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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.
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:
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 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+.
Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 248 main card, which features Adesanya vs. Romero and Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk title fights.
| Adesanya vs. Romero |
Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush vs. Klose |
Jingliang vs. Magny |
Griffin vs. Oliveira |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 28-16 |
 Adesanya (54%) |
 Weili (69%) |
 Dariush (55%) |
 Jingliang (58%) |
 Oliveira (77%) |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 38-11  2017 Champion |
 Romero |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
 Griffin |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 37-12 |
Adesanya |
 Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 37-12 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
 Klose |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 37-12 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
 Magny |
Griffin |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 36-13 2019 Champion* |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 36-13 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Klose |
Magny |
Oliveira |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 36-13 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 36-13 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 35-14 2018 Champion |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Klose |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 35-14 |
Adesanya |
Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Magny |
Oliveira |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 34-15 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Magny |
Griffin |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 34-15 2014 Champion |
Adesanya |
Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Magny |
Oliveira |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 31-18 |
Romero |
Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 23-26 |
Romero |
Jedrzejczyk |
Klose |
Magny |
Oliveira |
The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week, and a pair of title fights are at the top of the bill.
UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
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In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he meets challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). Adesanya is as much as a 3-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he’s got a big lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers – only three of which are taking Romero in an upset.
The co-main event is another title fight. Women’s strawweight champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) puts her belt up for the first time when she takes on former champ [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Zhang is a mild favorite, but she’s got a fairly significant 9-5 lead in the picks.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at lightweight. Dariush is a -170 favorite, and he’s got a big 10-4 lead in the picks.
[autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) also is about a -170 favorite in his welterweight bout against [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC). That bout is our most contentious – Jingliang has just an 8-6 picks edge.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is just a slight favorite over [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC), but he’s got a big 11-3 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Adesanya (54 percent), Weili (69 percent), Dariush (55 percent), Jingliang (58 percent) and Oliveira (77 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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UFC welterweight Max Griffin spoke to MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura ahead of Saturday’s UFC 248 event in Las Vegas.
UFC welterweight Max Griffin spoke to MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura ahead of Saturday’s UFC 248 event in Las Vegas.
Max Griffin sees a specific path to victory in his matchup with Alex Oliveira at UFC 248.
[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] knows what kind of fight he needs to bring to Alex Oliveira.
Griffin (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) opens up the UFC 248 main card when he takes on Oliveira (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC), in an appealing stylistic matchup that has his juices flowing.
“He’s an exciting fighter that brings it and is always fun to watch,” Griffin told MMA Junkie. “So going against a true warrior had me dancing out of bed when I got the call.”
Oliveira has been involved in some wars during his UFC tenure that have earned him four bonuses for his efforts. But Griffin sees a specific path to victory.
“He’s pretty wild – I can’t let him get comfortable in there,” Griffin said. “So I’m going to put the pressure on him and not give him room to breathe. He doesn’t like that kind of fight, and that’s what I’m going to do.
“I’m going to finish this man. Much respect (to him), but it’s me or him, and it’s gonna be him.”
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Griffin is 2-3 in his past five fights, but holds solid wins over Mike Perry and Zelim Imadaev. He is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Alex Morono in October in a fight he said he took some positives from.
“I’ve had some good wins and some razor-close losses,” Griffin said. “What I learned in my last fight is output. I got kicked in the head with Morono at the end of the second, (but) came out that third and steamrolled him. It’s the first fight I wasn’t fatigued at all. I’m coming in hot. I’ll be able use my newfound strengths and get the job done with authority.”
For this training camp, Griffin spent time training at Team Alpha Male, working specifically with 13-time world kickboxing champion Slava Borshchev.
After fighting three times in 2019, Griffin is looking to mirror that activity – if not more.
“I want to fight much as possible – the more, the better,” Griffin said. “I’m aiming for at least four (times in 2020) – maybe even something short notice if the opportunity arises. I’m always in the gym.
“This win will be major. It’s kicking off the main card of UFC 248 – a lot of eyes. It’s time for the Max ‘Pain’ Griffin takeover, and it couldn’t be on a better stage. After this, I can see a launch to a co-main or a main (event) somewhere. I’m looking for someone good – maybe (Santiago) Ponzinibbio or (Donald) Cerrone, (Carlos) Condit, (Robbie) Lawler.”
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We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 248 event in Las Vegas, featuring Adesanya-Romero and Weili-Jedrzejczyk title fights.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 248 event in Las Vegas.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 248 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
The lineup has been set for what promises to be an explosive night of action in Las Vegas.
UFC 248 will feature a championship doubleheader showcasing four elite competitors from all over the world.
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya of New Zealand will put his title on the line against Yoel Romero, from South Florida by way of Cuba, in the main event.
In the co-main, strawweight champion Weili Zhang of China meets Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland.
The melting pot that is UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Both Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Zhang (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will look to remain undefeated in the UFC.
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It’s been a while since Max Griffin has been this excited for a fight, as he meets Alex Oliveira at UFC 248.
It’s been a while since [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] has been this excited for a fight.
Griffin (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] at UFC 248 on March 7, a contest that has “Fight of the Night” written all over it.
Oliveira (19-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is owner of four performance bonuses in the UFC and has been involved in some barnburners with the likes of Yancy Medeiros and Mike Perry – and that’s what makes this matchup so exciting for Griffin.
“Man, I’m pumped,” Griffin told MMA Junkie. “I actually haven’t been excited for a fight in a couple of fights. I had the Thiago (Alves) fight, pumped for that, then I had Zelim (Imadaev), Alex Morono. I was like, ‘Eh, ‘Cowboy.” I got out of bed, yes, so pumped.
“They had some contract stuff going on on the other side, so we almost didn’t get the fight. Two weeks later we get the fight. We get the bout agreement two minutes later, and we’re back in Vegas. Huge show, UFC 248, beautiful fight.”
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Griffin, like Oliveira, has had inconsistencies in the octagon. He has lost three of his last four, in frustrating results where he believes his opponents didn’t want to engage with him.
But with Oliveira, he has no doubt that he’s in for a battle.
“A lot of guys, even if they’re fighters, they don’t fight,” Griffin said. “They’re not in there to fight, they’re just in there to kind of win, but Oliveira would die on his shield out there. He actually enjoys being out there, and I think that mixed with – you got a killer guy. I mean we’ve both been in ‘Fight of the Nights.’ He’s had many more than me, but he’s been around, he’s a legend, and I’m ready to make it happen.”
“I’ve had some weird losses that – I looked back at my record that I could easily be way over .500 in the UFC. This fight is huge. I know that Oliveira is on a losing streak, but that means he’s hungry. He’s going to want to win. He doesn’t want to get cut, but he’s going back to Brazil, and that’s that.”
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