Tag: Muslim Salikhov

Muslim Salikhov wants to try that kung fu wheel kick on karate wiz ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson after UFC Macau

No stranger to highlight-reel finishes, Muslim Salikhov added another to his resume Saturday.

No stranger to highlight-reel finishes, [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] added another to his resume Saturday.

Then he made a callout that makes so much sense, particularly in an age of jumping lines for fights based on tweets or other non-sporting reasons, that if it doesn’t come to fruition fans ought be truly disappointed.

After his bonus-winning wheel-kick knockout of Song Kenan (22-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC), Salikhov (20-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) called out Stephen Thompson for a fight – preferably soon, too.

“I’m just starting to understand what’s going on here (in the UFC),” Salikhov told the UFC after his win on the main card at UFC Fight Night 248 in Macau. “I want to show people who’s the real king of kung fu. I’m ready to fight before Ramadan if it’s a top guy. ‘Wonderboy’ (Thompson would be his) karate vs. kung fu. We’re both old fighters, but still good – good strikers. I want to try this. I hope he’s going to be interested in this, too. Let’s do it.”

Thompson (17-8-1 MMA, 12-8-1 UFC) will turn 42 in February, and soon after that will hit about eight years since his second welterweight title loss to Tyron Woodley in March 2017. That majority decision setback was a rematch after a majority draw four months prior.

But since then, Thompson has gone just 4-6 and has dropped four of his past five.

Salikhov also had a bonus-winning spinning wheel kick finish of Andre Fialho in 2022, so this latest one put him back on the map as a highlight-reel contender. Given he’s 40, he’d prefer to get things rolling sooner rather than later, particularly given his observance of Ramadan near the second quarter of 2025 will impede his training and ability to take a fight.

But he knows he’ll be working that same kick that got Kenan and Fialho no matter what and the opportunity to use it against famed karate striker Thompson could be a unique fight for the UFC – one without any real title implications, but one that would be your favorite fighter’s favorite fight.

“Believe me – if I have more fights, I’m going to have more knockouts with this kick,” Salikhov said. “I know everyone expects this kick and everyone’s waiting for it. But it’s so fast, and I can finish anyone with it. … All my life, 30 years, I still do 100 kicks (training that one).”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.

UFC Fight Night 248 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Deiveson Figueiredo’s $16,000 leads way

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out $30 million to athletes since its deal began with Venum.

MACAU – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 248 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $160,000.

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 Fight Night 248 took place at Galaxy Arena. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 248 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Gabriella Fernandes[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Wang Cong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ozzy Diaz[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Su Young You[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Balgyn Jenisuly[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Dong Hoon Choi[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kiru Sahota[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ming Shi[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Xiaocan Feng[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Nyamjargal Tumendemberel[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Lone’er Kavanagh[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Ochoa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Xiao Long[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Quang Le[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Hayisaer Maheshate[/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 2481 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: $7,703,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $30,440,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.

UFC Fight Night 248 video: Muslim Salikhov KOs Song Kenan with spinning wheel kick

Muslim Salikhov became the first in UFC history to have multiple spinning wheel kick knockouts with his finish at UFC Macau.

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] landed his signature strike to knock out [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 248

Salikhov (21-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC), “The King of Kung Fu,” lived up to his nickname Saturday when he uncorked his trademark spinning wheel kick to the head of Kenan (17-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC), who went down in a heap at the 3:49 mark of Round 1 in the welterweight bout at Galaxy Arena in Macau.

The kick Salikhov threw has been seen many times throughout his octagon tenure, but it has never landed so clean. He is the first fighter in UFC history to land multiple knockout finishes in the octagon with the technique.

Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):

Salikhov made much of his career before joining the UFC in China, and he was thrilled to return to familiar territory, and said that at 40, he’s still dangerous.

“I always have this kick in my pocket, but never expect that I will finish the fight with something (like it),” Salikhov said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Every one of my kicks is dangerous.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.

Muslim Salikhov vs. Song Kenan prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 248

Welterweight veterans Muslim Salikhov and Song Kenan look to keep their successful momentum going. Will the judges be needed?

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] and [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 248 main card at Galaxy Arena in Macau. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 4-1
UFC main cards, 2024: 99-90-3

Muslim Salikhov vs. Song Kenan UFC Fight Night 248 preview

Salikhov (20-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going after a split decision win over Santiago Ponzinibbio in July. The 40-year-old Russian fighter is 1-1 in 2024, with his first fight of the year being a knockout loss to Randy Brown in February. … Song (22-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) also enters on the heels of victory. In his first appearance of 2024, Song, 34, won a unanimous decision over Ricky Glenn, which was a successful rebound from a decision loss to Kevin Jousset last December.

Muslim Salikhov vs. Song Kenan UFC Fight Night 248 expert pick, prediction

Serving as a solid offering at welterweight is a potential striker’s delight between veterans Salikhov and Song.

Despite Song being live in any fight that’s taking place on the feet, I suspect that he’s going to give Salikhov the exact fight he wants from a stylistic perspective.

Unless Song can show some new gears by pressuring Salikhov or extending exchanges, then don’t be surprised to see “The King of Kung Fu” eventually find his mark on the Chinese fighter.

Salikhov is clearly a post-prime fighter at this point of his career, but his craft and power remain firmly intact as the more skilled and experience striker.

The pick is Salikhov to spark off a stoppage via strikes off a spinning side kick in Round 2.

Muslim Salikhov vs. Song Kenan UFC Fight Night 248 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Russian fighter, listing Salikhov -196 and Song +152 via FanDuel.

Muslim Salikhov vs. Song Kenan UFC Fight Night 248 start time, how to watch

As the co-main event, Salikhov and Song are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:40 a.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.

UFC Fight Night 248: Song Kenan vs. Muslim Salikhov odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 248 odds between Song Kenan and Muslim Salikhov, with MMA picks and predictions.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”4141″ ]

In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Song Kenan and Muslim Salikhov battle at UFC Fight Night 248 Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Cotai, Macau. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 248: Song vs. Salikhov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 3 a.m. ET, with the main card beginning at 6 a.m. ET. All events can be viewed or streamed on ESPN+.

Records: Song (22-8-0) | Salikhov (20-5-0)

Song takes the walk to the octagon with a 1.5-inch reach advantage, and he’ll likely have a pro-China crowd on his side in nearby Macau, too. He holds a 4.57-to-3.32 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, although the veteran Salikhov is a lot more accurate on those strikes at 52.86%. He is also better in the takedown average department, posting a 1.12 mark, to just 0.43 for Song.

Kenan has needed the judges in each of his past 3 fights, winning 2 of those outings, including a unanimous-decision win over Ricky Glenn at UFC 305. For Salikhov, he picked up a split-decision win over Santiago Ponzinibbio last time out in mid-July, halting a 2-bout skid.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 248: Song vs. Salikhov odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list UFC odds. Lines last updated Friday at 10:50 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Song +156 (bet $100 to win $156) | Salikhov -186 (bet $186 to win $100)
  • Total rounds: 2.5 Rounds (Over -164 | Under +128)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -132 | No +104)

[gambcom-standard rankid=”4132″ ]

UFC Fight Night 248: Song vs. Salikhov picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Salikhov (-186) is just a little too expensive to play straight up. The 40-year-old veteran, a.k.a. the “King of Kung Fu,” has seen it all in his illustrious career. He won’t be fazed by what is expected to be a pro-Song crowd.

While, yes, Salikhov is 2-3 in his past 5 fights, he has fought some of the top fighters in the division, and he had a KO/TKO of Andre Fialho Nov. 2022 during the 5-bout span.

Song (+156) has ended up going the distance in each of his past 3 fights, and he hasn’t fought the same type of top-tier welterweights that Salikhov has faced, nor does he have nearly the same experience.

BACK SALIKHOV BY POINTS (+185) for the chance to nearly double up.

Over/Under (O/U)

Over 2.5 Rounds (-164) is a little more pricey, but you couldn’t be blamed for playing it if you want a little wiggle room in the even of a late finish in Round 3.

Still, the preferred play is simply going YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (-132) at a much more economical price. With Song going to the judges in each of the past 3 fights, this could be the best play on the board.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”6305″ ]

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2559]

Muslim Salikhov plans to do future camps in Denver after UFC win vs. Ponzinibbio

Muslim Salikhov beat Santiago Ponzinibbio with a split decision Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 59 co-main event at Ball Arena in Denver. Take a look inside the fight with Salikhov, who got back in the win column after back-to-back losses.

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] beat Santiago Ponzinibbio with a split decision Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 59 co-main event at Ball Arena in Denver.

Take a look inside the fight with Salikhov, who got back in the win column after back-to-back losses.

UFC on ESPN 59 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $4 million

The UFC has now issued more than $4 million in Promotional Guidelines Compliance to its fighters in 2024 after UFC Denver.

DENVER – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 59 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $180,500.

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 59 took place at Ball Arena in Colorado. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 59 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Gabriel Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ange Loosa[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag]: $11,000
vs. [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Fatima Kline[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Da’Mon Blackshear[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Luana Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Josh Fremd[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Evan Elder[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Darrius Flowers[/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 $31,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-59 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,129,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,866,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.

UFC on ESPN 59 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

UFC on ESPN 59 results: Muslim Salikhov gets split call over stunned Santiago Ponzinibbio

Muslim Salikhov’s biggest career win came shortly after his 40th birthday with a split decision over Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC on ESPN 59.

The biggest win of [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]’s career came just weeks after his 40th birthday in the form of a triumph over [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 59 co-main event.

Salikhov (20-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) avoided the first three-fight losing skid of his career and got back on the winning track Saturday with a split decision victory over Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) in their welterweight clash at Ball Arena in Denver.

[lawrence-related id=2755614]

The “King of Kung Fu” used striking to his advantage once again for 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 scores after going toe-to-toe for the majority of three rounds and edging out the exchanges in the eyes of the judges.

Avoiding the pressure of Ponzinibbio was key for Salikhov. He used footwork and movement to create angles against his oncoming opponent and uncorked some of his trademark spinning attacks when the opportunities presented themselves.

Ponzinibbio attempted takedowns at various points, but Salikhov was able to avoid any damage and get the nod in the end.

“Ponzinibbio is very experienced guy,” Salikhov said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “I respect him a lot, but today, I had the best team, the best gameplan and I followed it. That’s why this happened. It was not easy, but it’s OK. I got the win.”

With the win, Salikhov has his hand raised for the first time since November 2022. Ponzinibbio, meanwhile, drops to 2-5 in his past seven fights since January 2021, which marked his return to competition from a multiyear layoff due to health issues.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 59 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.

Muslim Salikhov def. Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC on ESPN 59: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Muslim Salikhov’s split decision win over Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC on ESPN 59.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 59 at Ball Arena in Denver. (Fight and venue photos by Ron Chenoy, USA Today Sports)

UFC on ESPN 59: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 59 odds between Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov, with MMA picks and predictions.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Muslim Salikhov meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 59 at Ball Arena in Denver. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 59: Ponzinibbio vs. Salikhov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin 7 p.m. ET, also on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, also on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Ponzinibbio (30-7-0) | Salikhov (19-5-0)

Ponzinibbio suffered a 3rd-round KO/TKO loss to Kevin Holland at UFC 287 in his most recent appearance. His previous 2 fights have ended via knockout, although 3 of his 5 bouts have gone the distance. He did top Alex Morono via KO/TKO at UFC 282 Dec. 10, 2022 for his most recent win.

Salikhov has consecutive losses to Randy Brown and Nicolas Dalby, with his last win coming via KO/TKO in Round 3 against Andre Fialho Nov. 19, 2022. He is in the midst of a 1-3 skid across his past 4 fights, with just one of those bouts going the distance.

The Argentine fighter has a 3-inch reach advantage over Salikhov, and the latter is 3 years older at 40. Ponzinibbio has a 4.90-to-3.36 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, while the Russian is much more accurate on those strikes at 53.94% to 42.53%.

Salikhov also does great work getting fighters to the ground, which can wow the judges should it come to that. He has a 1.27 takedown average, and 40.91% takedown accuracy percentage, while Ponzinibbio barely scratches the surface at 0.48 and 30.0% respectively.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC on ESPN 59: Ponzinibbio vs. Salikhov odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Ponzinibbio -185 (bet $185 to win $100) | Salikhov +150 (bet $100 to win $150)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -105 | Under -125)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +120 | No -160)

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]

UFC on ESPN 59: Ponzinibbio vs. Salikhov picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Ponzinibbio (-190) will cost you nearly 2 times your potential return on a straight-up wager, and that’s a little too risky on a fighter which has won just once in the past 4 outings since June 5, 2021.

Salikhov (+150) is in the same boat, however, as he has dropped 3 of his past 4 fights, too.

Salikhov has been knocked out in 2 of his past 4 fights, and that’s worth pursuing further. PONZINIBBIO BY KO/TKO OR DQ (+175) on the 7-way line is a solid value given Salikhov’s recent lack of defense.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-125) is the play in this lead-up to the main event.

We’re calling for Ponzinibbio to the get KO/TKO, and it will likely come in Rounds 1 or 2. If you’re really adventurous, consider PONZINIBBIO IN ROUND 1 (+325) and PONZINIBBIO IN ROUND 2 (+550) in round betting. Yes, you’ll lose one of those ends if he wins in either of the 2 rounds, but you’ll still be well ahead if it happens.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2559]