Renan Barao – Syndication Server

GFL draft results: Former UFC champions surprise with unexpected entries

Check out the GFL Draft results and see which of the hottest free agents and MMA legends were selected to compete in the inaugural year.

It’s not every day there’s an MMA draft, but Friday there was

The 2025 GFL Draft took place virtually with a live stream on MMA Junkie. Six teams, each representing a major city, drafted from a pool of approximately 500 fighters, including big-name free agents and rising prospects.

One-hundred-twenty athletes were be selected across 10 weight classes (heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, women’s bantamweight, women’s strawweight, and women’s atomweight). However, the weight classes are divided slightly differently than the traditional weight classes. The promotion says it’s an effort to combat weight cutting.

Click here to see which fighters are eligible for the draft.

The six teams are managed and coached by MMA notables, as follows: Dubai (manager Cain Velasquez and coach Javier Mendez); London (manager Luke Barnatt and coach Carl Prince); Los Angeles (manager Wanderlei Silva and coach Rafael Cordeiro); Miami (manager Thiago Alves and coach Conan Silveira); New York (manager TBA and coach Ray Longo); and Sao Paulo (manager Lyoto Machida and coach Andre Pederneiras.

While a specific date has yet to be revealed, the promotion says it will launch in April with regular season, semi-finals, and finals events held throughout the year.

The 2025 GFL Draft results are as follows:

Round 1

Pick 1 (Team Dubai): Tyron Woodley
Pick 2 (Team Los Angeles): Sage Northcutt
Pick 3 (Team London): Gegard Mousasi
Pick 4 (Miami): Junior Dos Santos
Pick 5 (Sao Paulo): Fabricio Werdum
Pick 6 (New York): Kevin Lee

Round 2

Pick 7 (New York): Chris Weidman
Pick 8 (Sao Paulo): Douglas Lima
Pick 9 (Miami): Anthony Pettis
Pick 10 (London): Alexander Gustafsson
Pick 11 (Los Angeles): Aspen Ladd
Pick 12 (Dubai): Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Round 3

Pick 13 (Dubai): Derek Brunson
Pick 14 (Los Angeles): Tony Ferguson
Pick 15 (London): Josefine Knutsson
Pick 16 (Miami): Yoel Romero
Pick 17 (Sao Paulo): Carlos Petruzzella
Pick 18 (New York): Holly Holm

Round 4

Pick 19 (New York): Melissa Amay
Pick 20 (Sao Paulo): Camilia Reynoso
Pick 21 (Miami): Natasha Kuizutina
Pick 22 (London): Brett Johns
Pick 23 (Los Angeles): Urijah Faber
Pick 24 (Dubai): Ali Isaev

Full team reveal (following Round 5):

Team Dubai

[autotag]Anastasia Nikolakakos[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Jessica Aguilar[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Faine Mesquita[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Randi Field[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Farbod Iran Nezhad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Timur Valiev[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Adilet Nurmatov[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Khumoyun Tukhtamurodov[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Los Angeles

[autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Tyler Diamond[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Sage Northcutt[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Louis Glismann[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team London

[autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Kelly Staddon[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Josh Hill[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Tim Wilde[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Norman Parke[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Miami

[autotag]Kayla Hracho[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Natasha Kuziutina[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Eric Shelton[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Sao Paulo

[autotag]Joice Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Pamela Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Camila Reynoso[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Paula Bittencourt[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Maike Linhares[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Carlos Petruzzella[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team New York

[autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Marisa Messer-Belenchia[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Melissa Amaya[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Phillip Hawes[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (heavyweight)

GFL announces new draft entrees, managers, coaches, and team cities

The fledgling Global Fight League continued to get its business in order Thursday.

The fledgling Global Fight League continued to get its business in order Thursday with several important announcements.

Last month, the GFL, headed by co-founder Darren Owen, announced plans for its official launch this year, with the concept of team-based mixed martial arts at the forefront.

The GFL will feature six teams from six cities competing in a league format that includes playoffs. As part of its initial announcement, the GFL said it had signed a plethora of big-name fighters – chalk full of former UFC champions and legends of the sport – ahead of a scheduled Jan. 24 draft date. The GFL hopes to put on its first event in April.

On Thursday, the promotion announced new draft entrees, team locations, as well as team managers and coaches.

Who are the new GFL draft entrees?

The GFL confirmed that [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag], [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag], [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag], [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag], [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag], and [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] will enter the draft.

The GFL’s announcement also teased that “additional athletes will be revealed in the days leading up to the draft.”

Where will the GFL teams be located?

Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Sao Paulo will serve as the homebase for the GFL’s six teams.

Who will manage and coach the GFL teams?

The coaches and managers for the six GFL teams will be as follows:

Dubai – Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag], who awaits sentencing after pleading no contest to an attempted murder charge in California, will be manager, with American Kickboxing Academy’s Javier Mendez serving as coach.
London – Six-fight UFC veteran [autotag]Luke Barnatt[/autotag] will manager, while Manchester Top Team’s Carl Prince will coach.
Los Angeles – UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag] will be the manager for the L.A. team, with famed coach Rafael Cordeiro.
Miami – The American Top Team duo of [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (manager) and Conan Silveira (coach) will lead the way for Miami.
New York – No manager has been determined, but Ray Longo will serve as coach.
Sao Paulo – Former UFC champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (manager) and legendary coach Andre Pederneiras (coach) will head the Brazilian squad.

Global Fight League announces launch, roster includes giant list of former UFC fighters

GFL has arrived – and it’s bringing fairly massive names from UFC yesteryears with it.

A new player has entered the MMA landscape, and it has arrived with some big names.

Wednesday, Global Fight League (GFL) announced its official launch will come in the opening weeks of 2025. The GFL concept differs from that of UFC and PFL.

While it has a league format and playoffs, it is also team-based and has a draft. There will be six franchises (names and cities to follow). The draft is scheduled for Jan. 24, with an inaugural event to follow in April.

Who’s fighting?

Co-founder Darren Owen revealed on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Wednesday that the promotion has over 300 fighters under contract. Not all fighters will be drafted.

Of the 92 fighters posted to the promotion’s official website, 45 of them are former UFC fighters. Names include Tyron Woodley, Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Wanderlei Silva, Frank Mir, Andrei Arlovski, Kevin Lee, Fabricio Werdum, and Junior Dos Santos among others.

Scroll below to see the released names:

[autotag]Marcel Adur[/autotag]
[autotag]Amirkhon Alikhuzhaev[/autotag]
[autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]
[autotag]Omar Arteaga[/autotag]
[autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag]
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]
[autotag]Deberson Batista[/autotag]
[autotag]Raimundo Batista[/autotag]
[autotag]Stephen Beaumont[/autotag]
[autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag]
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]
[autotag]Claudeci Brito[/autotag]
[autotag]Will Brooks[/autotag]
[autotag]Yan Cabral[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexsandro Cangaty[/autotag]
[autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag]
[autotag]Rafael Carvalho[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag]
[autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]
[autotag]Ayton de Paepe[/autotag]
[autotag]Patrizio de Souza[/autotag]
[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]
[autotag]Marcelo Dias[/autotag]
[autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag]
[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag]
[autotag]Tonya Evinger[/autotag]
[autotag]Kalindra Faria[/autotag]
[autotag]Marciano Ferreira[/autotag]
[autotag]Chauncey Foxworth[/autotag]
[autotag]Glaico Franca[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag]
[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]
[autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag]
[autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag]
[autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]
[autotag]Guto Inocente[/autotag]
[autotag]Michael Irizarry[/autotag]
[autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag]
[autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]
[autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag]
[autotag]William Lima[/autotag]
[autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag]
[autotag]Ruan Machado[/autotag]
[autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]
[autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksandr Maslov[/autotag]
[autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag]
[autotag]Dominick Meriweather[/autotag]
[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag]
[autotag]Silvania Monteiro[/autotag]
[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]
[autotag]Killys Motta[/autotag]
[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag]
[autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag]
[autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]
[autotag]Ayinda Octave[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]
[autotag]Renan Oliveira[/autotag]
[autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag]
[autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag]
[autotag]Oscar Ownsworth[/autotag]
[autotag]Denis Palancica[/autotag]
[autotag]Rousimar Palharaes[/autotag]
[autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag]
[autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag]
[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]
[autotag]Jefferson Pontes[/autotag]
[autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag]
[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag]
[autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Cleiton Silva[/autotag]
[autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag]
[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag]
[autotag]Julio Spadaccini[/autotag]
[autotag]Andre Soukhamthath[/autotag]
[autotag]Roggers Souza[/autotag]
[autotag]Gabriel Souza Galindo[/autotag]
[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]
[autotag]Mohamed Tarek Mohey[/autotag]
[autotag]Diego Teixeira[/autotag]
[autotag]Oli Thompson[/autotag]
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]
[autotag]Austin Tweedy[/autotag]
[autotag]Feruz Usmonov[/autotag]
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
[autotag]Jozef Wittner[/autotag]
[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]

What does GFL provide athletes that other promotions don’t?

According to Owen, GFL offers fighters a 50-50 split in revenue sharing. Additionally, the promotion provides comprehensive support for training and medical bills, retirement benefits, insurance coverage, and more.

Who is behind GFL and where is the money coming from?

Owen is listed as the co-founder and commissioner for GFL and serves essentially as the public face for the promotion. He served as COO of PFL vs. October 2015 to May 2020 and was the founder and CEO of World Series of Fighting Canada, according to his LinkedIn page.

Also listed on the promotion’s website are Arun Parimi (co-founder and COO), Scott Parker (CMO), and Jeffrey Pollack (senior advisor).

Owen declined to identify the source of the funds behind the operation, but did say it’s a silicon valley investor.

How does the regular season work?

Similarly to PFL, GFL has a point system for regular season fights.

A finish victory notches a fighter’s team four points. A decision win earns three points. A draw earns two points. A decision loss earns one point. If a fighter loses by finish, he or she walks away with zero points.

UFC veterans in MMA action Oct. 4-7

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC returns to action with UFC Fight Night 229 in Las Vegas.

Last week, the promotion took a week off after 17 consecutive weekends with a fight card. At the UFC Apex, lightweights [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] will collide in the main event.

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA Oct. 4-7.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Ex-UFC champ Renan Barao set to return vs. William Gomis at ARES FC 7 on June 25

Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao will return to action this summer in Paris.

Once again, Renan Barao is scheduled to make his first appearance in since his departure from the UFC.

Barao (34-9) will face William Gomis (9-2) at ARES FC 7 on June 25 in Paris, the promotion announced via Instagram on Tuesday. The event airs on UFC Fight Pass and takes place at Le Dome de Paris – Palais des Sports in Paris.

Barao, 35, has not competed since his exit from the UFC in 2019, but it has not been for lack of trying. The former UFC bantamweight champion has been scheduled to fight on three other occasions, but each booking fell through due to various reasons. His most recent attempt to return was with [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s promotion to face Horacio Gutierrez at Eagle FC 44 in January.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd9LAinja9Z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Barao dropped five straight fights leading to being cut from the UFC in 2019. Prior to the bumps in the road that eventually led to the long skid, the Brazilian won 33-straight fights en route to claiming the interim title by defeating Urijah Faber at UFC 149. Barao was later promoted after Dominick Cruz vacated the title, and he would go on to defeat Faber again to record his only undisputed title defense at UFC 169.

Gomis, 24, hails from France and will enter the contest as a winner of his previous seven bouts. His two previous wins came by stoppage, submitting Baba Boundjou Nadjombe at Hexagone MMA 2 and scoring a TKO win over Arip Yakubov in March at UAE Warriors 28.

ARES FC 7 features two title fights at the top of the card. Abdoul Abdouraguimov will defend his welterweight title against Karl Amoussou in the main event and Akhmed Salamov will face Jose Galindo for the vacant middleweight title in the co-main bout.

[listicle id=2548030]

Former UFC champ Renan Barao headlines Taura MMA 12 against Bobby Moffett

Renan Barao has a date and opponent for his first bout outside the UFC.

[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag] has a date and opponent for his first fight outside the UFC.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Barao (34-9) takes on fellow octagon veteran Bobby Moffett (13-5) in the main event of Taura MMA 12 on Nov. 22 in Atlantic City, N.J. The news was first reported by Combate and later announced by the promotion.

[lawrence-related id=541337,539254]

Barao will compete for the first time outside the UFC in almost 10 years. The Brazilian joined the promotion in May 2011 and was released from the UFC in December 2019 following a five-fight losing skid.

The 33-year-old is currently 2-8 in his past 10 bouts. His most recent win was a unanimous decision victory over Phillipe Nover in 2016. Barao was once regarded by many as one of the best fighters pound-for-pound in the sport. At the height of his career, when he completed his first UFC title defense, Barao was on a 32-fight unbeaten streak.

Meanwhile, Moffett’s UFC tenure lasted less than a year. He competed three times for the Las Vegas-based promotion, compiling two defeats and one no contest. Moffett most recently fought in August 2019, losing a split decision to Enrique Barzola.

[vertical-gallery id=463372]

Former UFC champion Renan Barao signs with Taura MMA

Renan Barao has a new home.

[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag] has a new home following his UFC release.

The former UFC bantamweight champion signed a fight deal with Brazilian MMA promotion Taura MMA. The news was reported on Monday by MMA Fighting, and the promotion later confirmed the signing in a press release.

A date, location and opponent are yet to be determined for Barao’s debut with Taura MMA.

[lawrence-related id=468524,539254,212727]

Barao (34-9) was released from the UFC in December 2019 following a five-fight losing streak that extended from 2017 to 2019. The 33-year-old is currently 2-8 in his past 10 bouts. His most recent win was a unanimous decision victory over Phillipe Nover in 2016.

The Brazilian was considered by many to be the best bantamweight on the planet when he was at the height of his career. When Barao defended his 135-pound belt for the first time against Urijah Faber at UFC 169, Barao was unbeaten in 32 bouts – a run that spanned almost nine years.

Barao joins a list of former UFC fighters that have recently signed with Taura MMA that includes Antonio Silva, Rousimar Palhares, Guto Inocente, and Will Chope.

Taura MMA has hosted nine events thus far in its history and currently has cards scheduled on Oct. 23 and Oct. 30. The promotion launched in late 2017.

[vertical-gallery id=463372]

100 of the most fascinating UFC facts from the past decade

Some of the most significant in-fight moments and records in UFC history have occurred and been etched in stone over the past decade.

The past decade of UFC action has seen a lot unfold, and it is arguably the most important in the organization’s history from in terms of evolution.

Only within this era have statistics truly come to the forefront. After so many years of fights, the groundwork for what’s viewed as meaningful and the history attached has finally been laid out. The athletes and techniques have evolved, too, meaning new methods of causing damage and finishing fights are attempted and pulled off with a higher rate of frequency.

That evolution is apparent in the history books, because some of the most significant moments and records in UFC history have occurred over this past decade.

Let’s dig into the archives.

****

EVENT FEATS

The UFC held 363 events in 159 difference venues across 26 countries over the past decade.

“UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in October 2019 had the highest announced attendance in company history at 57,127.

“UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor” in November 2016 sold a largest live gate in company history at $17.7 million.

“UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” in November 2017 had the most total fight time of any event in company history at 3 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds.

“UFC Fight Night 55:: Rockhold vs. Bisping” in November 2014 had the least total fight time of those events at 1 hour, 3 minutes and 51 seconds.

The UFC canceled four events over the decade: UFC 151 in September 2012; UFC 176 in August 2014; UFC Fight Night 97 in October 2016 and UFC 233 in January 2019.

Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold at UFC 199

“UFC Fight Night 55: Rockhold vs. Bisping” and “UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington” in May 2018 each featured 11 stoppage results, the most for any card in company history.

“UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez” in April 2013, “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” in July 2014, “UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2,” in June 2016 and “UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2” in December 2017 each featured eight knockout results, the most of the decade.

“UFC on FUEL TV 10: Werdum vs. Nogueira” in June 2013 featured eight submission results, the most for any card in company history.

Seven events each featured 10 decision results, the most for any card in company history.

“UFC Fight Night 134: Shogun vs. Smith” in July 2018 and “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” each featured nine consecutive decision results, the longest streak on a card in company history.

“UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal” in November 2015 and “UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya” in March 2018 each featured five split-decision results, the most for any card in company history.

Henry Cejudo def. Marlon Moraes at UFC 238

“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” in June 2019 featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a single-event record for the company.

“UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta” in April 2018 featured seven fighters who landed 100 or more significant strikes, a single-event record for the company.

“UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2” in June 2016 featured 15 knockdowns, a single-event record for the company.

“UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor” in July 2015 was the only event in company history to feature two knockouts stemming from flying knee strikes.

“UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till” in September 2018 was the only event in company history to feature two kneebar submission results.

“UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre” in November 2017 marked the only event in history to feature three title changes.

Next page: General feats

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UFC releases former bantamweight champion Renan Barao

A fighter who once went a decade without losing was cut after dropping eight out of his past 10.

Former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]’s tenure in the company has come to an unceremonious end.

The Brazilian competitor, who will turn 33 in January, was recently released by the company. MMA Junkie confirmed an initial report by Combate through a source with knowledge of the situation.

After losing his MMA debut in 2005, Barao went on an incredible run of 32 consecutive victories. That included his first two fights under the Zuffa umbrella with the WEC in 2010, then his first seven in the UFC.

Barao (34-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) won an interim bantamweight belt with a unanimous decision over former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber at UFC 149 in 2012. He defended the interim championship twice before reigning champion Dominick Cruz’s lingering injuries caused him to relinquish the title, as Barao became full champion.

Barao won a rematch with Faber at UFC 169 in just 3:42 via TKO, and some were beginning to call him the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

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But then came one of the most stunning declines in MMA history. Barao lost what was then considered a major upset to T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 173, as Dillashaw took the belt via fifth-round TKO.

That kicked off a 2-8 run for Barao that was filled with one mishap after another. At UFC 177, he was schedule to rematch Dillashaw, but a weight cut gone awry forced him to pull out the day before the fight.

He bounced between bantamweight and featherweight, twice missing weight along the way, and dropped his last five fights. The most recent one was a decision at featherweight to Douglas Silva de Andrade on the early prelims of last month’s UFC Sao Paulo card.

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UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions: Jan Blachowicz, two others facing six-month suspensions

Jan Blachowicz and two others are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC Sao Paulo.

Three fighters, including headliner [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 22.

Blachowicz, who appeared to injure his left foot in his five-round victory over Ronaldo Souza, will need to get clearance on both feet in order to return to in-cage competition. Blachowicz is tentatively suspended 180 days, with a minimum of 30 days and no contact for 21 days.

[autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag], the lone fighters to suffer knockout losses on the card, are facing similar suspensions. Moraes, who suffered a third-round knockout loss to James Krause, will be suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a neurologist.

Gordon, who was brutally finished early in the first round by Charles Oliveira, was suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a otolaryngologist (ENT).

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Check out the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions, per a CABMMA record acquired by MMA Fighting.

Jan Blachowicz: Suspended 180 days or until x-rays of both feet are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
Jared Gordon: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by otolaryngologist; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
Sergio Moraes: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by neurologist; also suspended 60 days with with no contact for 45 days.
[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Douglas de Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.

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