UFC on ESPN 47 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean Strickland, Kevin Lee get most money

UFC on ESPN 47 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 47 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $144,500.

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 47 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 47 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ismael Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,000
def.[autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Yana Santos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Guram Kutateladze[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Blagoy Ivanov[/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 $47,000 while title challengers get $47,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-47 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,109,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $18,698,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

UFC on ESPN 47’s Melissa Gatto returns from year-long layoff more mentally ready than ever

For UFC women’s flyweight Melissa Gatto, the forced time off was more of a mental battle.

LAS VEGAS – For [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag], the forced time off was more of a mental battle.

Gatto (8-1-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will return from a more than year-long layoff to face Ariane Lipski (15-8 MMA, 4-5 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 47 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

After suffering her first-career loss to Tracy Cortez last May at UFC 274, an injury forced Gatto out of action.

“I’m so happy,” Gatto told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 47 media day. “So excited to be back. Of course, it’s been a year with the surgery and the medical leave that comes after that. I’m happy to be back. I’ll be able to show how much I evolved, that I took that time to actually become better and to become a better fighter.”

Gatto explains that, while she’s made improvements in her skills, being out of action made her grow even more on the mental side.

“Anytime you have a high-performance athlete that’s removed from the daily routine, training, being there on the mat frequently, just getting better physically, it’s always challenging,” Gatto said. “It’s always tough being removed from that and not being able to do what you do for a living. It does teach you lessons, especially on the mental side. I do feel that I had to get stronger and prepare myself mentally. I feel more ready than I’ve ever been, especially on the mental side.”

Gatto will take on fellow Brazilian Lipski, who comes from the same state of Parana.

“When the UFC called, obviously happy to get the call to be able to match with her,” Gatto said. “She is a tough opponent. She’s an experienced opponent. I think she’s got 10 fights in the UFC. I do respect her a lot in the striking, which is her forte. I do feel like it’s gonna be a good matchup also because of the fact that she is from the same state as I am, and it’s going to be important for a lot of us, especially the Brazilian fans.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

Video: UFC on ESPN 47 media day interviews

Before UFC on ESPN 47 on Saturday, 14 athletes from the card are scheduled to speak to reporters Wednesday at media day.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC schedule for July kicks off Saturday with UFC on ESPN 47, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

A middleweight bout serves as the main event, with [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) taking on [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag] (25-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a matchup between one established contender and an opponent looking to make a splash in just his second octagon appearance.

Before fight night arrives, though, 14 athletes from this weekend’s card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream above, check below for the archived videos of each media day session.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.

UFC on ESPN 47 pre-event facts: Kevin Lee returns with records intact

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 47, which sees Kevin Lee return to the promotion with records on his resume.

The UFC’s rampant summer schedule continued on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 47, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN/streams on ESPN+.

Opening a four-event lineup in July will be a middleweight headliner between [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) and [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag] (25-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who are scheduled for five rounds.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s prevent facts about UFC on ESPN 47.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (April 17-23)

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 from April 17-23.

Gillian Robertson vs. Melissa Gatto set for UFC’s Sept. 17 event

The lineup for the UFC’s Sept. 17 Fight Night card continues to grow with the addition of a women’s flyweight bout.

The lineup for the UFC’s Sept. 17 Fight Night card continues to grow with the addition of a women’s flyweight bout.

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) will take on [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag] (8-1-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at the event, which doesn’t yet have an announced venue or location. The card is expected to air and stream on ESPN/ESPN+. The booking first was reported by Fight Bananas.

Robertson will be looking for a return to the win column after a decision loss to J.J. Aldrich in March. Prior to that, she snapped a two-fight skid with a rear-naked choke win over Priscila Cachoeira with one second left in the first round this past December.

Gatto will be trying to bounce back, as well. the Brazilian had the first loss of her pro career in May when she dropped a decision to Tracy Cortez at UFC 274. She had two stoppage wins to open her UFC tenure before that. The first came with a TKO when Victoria Leonardo couldn’t continue into the third round with a broken arm. And this past December, she finished Sijara Eubanks with a third-round body kick.

With the addition, the UFC’s Sept. 17 lineup now includes:

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong
  • Trey Ogden vs. Daniel Zellhuber
  • Nikolas Motta vs. Cameron VanCamp
  • Louis Cosce vs. Trevin Giles
  • Andre Fili vs. Lando Vannata
  • Damon Jackson vs. Pat Sabatini
  • Diana Belbita vs. Loma Lookboonmee
  • Melissa Gatto vs. Gillian Robertson

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Tracy Cortez def. Melissa Gatto at UFC 274: Best photos

Check out these photos from Tracy Cortez vs. Melissa Gatto at UFC 274 at Footprint Center in Phoenix.

Check out these photos from Tracy Cortez’s unanimous decision victory over Melissa Gatto at UFC 274 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Photos courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

Melissa Gatto hopes to get her ‘groove back’ after successful debut year in the UFC

UFC flyweight Melissa Gatto hopes to fight three or four times in 2022 following her successful debut year with the promotion.

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag] capped off a successful debut year in the UFC with a spectacular knockout.

At UFC Fight Night 199, the Brazilian flyweight folded Sijara Eubanks (7-7, 5-5 UFC) with a body kick in the third round to pick up her second win of the year. The TKO by Gatto (8-0-2, 2-0 UFC) was so nice, the promotion awarded her with one of two “Performance of the Night” bonuses on a card filled with exciting finishes.

Prior to making her UFC debut in August, a number of injuries and global pandemic travel restrictions kept Gatto away from the cage for nearly three years. After finally returning and competing twice in the same calendar year, Gatto has no preferences on who’s next, but she hopes to stay consistently active with three or four fights in 2022.

“I just want to get my old rhythm, my own groove back,” Gatto said through an interpreter at the post-fight news conference. “It’s been a long time. I did a hiatus for about two years, so I want to improve my skills, and whoever the UFC throws at me, I welcome.”

Gatto made her UFC debut at UFC 265 in Houston against Victoria Leonardo. The fight was stopped after the second round when the cageside physician discovered Leonardo’s arm was broken.

Watch Gatto’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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UFC Fight Night 199 bonuses: Amanda Lemos and Angela Hill’s battle among four winners

Check out who took home a bonus for their performance at UFC Fight Night 199 in Las Vegas.

The final UFC event of 2021 delivered plenty of fights that gave the judges a rest from their decision-making duties.

UFC Fight Night 199 saw 10 fights end early, but one in particular that went to decision left a lasting impression. [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] and [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] threw down in a high-paced three-round affair that resulted in a split decision. Although Lemos edged out Hill, they both took home the “Fight of the Night” bonus for their exciting contest.

Check out else earned bonuses for their performances at the UFC Apex on Saturday.

UFC 265 post-event facts: Ciryl Gane’s beatdown of Derrick Lewis sets record numbers

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 265, which saw Ciryl Gane make history with his interim title win over Derrick Lewis.

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] produced the most statistically lopsided heavyweight title fight win in octagon history on Saturday in the UFC 265 main event.

Gane (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) punished [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) for nearly three full rounds en route to a third-round TKO that gave him interim belt and set up a title unification clash with Francis Ngannou.

For more on the numbers behind Gane’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 265.