Tag: Max Griffin

MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for March: A title fight for the ages

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from March 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from March 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for March.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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The Nominees

Alex Oliveira def. Max Griffin at UFC 248

[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) went to great lengths to leave his welterweight fight with [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) as a winner.

The Brazilian fighter had a back-and-forth war with Griffin in a bout where both men were bloodied. Oliveira defeated Griffin by split decision with a pair of 29-28s from two judges’ scorecards.

Beneil Dariush def. Drakkar Klose at UFC 248

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) produced arguably the greatest highlight of his career when he scored a spectacular knockout of [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the second round of their lightweight bout.

After a solid first round, the fight got crazy in the second when Dariush and Klose slugged it out and stunned each other. Dariush was able to push through it better, though, and finally landed a devastated overhand left that sent Klose bouncing off the fence and crashing into the canvas.

Zhang Weili def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248

[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) put on arguably the greatest title fight in women’s MMA history when they went tooth and nail for five rounds to determine who would be the UFC strawweight champion.

Weili ultimately emerged victorious by split decision to retain her belt, but not without going through 25 minutes of hell. The Chinese titleholder and Jedrzejczyk combined for the third most significant strikes in a UFC title fight. It came down to the wire, but there could only be one winner and it was Weili.

Maryna Moroz def. Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC on ESPN+ 28

[autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) produced the “Fight of the Night” in Brasilia with a three-round banger in the women’s flyweight division.

Moroz was seemingly one step ahead of Bueno Silva over the course of the bout to take a unanimous decision victory. The win kept Moroz unbeaten since moving up to 125 pounds, and netted her some extra money in the process.

Charles Oliveira def. Kevin Lee at UFC on ESPN+ 28

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 17-8 UFC) picked up his first UFC main event when he defeated [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) to extend his winning streak to seven.

Oliveira extended his streak with a third-round submission win over Lee courtesy of a guillotine choke. The Brazilian waited for his moment to attack with the choke, and when he got it tied the UFC’s all-time stoppage record.

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The Winner: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk

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Weili and Jedrzejczyk put themselves through the ringer for the entertainment of the fight world. In the end, the champion prevailed.

Weili and Jedrzejczyk stood toe to toe for five rounds, exchanging strikes and not backing down in a bout that will go down as an all-time classic, resulting in Weili winning by split decision to retain her strawweight title.

By the end of it, Jedrzejczyk was nearly unrecognizable with a bad hematoma causing her entire forehead to swell.

Jedrzejczyk opened the fight by, as promised, using a lot of movement to avoid Weili’s aggression and power. She worked well behind the jab, while Weili attacked with low kicks. The strikes came fast and furious from each side as Weili worked the body, and Jedrzejczyk teed off with combinations. Weili landed her best punch with roughly 90 seconds remaining, but Jedrzejczyk seemed to take it well and continued to fire back.

The action picked up where it left off to begin the second round. The output of both fighters was absurdly high, but Jedrzejczyk seemed to be more composed and accurate in her approach against Weili’s power shots. Weili went for the first takedown of the fight, but Jedrzejczyk shrugged it off, answered with some knees in the clinch, then evaded. Weili landed a huge punch that staggered her opponent, but Jedrzejczyk managed to shake off the cobwebs and do some work to make up the deficit of Weili’s big moment.

The leg kicks from Jedrzejczyk seemingly took a toll on Weili going into the third round. The movement and output slowed, which allowed Jedrzejczyk to pick up the pace and find her range on a less mobile target. Jedrzejczyk landed some very good strikes, both as the aggressor and the counter-striker, and Weili knew she needed something to change. Weili attempted to grapple in the final two minutes, but Jedrzejczyk’s takedown defense couldn’t be penetrated and she ended the round in striking range, but Jedrzejczyk developed a gruesome hematoma on her forehead.

With the momentum seemingly on Jedrzejczyk’s side going into the championship rounds, Weili did not appear deterred. She continued to be aggressive, but Jedrzejczyk showed to be more technical both offensively and defensively. Weili certainly found her openings, landing clean punches. Jedrzejczyk’s chin continued to hold up, though, and the pace of the fight was perfectly suiting her style. She found a strong groove going into the final round, despite having a disturbing amount of bruising on her face.

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With the title hanging in the balance, both fighters came out determined to put an exclamation mark in the fifth round. Jedrzejczyk stayed true to her game plan despite awful damage to her face, stepping in the pocket and engaging Weili in a firefight. Weili’s straight punches did her well, but Jedrzejczyk appeared to be more than comfortable with the power and landed some shots that had Weili briefly on some shaky legs. Weili wouldn’t go way, though, and answered back. They kept at it down the home stretch, both landing clean to cap off an incredible 25-minute championship fight.

“We are all martial artists here,” Weili said through an interpreter in her post-fight interview. “We want to set an example for the kids. Thank you everyone.”

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Triple Take: Who should Demian Maia face in retirement fight?

Demian Maia says he has one more fight left in the tank – so who should it be against?

Demian Maia had a three-fight winning streak snapped this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 28 when he was TKO’d by Gilbert Burns in the first round of their welterweight fight in Brasilia, Brazil. Afterward, the 42-year-old Maia said he would fight one more time before retiring. So who should it be against? MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Danny Segura and Nolan King sound off in this latest edition of “Triple Take.”

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Farah Hannoun: Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. (Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] deserves a big name in his farewell fight.

Maia has fought the who’s who in MMA, from legends to former champions to up-and-coming prospects, and considering that he mentioned [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] as a potential last fight, he should get it. Good thing for him, Cerrone is game to fight anyone, which makes the possibility of this matchup even higher.

Stylistically it can be viewed as a classic striker vs. grappler match, but Cerrone has shown serious skills on the ground. Granted, he’d most likely avoid the ground with Maia. However, Cerrone has entertained us every single time he’s stepped foot in the octagon, which could make for an intriguing fight. “Cowboy” is in the twilight of his career, which he’d probably disagree with, but either way, Maia would be a big name for him, too.

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Rankings wise, it may not look like it makes sense, since Maia has won three of his last four compared to Cerrone losing his last three, but this is no longer about rankings for Maia. It’s the final fight of Maia’s career, and if anyone will give him the scrap he’s looking for, it’s Cerrone.

Cerrone also happens to hold the UFC record for most wins, and Maia trails behind by just one fight. So this one would also have a lot on the line in terms of the record books.

Next page – Danny Segura: Diego Sanchez

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UFC 248 medical suspensions: Israel Adesanya needs his feet checked out

Israel Adesanya is one of six fighters in need of further evaluation after UFC 248.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is one of six fighters in need of further evaluation after UFC 248.

The UFC middleweight champion Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who defended his title in a unanimous decision over Yoel Romero (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in Saturday’s headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, needs X-rays on both of his feet before obtaining clearance to fight again.

Monday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, the body that oversaw the event.

Complete UFC 248 medical suspensions include:

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Israel Adesanya: Needs X-rays of both feet. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until April 9; minimum suspension no contact until April 29.

[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]: Suspended until May 5; no contact until April 22.

[autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]: Suspended until May 5; no contact until April 22.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: Needs MRI on right knee. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until April 9.

[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: Needs MRI on left shoulder. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on left foot. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Jose Quinonez[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on left foot. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on left ankle. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag]: Suspended until April 7; no contact until March 29.

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Danaa Batgerel[/autotag]: Needs X-ray on right foot. If injury discovered, must have doctor’s clearance or no contact until Sept. 4; minimum suspension with no contact until April 7.

[autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: Suspended until April 22; no contact until April 7.

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UFC 248 salaries: Israel Adesanya takes home good chunk of total payout

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was the highest earner at UFC 248, taking home more than double that of the card’s other champ.

Middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] was the highest earner at UFC 248, taking home more than twice as much disclosed pay as the card’s other defending champ.

Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) made $500,000 with no win bonus for his main event title defense against challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Romero made $350,000 in defeat.

The other defending champion on the card, Zhang Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) netted $200,000 for beating [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who got $106,000 in the memorable title contest.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $2.086 million.

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Complete disclosed salaries for UFC 248:

  • Israel Adesanya: $500,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Yoel Romero: $350,000
  • Zhang Weili: $200,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
    def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk: $106,000
  • [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $140,000 (includes $70,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: $40,000
  • [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $152,000 (includes $76,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $64,000
  • [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]: $128,000 (includes $64,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $35,000
  • [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $70,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Jose Quinonez[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]: $66,000 (includes $33,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: $28,000 (includes $14,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag]: $22,000
  • [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $10,000
  • [autotag]Danaa Batgerel[/autotag]: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
    def. [autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: $14,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 248 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 UFC 248 fight-night bonuses to Dariush and O’Malley for “Performance of the Night,” and Weili and Jedrzejczyk for “Fight of the Night.”

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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UFC 248 post-event facts: Numbers support Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk as an all-time title fight

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 248, which saw Israel Adesanya beat Yoel Romero in the main event.

The UFC returned to Las Vegas for the second time this year on Saturday with UFC 248, which took place at T-Mobile Arena with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Two title fights sat atop the card, and neither champion was unseated. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) kept ahold of his middleweight strap with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in the main event, while [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) managed retain her strawweight title by edging out [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a split decision.

For more on the numbers to come out of the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts from UFC 248.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $257,000.

Weili, Jedrzejczyk, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 248 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 0-1 on the card.

UFC 248 drew an announced attendance of 15,077 for a live gate of $2,742,906.20.

Betting favorites went 8-3 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 5-2 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 2:16:14.

Main card

Israel Adesanya

Adesanya’s 19-fight winning streak is third longest among active UFC fighters behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (28) and Zhang (21).

Adesanya’s 19-fight winning streak is the longest among active UFC middleweights.

Adesanya’s eight-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

Romero’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Romero fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to July 2017.

Romero has suffered all four of his UFC losses by decision.

Zhang Weili

Weili extended her winning streak to 21 fights. She hasn’t suffered a defeat since her MMA debut in November 2013.

Weili’s 21-fight winning streak is the second longest among all fighters on the UFC roster behind Nurmagomedov (28).

Weili’s five-fight UFC winning streak at strawweight is with Tatiana Suarez and Yan Xiaonan for the longest active streak in the division.

Weili and Jedrzejczyk combined for 351 significant strikes landed, the third most in UFC title-fight history. Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega hold the record with 400 total at UFC 231.

Jedrzejczyk fell to 2-4 in her past six fights dating back to when she lost the UFC strawweight title in November 2017.

Jedrzejczyk is one of two fighters UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in eight separate fights. Max Holloway also accomplished the feat.

Jedrzejczyk has suffered three of her four career losses by decision.

Dariush’s (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) 12 UFC lightweight victories since 2014 are the most in the division.

[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Neil Magny

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]’s (22-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).

Magny’s 15 victories since 2013 in UFC competition are second most among active fighters in the company behind Donald Cerrone (17).

Magny has earned nine of his 15 UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by decision.

[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) improved to 8-5 (with one no contest) in UFC welterweight competition.

[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to July 2018.

Griffin has suffered seven of his eight career losses by decision.

Preliminary card

Sean O’Malley

O’Malley (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned eight of 11 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered three of his four career losses by decision. That includes both of his UFC defeats.

[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all seven of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished both of his UFC wins by submission.

[autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his middleweight debut.

Safarov has suffered all of his career losses by stoppage.

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has earned 28 of his 30 carer victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his UFC wins.

[autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 6-0.

Winn suffered the first submission loss of his career.

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by (split) decision.

[autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

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UFC 248 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $32 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 248 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $257,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 248 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $257,000.

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 248 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 248 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jose Quinonez[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Saparbek Safarov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Deron Winn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Danaa Batgerel[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Guido Cannetti[/autotag]: $5,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

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 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,083,500
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $32,088,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 248 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $265,000.

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 248 with Aerosmith, Lupe Fiasco

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 248 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC 248 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

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UFC 248 results: Alex Oliveira wins hard-fought split decision over Max Griffin

Alex Oliveira got a much-needed victory to snap a three-fight losing streak at UFC 248.

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LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] went to great lengths to leave UFC 248 as a winner.

The Brazilian fighter had a back-and-forth war with [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] to kick things off on the pay-per-view main card Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Oliveira (21-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) defeated Griffin (15-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) by split decision, notching 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 on the judges’ scorecards.

“Cowboy” pushed Griffin to his limits.

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After getting rocked, taken down and controlled for the majority of the first round, Oliveira followed up with strong efforts in Rounds 2 and 3. Oliveira cut Griffin with a nasty uppercut in the early portion of Round 2, and the tide seemed to have turned from there. For the rest of the second round, Oliveira connected and backed up Griffin with his striking, thus wining the round.

Round 3 had a similar look, but Oliveira managed to get the fight to the ground and punish Griffin with pressure and ground-and-pound. Griffin did get a reversal and ended the fight on top, but it was a little too late for the 34-year-old.

With this result, Oliveira snapped a three-fight skid and got his first win since September 2018. Meanwhile, Griffin is now on a two-fight skid and 1-4 in his last five trips to the octagon.

The welterweight bout opened up the UFC 248 main card at T-Mobile Arena. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 248 results include:

Israel Adesanya ($500k), Yoel Romero ($350k) lead UFC 248 disclosed salaries

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will take home a cool half-million, win or lose, at UFC 248. But what about Zhang Weili?

Middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] will take home a cool half-million, win or lose, at UFC 248.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is scheduled to make $500,000 with no potential win bonus for his main event title fight against challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Romero is set to make $350,000 with no win bonus.

In the co-main event, former women’s strawweight champion and now title challenger [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) actually will make more than defending champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) with a win. Jedrzejczyk is set to make $106,000 to show and another $106,000 to win. Weili is scheduled to make $100,000 to show and another $100,000 to win.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) can make $70,000 to show and double that to win against [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who is set to make $40,000/$40,000.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC) can make $76,000/$76,000 in his welterweight fight against [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who is scheduled to make $64,000/$64,000.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is scheduled for $64,000/$64,000 at featherweight against [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC), who can make $35,000/$35,000.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole reported the salaries from the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 248 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC oftentimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials will hand out additional $50,000 bonuses for “Performance of the Night” and/or “Fight of the Night” honors.

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

Max Griffin considers Alex Oliveira fight ‘a gift,’ promises finish at UFC 248

Max Griffin knows Alex Oliveira will be going for broke to save his career.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] might not be in the best form heading into UFC 248, but mentally he feels at the top of his game.

Griffin (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] in the opening bout of the pay-per-view main card Saturday at T-Mobile Arena and says his form is better than his recent win-loss column might suggest.

“I look at my Thiago Alves fight as a victory, (and) I beat Zelim (Imadaev, at UFC 236),” Griffin told MMA Junkie during media day. “My last fight with Alex Morono was a close fight – I won the fight except for the last 40 seconds when he kicked me in the head.”

Griffin says his competitiveness, even in defeat, means he’s the sort of fighter fans enjoy coming to watch, and he said his upcoming clash with “Cowboy” Oliveira (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is the sort of fight that fires him up personally, too.

“People want to see action, and to get this kind of fight with Cowboy Oliveira, it’s a blessing,” he said. “I jumped out the bed, dancing, excited. I want to fight the best guys in the world, and it couldn’t be on a better platform, kicking off the card on pay per view.

“We both bring it. He’s always wild. I’m ready to do what I gotta do in there. It’s a perfect time. He’s on a losing streak. My record kinda doesn’t speak that, but it’s my time. I feel like they gave me a gift.”

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Despite his excitement for the matchup, Griffin suggested he had spotted a weakness in the psyche of his Brazilian opponent, and he plans to exploit it on fight night.

“He’s a dangerous guy, he’s fought the best in the world,” Griffin said. “You look at his list of rivals, he’s fought every single guy (and) has a good record. But, as of late, he is on a losing streak, doesn’t have the same fire, I feel. Kinda giving up, he gives up, and I’m getting better, and I’m excited to show it.

“He is on a losing streak, so he’s going to try to save his contract. They didn’t want to accept this fight, and that’s a fact, and they ended up doing it two weeks later. So he’s going to try to save his contract on me, but it’s not gonna happen.”

The bout between the pair has been highlighted as a possible back-and-forth war, but while Griffin is more than happy to engage in one, if necessary, he said he plans on making it a one-sided affair.

“It has the potential for being a war, but I’m not into making it a war,” Griffin said. “I’m going in there (to) execute my gameplan and finish him. I’m going to break him, I’m going to push the pace and take it from him.”

UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.