UFC 309 medical suspensions: Stipe Miocic out for 60 days, several others up to three months

From one week to three months, check out the full list of medical suspensions handed out following UFC 309 in New York.

Every fighter who competed this past Saturday at UFC 309 has been given a medical suspension following their bouts.

Jhonata Diniz, Mickey Gall and Bassil Hafez were knocked out in their fights and were among four fighters who received 90-day suspensions, which was the longest period issued. The fourth fighter who received 90 days was James Llontop, who went the distance with Mauricio Ruffy, but was on the receiving end of multiple damaging strikes over three rounds.

The event, which took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, was headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and former champion Stipe Miocic. Although he announced his retirement following the main event, Miocic was given a 60-day suspension for his TKO loss to Jones.

Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of medical suspensions from the New York State Department of State, which oversaw the event. Check out the full list below. The suspensions ranged from a 7-day mandatory rest period to 90 days. Any fighter given 30-90 days may return sooner if cleared by a doctor (unless noted otherwise).

Eduarda Moura def. Veronica Hardy

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Veronica Hardy (red gloves) fights Eduarda Moura (blue gloves) in the flyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]Eduarda Moura[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

[autotag]Veronica Hardy[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

Oban Elliott def. Bassil Hafez

Ò(Editors Note: Graphic Content, Blood)Ó Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Bassil Hafez (red gloves) fights Oban Elliott (blue gloves) in the welterweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

[autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag]: 90-day suspension with neurology clearance

Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall

Ramiz Brahimaj def Mickey Gall UFC 309

[autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

[autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag]: 90-day suspension with neurology clearance

Marcin Tybura def. Jhonata Diniz

Ò(Editors Note: Graphic Content, Blood)Ó Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Jhonata Diniz (blue gloves) reacts after losing to Marcin Tybura (red gloves, not pictured) in the Heavyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag]: 90-day suspension

David Onama def. Roberto Romero

Ò(Editors Note: Graphic Content, Blood)Ó Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; David Onama (red gloves) fights Roberto Romero (blue gloves) in the lightweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

[autotag]Roberto Romero[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Jim Miller def. Damon Jackson

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Marcus McGhee def. Jonathan Martinez

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Jonathan Martinez (red gloves) fights Marcus Mcghee (blue gloves) in the bantamweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]Marcus McGhee[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

Mauricio Ruffy def. James Llontop

Ò(Editors Note: Graphic Content, Blood)Ó Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Mauricio Ruffy (red gloves) fights James Llontop (blue gloves) in the catchweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]Mauricio Ruffy[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

[autotag]James Llontop[/autotag]: 90-day suspension

Viviane Araujo def. Karine Silva

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Viviane Araujo (red gloves) fights Karine Silva (blue gloves) in the WomenÕs Flyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

[autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Bo Nickal def. Paul Craig

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 16: (R-L) Bo Nickal of the United States of America punches Paul Craig of Scotland in a middleweight fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Charles Oliveira def. Michael Chandler

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Charles Oliveira (red gloves) fights Michael Chandler (blue gloves) in the lightweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: 30-day suspension

Jon Jones def. Stipe Miocic

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones (R) fights challenger Stipe Miocic during their heavyweight title bout at Madison Square Garden in New York, on November 16, 2024. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]: 7 days mandatory rest

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]: 60-day suspension

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Ramiz Brahimaj lauds return on investment with UFC 309 knockout

Ramiz Brahimaj’s KO of Mickey Gall was the first of his career after 10 submissions in 10 wins.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag] beat Mickey Gall with a first-round knockout Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Take a look inside the fight with Brahimaj, whose KO was the first of his career after 10 submissions in 10 wins.

Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall

Ramiz Brahimaj

Result: Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:55
Updated records: Brahimaj (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Gall (7-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC)
Key stats: Brahimaj has all 11 of his wins by stoppage.

Brahimaj on the fight’s key moment

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Mickey Gall (red gloves) fights Ramiz Brahimaj (blue gloves) in the welterweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“I’m a little disappointed in myself. I’m very proud of my performance. I think I did a great job. But I think in the past, I just want to kick myself in my ass. I’m like, ‘Dude, what’s wrong with you?’ … I don’t know why sometimes I’ve gotten in my own way and it’s just stupid, but I’m done with all of that. I flip the switch, I don’t care.”

Brahimaj on the big moment

Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall, UFC 309 (via UFC)

“Madison Square Garden – I can’t really put it in words. I’m just thankful, blessed … I’m extremely fortunate. … This is a testament to a lot of things. I’ve been through some pretty rough times, some pretty dark times. I can’t really quite put my finger on what I’m feeling right now. I just know that it’s like a return on investment, like when you invest in something and it comes back and it’s doubling and tripling. That’s how I feel.

“It’s crazy to think: You know how life goes. If you would have asked me about a year ago if I would be here, I’d probably say no. I had a horrific neck injury that I thought was going to derail everything. I thought it was going to alter the way that I lived my life. My right arm completely atrophied for about three months. I didn’t have use of my right arm – I could not pull 5 pounds down. A lot of these emotions, a lot of these feelings are rushing back to me right now. and yeah, yeah. I don’t know. I I can’t really. I don’t know. ”

Brahimaj on what he wants next

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Mickey Gall (red gloves) fights Ramiz Brahimaj (blue gloves) in the welterweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

“Obviously, it wasn’t the result that I wanted. I’m kind of frustrated with it. A lot went wrong in that training camp. But you live and you learn. One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t really fixate on the past. It already happened. Tonight, I kept telling myself backstage and this whole training camp: Nothing matters but now. I had to keep myself level headed because I couldn’t think about MSG.

This is definitely it. I could go on and win the championship. I would go on and make millions of dollars for the rest of my life. This moment right here that I’m sharing with you guys, it’s a very special thing to me because I lost a lot of sleep, a lot of tears, a lot of blood, all of that stuff, just to be here talking with you guys. It’s an amazing feeling. I think this is going to be one of the biggest moments of my life.”

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

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

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UFC 309 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jon Jones leads card in potential final bout

Jon Jones’ $42,000 led the Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts for UFC 309 in New York.

NEW YORK – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 309 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $262,500.

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 309 took place at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 309 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mauricio Ruffy[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]James Llontop[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Marcus McGhee[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Roberto Romero[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Eduarda Moura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Veronica Hardy[/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 $4,500; 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: $7,543,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $30,280,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Ramiz Brahimaj def. Mickey Gall at UFC 309: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Ramiz Brahimaj’s first-round knockout win over Mickey Gall at UFC 309.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag]’s first-round knockout win over [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos by Brad Penner, Imagn Images; UFC; MMA Junkie)

UFC 309 video: Ramiz Brahimaj sleeps Mickey Gall early with big knockout

Ramiz Brahimaj lived out a dream at UFC 309 in front of his home state fans.

[autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag] lived out a dream Saturday at Madison Square Garden when he knocked out opponent [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] in the first round in front of the New York faithful.

A Bronx native, Brahimaj (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) cracked Gall (7-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) with a big overhand right on the UFC 309 prelims. Gall crashed to the canvas and absorbed a few more shots before the fight was waved off.

With the win, Brahimaj bounces back from a May loss to Themba Gorimbo and moves to 2-1 in his most recent three. Gall falls into a four-fight skid.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 309 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

UFC Fight Night 241 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $26 million

UFC Fight Night 241 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 241 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $158,500.

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 241 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 241 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vinicius Salvador[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oumar Sy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Carnelossi[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Heili Alateng[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kleydson Rodrigues[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag]: $4,500

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 2411 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: $3,264,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,001,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 241

Will Ramiz Brahimaj find success after a two-year layoff against the surging Themba Gorimbo at UFC Fight Night 241?

[autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag] and [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 241 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo UFC Fight Night 241 preview

Brahimaj (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) and Gorimbo (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) meet in a fun matchup at welterweight. … Brahimaj returns to action for the first time since February 2022, where he submitted Micheal Gillmore to continue his trend of trading wins and losses for four years. … After dropping his UFC debut by submission, Gorimbo won his next two fights, most recently stopping Pete Rodriguez in February.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is a welterweight affair between Brahimaj and Gorimbo. Looking to continue the momentum of a two-fight winning streak, Gorimbo will welcome Brahimaj back to the octagon after a two-year layoff.

Although Gorimbo has a lot of hype and a story that’s easy to get behind, the South African fighter is still a bit too green and willing to grapple for me to confidently pick him here.

Don’t get me wrong: Gorimbo will be much livelier as the fight wears on due to his cardio edge, but I see the smaller octagon of the UFC Apex favoring the dedicated submission stylings of Brahimaj.

For that reason, I’ll pick the Fortis MMA product to have a successful return by submitting Gorimbo in Round 1.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo odds

The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the South African fighter this weekend, listing Gorimbo -142 and Brahimaj +116 via FanDuel. Brahimaj was an underdog in his UFC debut, and lost by TKO due to a damaged ear. He was a favorite over his next three appearances, winning two of those bouts. Gorimbo was also a losing underdog in his promotional debut. He was then listed as the favorite in his next two fights, winning both.

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo start time, how to watch

As the third fight on the main card, Brahimaj and Gorimbo are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT). The fight streams live on ESPN+.

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

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

UFC Fight Night 241: Themba Gorimbo vs. Ramiz Brahimaj odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 241 odds between Themba Gorimbo vs. Ramiz Brahimaj, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Themba Gorimbo and Ramiz Brahimaj meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 241 — also known as UFC on ESPN+ 99 and UFC Vegas 92 — at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC Fight Night 241: Gorimbo vs. Brahimaj odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

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

Records: Gorimbo (12-4-0) | Brahimaj (10-4-0)

The Zimbabwean-born Gorimbo takes the walk with 2 straight victories under his belt after a submission loss in his UFC debut back on Feb. 18, 2023, against AJ Fletcher. The win streak includes a KO/TKO in 32 seconds against Pete Rodriguez last time out on the Dolidze-Imavov card.

Brahimaj has split his 4 fights at the UFC level. He bounced back with a submission win over Michael Gillmore last time out after losing via unanimous decision against Court McGee in mid-January. He has had just 1 of his 4 fights go the distance since arriving in the UFC in Nov. 2020.

Gorimbo enters the octagon with a 5-inch reach advantage, and he holds a tremendous lead in significant strikes accuracy percentage. Gorimbo lands 67.82% of those strikes, while Brahimaj lands just 43.43% of his significant strikes. Gorimbo is much better with a 3.39 takedown average, to just 1.90 for Brahimaj.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 241: Gorimbo vs. Brahimaj odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:20 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Gorimbo -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Brahimaj +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -160 | Under +120)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +180 | No -250)

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UFC Fight Night 241: Gorimbo vs. Brahimaj picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

GORIMBO (-150), a.k.a. “The Answer”, is a strong play in this welterweight clash at the Apex.

The Zimbabwean has won the past 2 fights, and just 1 of his 3 fights have ended up going the distance.

Brahimaj (+125) tapped out Gillmore last time out, and just 1 of his 4 bouts have needed the judges to decide his fate.

GORIMBO BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (+175) on the 5-way line for method of victory is the best play for the chance to nearly double up.

Over/Under (O/U)

No: Will the fight go the distance? (-250) will set you back 2½ times your potential return, and that’s just too much risk for not enough reward.

However, OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-160) isn’t a bad play for a moderate price. While Gorimbo has ended up going past the halfway point of Round 2 just once in his 3 UFC fights, Brahimaj has gone the distance once, and he has fought into Round 3 in 2 of his 4 UFC bouts, including a 3rd-round KO/TKO loss to Max Griffin in his company debut in Nov. 2020.

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.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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‘Reborn’ Ramiz Brahimaj returns to UFC with new perspective after ‘nasty’ injury jeopardized career

For UFC welterweight Ramiz Brahimaj, the past two years haven’t been easy. It wasn’t always certain he’d ever fight again.

LAS VEGAS – The clouds hovering above [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag] have dissipated.

For the first time since February 2022, Brahimaj (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has made it to fight week, just a few days out from his UFC Fight Night 241 clash with Themba Gorimbo (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

Twenty-seven months away from competition was difficult to cope with, never mind the physical effects from the spinal injury he dealt with much of that duration. Despite suggestions from some physicians to undergo surgery, Brahimaj elected to partake in intensive physical therapy instead.

It paid off.

“Pinch me. I’m dreaming,” a beaming Brahimaj laughed as he spoke to reporters Wednesday at pre-fight news conference. “… This place is my home and I’m happy. I’m excited. It’s surreal. It’s going to feel amazing.”

With a new appreciation for his career, and perhaps life as a whole, Brahimaj says the tough times are what gave him such clarity and serenity.

“I’m not trying to be like the wise owl here or anything like that,” Brahimaj said. “But life and all of its circumstances, no matter how hard they may be or even good, I’m a testament to this; a lot of times in my darkest hours and through the most turbulence or whatever you want to say, I’ve come to find out who other people are but most importantly who I am. I think you’ve got to be your biggest hero. You’ve got to be your biggest supporter. You’ve got to have your back more than anybody else has your back because, ultimately, you’re the only person who’s in your skin. You’re the only person who goes to sleep at night with your thoughts and with your feelings and with everything.

“I’m not superhuman. I’m a regular person at heart. Understand? I’m a very normal person. If I could give any words of encouragement to anybody it’s if I can do it, 100 percent anybody else can do it. If you have doubts about how you look, how you feel, what other people think about you – pardon my French – but f*ck all that. Forget it. Who cares about that stuff? Be confident. Be comfortable in who you are. Trust the process and stay the course, because a lot of beautiful things happen with that. I’ve noticed a lot of beautiful things happening in my life. After the dark clouds and the rain always comes sunshine. It’s good. I’m happy.”

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Though a lot of his process was done internally, Brahimaj’s recovery wasn’t accomplished alone. He credits his family, team, and Fortis MMA head coach Sayif Saud for helping get back to the UFC cage.

“I could sit here. I could shed a tear. I could be all emotional and angry and have everything going through me,” Brahimaj said. “But that’s not the way I choose to look at it. … I adapt to overcome. That’s it. That’s just who I am as a human being. I think that’s why it’s brought me to this place I’m at now.

“I just find peace in the calm and I just enjoy every single day of this training camp. Now, I’m enjoying every single day of this fight week. Leading up to that fight, I’m going to enjoy every single minute, every single moment walking into that octagon, being inside of that octagon, handling business, up until I get the job done Saturday night. That’s it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 26-March 3)

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 Feb. 26-March 3.