Tag: Matt Schnell

UFC Fight Night 238 post-event facts: Umar Nurmagomedov on the rise in bantamweight books

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 238, which saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Muhammad Mokaev and Umar Nurmagomedov make noise.

The UFC opened its March schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 238, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The main event saw [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) overcome a slow start to batter [autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a referee TKO stoppage after the end of the fourth round, putting him back on the winning track.

For more on the numbers behind the card, which featured six finishes in 11 fights – and a couple of them unique – check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 238.

UFC Fight Night 238 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $24 million

UFC Fight Night 238 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 238 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $133,500.

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 238 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 238 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bekzat Almakhan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jamie Pickett[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Bernardo Sopaj[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Christian Leroy Duncan[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Claudio Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]A.J. Cunningham[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady[/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 2381 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: $1,362,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,069,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 238.

UFC Fight Night 238 video: Steve Erceg KOs Matt Schnell with clean left hand, calls out Brandon Moreno

Steve Erceg picked up his first UFC finish in violent fashion when he brutalized Matt Schnell.

[autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] has knockout power.

At UFC Fight Night 238 on Saturday, Erceg (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) knocked fellow ranked flyweight [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) unconscious with a single left hook. The stoppage came 26 seconds into the second round at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The finish was Erceg’s first in the UFC after two unanimous decisions.

Following the bout, Erceg called for a fight against former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who lost a unanimous decision a week ago to Brandon Royval.

Erceg, 27, extended his winning streak to 11. He entered the UFC in June 2023 with a win over David Dvorak. He then defeated short-notice replacement Alessandro Costa ahead of Saturday’s win.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 238 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 238.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)

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. 29-Feb. 4.

Steve Erceg disappointed by UFC 295 performance, wants to reset with ranked opponent

Steve Erceg won at UFC 295, but that wasn’t enough for him to walk out of Madison Square Garden feeling content.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] exited the cage at UFC 295 both victorious and disappointed.

Although Erceg (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) defeated short-notice opponent Alessandro Costa (13-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) by unanimous decision on Saturday’s prelims at Madison Square Garden, the performance left much to be desired during self-reflection.

“I’m happy I won,” Erceg told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I’m grateful for the opportunity. It’s not the way I thought I would go out there and do it but that’s the fight game, right? I’ll take my lumps, take my wins. It is what it is.”

Initially the fight appeared to swing lopsidedly in Erceg’s favor. He displayed crisp boxing, strong grappling, great range, and good head movement. In Round 2, Costa turned the tables, however, and landed two hard rights that caused an off-balance Erceg to pull guard.

“Obviously, I didn’t want to get dropped,” Erceg said. “I was thinking I was going to work him on the shots and really outclass him. After I dropped him in the first round, I got too eager. As my dad said, I was trying to make it a man-battle instead of a thinking-battle. … I think it was me being bad, not him being good.”

[lawrence-related id=2695657,2695662]

Erceg was originally scheduled to fight promotion-ranked [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC), who withdrew due to injury. Should that matchup be available next, Erceg seems to be open to a rebooking, considering he thinks Saturday’s test might prove more difficult.

“I still think Alessandro Costa was better than Schnell was going to be,” Erceg said. “I’m not saying Schnell is bad or anything. I just thought stylistically and everything, Costa was a worse matchup for me. I still think… I should be in the top 15 fighting top 15 opponents. I just have got to be better.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 23-29)

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 Oct. 23-29

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 4-10)

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.

UFC 295 adds two more contender fights to Madison Square Garden lineup

Four more contenders have been added to UFC 295 in New York City.

Two top middleweights and two top flyweights will collide at UFC 295 this November.

Longtime contender [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] returns Nov. 11 when he takes on [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]. Both men aim to bounce back from recent losses. Additionally, ranked flyweights [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag] have been once again booked to face one another. The event takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The promotion officially announced both bouts Wednesday. The Brunson-Doldize matchup was first reported by Sentanta Sports.

Brunson (23-9 MMA, 17-8 UFC) teased retirement in recent years but pivoted away from that idea at the end of 2022. Brunson attempts to snap a two-fight skid. While the losses came by TKO, they came against top contenders Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. Prior to the skid, Brunson won five in a row.

Dolidze (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was on a tear through the middleweight division until he faced Vettori in March and lost a unanimous decision. The defeat snapped a four-fight winning streak that included TKO victories over Jack Hermansson and Phil Hawes among others.

Erceg (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Schnell (16-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC) were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 289 in June in what was to be Erceg’s promotional debut. Schnell withdrew from the fight and was replaced by David Dvorak, who Erceg defeated by unanimous decision.

With the additions, the UFC 295 lineup includes:

  • Champion Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for heavyweight title
  • Derek Brunson vs. Roman Dolidze
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Mackenzie Dern
  • Steve Erceg vs. Matt Schnell
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Joshua Van

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (May 29-June 4)

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 a promotion from May 29-June 4.

‘Hit me up!’: Matt Schnell hopes he gets to work with Brandon Moreno ahead of UFC 289

Matt Schnell welcomes the opportunity to train with UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno.

DALLAS – [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag] welcomes the opportunity to train with UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag].

Both currently training at Fortis MMA in Dallas, Schnell has a long history with Moreno. Although they’ve never fought, Schnell and Moreno took part in Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and have trained with each other in the past.

Schnell (16-7-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) is booked to face David Dvorak (20-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at UFC 289 on June 10 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and would love the chance to train with Moreno (21-6-2 MMA, 9-3-2 UFC) in preparation.

“Me and Moreno, we’re familiar with each other,” Schnell told MMA Junkie. “He’s brought me out to Mexico City. We have a little bit of a rapport, so no beef. It should be fun. We get good work in. He’s tough and scrappy and in great shape. I look forward to it. Hit me up! I want to know when he’s coming out to Dallas because I’d like to be here for sure.”

Like Schnell, Dvorak will look to rebound at UFC 289. Dvorak is on a two-fight skid, but prior to that was unbeaten for nine years, which Schnell thinks will make him even more hungry.

“David Dvorak: tough opponent – a guy that was really hot,” Schnell said. “He’s lost his last two, but I think that makes him kind of dangerous. It’s an exciting matchup and I look forward to it.”

Schnell has earned Fight of the Night bonuses in two of his past three bouts. He thinks his exciting style should be telling of the kind of fight fans can expect against Dvorak.

“I think it’s going to be a tough one,” Schnell said. “I think it’s going to be a grind. If I remember, they kind of released the card inadvertently. I think they put me on a good spot. I think I’m headlining that prelim card, which is the right spot for a guy like me. Good job by the guys in the back office. It’s going to be exactly what they think it’s going to be. It’s going to be a scrap.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.