Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements 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 or Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 4-10.
Stanford failed to capitalize on the chance to hire famous alumni Mark Madsen as their next head coach, watching as rival Cal brought him in instead.
When the 2022-23 college basketball regular season ended, it seemed all but certain that multiple Pac-12 programs would move on from their current head coaches, yet only one – the California Golden Bears – actually did.
Stanford stuck with Jerod Haase despite years of mediocrity in Paolo Alto, while Oregon State is riding out the ill-fated extension for Wayne Tinkle and Washington isn’t ready to give up on Mike Hopkins despite another bad year in Seattle, and multiple hasty exits for players into the transfer portal.
Stanford’s decision remains the most questionable, especially since they had a very obvious candidate available for replacement in Mark Madsen – a beloved former player who also happened to coach Utah Valley to a 34-15 record in the last three seasons of conference play in the WAC.
Madsen instead inked a deal to replace Mark Fox at Cal, forcing Stanford fans to watch as one of the league’s most coveted mid-major coaches – and a fan favorite – starts his new career building up the program’s biggest rival.
Haase receive full confidence from Stanford’s AD after a season where the Cardinal went 14-19, bringing his overall record at Stanford to 112-109.
The team has done well recruiting, including landing Andrej Stojakovic for the 2023 class, but it hasn’t helped them climb out of the cellar in the Pac-12.
Programs like Oregon are impacted by the rest of the league failing to improve their basketball success, as it lowers the quality of competition and hurts resumes.
With UCLA and USC out the door after next season, it will be even more imperative for the bottom of the Pac-12 to improve on the hardwood – and failing to make obvious moves to improve the coaching staff is not going to keep this conference afloat even if they do add a solid basketball program like San Diego State.
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Experts thought #Stanford would fire Jerod Haase and hire Madsen, a star on Stanford’s 1998 #FinalFour team. Instead, the Trees punted. #Cal pounced.
What an amazing plot twist this was, and is, and will continue to be.
Imagine a situation in which School A had a chance to hire a former star, bringing him back to a program with the opportunity to revive its fortunes. A school which has struggled for the past 15 years in men’s basketball had a chance to hire a rising coach who played on the same school’s last Final Four team. This coach is popular within School A, beloved within School A. The coach was doing a good job at a smaller program. He was on the market. He was available.
School A was drifting into irrelevance under its current head coach, who has done nothing of note in seven years on the job.
School A chose to retain the coach who had done nothing in seven years instead of hiring the rising coach who had starred on the court for the program and led it to the Final Four 25 years earlier.
Then that school’s archrival, School B, which was willing and able to fire its underperforming head coach, hired the very same coach School A could have hired all along.
It’s ridiculous. It makes absolutely zero sense. It’s a situation in which School B can now humiliate School A by succeeding. Every School B achievement will reflect negatively on School A — not because the two schools are rivals, but because School A had a chance to hire a popular and successful alumnus as its coach, but passed on the opportunity and allowed School B to swoop in and seize the moment.
This is what has just happened in Pac-12 basketball. Stanford is School A. Cal-Berkeley is School B.
We told you that Cal was closing in on Mark Madsen — the Utah Valley coach and Stanford alumnus who led Stanford to the 1998 Final Four — as its next head coach.
On Wednesday, Cal made it official. The Golden Bears announced that Madsen has agreed to become the team’s new head coach.
We have been wondering for more than a year if Stanford would finally fire Jerod Haase. It seemed almost certain that the Trees and athletic director Bernard Muir would finally terminate their underperforming head coach, who has certainly been given a long amount of time to make things work in Palo Alto.
Yet, for reasons which remain inexplicable, Stanford stood pat and retained Haase for another season, even though Madsen was right there, waiting to come back to his alma mater and revive the program after a star turn at Utah Valley, which reached the NIT semifinals and very nearly made the NCAA Tournament this past season.
It’s bad enough if one school watches its bitter rival succeed. Now, though, every Cal achievement in men’s basketball will directly reflect negatively on Stanford and its athletic department, particularly Bernard Muir. Cal has a chance to humiliate Stanford, with Madsen — a Stanford alum — being the engine of that effort.
Bay Area basketball revolves around the Golden State Warriors and Stanford women’s basketball, but men’s college hoops just became a lot more interesting in Berkeley and Palo Alto.
It's officialhttps://t.co/PUQZWG4L8W
— Cal Sports Report (@jakecurtis53) March 29, 2023
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Multiple reporters and outlets are saying Cal is likely to hire Mark Madsen as its new head basketball coach.
This would be quite a plot twist in Pac-12 basketball, and multiple reporters and outlets say it’s about to happen: The California Golden Bears are on the verge of hiring former Stanford star Mark Madsen as their next head basketball coach.
Madsen is still coaching this season, leading the Utah Valley Wolverines into Tuesday’s NIT semifinal round against the UAB Blazers. The Wisconsin Badgers play the North Texas Mean Green in the other semifinal.
Madsen has turned Utah Valley into a winning program. The Wolverines lost a heartbreaker in the WAC Tournament semifinals a few weeks ago. Had they not blown a big lead in that game, they would have played in the WAC Tournament final and had a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. Madsen is clearly an up-and-coming coach. Cal will be viewed in the college basketball industry as a school which made a quality hire if it can close the sale with Madsen, who was part of Stanford’s last Final Four team in 1998.
No official word from @CalMBBall – likely no sooner than Wednesday AM – but former Stanford star Mark Madsen seems likely to become the Bears' next coach.https://t.co/6ilLjO3QlO
— Jeff Faraudo (@JeffFaraudo) March 28, 2023
Sources: Barring an unforeseen set of circumstances, Utah Valley's Mark Madsen will be the next head coach at Cal. https://t.co/9hw7Ie3h5A
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 28, 2023
2023 NIT First Round: New Mexico vs. Utah Valley-First Look At The Wolverines Who are the Wolverines? Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Lobos are set to host Utah Valley in the first round of the NIT. The New Mexico Lobos enjoyed a very …
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2023 NIT First Round: New Mexico vs. Utah Valley-First Look At The Wolverines
Who are the Wolverines?
Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire
The New Mexico Lobos enjoyed a very successful year two of the Pitino era this past season in Albuquerque. With a reinvigorated community, showing up in force and a quality product on the floor the Lobos thrived.
Although, it may have seemed like all was right again in Albuquerque heading into conference play. New Mexico wasn’t immune to the strength and challenging nature of the Mountain West this season.
After boasting several big wins over the conference’s best, a February decline forced the Lobos into first day action in the Mountain West Tournament. And an quarterfinal exit against a Utah State squad that would fall to San Diego State in the finals. So, to the NIT New Mexico goes. To host the Utah Valley Wolverines on Wednesday.
Who are the Wolverines
Coach
Utah Valley is coached by head coach Mark Madsen. The 4th year lead man was a nine year NBA veteran, winning two championships as a member of the Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O’Neal led Los Angeles Lakers.
His stop in Orem is his first stint in collegiate coaching, aside from being an assistant at Stanford. Prior to that, Madsen was the head coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The Los Angeles Laker’s D-League affiliate at the time.
Madsen has lead the Wolverines to two regular season WAC Championships. Amassing a record of 67-50 (57.3%) in the process. Not to mention the 2022-2023 WAC Coach of the Year award.
Star Players
Jr. G-Le’tre Darthard (6-4, 180)
Stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 APG & 1.2 SPG
Sr. G-Trey Woodbury (6-4, 200)
Stats: 13.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG & 40% 3FG
So. C-Aziz Bandaogo (7-0, 230)
Stats: 11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.2 APG & 3.0 BPG
How did they get here
The Wolverines lost their WAC Player of the Year big man Fardaws Aimaq to the transfer portal last offseason. But managed to retain plenty of the rest of their production. Also finding a candidate to replace the 6-11 rebounding machine in the paint. Akron transfer Aziz Bandaogo, who managed to average a double-double to go along with 3.0 BPG, leading the WAC.
Locked and reload for the 2022-2023 season, Utah Valley managed to secure some quality road wins over in-state rival BYU (in back to back years) along with a win over Oregon in Eugene.
Priming the Wolverines for another rigorous WAC slate going forward. Where Utah Valley managed to secure the regular season crown unanimously after defeating their biggest threat Sam Houston in their only meeting on December 29th. All of this in combination with an early exit from the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas last week led a very dangerous Wolverines squad to the NIT. For their second appearance in the postseason tournament in school history.
Biggest Wins:
@-BYU 75-60
@-Oregon 77-72
At home-Sam Houston 80-64
NET: 74th
KenPom: 79th
RPI: 61st
Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.
Neil Magny passing Georges St-Pierre for most welterweight wins was one of many notable feats to come out of UFC Fight Night 214.
UFC Fight Night 214 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and it was an action-filled card with nine of 11 fights ending inside the distance.
The main event saw [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) break through as the next strawweight contender. She scored a standing TKO over fellow Brazilian standout [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (17-2-2 MMA, 6-2-2 UFC) in the third round of their clash.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 214.
UFC Fight Night 214 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 Fight Night 214 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $126,500.
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 Fight Night 214 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC Fight Night 214 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Shayilan Nuerdanbieke[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Shanna Young[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Benito Lopez[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Polyana Viana[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jinh Yu Frey[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Johnny Munoz[/autotag]: $4,50
def. [autotag]Liudvik Sholinian[/autotag]: $4,0000
[autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Candelario[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ramona Pascual[/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 2147 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2141 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 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $7,222,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $13,399,500
Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 214 main card, which features Marina Rodriguez vs. Amanda Lemos.
| Rodriguez vs. Lemos |
Magny vs. Rodriguez |
Parisian vs. Sherman |
Maness vs. Ulanbekov |
Dawson vs. Madsen |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 173-103 |
 M. Rodriguez (74%) |
 D. Rodriugez (60%) |
 Parisian (60%) |
 Ulanbekov (57%) |
 Dawson (56%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 186-95  2018 Champion |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
 Sherman |
Ulanbekov |
 Madsen |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 179-102 |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Parisian |
Ulanbekov |
Madsen |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 178-103 |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Parisian |
Ulanbekov |
Madsen |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 175-106 |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Sherman |
Ulanbekov |
Madsen |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 173-108 2014 Champion |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Sherman |
Ulanbekov |
Dawson |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 171-110 |
M. Rodriguez |
 Magny |
Parisian |
 Maness |
Madsen |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 171-110 |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Sherman |
Ulanbekov |
Madsen |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 165-116 2017 Champion |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Parisian |
Ulanbekov |
Madsen |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 164-117 |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Sherman |
Ulanbekov |
Madsen |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 157-124 |
M. Rodriguez |
D. Rodriugez |
Sherman |
Maness |
Madsen |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 138-143 |
M. Rodriguez |
Magny |
Sherman |
Ulanbekov |
Madsen |
The UFC stays on its Las Vegas home turf this week with a pair of women’s strawweight contenders at the top of the lineup.
UFC Fight Night 214 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (16-1-2 MMA, 6-1-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] (12-2-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at 115 pounds. Rodriguez is a -240 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Lemos is +180. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are going with Rodriguez unanimously.
In the co-feature, perennial welterweight contender [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 19-8 UFC) takes on [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC). Magny is a slight favorite at -125, but our staff members are going with Rodriguez at a hefty 9-2 clip.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag] (16-10 MMA, 4-9 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Sherman is a slight favorite at -140, and he has a 7-4 lead in the picks.
[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite in his flyweight bout against [autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and has a big 9-2 picks lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] (18-1-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) is a -220 favorite in his lightweight bout against the unbeaten [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC). But despite that, our staff pickers are bucking the odds and have Madsen near unanimous at 10-1.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Marina Rodriguez (74 percent), Daniel Rodriguez (60 percent), Parisian (59 percent), Ulanbekov (57 percent) and Dawson (56 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.
Grant Dawson fully expects to have a number next to his name if he gets past Mark Madsen at UFC Fight Night 214.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] fully expects to have a number next to his name if he gets past [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag].
Dawson (18-1-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) faces Madsen (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night 214, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+. Both fighters are yet to lose in the octagon, so Dawson expects big implications in this fight.
“It’s definitely a tough fight,” Dawson told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s media day. “Super, super difficult fight, but I think the winner of this fight gets ranked, so that’s what I’m looking for.”
He continued, “Other than an actual top 15 opponent, I think this is the best. He’s undefeated, he’s looked incredible in his UFC run, so I definitely think that a win over him gets me ranked.”
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On paper, Dawson vs. Madsen is a fight between two strong grapplers. While Dawson knows the fight will likely hit the mat, he views this matchup in a different way.
“The winner of this fight gets ranked Monday, 100 percent in my opinion,” Dawson said. “This is one of the best matchups, because it’s not grappler vs. grappler or striker vs. striker. This is competitor vs. competitor. Lifelong competitor at the highest level competing against a lifelong competitor at the highest level. So, whoever wins this fight, it’s not gonna be about who’s the better wrestler, who’s the better this or who’s the better that. It’s gonna be who is the better competitor, and that’s what I’m excited about.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.
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The bad blood is real, so real Mark Madsen went to find Drakkar Klose at the hospital.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] tried to take [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] up on his offer, but wasn’t able to find him.
Rivals due to past training ties, Madsen (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Klose (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) were expected to fight this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 213. However, an ACL injury to Klose nixed the grudge match, at least for now.
“I’m still excited to fight Drakkar Klose,” Madsen told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday at UFC Fight Night 214 pre-fight news conference. “I can’t wait to get in there and punch my right hand through his face. He called me out early.”
The withdrawal didn’t soften the hard feelings. If anything, it sparked even more disdain between the two lightweight fighters. After Klose told Madsen to meet him outside the cage to settle the score, Madsen took him up on the offer and showed up at Mayo Clinic, where Klose was supposedly treated.
“I actually went there,” Madsen said. “He was supposed to have surgery. I asked at the front desk. Nobody heard about Drakkar. Nobody has seen him. He did not manifest on any list. I don’t know what’s going on with Drakkar. I know he pulled out, but let me send the message out right here. I’m ready to fight Drakkar Klose any time. If it’s a case of him not being injured as severely as some people say, I’m ready to go tomorrow.”
“… I was going to fight Drakkar Klose anywhere he wanted to – even at a hospital. … Let me go with my game plan. Kick the crutches. Punch him in the face. I don’t know if Mayo Clinic is paying for that, but anywhere he wanted.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj_ayIlJtp2/
Unable to successfully meet up with Klose, Madsen now has Grant Dawson in front of him. Dawson (18-1-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) sports an undefeated record inside the promotion.
“Great matchup,” Madsen said. “Undefeated vs. undefeated in the UFC. There’s always a nice ring to that. Grant has been dominating with his wrestling, with his grappling. He has some amazing skills in the areas where I also have amazing skills, so I’m excited. It’s a great matchup. This is really a fight that will put me toward the top 15, the big fights. Going in there, putting a clinic on Grant Dawson, getting a dominant win and really putting him away is going to put me on the map.”
Once Dawson is out of the way, Madsen indicated his attention will fall back on – you guessed it.
“I could beat Drakkar Klose on a Friday and then fight Saturday,” Madsen said. “I’ll probably get around that. I don’t know how long Drakkar is going to be out. As I told you guys, I’ll fight him anywhere he wants it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.
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