Tag: Nursulton Ruziboev

UFC on ESPN 56 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $3 million

UFC on ESPN 56 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

ST. LOUIS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.

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 56 took place at Enterprise Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 56 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mateusz Rebecki[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Esteban Ribovics[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tecia Pennington[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Trey Waters[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Billy Ray Goff[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Veronica Hardy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]JJ Aldrich[/autotag]: $6,000

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 $4,560; 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 $56,000 while title challengers get $56,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-56 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,106,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $25,843,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

UFC on ESPN 56 results: Joaquin Buckley insults Conor McGregor’s bloodline in callout after homecoming win

Joaquin Buckley insulted Conor McGregor’s “hoe” bloodline after his UFC on ESPN 56 win.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] made the most of the St. Louis homecoming he campaigned weeks for.

In Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event at Enterprise Center, Buckley (19-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) sent the fans into a frenzy when he defeated Uzbekistan’s [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] (34-9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-27).

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A population of Uzbek fans made their presence known during the walkouts, but the noise they made paled in comparison to that over the local St. Louis audience as they cheered on one of their own. In a surprise move, Buckley walked to the cage with an Uzbekistan flag.

Once the action began, the crowd cheered and chanted for Buckley, who absorbed some heavy punches from Ruziboev and charged through for a takedown. Buckley controlled Ruziboev on the ground for a short period before they rose up and separated.

Ruziboev tagged Buckley with a few more shots and sprinted across the cage for a big flying knee. However, Buckley planted him. Once back up, Ruziboev landed some more.

In Round 2, Buckley took Ruziboev down again. The theme was repetitive throughout the round. Once Ruziboev got up, Buckley planted him again.

Things got wild in Round 3, as Buckley rocked Ruziboev and dropped him. As Buckley swarmed, Ruziboev’s long legs flailed for upkicks. Ruziboev scrambled up. Buckley rocked Ruziboev again and mounted the Uzbek fighter. Buckley rained down punches, much to the delight of the St. Louis faithful.

Referee Keith Peterson warned Ruziboev to move. Ruziboev followed directions, reversed Buckley, and ended up on top. But before long, Buckley was back on top. Ruziboev survived danger and made it back to his feet, however. The two swung (with lots of misses) up until the final bell.

After the win, Buckley called out UFC star Conor McGregor, who returns from a near four-year layoff June 29 vs. Michael Chandler.

“Conor McGregor, I want you,” Buckley said. “You fighting at 170, but you ain’t fighting a welterweight. You’re fighting a lightweight midget. Come at me. You said you built your weight up, but you’re bullying Sean O’Malley and Ryan Garcia. Come and bully me, dog. Let’s see what you’re really about. I did research on the McGregor name, and you come from a long, long line of McHoes.

“Your daddy was a hoe. You granddaddy was a hoe. Your great, great grandpappy was a hoe. So I guess it’s safe to say, your momma raised a hoe. And guess what? If you don’t respond, and I bet the money I ain’t even got that you won’t, the whole world knows I’m telling the truth. It’s my time, and if you want to be the king you’ve got to behead the king. It’s time to take the throne.”

With the victory, Buckley continues his ascent up the ladder and wins his fourth-straight fight. His previous win was a TKO against Vicente Luque in March. Immediately after the win and in the days that followed, Buckley campaigned for a slot on the card in St. Louis. He even went as far as to ask UFC CEO Dana White for a fight during the UFC 300 press conference.

The fight was Ruziboev’s welterweight debut. A 6’5″ fighter, his other two UFC appearances came at middleweight, though he does have previous experience as light as lightweight. A 10-fight winning streak is snapped in defeat.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 56 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC on ESPN 56: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Joaquin Buckley’s unanimous decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC on ESPN 56.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. (Fight and venue photos by Jeff Le, USA Today Sports)

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 56

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a quick look at the UFC on ESPN 56 bout between Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] and [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] meet Saturday in the co-feature bout of UFC on ESPN 56 from Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev UFC on ESPN 56 preview

Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) clash in this welterweight co-feature between competitors with middleweight backgrounds. … Buckley has been on a tear since moving down to the welterweight division last year. He has won three straight, including a head kick knockout of Andre Fialho, a unanimous decision over Alex Morono, and a big ground and pound finish of Vicente Luque. … Ruziboev is still new to the UFC, but has stopped both opponents he’s faced at 185 pounds. This fight will be his first at 170 pounds in the UFC, looking to extends his winning streak to three.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev expert pick, prediction

The co-main event in St. Louis features an impromptu welterweight showdown between Buckley and Ruziboev.

Despite fighting at middleweight for his first two UFC appearances, Ruziboev will be dropping down a division on short notice to take a shot at ranked opposition in Buckley.

Ruziboev hasn’t made 170 pounds since 2021, so it will be interesting to see how the weight cut will affect the 30-year-old Uzbek, given his insanely tall frame.

As seen in the southpaw report above, Ruziboev also hasn’t faced a southpaw since roughly 2017, but shows the tools to replicate the success that both Kevin Holland and Alessio Di Chirico had against Buckely. That said, I ultimately have a hard time picking against Buckley in this spot.

Aside from fighting in front of his hometown crowd, Buckley also has more experience when it comes to fighting higher-level opposition on short notice.

Add in the obvious intangibles of Ruziboev’s weight cut, and I’ll officially side with Buckley to find a finish on his diminished foe by round 3.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev odds

The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the American, listing Buckley (-134) and Ruziboev (+110) via FanDuel. Buckley has been a favorite in four consecutive fights, going 3-1 in that stretch. Ruziboev was a near 2:1 underdog in his UFC debut, and flipped the odds in his second appearance. He won both fights by stoppage.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev start time, how to watch

As the co-main event, Buckley and Ruziboev are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 9:40 p.m. ET (6:40 p.m. PT). The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”

UFC on ESPN 56: Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 odds between Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Buckley (18-6-0) | Ruziboev (34-8-2)

Buckley heads into this bout with 3 consecutive victories, including 2 KO/TKO wins over Andre Fialho and Vicente Luque. He also has a unanimous-decision win over Alex Morono in the 3-bout win streak since a 2nd-round KO/TKO loss to Chris Curtis at UFC 282.

The southpaw Buckley has finished inside the distance in 3 of his past 4 fights, although he hasn’t had a fight end in Round 1 since Jan. 16, 2021, a KO/TKO loss to Alessio Di Chirico.

The 30-year-old Uzbekistani fighter has recorded a pair of Round 1 KO/TKO wins over Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas since making his UFC debut July 1, 2023.

Ruziboev has won 10 consecutive pro bouts since a unanimous-decision loss to Boris Miroshnichenko at ProFC 66 Dec. 22, 2019. In addition, all 10 of those fights, including the 2 at the UFC level, have finishes inside the distance. He has 5 submission victories and 5 KO/TKO wins during the span, and the kimura has been his specialty.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds

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

  • Fight result (2-way line): Buckley -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Ruziboev +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -145 | Under +110)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +210 | No -300)

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UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

This should be a banger, as both fighters are evenly matched. Both BUCKLEY (-135) and Ruziboev (+110) are 30 years old and each have a 76-inch reach. The Uzbekistani fighter stands 7 inches taller while also being a little more accurate on significant strikes at 43.90% to 36.41%.

This fight is likely to come down to experience and location. Buckley’s hometown just happens to be St. Louis.

While Ruziboev has plenty of experience inside the octagon, he has had limited exposure at the UFC level. Buckley is a veteran at the highest level, not only in the UFC, but also Bellator. He’ll tap into that experience in the North American octagon to get the job done, and it helps he is fighting in his hometown, so he’ll have a raucous crowd spurring him on.

Over/Under (O/U)

Looking to the method of victory, Ruziboev hasn’t lost via KO/TKO or submission since a loss via kimura Oct. 22, 2016, against Daniyar Abdibaev at WEF: Grand Prix 2016.

Ruziboev’s past 5 losses have each come via unanimous decision. We’re taking the more experienced favorite in his hometown, therefore BUCKLEY ON POINTS (+400) for the chance to multiply up by 4 times is a tempting play.

YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (+210) for a chance to multiply up by more than 2 times is also a recommended play. OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-145) isn’t a bad bet, either, especially if you’re a little more on the conservative side.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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

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Video: UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs with Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento, Joaquin Buckley’s money, more

UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event in St. Louis.

UFC on ESPN 56 ceremonial weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday’s event.

The weigh-ins took place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

Check out the video above to see the athletes from all 12 scheduled matchups come face-to-face, including the [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] heavyweight headliner, St. Louis’ own [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] in the welterweight co-main event, plus more.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Nursulton Ruziboev sees Joaquin Buckley as insecure ahead of UFC on ESPN 56: ‘He talks too much’

UFC on ESPN 56 co-headliner Nursulton Ruziboev has seen Joaquin Buckley’s videos and he’s not impressed.

Down a weight class but in the biggest fight of his life, [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] is unfazed by the chatter.

One half of the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event, Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) hears the chatter from opponent [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC), but views it as insecurity. The two fight in a three-round welterweight bout Saturday at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

“He talks too much,” Buckley told reporters Wednesday during a pre-fight news conference. “He’s always done that. I don’t understand everything that he says because English is still hard for me, but I’ve seen it before in videos. Maybe this is the way for him to kind of show his insecurity. Maybe he talks so much because he’s trying to show me he’s afraid of me.”

Buckley has entered his own in recent months with wins over Andre Fialho, Alex Morono, and Vicente Luque. The victories have surged him up the official UFC rankings into the No. 11 position.

As his success has grown, so has Buckley’s outreach on social media. Not one to hold back and opinion, Buckley has shown off an outgoing and expressive personality with comedic posts and callouts.

Recently, Buckley displayed an army of tall training partners he assembled to prepare for the hulking 6’5″ welterweight Ruziboev.

“Yeah, I saw the video,” Ruziboev said. “It looks like all of them were about 6’4″. None of them were 6’5″. So it doesn’t matter if they’re all super tall or whatever. I’m going to walk into the octagon against him. I’m going to ask God for help. God is going to grant me this victory, so I’m ready for it.”

The fight was a short notice booking for both men. Buckley campaigned hard to fight in his home city and even took to the microphone during the UFC 300 news conference to ask Dana White for the opportunity. The promotion gave Buckley what he wanted and now Ruziboev plans to spoil the homecoming.

“I’ve fought a lot in enemy territory, so it doesn’t really matter to me because inside the octagon, it’s going to just be me and him,” Ruziboev said. “Everybody is going to be rooting for him, but he’s going to be the only one standing in front of me, so it’s not going to be a problem for me whatsoever.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC on ESPN 56 co-headliner

Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev will collide in the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] and [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] will throw down in a welterweight clash in the UFC on ESPN 56 co-main event.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev preview

After losing back-to-back fights at middleweight, Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is on a roll at welterweight where he’s won three fights in a row. That includes the biggest win of his career as he most recently TKO’d perennial contender Vicente Luque in March.

Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is off to a solid start in the UFC, victorious in his first two promotional appearances as part of a 10-fight overall winning streak. His first two UFC wins have been by knockout and TKO.

Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev odds

With fight week upon us, Ruziboev is just a slight -135 favorite while Lewis checks in as a tiny +105 underdog, according to DraftKings.

How to watch Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC on ESPN 56

  • When: Saturday, May 11, 2024
  • Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN/ESPN+

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Nursulton Ruziboev says welterweight easy cut for UFC on ESPN 56, still wants middleweight fights

Just like he did throughout his career, Nursulton Ruziboev hopes he can bounce around weight classes in the UFC.

Just like he did throughout his career, [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] hopes he can bounce around weight classes in the UFC.

Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) drops back down to welterweight to face Joaquin Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 (ESPN/ESPN+) co-headliner at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Ruziboev’s first two octagon appearances came at middleweight, scoring back-to-back first-round knockouts of Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas. Ruziboev, who most recently competed at welterweight in February 2022, insists the move back down will be seamless.

“When I fight at middleweight, I do my weight cut in just one day,” Ruziboev told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “Last day, I do weight (cut), and for me this is easy for 170 right now. Right now, I’m (about 190 pounds) because for me it’s easy, 170. Not too much weight cut.”

Like Khamzat Chimaev did upon signing with the UFC, Ruziboev has plans of competing at both welterweight and middleweight moving forward.

“Now I have (to) focus on this fight at 170 right now with Buckley, and after this fight, I need to talk with my management,” Ruziboev said. “If possible, I want to fight at middleweight and welterweight.”

Ruziboev meets Buckley, who has found great success since moving back down to welterweight himself. Buckley is 3-0 as a 170-pounder in the UFC.

“Buckley is a good fighter,” Ruziboev said. “I watched him fight before the UFC when I fought with a different promotion. He’s good, but now is my time. I need to fight with the best. If you want (to be) the best, you need to fight with the best.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

Joaquin Buckley gets UFC on ESPN 56 co-main assignment vs. Nursulton Ruziboev

Joaquin Buckley gets his hometown fight this May in St. Louis as he meets Nursulton Ruziboev in the co-main event.

The UFC’s upcoming trip to St. Louis now has a co-main event.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] gets his wish to compete in a key matchup at the event, as he will take on [autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag] in a co-main welterweight bout at UFC on ESPN 56 (ESPN, ESPN+), which takes place May 11 at Enterprise Center.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the matchup Wednesday on Instagram. The event is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between former title challenger Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6KVW-BPlVA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Although it’s not the main event that Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) asked for when he crashed the UFC 300 pre-fight press conference, “New Mansa” gets a big spot in his hometown against a fellow finisher in Ruziboev (34-8-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

Buckley has been on a tear since dropping from middleweight to welterweight. He made the shift last May, and has racked up three wins, including a big ground and pound finish over Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 54 in March.

Ruziboev hasn’t seen Round 2 since 2019. He’s currently running super hot on a 10-fight, first-round stoppage streak that includes finishes of Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas under the UFC banner. He will be dropping down to 170 pounds for the first time since 2021, when he won the fight to spark his current streak.

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With the addition, the current UFC on ESPN 56 lineup includes:

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
  • Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Jared Gooden vs. Kevin Jousset
  • Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Torres
  • Alex Caceres vs. Sean Woodson
  • Jake Hadley vs. Charles Johnson
  • Terrance McKinney vs. Esteban Ribovics
  • Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Chase Hooper
  • Billy Goff vs. Trey Waters
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne
  • Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rebecki