give my best and for an athlete, that’s all we could ask for. To be able to go injury free, stress free, and being able to be our best.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Amanda Lemos hopes to reschedule Tatiana Suarez fight with UFC 298 win over Mackenzie Dern

Amanda Lemos is still interested in fighting Tatiana Suarez after UFC 298.

IRVINE, Calif. – [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] is still interested in fighting [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag].

Lemos (13-3-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) was scheduled to meet unbeaten Suarez in Saturday’s UFC 298 event but drew [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) instead after Suarez withdrew because of a knee injury.

Looking to rebound from her title loss to strawweight champion Zhang Weili this past August at UFC 292, Lemos is just happy to have a fight after Suarez was forced out.

“Disappointment came with the possibility of not having a fight, but it’s an injury. It happened to her. It could happen to anyone, and it has happened to me before,” Lemos said through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 298 media day. “I’m very happy about the fact that I have a fight. We worked and prepared for it, so let’s come out with a win.”

If Lemos gets past jiu-jitsu ace Dern, she thinks rebooking the Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) fight makes sense for her next.

“After winning on Saturday, the first thing we need to do is try to see if Tatiana is available for the fight and reschedule that fight as soon as possible,” Lemos said. “If she’s not able to go, I would have the UFC tell me what they need from me. The focus right now is to beat her (Dern) on Saturday and go from there.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Video: UFC 298 media day interviews

Before UFC 298 on Saturday, the main card and prelim fighters are scheduled to speak to reporters at media day.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The UFC 298, which takes place at Honda Center with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card and preliminary are scheduled to speak to reporters Wednesday at media day, and MMA Junkie will be on-site.

Check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 pre-event facts: Alexander Volkanovski can make history with post-KO title defense

The best facts and figures about UFC 298, which sees Alexander Volkanovski take on the rare task of a title defense after a knockout loss.

The octagon returns to Anaheim, Calif., for the first time in more than two years and ninth time in its history on Saturday with UFC 298, which goes down at Honda Center with a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

An anticipated featherweight championship bout gets top billing. Champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) returns to the division he rules following a knockout loss to lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev in October when he takes on unbeaten contender [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 298.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 15-21)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.

Mackenzie Dern replaces injured Tatiana Suarez, takes on Amanda Lemos at UFC 298

Mackenzie Dern has a shot at a big win on a month’s notice when she meets Amanda Lemos at UFC 298.

With the injury bug biting [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] once again, [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] will take her place to fight [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] at UFC 298.

Although the UFC has yet to make an announcement, Lemos vs. Dern is listed on the promotion’s official press portal for UFC 298 on Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The news was first reported by The Orange County Register.

Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) returned in 2023 after a four-year layoff due to injuries. She picked up two submission wins lasy year, one in February against Montana De La Rosa and the other in August against Jessica Andrade. She’s regarded by many as the biggest threat to the strawweight title, but injuries unfortunately have kept her from fighting for the belt.

Dern (13-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), replacing Suarez, is looking to bounce back from her first career stoppage loss. Dern suffered a TKO defeat to Andrade back in November at UFC 295. She’s 2-2 in her past four outings.

Lemos (13-3-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) hasn’t competed since her title-fight loss to champ Zhang Weili this past August at UFC 292. Lemos lost by unanimous decision to snap a two-fight winning streak against Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Marina Rodriguez.

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Below is the updated UFC 298 lineup:

  • Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria
  • Henry Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili
  • Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Ian Garry vs. Geoff Neal
  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Lemos
  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Andrea Lee vs. Miranda Maverick
  • Marcos Rogerio vs. Justin Tafa
  • Rinya Nakamura vs. opponent TBA
  • Zhang Mingyang vs. Brendson Ribeiro
  • Oban Elliott vs. Val Woodburn
  • Danny Barlow vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
  • AJ Dobson vs. Tresean Gore

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 295 medical suspensions: Jiri Prochazka, Sergei Pavlovich among 19 suspended indefinitely

Nineteen indefinite suspensions were handed out after UFC 295, per the New York State Athletic Commission.

UFC 295 took place Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York and featured 13 fights.

On Monday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of athlete medical suspensions from the New York State Athletic Commission, the sanctioning body that oversaw the event. Most injury specifics were not disclosed.

Nineteen of the 26 combatants were given indefinite suspensions and will need to be cleared by a doctor before they return. That’s a high number of indefinite suspensions compared to the average UFC event, although the NYSAC may have different safety protocols compared to other regulatory bodies. All 26 fighters were also given mandatory suspensions, which vary from seven days to 90 days.

Check out the full list of medical suspensions from UFC 295 below.