Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out a full recap of 2023’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producers Michael Carroll, here are some of 2023’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
That UFC 189 war between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald was something else, wasn’t it?
Although the welterweight class in MMA is decently heavier than its contemporaries in other combat sports, it keeps in the tradition of offering a rich history of memorable battles.
Japanese organizations like Shooto have typically referred to fighters between 156-171 lbs. as “middleweights,” while the UFC’s 170-pound division dates back to the late 90s when the organization anointed its first welterweight champion, [autotag]Pat Militech[/autotag], at UFC 17.5 in Brazil.
Since then, the division has produced a slew of great fights and Hall of Fame fighters alike.
It’s impossible to properly pay homage to all the best bouts that have gone down at 170 pounds, so I’ll instead widdle down my list to my favorite welterweight wars.
Whether we’re talking about back-and-forth battles or brutally bloody affairs, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my favorite fights from the weight class.
As usual, these lists reflect my personal tastes and biases and are not meant to serve as some ultimate authority. That said, I feel very strongly about not only my list but also my honorable mentions at the end – which are more than strong enough to serve as their own top five.
So, without further ado …
Matt Brown says it’s hard to respect Conor McGregor when he’s “drinking and getting coked up, or he’s juiced out of his mind.”
[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]’s opinion of the biggest star the MMA world has ever seen has dwindled in recent years.
Speaking on Michael Bisping’s YouTube channel, the UFC veteran Brown (24-19 MMA, 17-13 UFC) had some harsh words for Conor McGregor. Brown recognizes the heights McGregor has reached, but is confident in stating his best is now in the past – and perhaps by McGregor’s own doing.
“He’s a nobody, in my opinion,” Brown said. “He was amazing, I give him props for all that he did, but at this point he’s a bum.”
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During the interview, Bisping and Anthony Smith stayed clear from criticizing the Irish superstar, but Brown doubled down.
“You can headline that, and it won’t be bullsh*t,” Brown said. “Conor, I think he’s lost like four or his last five. He hasn’t f*cking done nothing.
“Everything you see, it’s him drinking and getting coked up, or he’s juiced out of his mind. That’s f*cking bum life to me. All that money don’t make you not a bum. You’re still a bum to me, bro. When you step in the cage, you’re still a bum to me.”
Brown and McGregor have never been linked to fight, but they did have a recent in the interaction online.
Following his finish over fellow veteran Court McGee at UFC on ABC 4 on May 13, McGregor mentioned Brown, saying he wanted to surpass Brown’s record for the most knockouts in UFC history – a number that he shares with Derrick Lewis at 13.
Brown suggested a fight between the two and response, and McGregor replied, calling his shot a “woeful attempt.”
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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from May 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from May 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for May.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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Thirteen of the 22 competitors at UFC on ABC 4 were suspended due to injuries sustained in their bouts Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.
Four fighters are out indefinitely due to injuries sustained at UFC on ABC 4, which took place Saturday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
A document MMA Junkie obtained Tuesday from North Carolina Boxing and Combat Sports interim executive director Alvin Coley showed medical suspensions were handed out to 13 of the 22 competitors on the card.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag], [autotag]Mandy Bohm[/autotag], [autotag]Ji Yeon Kim[/autotag], and [autotag]Gabe Green[/autotag] are out indefinitely until their injuries are cleared by a physician.
The list of fighters who exited UFC on ABC 4 without a medical suspension include both headliners, [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] and [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag].
Scroll below to see the full list of UFC on ABC 4 medical suspensions. All suspended fighters are eligible to return prior to the conclusion of the durations handed out should they get cleared beforehand.
Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ABC 4, including key questions about Anthony Smith’s future.
What mattered most at UFC on ABC 4 in Charlotte, N.C.? Here are a few post-fight musings …
Matt Brown responds to Conor McGregor’s interest in breaking his record.
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] wants what [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] and Derrick Lewis are battling for – the record for most knockouts in UFC history.
Both Brown (24-19 MMA, 17-13 UFC) and Lewis are tied with 13 knockouts in the octagon. Brown caught up to Lewis this Saturday with his first-round finish of fellow veteran Court McGee at Saturday’s UFC on ABC 4 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Not long after Brown’s record-tying win, McGregor took to Twitter on early Sunday morning to express his interest in the accolade, and appeared to be very confident making it possible.
McGregor’s next fight is potentially against former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler, the opposing coach on the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” although there is no date for the matchup set.
“Matt Brown, at 42 years of age, now holds the joint highest KO’s inside the UFC with 13 KO’s,” McGregor wrote. “Him and “The Beast” Lewis are tied. I hold 8 KO’s inside the UFC currently, at 34 years of age. I’m getting this record.”
Matt Brown, at 42 years of age, now holds the joint highest KO’s inside the UFC with 13KO’s. Him and “The Beast” Lewis are tied. I hold 8 KO’s inside the UFC currently, at 34 years of age.
I’m getting this record.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 14, 2023
To which Brown made a short and simple reply, suggesting the two fight.
“I’ll fight you for it.”
I’ll fight you for it 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/gA81Pxckoh
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) May 14, 2023
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Speaking with reporters at the UFC on ABC 4 post-fight press conference, Brown said he wanted to break the tie and be the sole record holder for the most knockouts in the UFC. However, at 42 years of age, there are some limitations to that.
“I want to (break the record), yeah,” Brown said (via FanSided). “We’ll see. Everyone’s been asking when I’ll get back in there, but I need to go back home and see how the injuries heal up and got some other people getting ready for fights, so I’ll be helping them up.
“But I’ll start thinking about it in the next couple of weeks and see how I feel. At my age and life and everything, it just comes down to injuries. I’ll be there till I’m 50 if I wasn’t injured.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.
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Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ABC 4, including some notable feats from Matt Brown and Jailton Almeida.
The UFC retuned to North Carolina on Saturday with UFC on ABC 4 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
In the main event, [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) continued his emergence as a heavyweight contender when he flawlessly ran through [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) en route to a first-round submission and staying unbeaten inside the octagon.
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 on ABC 4.
UFC on ABC 4 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ABC 4 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $211,500.
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 ABC 4 takes place Saturday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
The full UFC on ABC 4 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Ian Garry[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Court McGee[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Karl Williams[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Chase Sherman[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Mandy Bohm[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ji Yeon Kim[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Gabe Green[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Tainara Lisboa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/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 $40,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-40 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $3,035,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $17,624,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.
Matt Brown joins Derrick Lewis atop the leaderboard for most knockouts in UFC history after finishing Court McGee in the first round.
Age may be a meaningless number for savvy welterweight veteran [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag], but his UFC knockout total carries historical significance.
At 42, “The Immortal” Brown (24-19 MMA, 17-13 UFC) stepped into the cage at UFC on ABC 4, which took place at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., with the potential of tying the UFC’s record for total career knockouts. At 4:09 of Round 1, Brown did just that by putting Court McGee down and out with a well-timed punch.
In what was a competitive opening round, both veterans were having their moments – that is, until everything ended in a blink.
McGee (21-12 MMA, 10-11 UFC) pawed out a left hand and was in the process of sending a right behind it for a two-punch combination. Unfortunately for “The Crusher,” Brown had a right of his own already on the way with a lot of steam behind it, and it hit the target first. As a result, McGee crashed to the canvas, and the walk-off celebration was on for Brown.
Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):
MATT BROWN DID THAT 😮 #UFCCHARLOTTE pic.twitter.com/TbMMKIycdT
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 13, 2023
The knockout marked the 13th of Brown’s UFC career, tying heavyweight knockout artist Derrick Lewis for the most in UFC history.
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Aside from joining Lewis in the history book, the finish also marked a return to the win column for Brown, who entered the octagon looking to rebound from a split decision loss to Bryan Barberena last March.
Brown’s last 10 victories have come by stoppage, with his last decision win coming against Stephen Thompson at UFC 145 in April 2012. Brown’s last first-round finish came against Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 120 in November 2017.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.
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