Tag: Rodrigo Nascimento

UFC Fight Night 224 play-by-play and live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC Fight Night 224 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 224 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

In the main event, Mackenzie Dern (13-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) takes on Angela Hill (15-13 MMA, 10-13 UFC) in a women’s strawweight bout. In the co-feature, Anthony Hernandez (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Edmen Shahbazyan (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) at middleweight.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC Fight Night 224 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Ken Hathaway (@kenshathaway ) on Twitter.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 20-26)

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 from Feb. 20-26.

Ilir Latifi vs. Rodrigo Nascimento heavyweight bout in the works for UFC Fight Night on May 20

A UFC heavyweight bout pitting Ilir Latifi and Rodrigo Nascimento is on tap for May.

[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]’s heavyweight run continues.

The former UFC light heavyweight contender is expected to return to the cage against [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] as they will join the lineup for a UFC Fight Night on May 20. The location and venue for the event have yet to be announced.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the matchup on Wednesday but requested anonymity since the UFC has yet to make an announcement.

Latifi (16-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is currently on a two-fight winning streak. After losing a decision to Derrick Lewis in his return to the heavyweight division, Latifi has outpointed Tanner Boser and most recently Aleksei Oleinik. In his last fight against Oleinik this past October, Latifi was suspended for three months by the Nevada Athletic Commission for revealing he had staph infection in his post-fight interview – something he didn’t disclose to the NAC prior to the fight.

Nascimento (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is also fresh off a win over Boser. The Brazilian defeated him by split decision in his most recent outing back in September.

Prior to that, Nascimento had gone over a year without competing as he served a six-month suspension by the NAC after testing positive ritalinic acid, a metabolite of methylphenidate, which is a banned stimulant. His TKO win over Alan Baudot was overturned to a no contest in consequence of the positive test.

The updated lineup for the UFC’s May 20 event includes:

  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
  • Anthony Hernandez vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Ilir Latifi vs. Rodrigo Nascimento

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UFC Fight Night 210 post-event facts: Gillian Robertson takes submission record to new heights

Gillian Robertson’s name is all over the record books after another submission win at UFC Fight Night 210.

The UFC’s final event of September took place Saturday with UFC Fight Night 210, which went down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and featured 13 fights on the docket.

The last of those fights was an important showdown in the bantamweight division. [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) delivered a fourth-round TKO of [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (19-7-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) after a bad cut forced a doctor’s stoppage, putting Sandhagen back on the winning track after consecutive losses.

For more ont he numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 210.

UFC Fight Night 210 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Andre Fili leads way with $16,000

UFC Fight Night 210 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 210 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $155,500.

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

The full UFC Fight Night 210 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Gregory Rodrigues[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alen Amedovski[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pat Sabatini[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Louis Cosce[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tony Gravely[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Cameron VanCamp[/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 2107 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2101 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 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,326,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $12,494,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 210.

UFC Fight Night 210 predictions: Is anyone riding Yadong against Sandhagen?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 210 main card in Las Vegas.

Sandhagen
vs.
Yadong		 Njokuani
vs.
Rodrigues		 Algeo
vs.
Fili		 Amedovski
vs.
Pyfer		 Boser
vs.
Nascimento		 Barriault
vs.
Hernandez
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
147-90		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen
(71%)		 njokuani2022
Njokuani
(66%)		 fili2022
Fili
(51%)		 pyfer2022
Pyfer
(89%)		 boser2022
Boser
(72%)		 hernandez2022
Hernandez
(64%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
160-82
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 algeo2022
Algeo		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 barriault2022
Barriault
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
155-87		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 barriault2022
Barriault
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
153-89
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 barriault2022
Barriault
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
150-92		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 nascimento2022
Nascimento		 barriault2022
Barriault
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
149-93		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 hernandez2022
Hernandez
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
149-93		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 barriault2022
Barriault
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
147-95		 yadong2022
Yadong		 rodrigues2022
Rodrigues		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 nascimento2022
Nascimento		 hernandez2022
Hernandez
Nolan King
@mma_kings
143-99		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 algeo2022
Algeo		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 hernandez2022
Hernandez
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
141-101
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 hernandez2022
Hernandez
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
130-112		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 nascimento2022
Nascimento		 hernandez2022
Hernandez
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
117-125		 sandhagen2022
Sandhagen		 njokuani2022
Njokuani		 fili2022
Fili		 pyfer2022
Pyfer		 boser2022
Boser		 hernandez2022
Hernandez

The UFC stays home in Las Vegas this week with a key bantamweight matchup at the top of the bill.

UFC Fight Night 210 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former interim bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (19-6-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC). Sandhagen is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Yadong is +150. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Sandhagen a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

The co-main event is a middleweight bout between former Bellator fighter and Dana White’s Contender Series product [autotag]Chidi Njokuani[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and [autotag]Gregory Rodrigues[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC). Njokuani is just a slight favorite at -125, but he’s got a huge lead from our pickers and is nearly unanimous at 10-1.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Bill Algeo[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag] (21-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) at featherweight. Fili is a -135 favorite and has an outsized 9-2 picks lead, despite the close odds.

The only unanimous pick on the card is Contender Series signee [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who is the event’s biggest favorite at -520 for his middleweight fight against [autotag]Alen Amedovski[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC). Pyfer has a shutout from our staff members at 11-0.

[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (20-8-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a heavyweight tilt that has Boser a -180 favorite. He’s got a big 8-3 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC) meets [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at middleweight. Hernandez is a -210 favorite, but our pickers have it as the most contentious fight on the main card. Hernandez has the slimmest possible lead at 6-5.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Sandhagen (71 percent), Njokuani (66 percent), Fili (51 percent), Pyfer (89 percent), Boser (72 percent) and Hernandez (64 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 210.

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Rodrigo Nascimento thinks well-rounded skill set will get him past Tanner Boser at UFC Fight Night 210

Rodrigo Nascimento’s UFC run started out promising enough, but then he hit a rough patch.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]’s UFC run started out promising enough, but then he hit a rough patch.

Nascimento punched his ticket to the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019 with a first-round submission. Less than a year later, he submitted Don’Tale Mayes in his promotional debut.

But in October 2020, he ran into a red-hot Chris Daukaus, who knocked him out in 45 seconds. It was the first loss of Nascimento’s career. He rebounded nicely with a TKO of Alan Baudot in July 2021, but that win was overturned to a no contest due to a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency violation.

Nascimento eventually was cleared of that USADA infringement and now has a Therapeutic Use Exemption for Ritalin, which he has said he’s been taking for a decade and said he always has declared. For now, though, that Baudot fight remains a no contest instead of a win, which might make Nascimento all the more eager to get his hand raised Saturday.

Nascimento (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is a slight underdog in his heavyweight fight against Tanner Boser (20-8-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) on the UFC Fight Night 210 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“I’m really excited. Boser’s a tough opponent – I know that,” Nascimento said at Wednesday’s media day. “But I know I have all the tools to beat him. I can beat him on the ground, I’m a good striker. He knows I’m a complete fighter. I know I’m a big problem for him.

“… I know I can fight everywhere … it doesn’t matter for me. I know one time in the fight, I’ll find a way to beat him.”

Many fighters might be discouraged by the turn of events experienced by Nascimento, but he appears to be keeping his head up about the opportunity he has Saturday and not looking back in anger at what went down with his loss to Daukaus and the subsequent win that now isn’t a win on his record.

“I don’t think it’s a new beginning,” he said. “I just have to keep working. I’ve done a lot of things to get here, and this is a new fight. Let’s go do this.”

Check out the full pre-fight interview with Nascimento in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 210.

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Three UFC fighters suspended by NAC for positive drug tests including amphetamine, marijuana, more

Three UFC fighters have been suspended and fined following positive drug tests.

Three UFC fighters have been suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) following recent drug tests surrounding bouts that took place at the UFC Apex.

On Wednesday, the NAC handed out disciplinary action to the three fighters, who all tested positive for different banned substances. The suspensions and fines varied for each fighter.

Fighters suspensions will only terminate on the basis that all fines and fees are paid – and the fighter followed and passed all additional required drug testing procedures.

NSAC suspends Yancy Medeiros, Justin Jaynes for marijuana use – despite no longer punishing fighters for marijuana use

While the NSAC has elected to stop punishing fighters for marijuana use, two athletes were today suspended for tests prior to the change.

LAS VEGAS – While the Nevada State Athletic Commission in July elected to stop punishing fighters for marijuana use, two athletes were today suspended for positive tests collected prior to the change in policy.

At today’s monthly meeting at the Grant Sawyer Office Building, commissioners issued four-and-a-half month suspensions to both lightweight [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] and featherweight [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag].

Medeiros was also fined a total of $2,690.72, while Jaynes was ordered to pay a total of $1,245.36. Both amounts included prosecution fees.

A fan-favorite lightweight with a history of entertaining scraps, Medeiros (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) recently concluded an eight-year stint under the UFC banner. While he collected a handful of performance bonuses during his octagon run, the Hawaiian ended his time on a four-fight slide after dropping bouts with Damir Hadzovic, Lando Vannata, Gregor Gillespie, and Donald Cerrone.

Medeiros previously had a 2013 win over Yves Edwards overturned to a no contest by the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority after testing positive for marijuana. Medeiros’ current suspension, stemming from the UFC Fight Night 190 loss to Hadzovic, ends on Nov. 9.

Meanwhile, Jaynes (16-8 MMA, 1-4 UFC), 32, debuted for the UFC in June 2020, picking up a “Performance of the Night” bonus for a 41-second stoppage of Frank Camacho. However, he was recently released from the organization after subsequently dropping consecutive fights to Charles Rosa, Devonte Smith, Gabriel Benitez, and Gavin Tucker.

Jaynes’ suspension also ends on Nov. 9

In addition to those two orders, the commission elected to uphold temporary suspensions of [autotag]Chris Barnett[/autotag], [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag], and [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] pending the resolution of their complaints, all of which are expected to be resolved at the commission’s September meeting.

The 35-year-old Barnett (21-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) debuted for the UFC in May, suffering a second-round submission loss to longtime veteran heavyweight Ben Rothwell. “Beastboy” stepped in on a little more than one week’s notice for that matchup after Rothwell lost a pair of targeted opponents for the UFC Fight Night 188 clash.

Barnett was suspended following an adverse finding for carboxy THC, indicating marijuana use.

Brazil’s Nascimento picked up a second-round TKO win over fellow heavyweight Alan Baudot at July’s UFC on ESPN 26 event. It was Nascimento’s third UFC appearance after making his way to the promotion with a submission win at Dana White’s Contender Series 22 in 2019.

Nascimento’s test indicated the presence of ritalinic acid, a metabolite of methylphenidate, a banned stimulant.

The 36-year-old Pineda (27-14 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was struggling against Andre Fili at June’s UFC Fight Night 190 before being poked in the eye in the second round, when doctors declared him unable to continue. As a result, the bout was declared a no contest.

His post-fight test was flagged for the presence of amphetamine, a banned stimulant.

Pineda previously ran afoul of the NSAC while he was competing under the PFL banner. After being flagged for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in his system, Pineda admitted to the use of a banned substance and saw wins over Jeremy Kennedy and Movlid Khaybulaev overturned to no contests. Pineda was also suspended six months and pulled from the 2019 PFL championship fight with Lance Palmer, where he could have won $1 million.

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UFC on ESPN+ 37 medical suspensions: Cory Sandhagen’s win comes with a potential cost

Cory Sandhagen was victorious in the UFC on ESPN+ 37 main event, but his win came at a cost.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] was victorious in the UFC on ESPN+ 37 main event, but his win came at a cost.

Taking on fellow top bantamweight contender [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] on Saturday, Sandhagen (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) picked up a second-round TKO via a spinning wheel kick and punches. Against Moraes (23-7-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC), however, Sandhagen sustained an eye injury that could put him out of action for 180 days.

On Monday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commissions’ official record keeper.

Also receiving potential six-month suspensions are [autotag]Tom Breese[/autotag], [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag], [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag], [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag], and [autotag]Omar Morales[/autotag] for injuries suffered in their fights Saturday.

UFC on ESPN+ 37 took place at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event streamed on ESPN+.

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 37 medical suspensions:

  • Cory Sandhagen: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by an ophthalmologist; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Marlon Moraes: Suspended 45 days for TKO with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for a right eyebrow laceration with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days for a knockout with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Alan Baudot[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for TKO with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for left eyelid laceration with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Tom Breese: Suspended 180 days or until right knee MRI and left tibia/fibula x-rays are cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]K.B. Bhullar[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Chris Daukaus[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Rodrigo Nascimento: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by an ophthalmologist; Also suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for right scalp laceration.
  • [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Impa Kasanganay: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by an ophthalmologist; Also suspended 60 days for knockout with no contact for 45 days.
  • Tony Kelley: Suspended 180 days or until right elbow MRI is and right tibia/fibula x-ray are cleared by doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • Omar Morales: Suspended 180 days or until right elbow MRI, left tibia/fibula X-ray, and left ankle X-ray are cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: Suspended seven days for mandatory rest.
  • [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right eyebrow laceration with no contact for 21 days.

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