Nasrat Haqparast talks to media about his UFC on ESPN+ 32 victory
UFC on ESPN+ 32: Nasrat Haqparast post-fight interview
Nasrat Haqparast talks to media about his UFC on ESPN+ 32 victory
Tag: Nasrat Haqparast
UFC on ESPN+ 32’s Nasrat Haqparast not taking Alex Munoz lightly: ‘Nowadays you don’t know what to expect’
Nasrat Haqparast may be drawing a newcomer at UFC on ESPN+ 32, but he’s prepared for the “best opponent of my life.”
LAS VEGAS —[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] may be drawing a newcomer, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking past him.
Haqparast (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) faces [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag] Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
After scoring three-straight wins over Thibault Gouti, Marc Diakiese, and Joaquim Silva, Haqparast saw his momentum take a hit when he was stopped by Drew Dober in the first round at UFC 246.
It sent the highly-touted 24-year-old back to the drawing board, but he said he’s approaching his fight with Munoz (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) the same way he does every other bout.
“I think everybody who’s in the UFC deserves to be there, so he’s gonna be a good fighter,” Haqparast told reporters at the UFC on ESPN+ 32 virtual media day Thursday. “Everybody’s good. Nowadays you don’t know what to expect, I just prepare for everybody like it’s the best opponent of my life, it’s the last day of my life, it’s the fight of my life, so I take everybody serious. It doesn’t matter if they have one fight or 10 fights or no fights in the UFC, so I’m very prepared.”
Haqparast spent some of his training camp in Rabat, Morocco, where fighters often travel to join brothers Ottman and Abu Azaitar, who set up camp there for a good portion of the year.
“We had a very good training camp,” said Haqparast. “We went to Morocco, my friends the Azaitar brothers, they’re also in the UFC, Ottman Azaitar, Abu Azaitar. They made a very good training camp with high-level fighters, Mark Madsen, Ismail Naurdiev, my brother Ottman Azaitar, Abu Azaitar, world-class kickboxers, champion from ONE FC and we had a very strong group of some jiu-jitsu black belts, some Olympic-level wrestlers. We had a good few weeks there and it was an amazing time.”
UFC on ESPN+32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
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UFC on ESPN+ 32: Nasrat Haqparast virtual media day
Nasrat Haqparast spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event in Las Vegas.
Nasrat Haqparast spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event in Las Vegas.
UFC on ESPN+ 32 pre-event facts: Derrick Lewis on verge of being KO king
The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 32, which features a Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik main event.
The UFC’s busy August stretch continues on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.
Two heavyweights with opposing styles are set to clash in the main event. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) brings his heavy hands back to the octagon for a clash with submission ace [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 32.
* * * *
Main event
Lewis makes his 20th UFC heavyweight appearance since 2014, the most in the division and second most fights on the roster behind Donald Cerrone (24).
Lewis’ 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).
Lewis’ 10 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind Mir (13), Arlovski (11), Gabriel Gonzaga (11) and Stefan Struve (11).
Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez for most in divisional history.
Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are second most among active fighters in the organization behind Thiago Santos (11).
Lewis’ six knockouts stemming from ground strikes in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture for second most in company history behind Velasquez (eight).
Lewis is the only fighter in history to have his first eight UFC bouts end in a knockout.
Lewis’ knockout of Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 despite a -82 significant strike differential marked the greatest statistical striking comeback in UFC history.
Lewis and Francis Ngannou combined for 31 total strikes landed at UFC 226, the second fewest in a three-round UFC fight that went the distance behind Jens Pulver vs. Joao Roque (23) at UFC 26 in June 2000.
Oleinik, 43, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division and is the oldest of all fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Oleinik was the first fighter in MMA history to earn victories in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s). Alistair Overeem also accomplished the feat.
Oleinik has earned 54 of his 59 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his eight UFC wins.
Oleinik has earned 46 of his 54 career stoppage victories by submission.
Oleinik’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (eight).
Oleinik has earned two of the three Ezekiel-choke submission victories in UFC history. He accomplished the feat at UFC 224 and UFC Fight Night 103. Remco Pardoel also won with the technique at UFC 2.
Oleinik attempts 2.21 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Co-main event
[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) is 3-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.
Akhmedov’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at middleweight is tied with Paulo Costa for the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (eight).
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) returns to the middleweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at light heavyweight in October 2019.
Weidman became the first male fighter in UFC history to win a championship with an undefeated record and go on to successfully defend the belt more than once when he defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175.
Weidman is 1-5 in his past six fights dating back to December 2015.
Weidman has out-struck his opponent in all 10 of his UFC victories.
Weidman has completed at least one takedown in all 15 of his UFC appearances.
Weidman’s 37 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Thales Leites for most in divisional history.
Weidman has suffered all five of his career losses by knockout.
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Remaining card
[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is 4-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.
[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]’s (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) 12 UFC lightweight victories since 2014 are the most in the division.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-12-1 MMA, 11-9 UFC) is 9-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has landed at least one knockdown against four of his five UFC opponents.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC adds Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alex Munoz to Aug. 8 event
A lightweight fight has been added to the UFC’s upcoming schedule
A lightweight fight has been added to the UFC’s upcoming schedule.
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag] will square off at the promotion’s event on Aug. 8, which is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. The fight was first reported by BILD.de.
Haqparast (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) looks to rebound from his first stoppage defeat during his UFC tenure. After rattling off three straight victories against Marc Diakiese, Thibault Goiti, and Joaquim Silva, Haqparast was knocked out by Drew Dober in 70 seconds at UFC 246 in January.
Munoz (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was expected to debut at UFC on ESPN+ 27 in February. However, he was injured days before fight against Luis Pena and was forced out of the bout. A wrestling coach at Team Alpha Male, Munoz has won all six of his pro fights, including a unanimous decision against Nick Newell on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018.
With the addition, the Aug. 8 lineup includes:
- Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik
- Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman
- Julia Avila vs. Nicco Montano
- Ciryl Gane vs. Sergey Pavlovich
- Andrew Sanchez vs. Wellington Turman
- Miranda Granger vs. Nadia Kassem
- Peter Barrett vs. Steve Garcia
- Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alex Munoz
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UFC 246 medical suspensions: Donald Cerrone gets lengthy term for facial fractures
The Nevada Athletic Commission has released it’s full list of UFC 246 medical suspensions.
[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] is facing a lengthy medical suspension as a result of his UFC 246 loss to [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].
Cerrone, a former UFC title challenger, was defeated by McGregor on Saturday due to strikes just 40 seconds into their headliner. As a result of damage suffered from a kick, punches, and even a trifecta of shoulder strikes, “Cowboy” is facing a lengthy 180-day suspension.
McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), on the other hand, walked away from the main event unscathed.
The Irishman wasn’t the only fighter to walk away suspension-less. Co-main event participants [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] and [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] were among six other fighters who won’t be mandated to sit out.
[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag], who suffered an apparent ACL tear vs. [autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag], was handed a 180-day suspension. Pending doctor clearance, she could return sooner than July.
[autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag], [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag], [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag], and [autotag]J.J. Aldrich[/autotag] are also looking at potential 180-day suspensions for injuries suffered in their respective bouts.
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UFC 246 took place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
MMA Junkie acquired the full list of medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which you can see below:
- J.J. Aldrich: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days
- [autotag]Sabina Mazo[/autotag]: No suspension
- [autotag]Justin Ledet[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
- [autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag]: No suspension
- [autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
- [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
- [autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
- [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
- Sodiq Yusuff: Suspended 180 days or until right foot x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
- Maycee Barber: Suspended 180 days or until left knee MRI is cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days do to laceration on left side of forehead
- Roxanne Modafferi: No suspension
- Anthony Pettis: Suspended 180 days or until right foot is cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
- Diego Ferreira: Suspended 180 days or until right knee MRI is cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
- [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days
- [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: No suspension
- Maurice Greene: Suspended 180 days or until right elbow MRI and right foot x-ray are cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
- [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
- Raquel Pennington: No suspension
- Holly Holm: No suspension
- Conor McGregor: No suspension
- Donald Cerrone: Suspended 180 days or until nasal fracture and possible mild orbital fracture are cleared by maxillofacial physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
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UFC president Dana White didn’t love officiating at UFC 246
UFC president Dana White was buzzing following the conclusion of UFC 246.
UFC president Dana White was buzzing following the conclusion of UFC 246.
UFC 246 post-event facts: Conor McGregor enters rarefied air with finish of Donald Cerrone
The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 246, which saw Conor McGregor knock out Donald Cerrone in the main event.
The UFC’s first event of 2020 went down Saturday with UFC 246, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
In the main event, former two-division UFC champ [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) made his glorious return to the octagon when he stopped [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-14 MMA, 23-11 UFC) by TKO just 40 seconds into the welterweight headliner. With the win, “The Notorious” achieved a knockout in his third different weight class.
For more on the numbers to come out of the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC 246.
* * * *
General
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $165,000.
McGregor, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag], [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag] and [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 246 fight-night bonuses.
UFC 246 marked the first event in company history with five “Performance of the Night” awards.
Debuting fighters went 1-1 on the card.
UFC 246 drew an announced attendance of 19,040 for a live gate of $11,089,129.30.
UFC 246’s live gate total was the fourth highest in company history.
Betting favorites went 6-4 on the card. One fight had even odds.
Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 1:51:03.
Main card
McGregor improved to 2-1 in welterweight competition.
McGregor has earned 19 of his 22 career victories by knockout. He’s earned 17 of those finishes in the first round.
McGregor has earned eight of his 10 UFC victories by stoppage.
McGregor became the second in UFC history to earn knockout victories in three different weight classes. Jared Cannonier also accomplished the feat.
Cerrone fell to 6-5 in UFC welterweight competition.
[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) has earned four of her six UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (10-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has suffered six of her eight career losses by decision.
Oleinik (58-13-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) became the first in MMA history to earn victories in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Oleinik has earned 54 of his 58 career victories by stoppage. That includes all seven of his UFC wins.
Oleinik has earned 46 of his 58 career victories by submission.
Oleinik’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (eight).
[autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.
Kelleher (20-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has earned 16 of his 20 career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by submission.
Ferreira’s (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (11).
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC) was unsuccessful in his return to the lightweight division.
Pettis fell to 4-8 in his past 12 UFC appearance dating back to when he lost the UFC lightweight title in March 2015.
Pettis suffered the first true submission loss of his career.
Preliminary card
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag] (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC) improved to 9-5 since her initial UFC release in November 2013.
Modafferi has earned 15 of her 24 career victories by decision.
Modafferi has alternated wins and losses over her past seven fights.
[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) had her eight-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.
Barber fell to 2-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March.
[autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag]’s (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Arnold Allen (six), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Alexander Volkanovski (six).
[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] (11-0-1 MMA, 1-0-1 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] (15-10-1 MMA, 4-8 UFC) fell to 2-4 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.
Elliott has suffered five of his eight UFC losses by decision.
Elliott’s 39 takedowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (58) and Wilson Reis (44).
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.on.
[autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.
[autotag]Justin Ledet[/autotag]’s (9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2017.
Ledet fell to 0-3 since he dropped to the UFC light-heavyweight division in July 2018.
[autotag]Sabina Mazo[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]J.J. Aldrich[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) fell to 1-2 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March 2019.
Aldrich has suffered two of her three UFC losses by decision.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC 246 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Donald Cerrone doubles up on Conor McGregor
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 246 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $165,000.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 246 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $165,000.
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 246 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The full UFC 246 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]: $20,000
[autotag]Roxanne Modafferi[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Justin Ledet[/autotag]: $5,000
[autotag]Sabina Mazo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]J.J. Aldrich[/autotag]: $5,000
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:
- “UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy” – $165,000
Year-to-date total: $165,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $31,169,500
Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 246 with Led Zeppelin, Garth Brooks, Conor McGregor’s return
Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 246 event.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC 246 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.