Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from July 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from July 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month award for July.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
Mayra Bueno Silva calls herself ‘the new face’ of the UFC women’s bantamweight division.
Amanda Nunes’ retirement from MMA might’ve seemed like a big loss in the combat sports world, but for others, including UFC women’s bantamweight contender [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag], it was a gain.
With arguably the greatest female fighter of all time out of the picture, Bueno Silva (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) feels like there’s an opportunity for her to create her own legacy without being overshadowed by Nunes’ presence. Coming off a submission win over former champion Holly Holm this past weekend at UFC on ESPN 49 in Las Vegas, Bueno Silva feels like the top lady at 135 pounds.
“I showed everybody that I’m the new face for the bantamweight division,” Bueno Silva told MMA Junkie. “I need the title shot now.”
With Nunes gone, the chance to defeat the now-former two-division UFC champion left some potential challengers upset. Bueno Silva has all the respect for Nunes, but she’s not sad at all to have missed out on fighting her.
“No, of course not, Amanda would kill me,” Bueno Silva said, laughing. “Amanda, thank you so much, you finished now. Take care of your family, everything good. I promise that I take the belt, the Brazilian belt.”
In terms of what’s next, Bueno Silva wants to fight Julianna Peña for the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight belt. She knows Raquel Pennington has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Peña, but quite frankly, she thinks she’s by far the most attractive fight.
“Nobody wants to watch Raquel Pennington and Julianna Peña,” Bueno Silva explained. “Nobody wants this. The fight to do now is Mayra Bueno vs. Julianna Peña because I showed my fighting is more exciting.”
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If not Mayra Bueno Silva fighting for the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight title, then who?
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] upset former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm with a second-round submission in the UFC on ESPN 49 main event.
It was Silva’s fourth win in a row and the biggest of her career, and now she wants a shot at the 135-pound title that was vacated when dual champ Amanda Nunes retired in June.
Is Silva one of the two who should fight for the belt, or are there two stronger candidates?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of special guest Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture, Mike Bohn and Brian “Goze” Garcia answers those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.
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You can watch the segment in the video above, as well as this week’s full episode below.
Mayra Bueno Silva tapped former UFC women’s bantamweight champ Holly Holm, causing big moves in the division in this week’s rankings update.
The UFC women’s bantamweight division has a new contender.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] pulled off the biggest win of her career at UFC on ESPN 49, and made it look relatively easy. Considering her opponent was former bantamweight champion Holly Holm, many were shocked to see Bueno Silva tap the former champ in the second round.
Entering the week at No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s bantamweight rankings, Bueno Silva takes a huge leap forward, landing at No. 4. Holm previously held the spot, but she takes a step backward, along with the rest of the division as Bueno Silva establishes herself as the new name to watch out for in the title picture.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
Analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC on ESPN 49, including Holly Holm’s sports future and some derailed hype trains.
What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 49 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …
Mayra Bueno Silva put herself in position for a title shot by beating Holly Holm at UFC on ESPN 49, but should she get it?
(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Holly Holm after UFC on ESPN 49 loss?)
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] continued her impact on the women’s bantamweight division on Saturday when she took out former champion Holly Holm in the UFC on ESPN 49 main event.
Silva (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) remained undefeated in the weight class and notched her biggest win to date with a second-round submission of Holm (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Afterward, she called for a shot at the belt that recently was vacated by Amanda Nunes.
There was a back-and-forth on social media and in interviews between Silva and former titleholder Julianna Peña in the aftermath of the event, possibly setting the stage for a showdown between them.
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Is it the right move for the division, though? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Silva’s future after UFC on ESPN 49.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
Check out all the post-fight facts from UFC on ESPN 49, where Mayra Bueno Silva put herself in the same category as Ronda Rousey.
UFC on ESPN 49, which took place Saturday at the UFC Ape in Las Vegas, had a slow start to the event, but ultimately ended with a bang.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) continued her rise up the women’s bantamweight contender list when she scored a second-round submission of former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) to become a true title contender.
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 ESPN 49.
UFC on ESPN 49 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 on ESPN 49 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 on ESPN 49 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 49 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Fransisco Prado[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Norma Dumont[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Nazim Sadykhov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tucker Lutz[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Viktoriia Dudakova[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Istela Nunes[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Evan Elder[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Genaro Valdez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Azat Maksum[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carl Deaton[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ashlee Evans-Smith[/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 $49,000 while title challengers get $49,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-49 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $4,555,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,144,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
Mayra Bueno Silva wants to fight Julianna Peña for the vacant UFC women’s bantamweight title.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] knows exactly what should be next following her latest triumph inside the octagon.
The Brazilian impressively submitted former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the main event of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 49, which took place at the UFC Apex. With a high-profile win under her belt and on a four-fight winning streak, Bueno Silva (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) is confident she should fight Julianna Peña for the division’s vacant title, not Raquel Pennington.
“Raquel, no, because the UFC gave her a chance to fight with me, and she didn’t want it,” Bueno Silva told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 49 post-fight press conference. “So if she doesn’t want it, it’s Julianna Peña and me because I am a fan of Julianna. Raquel too, but she didn’t want to fight with me, so now I don’t want to fight with her. Julianna deserves it. I deserve it. UFC, let’s go.”
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Did I hear someone say the name of the #peopleschamp? Perfect. Get in line. I’ll do you and Raquel in the same night. Who else wants a beating ?
— Julianna Peña (@VenezuelanVixen) July 16, 2023
Peña reacted to Bueno Silva’s win over Holm (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC), saying she could beat her and Pennington the same night. This gave Bueno Silva a good laugh at the press conference, and fired right back at the former champion.
“She’s funny,” Bueno Silva said. “I love you, Julianna, but I will smash you. I will smash you. You and Raquel at the same time. Look at my fight and look at her fight. Oh, Julianna, shut up.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
Mayra Bueno Silva kept her submission streak alive by tapping former champion Holly Holm in the second round at UFC on ESPN 49.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] pulled off the biggest win of her career by tapping former UFC champion Holly Holm, and then proceeded to call out another former champ.
The women’s bantamweight bout served as the headliner of UFC on ESPN 49 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Bueno Silva (11-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC) entered the fight with high confidence that she would upset the former champ, and she proved herself correct by tapping Holm (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) 38 seconds into Round 2.
Holm got the action started by blitzing forward with punches, testing the defense of her opponent early. Bueno Silva was ready and returned fire with a solid inside leg kick. Holm threatened a takedown attempt, but the fight would remain standing. Striking exchanges continued throughout the first with both fighters having moments, but the round concluded with Holm pressing Bueno Silva against the cage in the clinch.
Holm closed the distance and looked to get the fight to the ground early in the second. Just as Holm changed levels, Bueno Silva got her left arm under the neck, and quickly slapped on a slick ninja choke. Holm was trapped, and couldn’t escape the standing submission despite her best effort. The former champ had no choice but to tap.
A BIG submission win for Mayra Bueno Silva over Holly Holm at #UFCVegas77 😤 pic.twitter.com/iGYvWRAmUg
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 16, 2023
Overwhelmed with emotions, Bueno Silva, 31, dropped to the center of the canvas to process her third-straight submission win, which came on the biggest stage of her career thus far. On her current run, Bueno Silva has won four straight, and may have another big stage to perform on in the near future.
During her post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, “Sheetara” called her shot for the vacant women’s bantamweight title, and called out another former champion Julianna Peña.
🙌 @MayraSheetara making a case for her title shot! #UFCVegas77 pic.twitter.com/6ECEABm3Xp
— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2023
Mayra Bueno Silva literally couldn't contain her laughter when asked about Julianna Peña's tweet. 😂
"I will smash you. … Oh, Julianna. Shut up."#UFCVegas77 | Full video: https://t.co/sZjDBPMSc2 pic.twitter.com/XMSFKnnC4m
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 16, 2023
For Holm, 41, the momentum of her unanimous decision win over Yana Santos in March is halted in the first stoppage loss since falling to Amanda Nunes in her bid to regain the title at UFC 239.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 49 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 49.
