Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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 Jan. 23-29.
Rafael dos Anjos became the first fighter in history to log eight hours of octagon fight time in his win at UFC on ESPN 42.
The UFC returned to Orlando, Fla., for the first time in nearly four years Saturday with UFC on ESPN 42, which took place at Amway Center and saw nine out of 14 fights end in a stoppage.
Stephen Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) earned the most memorable result of all in the main event. The longtime welterweight contender went to war with Kevin Holland (23-9 MMA, 9-6 UFC). He emerged on top by fourth-round TKO due to corner stoppage and netted another Fight of the Night award in the process.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 42.
UFC on ESPN 42 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
ORLANDO – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 42 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $297,500.
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 42 took place at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 42 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Michael Johnson[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Genaro Valdez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Francis Marshall[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Marcelo Rojo[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Istela Nunes[/autotag]: $4,000
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 $42,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-42 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $7,932,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $14,109,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.
It’s been more than a year, since it happened, but Natan Levy’s first MMA loss still doesn’t sit well with him.
It’s been more than a year, since it happened, but [autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag]’s first MMA loss still doesn’t sit well with him.
Levy doesn’t dispute the loss the way some fighters might deride a split decision setback. But his unanimous decision loss to Rafa Garcia in November 2021 took him a long time to bounce back from.
“The loss was very hard for me,” Levy told MMA Junkie Radio. “It was my first loss. I never lost in amateur or pro. But also, I always knew in this sport, losses happen and it’s OK. It’s part of the game. I didn’t get destroyed. I didn’t get knocked out. I didn’t get finished. I was there throughout the whole fight. I know I was a little rusty on my takedown defense, and that cost me the fight.
“But I didn’t feel like I’m not at that level – like I don’t belong on the playing field. For me, it proved I did belong and it was just about getting some things right and winning the next one. It still sits with me. I’m still pissed off.”
Levy rebounded from that first loss in April with a unanimous decision win over Mike Breeden. And Saturday, Levy (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will look for two in a row and the start of aa new streak when he takes on Genaro Valdez (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a lightweight bout at UFC on ESPN 42, which takes place at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Levy no doubt is squarely focused on what he needs to do to beat Valdez, and some of that may have been from lessons from the loss to Garcia.
“I came up short for a few reasons,” Levy said. “One is emotionally. I hadn’t fought in a year andnd it was my UFC debut. It was a big momennt for me. It usually doesn’t happen, but I lost my cool a little bit and kind of tried to knock him out with every strike and deviated from the game plan.”
And though he needs to beat Valdez first, and there wasn’t much controversy surrounding his loss to Garcia, it’s a rematch he’d love to have down the road.
“Maybe it’s my ego, but I do feel I’m the better fighter and I do want o get it back one day,” Levy said. “Of course, I lost that fight and he won, so props. On one hand, it makes it easier because I did belong in there. But on the other, it makes it harder because I feel like I lost to someone who’s not as good as I am.”
Check out the full interview with Levy in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,314, the guys chat with boxing champion heading to BKFC, [autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag], and UFC’s [autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag]. The fellas also discuss what they’re thankful for this holiday season, and much more!
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
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Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 198, which saw a near-record 10 fights end in a decision.
UFC Fight Night 198 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and with 10 decision results, it turned out to be one of the more forgettable events of the year.
It won’t be remembered that way for [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), though, as she put a signature win on her resume when she outworked [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] (19-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC) to a unanimous decision in the women’s bantamweight headliner.
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC Fight Night 198.
Rafa Garcia will be in search of his first octagon win when he meets unbeaten prospect Natan Levy on Nov. 20.
[autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag] will be in search of his first octagon win when he meets an unbeaten prospect.
Garcia (12-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at the UFC’s Nov. 20 Fight Night event expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the booking informed MMA Junkie of the matchup Monday but asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
Garcia has lost his first two octagon bouts. After amassing a perfect 12-0 record en route to capturing the Combate Americas lightweight title, Garcia dropped back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Nasrat Haqparast and, most recently, Chris Gruetzemacher in July.
Training out of Syndicate MMA, the 29-year-old Levy punched his ticket to the UFC when he submitted Shaheen Santana in the third round at Dana White’s Contender Series 35 in November 2020. Levy was scheduled to make his UFC debut against Austin Hubbard in April, but was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.
With the addition to the card, the Nov. 20 UFC event currently includes:
Israeli submission specialist Natan Levy has his first UFC fight booked.
Israeli submission specialist [autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag] has a date and opponent for his UFC debut.
On April 17, Levy (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his first walk to the UFC’s cage when he squares off with Team Elevation’s [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag] in a lightweight fight. The UFC Fight Night event does not have an officially-announced location or venue at this time.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the booking Monday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Undefeated as a professional, Levy earned his UFC contract with a dominant victory over then-undefeated Shaheen Santana on Season 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series this past November. Levy, 29, put on a grappling clinic and submitted Santana with a third-round arm-triangle choke.
Hubbard (12-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has alternated losses and wins since his promotional debut in May 2019. He has wins over Kyle Prepolec and Max Rohskopf and losses to Davi Ramos, Mark Madsen and, most recently, Joe Solecki in the UFC.
With the addition, the UFC’s April 17 lineup includes:
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Natan Levy spoke to the media after scoring a UFC contract at Dana White’s Contender Series 35.
Natan Levy spoke to the media after scoring a UFC contract at Dana White’s Contender Series 35.
