Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from June 19-25.
Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley won’t be the only top bantamweights competing at UFC 292, as Rob Font vs. Song Yadong is set.
[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] won’t be the only top bantamweights competing at UFC 292.
Before the 135-pound title fight takes place, contenders [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] and [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] will square off in a three-round bout Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston.
Two people with knowledge of the booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous. Contracts have not yet been signed but are expected to be in the coming days.
The promotion also officially announced the bout Wednesday evening. Eurosport NL was first to reported the targeted bout.
HOT OFF THE PRESS🔥🔥🔥@RobSFont will face @SongYadongLFG at #UFC292!
Get your tickets here 🔗 https://t.co/mpJ6ZUQ4hA pic.twitter.com/BMhadSRugW
— UFC (@ufc) June 22, 2023
One of the faces of the New England Cartel, Massachusetts’ Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) will have a homecoming of sorts as he competes at TD Garden for the third time. Following back-to-back losses to Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera, Font bounced back with a brutal TKO victory over Adrian Yanez at UFC 287 in April.
Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) most recently competed in a five-round bout April 29 at UFC Fight Night 223 when he finished Ricky Simon with punches early in Round 5. Yadong has won four of his most recent five bouts, with the only loss a TKO due to a laceration against Cory Sandhagen.
With the addition, the UFC 292 lineup includes:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
Following his UFC 287 win, Rob Font hopes for a fight against former flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo, who is moving up in weight.
MIAMI – [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] isn’t one to usually call his shots. But when he looks at the puzzle of the bantamweight division and where he fits after his UFC 287 win, an arriving contender comes to mind as a viable next matchup.
“I would love to do ‘Figgy’ vs. Font, man. ([autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]), I’d love to introduce him to the 135 division,” Font told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference Saturday at Kaseya Center. “I think that’d be a fun fight. I think I like fighting big names. I definitely don’t want to fight backward, but I think me and him could definitely be a great fight. …
“He’s a former champ. He’s exciting. I know he’s going to talk a lot of sh*t. I think it’d be a great, entertaining type of fight, and I think I need another big name like that.”
Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) snapped a two-fight skid Saturday when he knocked out Adrian Yanez (16-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) midway through Round 1 of their bantamweight fight on the pay-per-view main card. Font said the win, his first since May 2021, was a much-needed reminder to the division that he’s still a top contender.
“I think I had something to prove to myself,” Font said. “Obviously I needed that for myself. I needed to remind myself that I’m still here. I’m still that guy. If I get going on anybody, that’s what’s going to happen to everybody.”
Should he get what he asked for, Font will be Figueiredo’s first UFC opponent at bantamweight. Figueiredo is a former UFC flyweight champion, who recently completed a tetralogy with current titleholder Brandon Moreno and immediately announced the move up.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
Check out the stats to come out of UFC 287, where Israel Adesanya made history by doing something no middleweight had ever done.
The UFC’s long-awaited return to Miami after more than two decades delivered a memorable moment with Israel Adesanya making history by reclaiming middleweight gold from Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 headliner at Kaseya Center.
Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) avenged his TKO loss to Pereira (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) from November with a highlight-reel second-round knockout in the main event to become the first two-time titleholder in the storied 185-pound division.
For more on the numbers behind Adesanya’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 287.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 287 took home the second-highest UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout of the year thus far.
MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 287 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $274,500.
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 287 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
The full UFC 287 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Shayilan Nuerdanbieke[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/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 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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $2,045,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $16,564,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
Rob Font vs. Adrian Yanez, which many predicted would be “Fight of the Night” at UFC 287, lived up to the hype for as long as it lasted.
[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] made the most of an important moment Saturday when he returned to the win column with a first-round knockout of [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] at UFC 287 in Miami.
In the featured pay-per-view main card slot, Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) finished Yanez (16-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) with punches at 2:57 of Round 1.
The fight, which many predicted would be Fight of the Night at Kaseya Center, potentially lived up to the hype for as long as it lasted. Yanez landed damaging shots prior to Font’s final flurry. After a couple of exchanges, Font’s face was noticeably swollen but he continued to push forward.
A counter right hand floored Yanez to the canvas. Font pounced with hammerfists and finished the fight until referee Keith Peterson dove in and saved Yanez.
ROB FONT GETS IT DONE IN THE BIGGEST WAY!!@RobSFont with the KO in Round 1! #UFC287 pic.twitter.com/lMuCBwsDqe
— UFC (@ufc) April 9, 2023
With the victory, Font snaps a two-fight skid, which consisted of unanimous decision losses to Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo. Following the Vera loss, the most recent of the two, Font elected to take a year off from competition, at the advice of New England Cartel coach Tyson Chartier, due to damage sustained.
For Yanez, the defeat is his first in the UFC and it snaps a nine-fight winning streak overall. It marked the first time Yanez has been finished in his MMA career.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 287 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
Check out the best photos from Rob Font’s first-round knockout win over Adrian Yanez at UFC 287 in Miami.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]’s first-round knockout win over [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] at UFC 287 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Photos by Rich Storry, USA TODAY Sports)
Check out what the UFC 287 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.
MIAMI – UFC 287 took place Saturday with 13 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner and guest fighter interviews from Kaseya Center in Miami.
You can hear from all the UFC 287 winners and more by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.
Get ready for UFC 287 tonight with the final episode of “Embedded” going behind the scenes of weight cuts and final faceoffs.
The UFC is back with its fifth pay-per-view of the year, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 287 takes place Saturday at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, middleweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defends his title for the first time in a rematch with former champ [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC). Pereira upset Adesanya for the title this past November and also holds two kickboxing wins over him.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] (35-16 MMA, 12-9 UFC) in a key welterweight fight. Plus, [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a key bantamweight bout.
The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
UFC 287 Embedded episode 6 follows fighters Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns, as well as the champ in the middleweight division, Alex Pereira, and challenger Israel Adesanya, during their intense final preparations. They make weight at the official weigh-ins and face off at the Kaseya Center for the ceremonial weigh-ins, setting the stage for two epic battles in the octagon, including a championship title defense, as tensions reach a boiling point.
Also see:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.
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Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 287 odds and lines between Rob Font and Adrian Yanez, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.
In a bantamweight bout on the main card, Rob Font and Adrian Yanez meet at UFC 287 at Kaseya Center in Miami. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 287: Font vs. Yanez odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The early prelims are on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET, while the prelims can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. The main card begins at 10 p.m. on Pay-Per-View.
Yanez streaks into this fight with 5 straight victories since making his UFC debut on Oct. 31, 2020. With the exception of a split-decision win over Davey Grant in Nov. 2021, he has recorded 4 KO/TKO victories, including a 1st-Round win over Tony Kelley last time out in June 2022.
Font holds a 1.5-inch reach advantage over his counterpart. Both fighters are close in terms of significant strikes landed per minute, with Font delivering 6.38 and Yanez averaging 6.62. Font is much more accurate at 48.16% (Yanez 40.61%), and he has a 1.03 takedown average (Yanez 0.00), and 37.5% takedown accuracy.
Font is coming off consecutive setbacks via unanimous decision (UD) against Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo. He hasn’t won since a UD defeat of Cody Garbrandt on May 22, 2021. The Puerto Rican has faced the cream of the crop in the bantamweight division, and he’ll need to tap into his experience to get back on track by recording a much-needed win.
Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:52 a.m. ET.
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[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
Records: Font (19-6-0) | Yanez (16-3-0)
FONT (+155) is looking to slap the brakes on a 2-bout losing streak with a win over Yanez, and he’ll do just that in South Florida in one of the bigger upsets of the evening.
Font has faced a who’s who in the bantamweight division. The 35-year-old will use his experience, slight reach advantage and punching accuracy to wow the judges and do more in terms of points.
ROUND BETTING: FONT ON POINTS (+275) for a chance to nearly triple up is a very enticing play.
If you don’t want to declare a winner then WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? YES (-110) is a strong play, especially more so than Over 1.5 Rounds (-250), which will cost you 2 1/2 times your potential return.
If anything, FONT TO WIN BY SPLIT OR MAJORITY DECISION (+1100) is worth a roll of the dice for a chance to multiply your initial wager by 11 times.
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.
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