Tag: Nate Landwehr

Diego Sanchez returns at UFC 253 to fight Jake Matthews; two other matchups booked

Diego Sanchez is set to make his return to the octagon.

The UFC 253 lineup appears to be nearly complete.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced three more fights, including a welterweight matchup between [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag], a featherweight fight between [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex da Silva[/autotag], and a lightweight bout between [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag] and [autotag]Shane Young[/autotag].

The Landwehr (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs. Young (13-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) booking was first reported by Cageside Press.

The lone member of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Season 1 still competing in the UFC, Sanchez (30-12 MMA, 19-12 UFC) has won three of his last four fights. He most recently competed in February, winning via disqualification due to an illegal knee landed by opponent Michel Perreira.

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Matthews (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has won five of his last six fights. He’s riding back-to-back wins over Rostem Akman and Emil Meek. His only loss since November 2016 came against Anthony Rocco Martin.

When Riddell (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) takes on da Silva (21-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), he will join City Kickboxing teammates Israel Adesanya and Shane Young on the card.

With the addition, the UFC 253 lineup includes:

  • Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa – UFC middleweight title
  • Jan Blachowicz vs. Dominick Reyes
  • Donald Cerrone vs. Niko Price
  • Kai Kara-France vs. Brandon Royval
  • Claudia Gadelha vs. Xiaonan Yan
  • Hakeem Dawodu vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
  • Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane
  • Heili Alateng vs. Casey Kenney
  • David Dvorak vs. Jordan Espinosa
  • Jake Matthews vs. Diego Sanchez
  • Brad Riddell vs. Alex da Silva
  • Nate Landwehr vs. Shane Young

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for May: A rematch delivers in spades

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from May 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from May 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

* * * *

The Nominees

Vicente Luque def. Niko Price at UFC 249

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (18-7-1 MMA, 11-3 UFC) picked up a second career win over [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in their rematch, but it required far more effort to put his welterweight counterpart away than the first time around.

Luque submitted Price in 2017, but this time was lulled into a bloody slugfest that carried over into the third round. Price’s face was a mangled mess, and Luque continued to apply pressure until he shut the left eye of his opponent and the referee decided to step in.

Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone at UFC 249

It’s unfortunate both [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-15 MMA, 23-12 UFC) and [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC) came into their rematch badly in need of a victory because the two veteran warriors put on a show in which neither could fairly be called a loser.

After going toe-to-toe for three rounds, the scorecards declared Pettis the winner in their welterweight matchup after a hard-fought battle, earning 29-28 scores across the board.

Nate Landwehr def. Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 8

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]’s (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) handy work on [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] (24-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) in their featherweight matchup reminded fans at home how bloody fighting can get.

Landwehr took on seasoned veteran Elkins in his sophomore octagon appearance and was all-action. The bout turned out to be a bloody back-and-forth battle that ended in a decision for Landwehr.

Song Yadong def. Marlon Vera at UFC on ESPN 8

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (16-4-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) further elevated his status as one of the top prospects in the sport when he snapped [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]’s (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) win streak in a somewhat controversial manner.

The 22-year-old Yadong remained unbeaten through his octagon tenure by beating his most difficult to challenge to date with a unanimous decision victory over Vera after a gritty affair. Yadong got 29-28 scorecards across the board, landing many powerful strikes over the 15 minutes and overcoming a late push from Vera.

Billy Quarantillo def. Spike Carlyle at UFC on ESPN 9

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and [autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) may not be the most recognizable names, but they certainly garnered some new fans in a thrilling back-and-forth affair.

Quarantillo and Carlyle went shot-for-shot over three rounds in a 150-pound catchweight affair. It was a very close fight, but in the end the judges favored Quarantillo’s offense as the more effective and granted him the decision.

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The Winner: Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price

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It was a much more competitive fight than their first meeting, but the winner was still the same as Vicente Luque topped Niko Price in their rematch at UFC 249.

After scoring a second-round submission win in October 2017, Luque picked up a third-round TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage at 3:37 after an offensive assault that shut the eye of Price. “The Silent Assassin” has now won eight of his past nine fights.

Control of the fight was taken by Luque in the opening two minutes as he landed a number of chopping leg kicks on Price that caused damage and irritation. Price wouldn’t let it stop him completely, though, and marched forward with strikes of his own before getting a takedown. Price threatened with a submission, but Luque was able to get up and, despite taking a front kick to the face, landed some good strikes to close the round.

The pair went right back to work to begin the second frame. Luque took advantage of Price’s aggression, landing solid counter-punches and continuing to batter the legs of his opponent with kicks. Price found a groove and answered, though, connecting hard on Luque and putting him in some danger. Price got too wild, however, and was dropped with a tight right hand. He recovered and got back up, while Luque stayed disciplined and picked Price apart with punches and kicks to close a strong round.

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For the first time in his UFC career, Price saw a third round. He responded well, offering a high output to start the frame. Luque showed patience as Price trie to walk him down, mixing up his offense to the face and body of his opponent. Price’s grit was evident, though, because he kept on trying and throwing, even going for a takedown attempt. Unfortunately for him, Price couldn’t find the one big moment he needed to turn the tide, and it was Luque who got it. Luque dropped a bloodied Price with just over two minutes late, but somehow didn’t get the finish.

Price’s eye was badly swollen, though, and referee Jason Herzog decided to intervene and bring in the doctor. After a brief exchange, Price was deemed unfit to continue and Luque was awarded the win.

“I prepared for the best Niko Price possible,” Luque said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I beat him last time and I knew he would come prepared and ready. … First event back with everything that’s going on and I just wanted to put on a show.”

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UFC on ESPN 8 medical suspensions: Two winners face six-month suspensions

Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris will be forced to take a little recovery time after taking some damage in the UFC on ESPN 8 main event.

[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] will be forced to take a little recovery time after each taking some damage in the UFC on ESPN 8 main event.

Both men sustained knockdowns during the heavyweight headliner, but ultimately it was Overeem (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) who emerged victorious with a second-round TKO over Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC).

UFC on ESPN 8 took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card aired on ESPN.

MMA Junkie obtained a list of the UFC on ESPN 8 athletes’ medical suspensions from the Florida Boxing Commission on Monday.

More time could be tacked on to the suspension, or they could be reduced, pending further health testing on multiple athletes.

Check out a full list of the UFC on ESPN 8 medical suspensions below.

* * * *

  • Alistair Overeem: Suspended 45 days
    def. Walt Harris: Suspended 45 days
  • [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
    def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
    def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
  • [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
    def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
  • [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
    def. [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days
  • [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: No suspension
    def. [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days
  • [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
    def. [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
  • [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days
    def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days
  • [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag]: No suspension
    def. [autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag]: 180 days or until cleared by a physician; 30 days mandatory
  • [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: 30 days or until cleared by a physician
    def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: No suspension

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UFC on ESPN 8 salaries: Alistair Overeem significantly outearns rest of card

Main event winner Alistair Overeem took home a sizable purse as the top earner from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.

Main event participants [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] were among the top earners on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8.

Monday, MMA Junkie obtained a list of disclosed UFC on ESPN 8 salaries from the Florida State Boxing Commission, who oversaw Saturday night’s event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

Overeem (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) produced a comeback victory in the headliner, rallying to stop Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) with a second-round TKO. “The Reem” was the highest earner on the card, netting $400,000 in disclosed pay.

Check out a full list of the UFC on ESPN 8 salaries below:

  • Alistair Overeem: $400,000
    def. Walt Harris: $75,000
  • [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag]: $108,000
    def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $54,000
  • [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $100,000
    def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $79,000
  • [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag]: $108,000
    def. [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $61,000
  • [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $96,000
    def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $65,000
  • [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag]: $24,000
    def. [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $85,000
  • [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $52,000
    def. [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $12,000
  • [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $28,000
    def. [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $14,000
  • [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $26,000
    def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $62,000
  • [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag]: $100,000
    def. [autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag]: $20,000
  • [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $20,000
    def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $10,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC on ESPN 8 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 UFC 249 fight-night bonuses to Baeza and Casey for “Performance of the Night,” and Yadong and Vera for “Fight of the Night.”

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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Nate Landwehr wants fellow former M-1 champ Movsar Evloev after bloodbath with Darren Elkins

Take a look inside Nate Landwehr’s win over Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag] beat Darren Elkins with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 8 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Take a look inside the fight with Landwehr, who handed Elkins his fourth straight loss.

Result: Nate Landwehr def. Darren Elkins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Landwehr (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Elkins (24-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC)
Key stat: Elkins outlanded Landwehr 135-111 overall, and each fighter landed 45 percent of his strikes.

Landwehr on the fight’s key moment

“I could have poured it on a little bit more if I wasn’t doing so much entertaining. I think I just proved that I am one of the most elite fighters on the planet.”

Landwehr on bloodying up Elkins

“My manager called me with Darren Elkins. I knew he had fought the who’s-who. I think I beat him just as bad as the champ (Alexander Volkanovski) beat him. He’s beat a lot of good people and he’s had close fights with a lot of people. I think I beat him pretty handily.”

Landwehr on what he wants next

“I would like to fight this guy (Movsar Evloev). When I used to fight for M-1 Global, he was the (1)35 champ. He’s 12-0 – I think he’s 2-0 in the UFC. … Just get the call, go chill, hopefully get that bonus for ‘Fight of the Night,’ and just sit by the phone and wait for my manager to call.”

To hear more from Landwehr, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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UFC on ESPN 8 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Veterans take home $20k each

UFC on ESPN 8 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $184,500.

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 8 took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 8 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $3,500

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:

Year-to-date total: $1,949,000
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: $32,953,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 8 with House of Pain, Biggie

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 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 on ESPN 8 went with as their backing tracks in Jacksonville, Fla.

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Nate Landwehr slices open Darren Elkins, wins bloodbath at UFC on ESPN 8

Nate Landwehr and Darren Elkins went to war Saturday night at UFC on ESPN 8, putting on one of the bloodiest fights in recent memory.

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[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]’s handy work on [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] reminded fans at home how bloody fighting can get (the “Just Bleed” guy would be proud).

Saturday, Landwehr (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) took on seasoned veteran Elkins (24-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC on ESPN 8, which went down in Jacksonville, Fla. The featherweight bout turned out to be a bloody back-and-forth battle that ended in a decision for Landwehr.

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“The Train” caught Elkins with a vicious elbow in Round 2 that opened up a big cut on Elkins’ forehead. Landwehr did more damage in the following minutes of the fight, making additional cuts on Elkins’ face.

Despite always looking to push forward, it was clear Elkins was the one taking the most damage during the fight. It was a big performance by Landwehr and it marked his first win in the UFC after a loss to Herbert Burns in his promotional debut in January.

Check out Landwehr’s nasty elbow on Elkins below, along with the moment he fought with one hand behind his back:

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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UFC on ESPN+ 24 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Raleigh, N.C.

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C.

* * * * *

Jamahal Hill

Division: Light heavyweight
Result: Jamahal Hill def. Darko Stosic via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Record: 7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC
Grade: C-

Long and lean at 205 pounds with a slick southpaw jab, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] used his physical gifts to outpoint gritty grappler Darko Stosic over three rounds in the main-card opener, but his performance showed that the 28-year-old still has much to work on if he plans to make a dent in the UFC’s hard-hitting light heavyweight division.

First, the positives: Hill showed a consistent, accurate jab and followed up with sharp, straight left hands to keep judoka Stosic at arm’s length for much of the bout as he landed more than 100 strikes. He also showed a decent gas tank and good athleticism as he comprehensively outstruck his opponent over the three-round duration.

But while his strikes looked slick and his reflexes seemed sharp, the bout highlighted some technical issues that will certainly need attention as he looks to move up the ranks at 205 pounds. Hill carries his chin pretty high, and his low lead right hand leaves the door wide open for a left hand counter that a harder puncher than Stosic might have exploited.

On the flip side, Trevor Wittman noted during the ESPN+ broadcast that Hill was tuned into his coaches’ instructions during the fight and was switching up his attack when called upon. That’s certainly a big positive for such a young fighter and shows he isn’t too caught up in the moment when he’s in the thick of the action. But he’ll need to tighten up his hands from a defensive perspective as he starts to face a higher class of opposition in the UFC.

In conclusion, there’s plenty to work on, but there’s also plenty to be encouraged by. It might take a few fights and some noticeable improvements before he gets moved up in competition, but there’s certainly something to work with moving forward.

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