Tag: Ricky Simon

UFC Fight Night 252 payouts: Nine fighters receive six-figures for Seattle battles

UFC Seattle payouts were released by the Washington State Department of Licensing on Thursday, including Song Yadong vs. Henry Cejudo.

Nine fighters walked away from the UFC’s recent return to Seattle with six-figure disclosed payouts, according to the Washington State Department of Licensing (WSDOL), which oversaw the event.

UFC Fight Night 252 took place Feb. 22 at Climate Pledge Arena and featured 12 bouts.

Main event competitors [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] and [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] joined [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag], [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag], [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag], [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag], and [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] as the fighters who received six-figures.

Thursday, MMA Junkie acquired state documents of the disclosed payouts from WSDOL, which can be seen below. Forbes was first to report the payouts Wednesday.

It’s important to note the amounts are strictly the disclosed amounts for show and win. They do not include side letter payments, sponsorships, or discretionary/performance bonuses. Additionally, they do not include taxes or miscellaneous deductions.

  • Song Yadong: $320,000 (includes $160,000 win bonus)
  • Henry Cejudo: $150,000
  • Anthony Hernandez: $144,000 (includes $72,000 win bonus)
  • Brendan Allen: $210,000
  • Rob Font: $320,000 (includes $160,000 win bonus)
  • Jean Matsumoto: $26,000
  • Jean Silva: $90,000 (includes $45,000 win bonus)
  • Melsik Baghdasaryan: $35,000
  • Alonzo Menifield: $240,000 (includes $120,000 win bonus)
  • Julius Walker: $12,000
  • Ion Cutelaba: $190,000 (includes $95,000 win bonus)
  • Ibo Aslan: $35,000
  • Melquizael Costa: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus)
  • Andre Fili: $110,000
  • Mansur Abdul-Malik: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
  • Nick Klein: $10,000
  • Ricky Simon: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus)
  • Javid Basharat: $30,000
  • Austin Vanderford: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
  • Nikolay Veretennikov: $12,000
  • Nursulton Ruziboev: $74,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus)
  • Eric McConico: $12,000
  • Modestas Bukauskas: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus)
  • Raffael Cerqueira: $10,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

UFC Fight Night 252 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Andre Fili leads way with $21,000

UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance money was sent out after UFC Seattle, with veteran Andre Fili topping the card.

SEATTLE – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 252 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $185,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 252 took place at Climate Pledge Arena in Washington. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 252 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Melsik Baghdasaryan[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Julius Walker[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Mansur Abdul-Malik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nick Klein[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nikolay Veretennikov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nursulton Ruziboev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Eric McConico[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael Cerqueira[/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 2521 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 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,224,500
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $32,242,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

UFC 303 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Alex Pereira leads card with $42,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 303 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $306,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 303 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $311,500.

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 303 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 303 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Macy Chiasson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Payton Talbott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yanis Ghemmouri[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Rei Tsuruya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $11,000

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: $3,948,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,685,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon at UFC 303: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Vinicius Oliveira’s unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon at UFC 303.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] at UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos by Mark J. Rebilas and Per Haljestam, USA Today Sports)

‘LokDog’ Vinicius Oliveira gets Ricky Simon in first fight since UFC Knockout of the Year candidate

Vinicius Oliveira made quite the first UFC impression and now he fights Ricky Simon on the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler undercard.

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] pulled off an all-time knockout in his UFC debut and the performance has earned him a big-name opponent for his second promotional outing.

“LokDog” will take on [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] in a three-round bantamweight bout at UFC 303, the promotion’s June 29 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card is headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler.

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. Ag. Fight first reported the news.

Oliveira (20-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) bludgeoned fellow debutant Bernardo Sopaj with a flying knee in March. The win was his third in a row and first since he brutally knocked out Victor Madrigal on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his UFC deal. Since his promotional debut, Oliveira has repeatedly called for a fight vs. top contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

Simon (20-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) aims to snap a two-fight losing skid after defeats to Song Yadong and Mario Bautista. Prior to the consecutive losses, Simon was on a five-fight winning streak that included victories over Raphael Assuncao and Jack Shore among others.

With the addition, the UFC 303 lineup currently includes:

  • Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
  • Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree
  • Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson
  • Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
  • Carlos Hernandez vs. Rei Tsuruya
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Joe Pyfer
  • Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson
  • Vinicius Oliveira vs. Ricky Simon

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

UFC Fight Night 234 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jim Miller, Andrei Arlovski get max non-title payouts

UFC Fight Night 234 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 234 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $159,500.

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

The full UFC Fight Night 234 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Preston Parsons[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Matthew Semelsberger[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Marcus McGhee[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Farid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Taylor Lapilus[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Westin Wilson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Felipe Bunes[/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 2341 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:

  • “UFC Fight Night 234: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2” – $159,500

Year-to-date total: $159,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,866,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

Ricky Simon inspired: ‘If Sean O’Malley can become a world champ, literally anything in this world is possible’

A former training partner of Marlon Vera, Ricky Simon has no doubt his old pal will become champion at UFC 299.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] is sticking to his guns ahead of UFC Fight Night 234, one of them being his pokes at now-champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag].

Since Simon (20-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) most recently fought, O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) obtained the UFC bantamweight title. Despite O’Malley’s seat atop the division’s proverbial throne, Simon remains largely unimpressed – and sarcastically inspired.

“Inspirational – if Sean O’Malley can become a world champ, literally anything in this world is possible,” Simon told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I will say, I broke. I bought the Sean O’Malley Timex. I think he had a collab with them. I was at International Fight Week and they offered it to me. I’m like, ‘I’ll take that. That’s a cool one. That’s a cool one.’ So let’s go, Sean.”

O’Malley has long been on Simon’s radar, though a matchup between the two has never aligned. With Simon coming off a loss to Yadong Song and O’Malley welcoming next challenger Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in April, it’ll likely be a while before the two cross paths – if ever.

In the immediate, Simon will support Vera, a former training partner and friend.

“I’m so confident in ‘Chito.’ I used to train with him back in the day,” Simon said. “I know what he brings and if you watch that first fight, it’s a bad matchup for Sean. I’m confident that ‘Chito’ is going to be a world champ. I’m very excited for him.”

As for his own career, Simon looks to get back on track against Mario Bautista. Whether fans believe in him or doubt him, Simon expects the outcome Saturday at the UFC Apex to be the same.

“I’m not new to this sport,” Simon said. “I don’t tap in like that. I’m not somebody who has a crazy presence on social media where I’m like, ‘What are they saying about me?’ I don’t give a f*ck what the fans are saying. Go ahead and sit back and watch. If you could do what I do, you’d be in there doing it. So go ahead and watch and enjoy the fight. I’m going to go in there and do what I always do: enjoy the show.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

UFC Fight Night 234 pre-event facts: Jim Miller, Andrei Arlovski look to build on all-time wins leads

The best facts about UFC Fight Night 234, which features chances for Jim Miller and Andrei Arlovski to add to their historic resumes.

After a nearly monthlong hiatus, the UFC opens its 2024 schedule on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 234, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Light heavyweight contenders are set to rematch in the main event of the card. [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will run it back with five rounds scheduled after their originally meeting at UFC 294 in October ended in a no contest due to an illegal knee from Ankalaev that halted the action.

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 for UFC Fight Night 234.

* * * *

Video: ‘UFC Fight Night 234: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2’ media day interviews

Before UFC Fight Night 234 on Saturday, watch as the main card athletes speak to reporters at media day.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 234, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 2-8)

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 the promotions from Oct. 2-8.