Tag: Melissa Gatto

Melissa Gatto explains how tape study played into boob punch TKO at UFC Fight Night 241

Apparently, it’s not the first time Tamires Vidal hasn’t taken a breast shot well…

LAS VEGAS – Sometimes it pays off to watch tape on your opponents.

When [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag] struck [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] in the left breast, the reaction may have seemed delayed and unusual to the outside observer. But Gatto (9-2-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) was well studied. She’d seen Vidal (7-3 MMA 1-2 UFC) do the exact same thing before, pounced for the finish, and won by TKO.

“No, of course (I wasn’t surprised) because I watched the last fights of her,” Gatto told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “Always she felt that. She always tried to stop the fight but the (referee) said to me, ‘Don’t stop. You go.’ I go and I finish. I got my victory.”

In fact, Vidal had done the same thing in the UFC the fight prior against Montserrat Rendon. Unlike Saturday’s fight at the UFC Apex, the referee in that fight, Kerry Hatley, intervened when the blow occurred.

However, Chris Tognoni’s decision to let the action continue during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 241 was the right call, according to pioneering regulator and former referee “Big” John McCarthy.

“I love Kerry Hatley, but the fact that Vidal calls for and receives a timeout for a punch to the chest is incorrect,” McCarthy wrote on X. “Chris Tognoni handled the call perfectly when Vidal once again turned away asking for a timeout. It was a legal blow, you’re hurt and now can’t fight…… you lose by TKO.”

With the win, Gatto snapped a two-fight skid. Back moving in the right direction, Gatto plans to return to flyweight. The fight Saturday was a bantamweight bout, and one Gatto took on short notice.

“I want to fight in August in the flyweight division,” Gatto said. “But if the UFC wants me in the bantamweight division, I’m here. I’m here to fight. I was born to fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

UFC Fight Night 241 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $26 million

UFC Fight Night 241 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 241 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $158,500.

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

The full UFC Fight Night 241 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vinicius Salvador[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oumar Sy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Carnelossi[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Heili Alateng[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kleydson Rodrigues[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag]: $4,500

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 2411 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: $3,264,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,001,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

UFC Fight Night 241 video: Melissa Gatto’s ‘boob punch’ TKOs Tamires Vidal

Though rare, strikes to the breasts are legal in MMA, as we saw at UFC Fight Night 241.

A UFC fight ended in a TKO due to a fight-ending blow to a breast in what is a promotional first.

During a UFC Fight Night 241 prelim, a [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag] punch to the chest crumpled [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] for a TKO at 0:37 of Round 3 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A lead left by Gatto (9-2-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is what caused the damage. Vidal (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) had a bit of a delayed response, but turned her back and clutched her chest. Gatto threw another punch to the same area and then pulled up, as she noticed Vidal was done. Referee Chris Tognoni then stepped in to wave off the contest.

Unlike groin strikes, breast strikes are legal under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

With the victory, Gatto snaps a two-fight losing skid in her bantamweight debut. She took the fight on short notice after a last-second fight cancellation in March.

Vidal has now lost back-to-back bouts.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 241 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

Melissa Gatto fights Tamires Vidal at UFC Fight Night 241 after Hailey Cowan suffers broken leg

Hailey Cowan has withdrawn again, and so Melissa Gatto is now set to make her UFC bantamweight debut.

The UFC Fight Night 241 lineup has been tweaked slightly.

With [autotag]Hailey Cowan[/autotag] injured, [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag] moves to bantamweight to fight fellow Brazilian [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] at the May 18 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the change recently informed MMA Junkie of the tweak but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Update (5:45 p.m. ET): Cowan (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) revealed on social media after MMA Junkie’s report that she suffered a broken leg in training. Initially thought to be a rolled ankle, Cowan said an X-ray showed a displaced fracture of her fibula. She shared photos of her bruised leg.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6PN0iqSYuN/

Gatto (8-2-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was scheduled to fight Victoria Dudakova at UFC on ESPN 54 on March 30. The bout was canceled moments prior to the scheduled walkouts due to an illness with Dudakova. Gatto has not previously competed at bantamweight in the UFC and will look to snap a two-fight skid.

After a flying knee knockout win in her promotional debut, Vidal (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) most recently competed in September when she lost a split decision to Montserrat Rendon. The defeat snapped a six-fight winning streak.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 241 lineup includes:

  • Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Angela Hill vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • Warlley Alves vs. Abus Magomedov
  • Vinicius Salvador vs. Adrian Yanez
  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Emily Ducote
  • Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo
  • Victor Martinez vs. Tom Nolan
  • Carlston Harris vs. Khaos Williams
  • Ariane Carnelossi vs. Piera Rodriguez
  • Rodolfo Bellato vs. Oumar Sy
  • Heili Alateng vs. Kleydson Rodrigues
  • Melissa Gatto vs. Tamires Vidal

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

UFC on ESPN 54 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $24.5 million

UFC on ESPN 54 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,000.

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 on ESPN 54 took place at Boardwalk Hall. The main card aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 54 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rhys McKee[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Connor Matthews[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/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 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,540; 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 $54,000 while title challengers get $54,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-54 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,842,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,579,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 play-by-play, live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 54 in Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – UFC on ESPN 54 took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie live play-by-play and official results. UFC on ESPN 54 (ESPN/ESPN+) took place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

In the main event, Erin Blanchfield (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) took on Manon Fiorot (12-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in a likely women’s flyweight title eliminator. Joaquin Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) took on Vicente Luque (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) in the welterweight co-feature, and former middleweight champion Chris Weidman (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returned against Bruno Silva (23-11 MMA, 4-5 UFC).

Below, you can check out the results and play-by-play from UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 prelim bout canceled moments before walkouts in Atlantic City

The UFC on ESPN 54 matchup between Viktoriia Dudakova and Melissa Gatto has been scratched moments before it was scheduled to take place.

The UFC on ESPN 54 matchup between [autotag]Viktoriia Dudakova[/autotag] and [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag] has been scratched moments before it was scheduled to take place.

Two fights into Saturday’s event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., UFC play-by-play man Brendan Fitzgerald announced the women’s flyweight clash between Dudakova (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Gatto (8-2-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) had been scratched due to a “medical issue” on Dudakova’s side.

The announcement came as Dudakova and Gatto were next up on the card. No further details came about whether the fight will be rescheduled for a later date.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 official weigh-in results: Fighter somehow gains weight between attempts, misses mark

The UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins ended oddly as Julio Arce somehow gained 0.25 pounds between attempts and his team was scratching their heads.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Ahead of Saturday’s fights at Boardwalk Hall, the 28 fighters involved in UFC on ESPN 54 hit the scales at the host hotel. One missed weight.

Atop the event, which airs on ESPN/ESPN+, is a pivotal women’s flyweight main event between top contenders [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

In the co-main event, welterweight standouts [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) collide. Also on the card, former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) attempts to reenter the win column against [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

All of those fighters made weight, but one from the prelims. [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] missed the featherweight limit after previously missing at bantamweight in April 2022. He was given two attempts and gained 0.25 pounds between attempts.

Arce’s re-weigh was the last weigh-in of the day. A different New Jersey State Athletic Commission (NJSAC) representative than who weighed in the other 27 fighters and Arce’s first attempt, weighed in Arce the second time. This caused further frustration and disbelief from Arce’s team, who said they had weighed 146 on their own scale. Arce was fined 20 percent of his purse and the fight will continue as scheduled.

[lawrence-related id=2728381]

Check out the full UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins results below:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Erin Blanchfield (125) vs. Manon Fiorot (125.25)
  • Joaquin Buckley (170) vs. Vicente Luque (170)
  • Bruno Silva (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186)
  • Sedriques Dumas (185) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (185)
  • Bill Algeo (146) vs. Kyle Nelson (145)
  • Rhys McKee (170.25) vs. Chidi Njokuani (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Nate Landwehr (145.25) vs. Jamall Emmers (145)
  • Loopy Godinez (115) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)
  • Julio Arce (147)* vs. Herbert Burns (145)
  • Dennis Buzukja (145.25) vs. Connor Matthews (145)
  • Ibo Aslan (205) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)
  • Viktoriia Dudakova (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)
  • Jacob Malkoun (185) vs. Andre Petroski (186)
  • Caolan Loughran (135) vs. Angel Pacheco (135)

* Arce missed featherweight limit by 1 pound; 20 percent fine

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 5-11)

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 Feb. 5-11.

UFC on ESPN 48 post-event facts: Grant Dawson’s numbers show title trajectory

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 48, where Grant Dawson joined an exclusive club by putting together a nine-fight unbeaten streak in the octagon.

The UFC’s loaded July schedule got off to a hot start on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 48, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and featured six stoppages out of 12 fights.

One of those finishes came in the main event, when [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) held serve as a top middleweight when he turned back [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag] (25-5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO before calling for a title shot.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check out MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 48.