Tag: Ovince Saint Preux

Even at 40, Ovince Saint Preux to ‘continue to make everybody mad’ like he did at UFC Fight Night 239

Ovince Saint Preux is one of the most senior (both in age and experience) fighters on the UFC roster but Saturday proved he still has more left.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] is one of the most senior (both in age and experience) fighters on the UFC roster, but Saturday proved he still has more left in the tank.

On the UFC Fight Night 239 main card, Saint Preux (27-17 MMA, 14-12 UFC) thrilled with a three-round slugfest against Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), whom he defeated by split decision.

The fight as a whole, but particularly the third round, saw the two men stand in the pocket and go blow-for-blow. Saint Preux’s boxing and aggression proved to be the difference, as two of the three judges sided with him.

“Man, to be honest again, I knew he don’t have that one (punch) knockout power,” Saint Preux told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “He was landing shots. I was landing shots. Actually, my trainer’s wife Taylor, the other day, we were doing something. She said, ‘You can do anything for five minutes. If you do it in five minutes, you can do anything in five minutes.’ I was like, ‘All right, cool.’ If you end up being in a phone booth for five minutes, you can do that. I was like, ‘I’m going to make it a fight. I’m not going to go down.’ We stayed in there. I knew he was getting tired of hitting me and I wasn’t going to get tired of hitting him.”

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Saint Preux, 40, has been on the promotion’s roster since 2013. Saturday’s fight positioned him at No. 1 atop the promotion’s all-time light heavyweight appearances leaderboard.

So having won two of his most recent three outings, where does OSP go from here?

“(I’ll) continue to make everybody mad,” Saint Preux joked. “I mean, it was a good fight, man. He came out orthodox and I was like, ‘OK.’ We kind of prepared for that but we were expecting to stay southpaw. Then, his jab was kind of landing. I was wondering, ‘Man, why is his jab landing kind of good.’ He went right-handed. Given the fact he went southpaw, with his dominant hand, he was able to pop up out a little bit faster. But once I got the timing down and stuff, I think my head movement did pretty good and I kind of messed up his timing. … I’m trying to fight two more times this year.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.

UFC Fight Night 239 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Ovince Saint Preux leads with $21,000

UFC Fight Night 239 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 239 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $189,500.

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 Fight Night 239 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 239 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Ange Loosa[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Isaac Dulgarian[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Macy Chiasson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Natan Levy[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jafel Filho[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Danny Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Culibao[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mitch Ramirez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charalampos Grigoriou[/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 2391 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 $32,000.

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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,551,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,258,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 239.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 15-21)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights 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, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.

UFC books Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Ovince Saint Preux

Ovince Saint Preux returns for his 27th UFC outing when he battles Fortis MMA’s Kennedy Nzechukwu.

One of the UFC’s longest-tenured fighters has his next assignment.

[autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] returns for his 27th promotional appearance when he battles Fortis MMA’s [autotag]Kennedy Nzechuwku[/autotag]. The light heavyweight bout takes place March 16 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Nzechukwu (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) aims to bounce back from an 82-second TKO loss against Dustin Jacoby in August. Prior to that defeat, Nzechukwu was on the best roll of his UFC tenure with three straight finish victories over Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, and Devin Clark.

Saint Preux (26-17 MMA, 14-12 UFC) has been a staple of the promotion’s light heavyweight division since he joined the roster in April 2013 following the Strikeforce merger. Saint Preux most recently competed in February 2023 when he was TKOed by Philipe Lins in 49 seconds. Saint Preux was then suspended six months by USADA for a tainted supplement.

With the addition the UFC Fight Night lineup for March 16 includes:

  • Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura
  • Thiago Moises vs. Brad Riddell
  • Jafel Filho vs. Ode Osbourne
  • Isaac Dulgarian vs. Christian Rodriguez
  • Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa
  • Jaqueline Amorim vs. Cory McKenna
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Ovince Saint Preux

UFC veteran Ovince Saint Preux gets 6-month USADA suspension for second violation

Ovince Saint Preux has been suspended six months by USADA after a contaminated supplement led to a failed drug test for the second time.

Former UFC interim light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] has been banned from competition for a six-month period after a pair of drug tests administered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency returned the presence of banned substances.

Saint Preux (26-17 MMA, 14-12 UFC) has been given leniency, however, after analysis of the samples discovered supplements he ingested contained prohibited substances that were not listed on the label of the supplements. Saint Preux encountered a similar issue in 2019 after a positive test was connected to a contaminated supplement, as well.

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Check out the full details of Saint Preux’s case in the statement below issued by USADA:

Saint Preux, 40, tested positive for 3α-hydroxy-5α-androst-1-en-17-one (a long-term metabolite of 1-Androstenedione and/or 1-Testosterone) as the result of urine samples collected out-of-competition on June 17, 2023, and July 11, 2023. Because Saint Preux was not yet notified of his first positive test when his second test was collected, the two positive tests are combined into a single violation, as required under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.

During an investigation into the circumstances of the positive test, Saint Preux provided a container of a product he was using for analysis at the World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah. Although no prohibited substances were listed on the supplement label, the analysis revealed that the product contained 1-Androstenedione, consistent with the metabolite for which Saint Preux tested positive. USADA was able to independently obtain a sealed container of the product from the same lot number and confirmed it was also contaminated. This product has been added to the High Risk List.

Although Saint Preux was not using a Certified Supplement, he received a reduction to his period of ineligibility because he was able to prove that his positive test was caused by a contaminated product and the very low levels detected in the products would not have benefited his performance. Given that this was his second violation, an increased period of ineligibility from what he received for his first violation was appropriate.

According to USADA, Saint Preux’s six-month period of ineligibility began on June 17. He can return to competition as of Dec. 17.

Saint Preux hasn’t fought since February, when he suffered a 49-second knockout loss against Philipe Lins at UFC Fight Night 219. He’s lost three of his past four fights overall.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (June 5-11)

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 or officially announced by a promotion from June 5-11.

Tennesee’s Ovince Saint Preux meets Ion Cutelaba at UFC Fight Night expected for Nashville

Longtime UFC fighters Ovince Saint Preux and Ion Cutelaba will square off Aug. 5 in a fight expected for Nashville, Tenn.

It’ll be a homecoming for a longtime UFC fighter [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] when he steps into the cage for his bout.

At a UFC Fight Night event Aug. 5, expected to take place in Nashville, Tenn., Saint Preux (26-17 MMA, 14-12 UFC) will return for his 26th promotional appearance when he takes on [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] (17-9-1 MMA, 6-8-1 UFC) in a light heavyweight bout.

Two people with knowledge of the booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Saint Preux, 40, looks to get back in the win column in his home state. Training out of Knoxville, Tenn., Saint Preux played football at University of Tennessee prior to his MMA career. Saint Preux has twice competed under the UFC banner in his home state with split results.

“OSP” most recently competed in February when he was finished with strikes in 49 seconds by Philipe Lins. The defeat was his fourth in six outings.

Cutelaba, 29, snapped a three-fight skid in April when he spoiled the light heavyweight debut of Tanner Boser in Kansas City, Mo. In 2:04, Cutelaba finished Boser with strikes.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Aug. 5 includes:

  • Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba
  • Asu Almabaev vs. Ode Osbourne
  • Jake Hadley vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
  • Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ovince Saint Preux

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night card Aug. 5.

UFC Fight Night 219 pre-event facts: Jim Miller adds to record octagon appearance total

Check out the numbers behind UFC Fight Night 219, which features the man and woman with the most fights in company history.

The UFC returns to its home base of Las Vegas on Saturday for UFC Fight Night 219 at the UFC Apex. The card streams on ESPN+.

In the main event, former UFC champ [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (24-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) steps in as a short-notice replacement to test surging prospect [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a critical bout for the future of the women’s flyweight division.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 219.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Dec. 19-25)

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 Dec. 19-25.

UFC tries Ovince Saint Preux vs. Philipe Lins again, this time for February

Ovince Saint Preux has had a tough time finding fights as of late, but the UFC is attempting him vs. Philipe Lins yet again.

In the wake of a string of fight booking cancellations outside of his control, [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] is booked again.

After three opponents withdrew from bouts opposite him at UFC 282, Saint Preux (26-16 MMA, 14-11 UFC) was removed from the Dec. 10 card. Now, he’s rebooked against [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) for a bout on the UFC Fight Night card Feb. 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A person with knowledge of the booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting first reported the booking.

Saint Preux and Lins were previously linked on multiple occasions. In November 2013, the two were matched up but Saint Preux withdrew. The second booking was for UFC 282 in December, but Lins withdrew.

Both Saint Preux and Lins are 1-2 in their most recent three, with victories in their most recent outings. In April, Lins picked up his first UFC win when he defeated Marcin Prachnio by unanimous decision. Two weeks later, Saint Preux won a rematch vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua by split decision.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Feb. 18 includes:

  • Gabriel Benitez vs. Jim Miller
  • William Knight vs. Marcin Prachnio
  • Billy Goff vs. Themba Gorimbo
  • Evan Elder vs. Nazim Sadykhov
  • Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Joe Solecki
  • Clayton Carpenter vs. Juancamilo Ronderos
  • Abus Magomedov vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Philipe Lins vs. Ovince Saint Preux

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