Tag: Raulian Paiva

UFC on ESPN 27 results: Raulian Paiva upsets Kyler Phillips by majority decision

Raulian Paiva rallied from a brutal first round to upset Kyler Phillips on the scorecards at UFC on ESPN 27.

[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]’s move up to the bantamweight division was a success Saturday with an upset of [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 27.

After spending his previous octagon appearance at flyweight, Paiva (21-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) moved up and made an immediate impact with a come-from-behind majority decision upset of Phillips (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in 15-minute war. The scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 28-28.

The bantamweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 27 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

Both men came out slinging heavy shots. Phillips landed the first big clean shot roughly 30 seconds in when he sat Paiva down on his butt, but the Brazilian quickly popped back up and stepped right back into a fire fight. Phillips’ movement kept him out of severe danger, and Paiva was keen to bring the fight to him, but struggled with the range.

Phillips threw an errant spinning kick that led to him slipping to the ground and ending on bottom, but he scrambled free, got on top and landed some shots of his own. He hurt Paiva badly with an explosive striking sequence in the final seconds, and nearly got the job done before his opponent was saved by the bell.

Paiva came out with some desperation in the second frame. He quickly pressured into the clinch then tried to drop down for a heel hook, but Phillips wasn’t having any of it and scrambled free. That didn’t deter Paiva, though. He sensed an opening to land a big right hand on Phillips that put him on wobbly legs. Paiva kept the heat on and worked from inside the clinch, but Phillips wisely adjusted and secured a takedown of his own that allowed him to breath and recover.

It was clear Paiva didn’t want to let Phillips off the hook, though, and when it got back upright he attacked with some more solid combinations. Phillips dove for another takedown, and brilliantly managed to get on top and work for a submission. He couldn’t finish it, and the fight went back to its feet where both guys landed clean. The pace slowed a bit, and they clinched to end another wild round.

There was hunger for the victory from both sides going into the final round. Both men were clearly fatigued, and they measured their strikes. Phillips had success on the feet, but so did Paiva. They couldn’t connect with the fight-ending shot, though, and despite some clear connections no one went down. Phillips shot for a takedown with a little more than two minutes left to try and tip the scale in his favor, but it was Paiva who got top control down the stretch.

Phillips was able to stand up in the final seconds, and they traded a few punches until the final bell of a thrilling and tightly contested affair.

In the end the judges saw the advantage for Paiva, who agreed with the call.

“I knew in my heart I was going to win,” Paiva said through an interpreter in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “I don’t know how. It was a tough fight and I was going to find a way to win.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 27 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 27 predictions: Who’s picking T.J. Dillashaw over Cory Sandhagen?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 27 main card, featuring Cory Sandhagen vs. ex-champion T.J. Dillashaw.

Sandhagen
vs.
Dillashaw		 Paiva
vs.
Phillips		 Elkins
vs.
Minner		 Barber
vs.
Maverick		 Costa
vs.
Yanez
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 109-63		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen
(65%)		 phillips2021
Phillips
(84%)		 elkins2021
Elkins
(53%)		 maverick2021
Maverick
(55%)		 yanez2021
Yanez
(71%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 111-61
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 minner2021
Minner		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 108-64		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 minner2021
Minner		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 108-64		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 minner2021
Minner		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 105-67
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 dillashaw2021
Dillashaw		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 105-67
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 104-68		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 104-68
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 maverick2021
Maverick		 costa2021
Costa
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 103-69		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 barber2021
Barber		 yanez2021
Yanez
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 103-69		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 minner2021
Minner		 maverick2021
Maverick		 costa2021
Costa
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 103-69		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 102-70		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 99-73		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 minner2021
Minner		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 34-22		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen		 phillips2021
Phillips		 elkins2021
Elkins		 maverick2021
Maverick		 yanez2021
Yanez
BetMGM
Betting Favorites		 sandhagen2021
Sandhagen -190		 phillips2021
Phillips -300		 minner2021
Minner -155		 maverick2021
Maverick -150		 yanez2021
Yanez -250

The UFC stays in its Las Vegas home base this week with a former champion back after two and a half years away.

UFC on ESPN 27 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) takes on former bantamweight champ [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC). Dillashaw has been out since a January 2019 loss to Henry Cejudo, after which he was suspended for two years for a positive erythropoietin test. Sandhagen is a the betting favorite at -190 at BetMGM, and he’s got a whopping 12-1 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is the biggest favorite on the main card at 3-1 in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC). He’s also our only unanimous pick at 13-0.

Our most contentious fight is at featherweight between [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] (25-9 MMA, 15-8 UFC) and [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Minner is a -155 favorite, but it’s Elkins with an 8-5 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a -150 favorite at the betting window, making her the smallest favorite on the main card. But only one of our pickers is taking [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) to beat her in their women’s flyweight bout.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a -250 favorite against [autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at bantamweight, and he’s got a big 11-2 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Sandhagen (65 percent), Phillips (84 percent), Elkins (53 percent), Maverick (55 percent) and Yanez (71 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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With Raulian Paiva out, Juancamilo Ronderos steps in to face David Dvorak at UFC Fight Night 188

Juancamilo Ronderos will step in on just a day’s notice to face David Dvorak at UFC Fight Night 188.

[autotag]Juancamilo Ronderos[/autotag] will step in on just one day’s notice to compete Saturday at UFC Fight Night 188.

Prior to weigh-ins Friday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] was forced out due to a rough weight cut. Ronderos (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step in on short notice to face [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC), in a bout which will now take place on the prelims.

UFC officials informed MMA Junkie of the switch prior to Friday’s official weigh-ins. MMA Fighting was first to report that Paiva had withdrawn from the fight.

Colombia’s Ronderos hasn’t competed since December 2019, when he edged out ex-UFC fighter Eric Shelton to defend his Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting flyweight title. Prior to signing with the UFC, Ronderos was expected to face Fury FC flyweight champion C.J. Vergara on the upcoming season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Training out of Xtreme Couture, the unbeaten 26-year-old has won 13 straight dating back to his amateur career.

Boasting an impressive winning streak at 15 in a row, Dvorak has started his UFC tenure with back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Bruno Silva and most recently Jordan Espinosa at UFC Fight Night 178 in September. The performances were enough to project him into the UFC rankings after just two promotional performances.

With the change, the current UFC Fight Night 188 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Carla Esparza vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Justin Tafa vs. Jared Vanderaa
  • Norma Dumont vs. Felicia Spencer
  • Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • Jack Hermansson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Chris Barnett vs. Ben Rothwell
  • Court McGee vs. Claudio Silva
  • Victor Rodriguez vs. Bruno Silva
  • Josh Culibao vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
  • David Dvorak vs. Juancamilo Ronderos
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Rafael Alves vs. Damir Ismagulov

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David Dvorak vs. Raulian Paiva added to UFC Fight Night on May 22

The UFC flyweight division is getting busy.

The UFC flyweight division is getting busy.

An 125-pound bout between [autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag] and [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] has been booked for a UFC Fight Night event May 22. Both fighters confirmed the news on social media following a report by AgFight.

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Dvorak (19-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) currently is on a 15-fight winning streak. The bout against Paiva is the first booking Dvorak will have in 2021. He joined the UFC early 2020 and picked up decision wins over Bruno Silva and Jordan Espinosa. He’s currently ranked No. 10 in the UFC’s official flyweight rankings.

Brazil’s Paiva, ranked No. 11, (20-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) hasn’t competed since August 2020. Paiva was supposed to fight Amir Albazi in October, but had to withdraw due to injury. Paiva has won two fights in a row, which broke a two-fight losing skid that marked his start in the UFC.

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Raulian Paiva vs. Amir Albazi added to UFC’s Oct. 31 fight card

A matchup between flyweight prospects Raulian Paiva and Amir Albazi is the latest addition to the UFC’s Oct. 31 event.

A matchup between flyweight prospects is the latest addition to the UFC’s Oct. 31 event.

[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] (20-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) will face [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC). No location or name designation has been announced for the event at this time.

MMA Junkie verified the booking with multiple people close to the situation following an initial report from Combate.

Albazi impressed in his UFC debut in July, when he submitted former TKO 125-pound champion Malcom Gordon in Round 1. The London Shootfighters prospect has only one career blemish to former UFC flyweight Jose Torres.

After dropping his first two UFC fights, Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Paiva rebounded with back-to-back wins over Mark De La Rosa and, most recently, Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC 251 in July.

With the addition, the Oct. 31 lineup includes:

  • Uriah Hall vs. Anderson Silva
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Justin Ledet
  • Maurice Greene vs. Greg Hardy
  • Aaron Phillips vs. Adrian Yanez
  • Amir Albazi vs. Raulian Paiva

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UFC 251 medical suspensions: Kamaru Usman facing longer sit than Jorge Masvidal

Kamaru Usman won at UFC 251, but he didn’t walk away unscathed.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] won at UFC 251, but he didn’t walk away unscathed.

Retaining his title against challenger [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] in the pay-per-view headliner, Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) received a longer medical suspension than his opponent.

On Friday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list from MixedMartialArts.com, the ABC’s official recordkeeper. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.

According to the list, Usman suffered a potentially broken nose during the 25-minute duration of his unanimous decision victory. The injury could mean he’ll need to take 180 days off in between fights.

As for Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC), “Gamebred” received a much shorter suspension: 30 days off due to a facial laceration.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], and UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] all received 30-day suspensions, while former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] received a mandatory TKO-loss suspension of 45 days.

UFC 251 took place Saturday at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.

The complete list of UFC 250 medical suspensions:

  • Kamaru Usman: Suspended 180 days or until nasal X-ray is cleared by doctor; also suspended 21 days with no contact.
  • Jorge Masvidal: Suspended 30 days for forehead laceration with no contact for 21 days.
  • Alexander Volkanovski: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Max Holloway: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Petr Yan: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Jose Aldo: Suspended 45 days (mandatory due to TKO) with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days due to knockout with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until nasal X-ray is cleared by doctor; also suspended 21 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Zhalgas Zhamagulov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Davy Grant[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by oral and maxillofacial doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days due to knockout with no contact for 45 days.

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Raulian Paiva wants someone in the top 10 after UFC 251 win

Take a look inside Raulian Paiva’s win over Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] beat Zhalgas Zhumagulov with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi.

Take a look inside the fight with Paiva, who now has back-to-back wins after a pair of decision losses to open his UFC tenure in 2019.

Result: Raulian Paiva def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Paiva (20-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Zhumagulov (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Zhumagulov outstruck Paiva 73-56 and landed the fight’s only pair of takedowns – but came up short with the judges.

Paiva on the fight’s key moment

“The fight was a little bit different than I expected. There are no easy fights in the UFC. I’m just happy I was able to show some improvement in my game. I was able to work a lot of kicks – something I don’t normally use. For this particular opponent, it seemed like something that would work. The result showed for itself. I’m really happy with the performance.”

Paiva on executing his game plan

“He’s very good at what he does. I knew he was mostly a striker. I was ready to strike with him and see who’s the best at it. He tried a few takedowns, but I was able to reverse them. If it did go to the ground, I knew my jiu-jitsu was better than his. Overall, striking with him was a good choice.”

Paiva on what he wants next

“I was ranked 14th (in the UFC) coming into the fight. I just want to ask if I can get a top-10 opponent. I think I should go up the rankings a bit with the win. Hopefully I can get a top-10 opponent.”

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

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UFC 251 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $34 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 251 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $305,500.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 251 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $305,500.

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 251 took place at Flash Forum in Yas Island. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 251 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $30,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhamagulov[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Martin Day[/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: $3,026,000
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: $34,030,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 251 with Elton John, Men At Work, Chili Peppers

Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 251 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 251 went with as their backing tracks in Abu Dhabi.

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