‘LokDog’ gets next UFC assignment: Vinicius Oliveira vs. Said Nurmagomedov booked

This one has UFC Fight of the Night written all over it.

“LokDog” is ready to go on another walk to the UFC cage.

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] will battle [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] at the UFC Fight Night event Feb. 1 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Both fighters recently confirmed the booking on social media after an initial report by Ag.Fight.

Oliveira (21-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) aims for his third UFC win in less than 11 months. He made his promotion debut in March when he landed an incredible flying knee knockout on Bernardo Sopaj. In June, he returned and defeated Ricky Simon by unanimous decision.

Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has been snakebitten when it comes to getting to the cage as of late. His 2024 schedule has consisted of three cancellations. A win here would make it two in a row and five out of six for the Dagestani.

With the addition, the UFC Saudi Arabia lineup includes:

  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz
  • Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Muhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
  • Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Jamal Pogues
  • Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Shamil Gaziev vs. Thomas Petersen
  • Lucas Alexander vs. Bogdan Grad
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Terrance McKinney
  • Abdul-Kerim Al-Selwady vs. Jordan Leavitt

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

UFC Tampa adds Daniel Marcos vs. Said Nurmagomedov

Days after his UFC 308 bout was canceled, Said Nurmagomedov is back on the books.

[autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s UFC 308 fight was yanked out from under him, but he’s already been rebooked.

A UFC on ESPN 63 scheduled for Dec. 14 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will battle [autotag]Daniel Marcos[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a three-round bantamweight bout.

Nurmagomedov initially was slated to fight Daniel Santos at Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi, but was removed by the promotion after Santos withdrew. He has not competed since October 2023, when he bounced back into the win column with a 73-second submission victory over Muin Gafurov.

Marcos has yet to lose as a professional. In the UFC, he holds wins over Saimon Oliveira, Davey Grant and John Castaneda. Additionally, he fought Aori Qileng in a bout that ended in a no contest due to inadvertent groin strikes.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 63 lineup includes:

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino
  • Tracy Cortez vs. Miranda Maverick
  • Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva
  • Billy Quarantillo vs. Cub Swanson
  • Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez
  • Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tokkos
  • Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras
  • Daniel Marcos vs. Said Nurmagomedov

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

UFC 308 loses bantamweight fight days before event

UFC 308 has lost a fight three days out from the event.

UFC 308 fight week began with one more fight than it has now.

The bantamweight bout between [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Santos[/autotag] has been canceled, the promotion confirmed Wednesday. The card will continue with 13 bouts, which take place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

Santos (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was “removed” from the bout according to the UFC, though no specific reason for the removal was cited. It’s Santos’ second-straight withdrawal.

Though he hasn’t competed since June 2023, Santos currently rides a two-fight winning streak consisting of victories over John Castaneda and Johnny Munoz.

Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has not competed since October 2023 when he bounced back into the win column with a 73-second submission victory over Muin Gafurov.

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With the removal, the UFC 308 fight card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 2 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway – for featherweight title
  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 10 a.m. ET)

  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Geoff Neal
  • Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Daniel Santos
  • Brunno Ferreira vs. Abus Magomedov
  • Chris Barnett vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal
  • Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira
  • Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308 adds Said Nurmagomedov vs. Daniel Santos

One of the deepest UFC cards of 2024 just got deeper.

UFC 308 continues to deepen.

The most recent addition is a three-round bantamweight bout. [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] will take on [autotag]Daniel Santos[/autotag] at the Oct. 26 pay-per-view event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the promotion recently announced.

Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will return almost exactly one year to the date from his previous fight. His most recent appearance was a 73-second submission win over Muin Gafurov on Oct. 21, 2023. The victory moved him to 4-1 in his most recent five.

Santos (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) aims to extend his winning streak to three after consecutive victories against John Castaneda and Johnny Munoz.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1836375366983635237

With the addition, the UFC 308 fight card includes:

  • Champion Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway – for featherweight title
  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan
  • Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Geoff Neal
  • Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira
  • Brunno Ferreira vs. Abus Magomedov
  • Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki
  • Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Justin Tafa
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Daniel Santos

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

Said Nurmagomedov not surprised by quick submission win over Muin Gafurov at UFC 294

Said Nurmagomedov reacts to his guillotine choke submission win over Muin Gafurov at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] bounced back from his loss to Jonathan Martinez in Said Nurmagomedov fashion.

The Dagestani fighter made quick work of Muin Gafurov at Saturday’s UFC 294 at Etihad Arena. Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) submitted Gafurov (18-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with a guillotine choke at the 1:13 mark of Round 1.

“I’m really happy. I’m really happy,” Nurmagomedov said at the UFC 294 post-fight press conference. “This is already the third time I make it so fast.”

Nurmagomedov is back on the win column after the loss to Martinez snapped a four-fight winning streak. Nurmagomedov is known for his quick guillotine submission wins, and yet, was not surprised his opponent decided to grapple with him early.

“I was not surprised because I knew he always starts so aggressive in his fights, and I had a plan,” Nurmagomedov said.

You can watch Nurmagomedov’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

UFC 294 post-event facts: Kamaru Usman hits uncharted territory with three-fight skid

Check out the post-event stats from UFC 294, including Kamaru Usman’s shift to a near-record winning streak to three straight losses.

UFC 294 on Saturday marked the promotion’s annual trip to Abu Dhabi, and although the card at Etihad Arena on Yas Island started slow, it ended with a bang.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) put a bow on the evening when he emerged from his rematch with fellow champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) as the lightweight titleholder courtesy of a first-round head kick knockout.

For more on the numbers coming from the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 294.

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UFC 294 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Khamzat Chimaev gets $6,000 in return bout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 294 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $237,000.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 294 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $237,000.

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 294 took place at Etihad Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+ and YouTube.

The full UFC 294 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $16,000

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

[autotag]Ikram Aliskerov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Muin Gafurov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mohammad Yahya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Javid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Abu Azaitar[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mike Breeden[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Anshul Jubli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Viktoriia Dudakova[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jinh Yu Frey[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000

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: $6,888,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,407,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.

UFC 294 bonuses: Islam Makhachev’s statement finish a lock for $50K

Check out which fighters took home an extra $50,000 for their performances at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including a statement finish in the main event title fight.

After UFC 294, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov at UFC 294: Best photos from Abu Dhabi

Check out the best photos from Said Nurmagomedov’s first-round TKO win over Muin Gafurov at UFC 294 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s first-round TKO win over [autotag]Muin Gafurov[/autotag] at UFC 294 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. (Photos by Craig Kidwell, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; and UFC)

UFC 294 results: Said Nurmagomedov needs just 73 seconds to tap Muin Gafurov

Said Nurmagomedov started off the UFC 294 pay-per-view with a fast submission win over Muin Gafurov.

[autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] didn’t waste much time bringing fans to their feet in the main card opener of UFC 294.

Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) shared the octagon with Muin Gafurov (18-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) to start off the pay-per-view portion of the event at Ethihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The bantamweights didn’t spend much time in the cage together though, as Nurmagomedov tapped Gafurov at 1:13 of Round 1.

Starting things off working on the outside with quick kicks to the legs and head, Nurmagomedov kept Gafurov’s defense on high alert early. The first takedown attempt would be the last, as Nurmagomedov slapped on a slick guillotine choke that Gafurov couldn’t escape.

Nurmagomedov bounced back into the win column in fast fashion, erasing the memory of a unanimous decision loss to Jonathan Martinez in his last outing in March. Prior to that setback, Nurmagomedov was on a four-fight winning streak that included two other guillotine submissions and one TKO finish.

Gafurov walks away with his second consecutive loss, as he has struggled to find his footing in the UFC. The Tajikistan-born fighter won two consecutive LFA bouts in 2022 leading to his UFC debut in June.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 294 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.