UFC books Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov for Jan. 11 event

UFC middleweights Chris Curtis and Roman Kopylov will throw down in January.

UFC middleweights [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] and [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] will throw down in January.

Curtis takes on Kopylov in a UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 11, which is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie following an initial report from MMA Fighting.

Curtis (31-11-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) was scheduled to face Kevin Holland in Saturday’s UFC 307 event, but he withdrew after fracturing his foot. In his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 240 in April, Curtis lost a split decision to Brendan Allen in his first headliner.

Winner of five of his past six, with four of those wins coming by knockout, Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is coming off a split decision win over Cesar Almeida at UFC 302 in June.

With the addition, the current UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 11 includes:

  • Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden

Roman Kopylov ready for busy second half of 2024 – if it’s in UFC’s top 15

Roman Kopylov went to a decision for the first time in more than eight years, but got a crucial win over Cesar Almeida.

NEWARK, N.J. – [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] beat Cesar Almeida with a split decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC 302 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Take a look inside the fight with Kopylov, who got back in the win column after his four-fight winning streak was snapped in February.

UFC 302 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Islam Makhachev’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 302 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $218,500.

NEWARK, N.J. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 302 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $281,500.

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 302 took place at Prudential Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 302 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mitch Raposo[/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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,264,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,001,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC 302 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC 302 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

NEWARK, N.J. – UFC 302 took place Saturday with 12 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

You can hear from all the UFC 302 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida at UFC 302: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Roman Kopylov’s split decision win over Cesar Almeida at UFC 302.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag] at UFC 302 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (Fight and venue photos by Joe Camporeale, USA Today Sports)

UFC 298 medical suspensions: Henry Cejudo among 9 fighters suspended 180 days

Nine UFC 298 competitors are out a potential 180 days due to injuries sustained in their fights Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.

Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event in Anaheim, Calif. was not a good night to be a limb.

UFC 298 took place at Anaheim, Calif. and featured 12 bouts and 24 fighters. Nine of those fighters were handed six-month suspensions as a result of injuries sustained in their bouts. Eight of those potential injuries were deemed possible fractures.

Monday, California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster, who oversaw the event, provided MMA Junkie with a full list of medical suspensions.

Scroll below to see how much time UFC 298 competitors will have to take off as a result of their bouts Saturday. It’s important to note fighters may return before the conclusion of their suspensions if they are cleared by a physician (unless denoted “no exception” or “mandatory”).

UFC 298 post-event facts: Ilia Topuria makes history with title coronation

The best facts to come out of UFC 298, which saw a number of historic feats, including Ilia Topuria’s title KO of Alexander Volkanovski.

The UFC’s second pay-per-view of 2024 was a memorable one, with UFC 298 on Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., seeing a changing of the guard in the featherweight division.

In the main event, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) became the new featherweight champion when he delivered on his promise to knock out longtime titleholder [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC), which he did in the second round of their fight to claim gold.

For more on the numbers to come out of the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 298.

UFC 298 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Alexander Volkanovski’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 298 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $252,000.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 298 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $243,000.

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 298 took place at Honda Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 298 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinya Nakamura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Vera[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Quinlan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Val Woodburn[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andrea Lee[/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: $1,093,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $23,800,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC 298 results: Anthony Hernandez snatches Roman Kopylov’s neck for deep submission

The California faithful exploded at UFC 298 when Anthony Hernandez locked in a slick rear-naked choke against Roman Kopylov.

The California faithful didn’t have many home state representatives Saturday at UFC 298, but [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] was one – and he sent them into a frenzy.

Hernandez (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) defeated [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) by rear-naked choke submission at 3:23 of Round 2 in a middleweight bout that opened up the main card at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The fight was competitive throughout, as Kopylov displayed solid takedown defense early. After body kicks and head kicks by Kopylov, Hernandez took the fight to the canvas. He worked to the back and patiently maneuvered for a rear-naked choke.

After one final adjustment, Hernandez nodded. He knew. Kopylov grimaced and the tap came. The Dunnigan, Calif. received a large ovation from the crowd as he celebrated quite possibly the biggest win of his career.

With the victory, Hernandez extends his winning streak to five. Saturday’s victory succeeds consecutive wins over Rodolfo Vieira, Josh Fremd, Marc-Andre Barriault, and Edmen Shahbazyan.

Kopylov has a four-fight winning streak snapped. His previous loss was a unanimous decision dropped against Albert Duraev in October 2021.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 298 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Anthony Hernandez def. Roman Kopylov at UFC 298: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Anthony Hernandez’s second-round submmission win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 298.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] at UFC 298 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. (Fight and venue photos by Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today Sports)