Tag: Nina Nunes

Farewell, fighters: A list of former UFC champs and more MMA notables who retired in 2022

The MMA world said goodbye to more than 35 notable fighters in 2022, from former UFC champions to future UFC Hall of Famers and more.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently fighters from the era that helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves to move on to the next chapters in their lives.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete and, perhaps more importantly, get a payday will continue to drive fighters back, even well beyond their expiration dates.

In 2022, there was an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are retired, and we have a list of those who opted to walk away last year.

UFC free fight: Mackenzie Dern taps out Nina Nunes with first-round armbar

Ahead of her main event matchup with Yan Xiaonan, relive Mackenzie Dern’s finish of Nina Nunes at UFC on ABC 2.

It didn’t take long for [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] to take [autotag]Nina Nunes[/autotag] into her world.

Looking to make it four straight wins, Dern welcomed Nunes back to the octagon on the main card of UFC on ABC 2 last April.

Dern rushed Nunes with some hard combinations until she managed to clinch up and stack her against the cage. Nunes broke free, but Dern was able to latch onto a single leg and trip her to the mat. The ADCC champion controlled Nunes in top position and eventually transitioned to an armbar. Nunes fought hard, but once Dern was able to separate her arm, she forced the quick tap from Nunes.

Dern (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) returns to action Oct. 1 when she takes on [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the main event of UFC Fight Night 211, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Before she faces Xiaonan, relive Dern’s finish of Nunes in the video above.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Aug. 23: Leon Edwards enters P4P

The new UFC welterweight champ has shaken up the divisional and pound-for-pound rankings.

After one of the most incredible moments in UFC history, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] has shaken up the welterweight division and the men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

In the main event of UFC 278, Edwards pulled off a last-minute knockout of now-former champion Kamaru Usman to claim the welterweight title. Entering the week at No. 3, Edwards walks out of Salt Lake City with gold and the new No. 1 slot in this week’s rankings update. The title changing hands also caused a massive shakeup in the men’s P4P, which Edwards has now entered.

Check out all of the moves following UFC 278 and 2022 PFL Playoffs 3.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Aug. 16: Nina Nunes’ retirement shakes up strawweight

A retirement in the women’s strawweight division caused changes in the rankings this week.

The biggest fight of the weekend saw [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] take on former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC on ESPN 41 in San Diego.

Vera finished Cruz with a devastating head kick in the fourth round, firmly establishing his spot among the top names in the bantamweight division. Vera entered the week at No. 7 but holds the same position in this week’s update. Cruz also holds his No. 11 position despite the loss.

The only move this week came as a result of a retirement in the strawweight division. No. 10 [autotag]Nina Nunes[/autotag] decided to hang up the gloves after defeating Cynthia Calvillo in San Diego. As a result, each fighter moves up a spot, and [autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag] emerges from the honorable mentions to claim the new No. 15 spot.

Check out the latest rankings update following UFC on ESPN 41 in the dropdown menus above.

Nina Nunes ‘could’ve gone further’ in MMA, but won’t change mind about UFC retirement

Nina Nunes won’t be one of those fighters who flip-flops on retirement after UFC on ESPN 41. She’s done, and vows it’s for good.

SAN DIEGO – [autotag]Nina Nunes[/autotag] won’t be one of those fighters who flip-flops on retirement. She’s done, and vows it’s for good.

After defeating Cynthia Calvillo (9-5-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) by split decision on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 41, Nunes (11-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) took off her gloves, laid them down in the center of the octagon and announced her career is over.

It’s a decision that has been brewing for quite a while, said Nunes, who made her MMA debut just shy of 12 years ago in September 2010. It would’ve happened last month when she was supposed to fight Calvillo originally, but the fight was postponed when Nunes came down with a fight-day illness that had the bout postponed.

Nunes said her life is quite hectic trying to be a mother alongside her wife and double UFC champion Amanda Nunes, and given her priorities to have more children, she said the timing was just right.

“These last few months have been heavy,” Nunes told reporters post-fight at UFC on ESPN 41. “Amanda’s rematch (with Julianna Peña), opening a new gym, moving, having a two-year-old. It’s just been a lot. That emotion of Amanda losing after a long time, I just wanted to secure that while trying to coach her and train at the same time. I always wanted to have more kids, I wanted to have them close together. I’m not doing that comeback again (after having a child), because that was horrible. So, I’m just going to stop and make a couple in a row.”

Nunes pointed to her victory against Claudia Gadelha at UFC 231 in December 2018 as the pinnacle of her career. After that, she gave undefeated Tatiana Suarez the most competitive fight of her career in a defeat. Then she took a nearly two-year layoff to give birth, and came back in April 2021 to a loss against Mackenzie Dern.

Although Nunes knew after the defeat against Dern that the next fight would be her swan song, she knows there’s still a degree of unfulfilled potential when it comes to her career. Despite that, Nunes said she’s at peace with her decision. She said she’ll remain around the sport as a coach and training partner, but promises we’ll never see her in a competitive setting again.

“I know I could’ve gone further in this sport, but I took two years off for a baby, a year off for a knee surgery – all these things adding up,” Nunes said. “I’m just glad I was able to accomplish what I was. … Absolutely not (going to come back). I am done. Completely done. I told myself when I really retired, I would really retire and focus all my energy on whoever is next.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 41.

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UFC on ESPN 41 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Headliners net $16,000 each

UFC on ESPN 41 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 41 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $195,000.

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 41 took place at Pechanga Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 41 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Iasmin Lucindo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Azamat Murzakanov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nina Nunes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Charlie Ontiveros[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jason Witt[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $6,000
vs. [autotag]Da’Mon Blackshear[/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 $41,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-41 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,588,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $11,755,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 41.

UFC on ESPN 41 salaries: Marlon Vera leads the way with $300,000 payday in San Diego

Salaries for UFC on ESPN 41 are out, thanks to the California State Athletic Commission, one of the only commissions still releasing them.

Many commissions no longer release fighter pay to the public, but the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is one of them.

With UFC on ESPN 41 in the books, MMA Junkie acquired a list of disclosed payouts from CSAC executive director Andy Foster. Five fighters received six-figure paydays, including headliners [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag].

Other fighters who received six-figure paydays included [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag], [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag], and [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag].

Check out the full list of UFC on ESPN 41 salaries below. It’s important to note the figures are disclosed payouts only, and do not include performance bonuses, discretionary bonuses, or sponsor pay.

UFC on ESPN 41 results: Nina Nunes wins split decision against Cynthia Calvillo, announces retirement from MMA

Nina Nunes called it a career after picking up a close win over Cynthia Calvillo at UFC San Diego.

SAN DIEGO – Was it the most exciting fight of [autotag]Nina Nunes[/autotag]’ career? No. But the end result was just what she needed to cap off her career.

Nunes (11-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) snapped a two-fight skid Saturday when she eked out a split decision against [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (9-5-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) on Saturday. The women’s flyweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN 41 preliminary card at Pechanga Arena.

The fight lacked action for all 15 minutes, incurring boos from fans on a few occasions. Rounds 1 and 2 seemingly were close, but the third clearly belonged to Nunes, who landed her best punch – a hard right hook –in the final frame.

Once the horn sounded, Nunes took off her gloves and left them in the center of the octagon before the judges’ scorecards of 28-29, 29-28 and 30-27 had been read in her favor. Nunes, 36, said earlier in fight week that she still had a championship mentality, but it was clear announcing her retirement was a decision she’d made prior to stepping in the cage.

“I am (retiring),” Nunes told Daniel Cormier during her post-fight octagon interview. “As a fighter, I think I’ve done what I wanted to. It started as a hobby. I got all the way here. I’m going to focus on coaching and bringing up those girls that are struggling right now.”

She added, “I want more babies. So I’m stepping away to have another kid.”

Nina Nunes and UFC double champion Amanda Nunes, who are married, are parents to daughter Raegan Nunes, who turns 2 in September. Nina gave birth to Raegan back in 2020.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 41 results include:

  • Nina Nunes def. Cynthia Calvillo via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
  • Gabriel Benitez def. Charlie Ontiveros via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:35
  • Tyson Nam def. Ode Osbourne via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:59
  • Josh Quinlan def. Jason Witt via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:09
  • Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Youssef Zalal ends in majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 41.

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