Tag: Mohammed Usman

UFC on ESPN 40 post-event facts: Sam Alvey’s winless skid sets all-time record

UFC on ESPN 40 was a historic card with all finishes, but Sam Alvey left with a dubious record attached to his name.

UFC opened its August schedule in historic fashion on Saturday. UFC on ESPN 40 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas featured a finish in all 10 fights.

The main event needed the additional rounds, however, because [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) battled with [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in the fourth frame before securing a TKO stoppage that continued to his rise in the light heavyweight division.

For more on the numbers behind the record-setting event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 40.

UFC on ESPN 40 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jamahal Hill nets $6k for main event

UFC on ESPN 40 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 40 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $140,000.

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

The full UFC on ESPN 40 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zac Pauga[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brogan Walker[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Miranda Granger[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/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 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 $42,000 while title challengers get $40,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-40 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,393,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $11,560,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

[listicle id=613662]

UFC on ESPN 40 results: Mohammed Usman violently starches Zac Pauga to become ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman looked on as his brother scored a knockout for the highlight reel.

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] is “The Ultimate Fighter, Season 30” heavyweight winner, a title he clinched with a bludgeoning of Zac Pauga at UFC on ESPN 40.

Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Usman (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) knocked out Pauga (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a violent left hand. The single conscious-snatching blow sent Pauga to the canvas, star-fished and knocked out. Usman followed it up with a nail in the coffin, a massive diving follow-up punch that further sealed the deal at 0:36 of Round 2.

With the victory, Usman won the heavyweight bracket of “TUF 30.” He defeated Mitchell Sipe and Eduardo Perez via decisions in exhibition fights during the taping of the reality series. He is now 5-1 in his most recent six amateur bouts. He earned himself a six-figure UFC contract with the win.

Usman, 33, is the younger brother of UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], who was in his corner Saturday and joined him in the cage after his victory.

The Usman brothers became the first siblings to win TUF.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

[listicle id=613662]

[vertical-gallery id=2569115]

[vertical-gallery id=2569126]

UFC on ESPN 40 predictions: Santos or Hill? And who will be next ‘TUF’ winners?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 40 main card, which includes two “Ultimate Fighter” finals.

Santos
vs.
Hill		 Luque
vs.
Neal		 Pauga
vs.
Usman		 Miller
vs.
Walker		 Sakai
vs.
Spivac		 Cachoeira
vs.
Lipski
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
127-74		 hill2022
Hill
(77%)		 luque2022
Luque
(86%)		 pauga2022
Pauga
(56%)		 walker2022
Walker
(57%)		 spivac2022
Spivac
(78%)		 lipski2022
Lipski
(73%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
136-70
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 hill2022
Hill		 luque2022
Luque		 pauga2022
Pauga		 miller2022
Miller		 spivac2022
Spivac		 cachoeira2022
Cachoeira
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
132-74
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 hill2022
Hill		 luque2022
Luque		 pauga2022
Pauga		 miller2022
Miller		 spivac2022
Spivac		 lipski2022
Lipski
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
132-74		 hill2022
Hill		 luque2022
Luque		 usman2022
Usman		 walker2022
Walker		 spivac2022
Spivac		 lipski2022
Lipski
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
128-78		 hill2022
Hill		 neal2022
Neal		 usman2022
Usman		 miller2022
Miller		 spivac2022
Spivac		 lipski2022
Lipski
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
127-79		 hill2022
Hill		 neal2022
Neal		 pauga2022
Pauga		 walker2022
Walker		 sakai2022
Sakai		 lipski2022
Lipski
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
126-80		 santos2022
Santos		 luque2022
Luque		 usman2022
Usman		 miller2022
Miller		 spivac2022
Spivac		 lipski2022
Lipski
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
125-81		 hill2022
Hill		 luque2022
Luque		 pauga2022
Pauga		 walker2022
Walker		 spivac2022
Spivac		 lipski2022
Lipski
Nolan King
@mma_kings
123-83		 santos2022
Santos		 luque2022
Luque		 pauga2022
Pauga		 miller2022
Miller		 sakai2022
Sakai		 lipski2022
Lipski
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
121-85
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 hill2022
Hill		 luque2022
Luque		 pauga2022
Pauga		 walker2022
Walker		 spivac2022
Spivac		 cachoeira2022
Cachoeira
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
114-92		 hill2022
Hill		 luque2022
Luque		 usman2022
Usman		 walker2022
Walker		 sakai2022
Sakai		 cachoeira2022
Cachoeira
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
101-105		 hill2022
Hill		 luque2022
Luque		 pauga2022
Pauga		 walker2022
Walker		 sakai2022
Sakai		 lipski2022
Lipski

The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week with a key light heavyweight bout, plus a pair of finals for Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

UFC on ESPN 40 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-10 MMA, 14-9 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC). Hill is a big -340 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Santos is +250. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers largely are taking Hill with a big 9-2 picks lead.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 14-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at welterweight. Luque is a 2-1 favorite at the betting window and like Hill has a 9-2 lead from our pickers.

In the heavyweight final of Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” [autotag]Zac Pauga[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), the brother of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Pauga is the biggest favorite on the main card at -290, but he has just a 7-4 lead in the picks.

In the “TUF 30” women’s flyweight final, it’s a close fight at the sportsbook between [autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag] (2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and [autotag]Brogan Walker[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Miller is a slight favorite at -125, but Walker has a 6-5 picks edge.

[autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag] (15-4-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on -280 favorite [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at heavyweight. But despite the big odds in Spivac’s favor, he has just a 7-4 picks lead.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) meets [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 3-4 UFC) in a women’s flyweight bout. Lipski nearly is a 2-1 favorite and has an 8-3 lead from our staff members.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Hill (77 percent), Luque (86 percent), Pauga (56 percent), Walker (57 percent), Spivac (78 percent) and Lipski (73 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

[vertical-gallery id=2568796]

[listicle id=2568124]

[listicle id=2568350]

Mohammed Usman loves comparisons with brother Kamaru ahead of UFC on ESPN 40

Mohammed Usman doesn’t mind regularly being linked to his brother, UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman. In fact, he loves it.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] doesn’t mind regularly being linked to his brother Kamaru. In fact, he loves it.

Usman (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is the younger brother of UFC welterweight champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], something that the Season 30 “Ultimate Fighter” finalist is very proud of.

“I love it,” Usman told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 40 media day. “He’s an Usman. It’s our last name. I’m here because of my brother for the aspect of he started fighting before me.”

Make no mistake about it though, Usman says his brother’s name and success  didn’t grant him any undeserved opportunities or an easier path than the rest of the fighters. Usman has experience competing for Titan FC and PFL and now finds himself in the “TUF 30” heavyweight final against Zac Pauga (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), which takes place Saturday at UFC on ESPN 40.

“I had to put the work in to get here,” Usman said. “Fighting is fighting. It’s not, ‘Oh, Kamaru’s your brother. Now let’s just push you up here. You’re in the “Ultimate Fighter” finale. , you don’t have to fight these two hard monsters that are coming in at 265 pounds to be here. We’ll just put you here because your brother is Kamaru Usman.’

“That’s false. Everything about fighting is yourself. That’s why I love it so much, because as much as people speak about my brother, that’s why I love it because I’m still the one that has to go out there and compete and have to fight and have to win for you guys to even be up here and talk crap to me and tell me about my brother. If I don’t win, I’m not even getting up here and looking at you guys.”

UFC on ESPN 40 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

[listicle id=2568350]

Zac Pauga expected to face Mohammed Usman in ‘TUF’ final: ‘He knows I’m better than him’

Zac Pauga and Mohammed Usman had history before joining the UFC’s Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Zac Pauga[/autotag] and [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] had history before joining Season 30 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

The pair will battle for the “TUF 30” heavyweight crown on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 40 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

Pauga (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) says he and Usman (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) trained together prior to the show, so he wasn’t surprised to see him make the final. However, Pauga is confident that he’ll get the better of him when they fight.

“I know Mohammed really well, actually,” Pauga told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 40 media day. “We trained together for two years before the show and we’re on the same team on the show. He’s super explosive and he’s super strong, and so at heavyweight, he has what every heavyweight has. He can put your lights out at any second.

“I knew this is what the finals were going to be. Day 1, when we both got accepted to the show, I knew this is what it was going to be unless they made us fight each other on the show. And the knowledge favors me, in my opinion, because I know how fast he is, I know how strong he is, and that’s what he brings to the game. He knows I’m better than him, and there’s nothing he can do about that.”

All of Pauga’s fights prior to “TUF 30” were at light heavyweight, so he doesn’t see heavyweight in his foreseeable future. But if he wins the show, he plans on taking out specific heavyweights before making the move back down.

“There’s a lot of heavyweights that were signed during COVID that I’d really like to beat up and I don’t think are very good,” Pauga said. “But when I say that I want to be the UFC champion, I mean the light heavyweight champion.

“I’ll tell you their names right now: Parker Porter, Jake Collier. They got lucky that they had the fights when COVID was going and they just needed anyone who could show up and fight. And after I beat Mohammed, I would love to come in and beat those guys, too.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

[listicle id=2568350]

2021 PFL 3 video highlights: Controversy, dominance, upset rule wild night

Reacap the action from PFL 3, where Fabricio Werdum lost in controversial fashion, while Kayla Harrison picked up where she left off in 2019.

The PFL was back in action Thursday, and what a wild night of twists and turns it was – except for one defending champion picking up right where she left off.

In the main event, former UFC champ [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (24-10-1) made his promotional debut, which ended with a TKO loss to [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (7-2) in controversial fashion after video replays showed referee Keith Peterson missed Ferreira tapping out while in a triangle choke. In the co-headliner, 2019 PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (9-0) needed only 83 seconds to take out [autotag]Mariana Morais[/autotag] (16-11). The night also featured a surprise upset for [autotag]Brandon Sayles[/autotag] (6-1), who choked out [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] (7-2) in the second round.

Check out the highlights from 2021 PFL 3, which featured fights in the heavyweight and women’s lightweight divisions, in the video above.

[vertical-gallery id=608740]

[vertical-gallery id=608714]

2021 PFL 3 video: Brandon Sayles chokes Mohammed Usman out cold in upset

From a betting perspective, Brandon Sayles wasn’t expected to be in the game against Mohammed Usman.

From a betting perspective, [autotag]Brandon Sayles[/autotag] wasn’t expected to be in the game against [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag].

But after a competitive first round against the UFC welterweight champion’s brother, Sayles (6-1) choked Usman (7-2) unconscious after a second knockdown in the second at 2021 PFL 3 in Atlantic City, N.J. Usman was as much as a 6-1 favorite in the fight.

Sayles and Usman beat on each other for the first five minutes, trading punches and kicks, and neither fighter seemed to really stun the other.

Midway through the second, Sayles dropped Usman and tried to put him away on the canvas. Somehow, Usman got back to his feet, only to find himself in a standing guillotine choke. Usman got out of that and tried to regain his composure on the feet. But once again, Sayles put him on the canvas with a punch.

There, Sayles went after ground-and-pound a second time, then locked in a rear-naked choke. Usman tried to fight it, but it wasn’t long before he was out cold.

“You shouldn’t just assume something just because of a last name,” Sayles said. “I’m here to show what hard work over skill will sometimes get you.”

Check out Sayles’ finish of Usman below.

[vertical-gallery id=608564]

2021 PFL 3 predictions: Four unanimous picks on the main card

Check out our staff members’ picks for the 2021 PFL 3 main card, which includes Fabricio Werdum and Kayla Harrison.

Werdum
vs.
Ferreira		 Harrison
vs.
Morais		 Sayles
vs.
Usman		 Pacheco
vs.
Pajic
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 57-36		 werdum2021
Werdum
(75%)		 harrison2021
Harrison
(94%)		 usman2021
Usman
(82%)		 pajic2021
Pajic
(55%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 61-32		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 59-34
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 58-35		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 56-37		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 56-37		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 55-38
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 55-38		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 54-39		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 54-39
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 53-40
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 51-42		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 50-43		 werdum2021
Werdum		 harrison2021
Harrison		 usman2021
Usman		 pacheco2021
Pacheco
BetMGM
Betting Favorites		 werdum2021
Werdum -250		 harrison2021
Harrison -2000		 usman2021
Usman -375		 pacheco2021
Pacheco -500

The PFL is back for its third event of the 2021 regular season with heavyweights and women’s lightweights on the docket.

2021 PFL 3 takes place Thursday at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (24-9-1) makes his PFL debut against [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (6-2). Werdum is the favorite at -250 at BetMGM, and he’s one of four unanimous picks on the main card from our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, 2019 women’s lightweight season winner [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (8-0) is back to go after her second $1 million prize. She’s the biggest favorite on the card by far – and biggest favorite we’ve seen in this space all year – against [autotag]Mariana Morais[/autotag] (16-10) at -2000. Not surprisingly, she’s a unanimous pick from our staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] (7-1), the younger brother of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, takes his first step toward the $1 million heavyweight season prize when he takes on [autotag]Brandon Sayles[/autotag] (5-1). Usman is a -375 favorite and our third unanimous pick.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-4) takes on [autotag]Julija Pajic[/autotag] (3-0) in the women’s lightweight regular season. Pacheco is a 5-1 favorite and a 12-0 pick – though our readers are taking Pajic in an upset at a 55 percent clip.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Werdum (75 percent), Harrison (94 percent), Usman (82 percent) and Pajic (55 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

[listicle id=587389]

[vertical-gallery id=608190]