Tag: Misha Cirkunov

The 12 UFC fighters tested most by USADA in 2022

By far, nobody was disrupted by USADA in 2022 more than former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka.

The UFC’s partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Agency is nearing its eighth year.

In 2022, USADA tested a total of 755 mixed martial artists a combined 4,183 times. While many athletes were randomly tested less than 10 times, some were tested two dozen – and some others, even more. The totals represented 76 fewer tests and 11 more athletes than in 2021.

With testing data available on USADA’s official website, here are the 12 fighters who were tested the most from Jan. 1 to Dec. 29, 2022.

Note: There may have been additional data from Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 that has not yet been updated in the USADA database.

UFC parts ways with 12 fighters including Krzysztof Jotko, Misha Cirkunov, more

A dozen fighters are no longer on the UFC roster after a series of releases, retirements, and contract completions.

The UFC roster has been trimmed as a dozen fighters have parted ways with the promotion in the past three days.

While many of the departures were that of fighters who were two or three fights into their promotional tenure, two athletes with double digits in the promotion were among those to split.

News of the departures were first reported by algorithm-based Twitter account, UFC Roster Watch, which monitors the rankings-eligibility of the promotion’s roster.

Scroll below to read about the 12 fighters who are now free agents after leaving the UFC. The designation of each athlete’s departure, whether it be a release, a completion of contract, or a retirement, is unknown unless noted otherwise.

Alonzo Menifield was genuinely concerned for Misha Cirkunov after brutal UFC Fight Night 212 knockout

Following a brutal knockout at UFC Fight Night 212, Alonzo Menifield was concerned during its aftermath as Misha Cirkunov struggled.

LAS VEGAS – A knockout was his goal, but that doesn’t mean [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] felt comfortable once he pulled it off.

At UFC Fight Night 212, Menifield (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) brutally knocked out [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) with a series of punches. The stoppage came 68 seconds into the bout.

“The feeling was great, but I was concerned about him,” Menifield told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “You hear him huffing and puffing, ‘Ahh … ahh.’ I’m looking, like, ‘OK, he’s not getting up.’ I was concerned. He got up, so I was able to enjoy fully that feeling.”

Menifield, 34, said he has nothing but respect for Cirkunov, who fell to 0-4 in his most recent four appearances. Health and wellbeing is paramount, Menifield emphasized.

“Misha, overall, is a great opponent as far as being in the sport,” Menifield said. “Any time you’ve got two warriors in there and one of them don’t get up, you should get concerned. I know I would. At the same time, this is the fight game. When he got up, yeah, I was relieved.”

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After the fight, Menifield elected to leave Cirkunov alone and let him regain his bearings. There was no sense in having a conversation that wouldn’t be remembered, Menifield said.

“He’s got to come to it, so as far as saying anything to him, it wouldn’t matter,” Menifield said. “If I can relay this message to him: Great fight. You caught me, man. I really had to dig deep and pull that out.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

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UFC Fight Night 212 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Main event nets $12k total

UFC Fight Night 212 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 212 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $151,500.

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

The full UFC Fight Night 212 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mana Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Davis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Nick Maximov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Alexander[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Pete Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mike Jackson[/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 2127 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2121 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 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,642,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $12,810,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

UFC Fight Night 212 video: Alonzo Menifield knocks Misha Cirkunov out cold in first

Alonzo Menifield didn’t need much time to end the UFC Fight Night 212 main card opener.

LAS VEGAS – The lone light heavyweight bout on Saturday’s card had an early finish written all over it and delivered on that promise.

Opening the main card of UFC Fight Night 212 at the UFC Apex was [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] taking on [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag], who was returning to the division after a stint at middleweight. The bout aired on ESPN+.

Menifield (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) changed camps for this fight and walked out with one man in his corner, former UFC fighter Pat Barry. Always known to carry explosive power, Menifield was able to put the finishing touches on Cirkunov (15-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) just 1:30 into the opening round.

It was a devastating knockout that left Cirkunov laying on the canvas for a few moments after the referee stepped in to stop Menifield from landing any more punches.

Check out video from the aftermath of the knockout below (via Twitter):

With the win, Menifield makes it two in a row, entering on the heels of a first-round finish of Askar Mozharov in June. The hard-hitting light heavyweight now has 6 wins under the UFC banner, only one of which made it to the judges’ scorecards.

On the other side, Cirkunov has dropped four straight bouts. His two previous appearances were unsuccessful experiments in the middleweight division.

Up-to-the-minute results of UFC Fight Night 212 include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

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UFC Fight Night 212 predictions: Is anyone taking Viviane Araujo over Alexa Grasso?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 212 main card in Las Vegas, which features Alexa Grasso vs. Viviane Araujo.

Grasso
vs.
Araujo		 Martinez
vs.
Swanson		 Todorovic
vs.
Wright		 Assuncao
vs.
Wright		 Cirkunov
vs.
Menifield
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
161-96		 grasso2022
Grasso
(78%)		 swanson2022
Swanson
(55%)		 todorovic2022
Todorovic
(61%)		 henry2022
Henry
(63%)		 menifield2022
Menifield
(75%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
171-91
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 grasso2022
Grasso		 martinez2022
Martinez		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
167-95		 grasso2022
Grasso		 martinez2022
Martinez		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 cirkunov2022
Cirkunov
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
165-97
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
164-98		 grasso2022
Grasso		 martinez2022
Martinez		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
163-99		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
161-101		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 wright2022
Wright		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 cirkunov2022
Cirkunov
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
161-101		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 wright2022
Wright		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield
Nolan King
@mma_kings
155-107		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
154-108
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 henry2022
Henry		 menifield2022
Menifield
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
146-116		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 wright2022
Wright		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
128-133		 grasso2022
Grasso		 swanson2022
Swanson		 todorovic2022
Todorovic		 assuncao2022
Assuncao		 menifield2022
Menifield

The stays on its home turf after an off week, and a pair of women’s flyweight contenders are atop the bill.

UFC Fight Night 212 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at 125 pounds. Grasso is a -240 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Araujo is +180. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Grasso as our lone unanimous picks on the main card at 11-0.

The co-main event features [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) against [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] (28-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) at bantamweight in Swanson’s move to the division after spending the bulk of his career, including the past nearly 15 years, at featherweight. Martinez is more than a 2-1 favorite, but most of our pickers are bucking the odds and have Swanson with a big 8-3 lead.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at middleweight. Todorovic is more than a 2-1 favorite and has an 8-3 picks lead.

[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is the event’s second biggest underdog in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who is a -420 favorite. But Henry has just a 6-5 lead from our staff members.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at light heavyweight. Menifield is a -220 favorite and has a blowout in the picks at 9-2.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Grasso (78 percent), Swanson (55 percent), Todorovic (61 percent), Henry (63 percent) and Menifield (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

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UFC Fight Night 212’s Misha Cirkunov explains why he’s done with middleweight experiment

No more weight cuts to 185 pounds for Misha Cirkunov.

LAS VEGAS – UFC light heavyweight [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag] will not be making any more appearances in the middleweight division.

In his two previous fights, Cirkunov (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) decided to make a change in his fighting career and try his hand at middleweight. Now, back at 205 pounds to face Alonzo Menifield at UFC Fight Night 212 at UFC Apex, Cirkunov admits the weight cut hindered his performance.

“Yeah, 185, I know I can make it, it’s just I didn’t have enough energy there,” Cirkunov told reporters including MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s media day. “When I was getting in certain positions, I couldn’t implement certain of my strength. I felt like I didn’t have enough strength in me, and that was due to just like, massive weight cut. This time I feel like I have energy, and can put energy into implementing those positions and looking to finish.”

Cirkunov lost both bouts at middleweight; a split decision loss to Krzysztof Jotko last October and a submission loss to Wellington Turman in February.

“I just think it’s a little too much of a cut,” Cirkunov said. “It’s one thing to make the weight, but it’s another to perform at the highest stage at that weight. It was not for me, you know? But I had to try it because otherwise, I would never know.”

On Saturday, Cirkunov will step back into the cage closer to his natural weight to face the hard-hitting Menifield (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), who is coming off a first-round finish of Askar Mozharov in June.

During his UFC career, Cirkunov has racked up four first-round finishes, tapping Jimmy Crute, Patrick Cummins, Nikita Krylov, and pounding out Daniel Jolly. Cirkunov believes that his finishing ability combined with Menifield’s could create fireworks early.

“This is one of those fights that could be an explosive first round, and then we’ll see.” Cirkunov said. “It’s definitely going to be a very rough first round, and then we’ll see how it’s going to go from there.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

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Alonzo Menifield only sees a finish against Misha Cirkunov: ‘I’m coming with fire’

Alonzo Menifield is expecting a firefight with Misha Cirkunov at UFC Fight Night 212 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] is expecting a firefight with [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag].

Winner of three of his past four, Menifield (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) faces Cirkunov (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 212 main card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

A proven finisher who’s only gone the distance once in 12 professional wins, Menifield is expecting another stoppage.

“He’s a tough guy,” Menifield told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC Fight Night 212 media day. “(The) only way to do this is finish him. … I don’t know (how) – it depends on him. But I’m coming with fire.”

Menifield, who trains out of Fortis MMA, changed things up for this training camp.

“(I’ve) been training in the mountains with high elevation, just trying to keep it going,” Menifield said. “(I’m) just working on that endurance, cardiovascular so I could just be more myself in there.”

Watch the video of Menifield’s complete pre-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (June 13-19)

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 June 13-19.

UFC Fight Night 202 video: Wellington Turman submits Misha Cirkunov out of nowhere

Wellington Turman surprised Misha Cirkunov with a slick armbar in the UFC Fight Night 202 co-main event.

[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] secured the most notable victory of his career thus far Saturday when he tapped [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag] in the UFC Fight Night 202 co-main event.

Turman (18-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) kept Cirkunov (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) out of the wins column in the middleweight division when he scored a submission victory in their bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The Brazilian overcame some rough moments but pulled out a slick armbar from his back at the 1:29 mark of Round 2 to secure back-to-back victories under the UFC banner for the first time.

Cirkunov game out of the gat throwing hard punches. Turman slipped his way inside to the hips and transitioned around to take Cirkunov’s back from a standing position inside the first minute. Cirkunov did his best to remain composed, as Turman slipped his forearm under the neck. It looked like Cirkunov was done, but then he spun Turman off of him and pounded away with big punches from on top. He nearly locked in a north-south choke, but Turman survived and opted to take shots instead for the remainder of the round.

Turman looked fatigued to start the second round, and Cirkunov tried to take advantage by putting on pressure and shooting for the takedown. That move was his undoing, however, because Turman quickly threw his legs up for the armbar and forced Cirkunov to tap out in the blink of an eye.

The 25-year-old appears to be turning a corner now in his UFC career. He lost three of four octagon appearances to begin his tenure with the organization, but has now reeled off consecutive wins over Cirkunov and Sam Alvey.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 202 results include:

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