Miles Johns got his first octagon finish at UFC on ESPN+ 39, and it was a good one.
[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]’ first UFC finish was a good one.
Johns (1-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), a bantamweight prospect out of Fortis MMA, scored a brutal one-punch knockout of Kevin Natividad (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC on ESPN+ 39 on Saturday.
After controlling the fight for nearly 13 minutes, Johns launched a slick inside uppercut that caught Natividad clean on the chin and immediately put the lights out. The visual was gruesome. Natividad launched backward off his leg as he was falling.
Check out the highlight of the finish below (via Twitter):
SENT HIM FLYING 😳@MilesXJohns with launching power to start the night!
The knockout marked the first time since July 2016 that Johns had finished a fight with strikes, and just the second time Natividad has been beaten and finished.
It was a strong way to start UFC on ESPN+ 39, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.
A bantamweight matchup between Miles Johns and Kevin Natividad is the latest addition to the UFC’s Oct. 31 event.
A bantamweight matchup is the latest addition to the UFC’s Oct. 31 event.
[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and [autotag]Kevin Natividad[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) are set to fight on the UFC’s Oct. 31 event, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in June 2019, Johns has split his first two UFC appearances. A former LFA bantamweight champion, Johns picked up a win over Cole Smith in his promotional debut last September. He then suffered a TKO loss to Mario Bautista at UFC 247 in February.
A winner of his past five in a row, Natividad was scheduled to make his UFC debut against Brian Kelleher at UFC on ESPN+ 34 earlier this month but was pulled last second due to precautionary reasons concerning his COVID-19 tests taken during fight week.
With the addition, UFC’s Oct. 31 event now includes:
After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.
With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 252’s most notable fighters.
Those fighters included [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), who fell short of reclaiming the heavyweight title from Stipe Miocic (20-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) in a unanimous decision at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as well as [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-8 MMA, 15-7 UFC) and [autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] (21-12 MMA, 10-7 UFC).
* * * *
John Dodson
Should fight: [autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag] Why they should fight: After nine fights back at bantamweight, it’s safe to say Dodson isn’t where he wants to be. He’s 4-5 in this current run in the division after losing a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili, and it’s hard to say where he goes from here.
“The Ultimate Fighter” winner talked about being a top contender coming into the fight given the competitive nature of his recent contest with now-champ Petr Yan, but he had few moments of success in this latest fight against someone who came in consisted lesser in the scheme of the weight class.
Dodson turns 36 next month and it seems like if he’s going to put it all together, it has to happen soon. He’s likely going to have to take a lower or lateral step from Dvalishvili in terms of opponent after this fight, and perhaps a youngster like Johns (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) could help him get back on track.
Junior Dos Santos
Aleksei Oleinik
Should fight: [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] Why they should fight: Former UFC champ Dos Santos extended the longest skid of his career with a second-round TKO to fellow striking specialist Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
It’s a rough spot for Dos Santos He looked solid before getting caught. His speed, precision and technique are still there, but seems he just can’t take the damage. He’s now been finished seven times in his career, including three straight.
To get a real determination on where Dos Santos stands, though, he needs to fight again against lesser competition. Not that Oleinik (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC), who is coming off a TKO loss to Derrick Lewis at UFC on ESPN+ 32 this month, is an easy win for anyone, but he does not present the striking threat of most of Dos Santos’ opponents over the past few years.
Dos Santos hasn’t been submitted since 2007, and he would have to focus hard on keeping that intact against Oleinik. If the Russian can’t get it down, however, then Dos Santos would have a good shot to work his magic on the feet without much knockout threat.
Sean O’Malley
Andre Ewell
Should fight: [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] Why they should fight: O’Malley’s rocket ship to UFC stardom was grounded when he suffered his first career loss in his biggest spot to date.
Whether it was a freak injury or something Marlon Vera caused in the fight with his low kicks, O’Malley left the octagon on a stretcher due to the pain from his first-round TKO. The severity of his injury is not yet known, but it seems he could be out for a bit.
In his absence, however long it may be, the loaded bantamweight division will surely continue to evolve. Things could change depending on O’Malley’s timeline and what happens in the upcoming months, someone outside the rankings like Ewell, who if nothing else has proven to be scrappy, could be a good fit as “Suga” attempts to rebound from his first loss.
Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier
What’s next: Watch the video above to see what the future holds for Cormier after his loss.
Gilbert Burns and Roosevelt Roberts were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas.
Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.
So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.
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First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …
Chris Gutierrez
Wants to fight: [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] or [autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]
Andre Ewell
The callout: “I would like to fight either Andre Ewell – I don’t know, he’s got a little injury – or Miles Johns. So either one of those two. I’m with it.”
The reality: After an impressive display to kick off the card at the UFC Apex, [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] sought out the matchmakers cageside, and explained who he wanted next in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.
On paper, at least, the two names he mentioned seem like well-pitched suggestions. Ewell has won three of five in the UFC since 2018, while Johns is 1-1 in the octagon and looking to bounce back after defeat in his last appearance. Ewell would put Gutierrez in with a longer-tenured UFC fighter, with more wins to their name, so would perhaps offer the larger upside for “El Guapo,” but the chance for the former LFA bantamweight to face the man who captured the promotion’s 135-pound belt also offers some intrigue. Either name would make for a solid next assignment.
Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes are facing short suspensions. Valentina Shevchenko, on the other hand, could be out for a while.
[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] battled for five rounds at UFC 247, but it seems they’ve come out relatively unscathed.
The pair of headliners each received a 31-day suspension, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation document obtained Tuesday. The Texas commission was responsible for regulating UFC 247, which took place at Toyota Center in Houston.
Conversely, UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] is facing a potentially lengthy suspension after her third-round TKO victory over [autotag]Katyln Chookagian[/autotag] in the evening’s co-main event. According to the TDLR, Shevchenko is facing a 181-day suspension, while Chookagian was handed a potential 45-day term.
Two other winners, [autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag] and [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag], are also facing potential 181-day suspensions.
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Check out a full list of the UFC 247 medical suspensions below.
(Note: No specific injury details were given. It’s also important to note that, due to the lack of specific information, it’s unclear if any fighters have the ability to have their suspensions shortened if cleared by a doctor.)
[autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
[autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
Andre Ewell: Suspended 181 days
[autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
Journey Newson: Suspended 181 days
[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: Suspended 61 days
[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: Suspended 10 days
[autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: Suspended 31 days
The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 247, which saw Jon Jones defeat Dominick Reyes in the main event.
The UFC returned to Texas on Saturday with UFC 247, which took place at Toyota Center in Houston with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
Two championship fights topped the card. In the main event, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) defended the UFC light heavyweight title by the skin of his teeth with a ultra-competitive unanimous decision win over [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), while [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) utterly dominated [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) en route to a third-round TKO in the co-main event.
Both fights for the gold provided some historic footnotes, but that’s not all the card had to offer. For more on the numbers, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 247.
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General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $243,000.
UFC 247 drew an announced attendance of 17,401 for a live gate of $3,549,418.
Betting favorites went 6-5 on the card. One fight had even odds.
Betting favorites improved to 3-0 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:48.
Main card
Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes
Jones’ 14 victories in UFC championship fights are most in company history.
Jones’ 20 victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Jones’ 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak is the longest among active UFC fighters.
Jones 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak is the longest in company history.
Jones’ 18-fight UFC unbeaten streak in light-heavyweight competition is the longest active streak in the weight class and longest in divisional history.
Jones’ four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied with Corey Anderson for the longest active streak in the division.
Jones’ 1,835 total strikes landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Jones’ 1,473 significant strikes landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Jones’ 42 takedowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Anderson (53), Rashad Evans (50) and Ryan Bader (46).
Jones’ total fight time of 5:40:15 in UFC light heavyweight competition is most in divisional history.
Reyes had his 12-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Valentina Shevchenko
Shevchenko’s two consecutive UFC women’s flyweight title defenses are most in divisional history.
Shevchenko improved to 5-0 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in February 2018.
Shevchenko’s five-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Shevchenko’s five victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Shevchenko’s three stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (four).
Shevchenko’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Maycee Barber for most in divisional history.
Shevchenko earned the eighth knockout in UFC history to stem from the crucifix position. Gary Goodridge, Matt Hughes, Dong Hyun Kim, Paul Kelly, Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier and Tyson Pedro also accomplished the feat.
Shevchenko has completed at least one takedown against nine of her 10 UFC opponents.
Chookagian fell to 4-2 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in January 2018.
Chookagian suffered the first knockout loss of her career.
Justin Tafa
[autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all four of his career victories by knockout.
[autotag]Juan Adams[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a five-fight winning streak.
Adams has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is the fourth longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Alexander Volkanovski (six).
[autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career.
Bektic suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Derrick Lewis
[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (17), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]’s (14-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Latifi was unsuccessful in his UFC heavyweight debut.
Preliminary card
Trevin Giles
Giles (12-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 2-2 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017.
Krause (27-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has suffered three of his four UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.
[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in her career.
Lee has suffered both of her UFC losses by split decision.
[autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Austin Lingo[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his seven-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 247 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.
HOUSTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 247 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.
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 247 took place at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The full UFC 247 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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:
Before they were matched up for UFC 247, Miles Johns had his eye on opponent Mario Bautista.
HOUSTON –  [autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag] is vigilant about assessing the competition in the UFC bantamweight division.
For example, when UFC 247 opponent Mario Bautista’s name slid across his desk, Johns (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) claims he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. In an interview with MMA Junkie on Wednesday, Johns revealed Bautista (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was actually on his short list of fighters he wanted to face in his sophomore UFC outing.
“I actually told a couple people this was the fight I wanted after I saw his Jin (Soo) Son fight,” Johns said. “He had an excellent fight – a ‘fight of the night’. He’s a really exciting fighter and just takes the fight everywhere. That’s the type of fight I want. I want to get my name out there. I want to fight the best guys and up-and-coming prospects, so when I get to the top ranks, I’m ready and prepared. I was happy to get this matchup.”
At UFC on ESPN+ 16 in September, Johns made his promotional debut against fellow undefeated debutant Cole Smith. The fight was closely contested and went to the judges’ scorecards, but Johns received the nod. Now, with a UFC fight under his belt, Johns feels a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
“It feels great,” Johns said. “I feel a lot more relaxed this time. The fact that it’s in the UFC isn’t really in my head as much. It just feels like another fight. I’m feeling a lot more experienced after one fight. It’s good. I think it’s everything. I think it’s mental and physical.”
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As for the fight Saturday, Johns is gunning for a dominant performance. Taking his opponent’s toughness into consideration however, Johns won’t be surprised if Bautista hangs tough.
“Of course I want to get a ‘Performance of the Night,'” Johns said. “That’s always a goal and I do see holes in his game, but I just loved his grit. I love how he just tried to take the fight from Jin (Soo) Son. Like I said, I see holes in his game and I’m going to expose those holes. I’m looking for a good fight.”
UFC 247 takes place, Saturday at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Check out MMA Junkie’s full UFC 247 pre-fight interview with Miles Johns in the video above.
Check out the official lineup and broadcast plans for UFC 247, which takes place Feb. 8 in Houston.
UFC 247 will feature a championship double-header as two of the promotion’s most dominant champions get top billing.
UFC 247 takes place Feb. 8 at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
The main event features UFC light heavyweight champ [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) putting his title on the line against yet another young and hungry contender in undefeated [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).
In the co-main event, UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will attempt to make her third title defense, when she faces [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC).
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The card also will feature [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]’s heavyweight debut vs. the “Black Beast” [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag], a matchup between featherweight prospects in [autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag] and [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag], and bantamweights [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] and [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag], who look to break into 135-pound title contention.
The full UFC 247 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes – for light heavyweight title
Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Katlyn Chookagian – for women’s flyweight title
[autotag]Juan Adams[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]
Mirsad Bektic vs. Dan Ige
Ilir Latifi vs. Derrick Lewis
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Vera
[autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]
[autotag]Dhiego Lima[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]
[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag]
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)
[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]
[autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag]
[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]
