Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.
This week, the UFC is idle following UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.
Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA Oct. 27-29.
Check out the names and details about their bouts below.
Upcoming event information from Tapology.
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 June 13-19.
Six fighters were suspended for 180 days due to injuries sustained in Abu Dhabi.
Glover Teixeira lived out a championship dream at UFC 267, but it came with a price.
After the UFC light heavyweight title was wrapped around his waist for the first time, a goal he’d chased for two decades, Teixeira was handed a six-month suspension by the commissioning regulatory body for a right shoulder injury.
MMA Junkie obtained a list of medical suspensions Tuesday from MixedMartialArts.com, the official record keeper of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC).
UFC 267 took place Saturday, Oct. 30 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.
Teixeira wasn’t the only one handed a potential 180-day suspension. Preliminary card fighters Albert Duraev, Benoit St-Denis, Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Michal Oleksiejczuk, and Allan Nascimento were also given six-month terms.
Scroll below to see a complete list of UFC 267 suspensions below. It’s important to note fighters can become eligible to return to competition prior to suspension completion if they are cleared by a physician.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 267 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $298,000.
ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 267 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $298,000.
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 267 took place at the Etihad Arena in Yas Island. The card streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC 267 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $32,000
[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Zubaira Tukhugov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Albert Duraev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Hu Yaozong[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Allan Nascimento[/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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $4,787,000
Program-to-date total: $4,787,000
All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken 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 July 19-25:
William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield marks the second fight week cancellation UFC 260 has faced due to COVID-19.
For the second time in as many bookings, [autotag]William Knight[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alonzo Menifield [/autotag] has been canceled.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, Knight (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has been removed from UFC 260 and will be replaced by promotional newcomer and LFA light heavyweight champion [autotag]Fabio Cherant[/autotag], the promotion announced Wednesday.
Knight has been rebooked for UFC on ABC 2 card on April 10. He’ll fight [autotag]Da Un Jung[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) in place of [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag], who has withdrawn from the event due to visa issues.
UFC 260 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Knight vs. Menifield (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) originally was scheduled for UFC Fight Night 186 on Feb. 27. However, Menifield tested positive for COVID-19, and the fight was rebooked for UFC 260.
Massachusetts’ Cherant (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) enters his UFC debut on the heels of a Feb. 12 title-clinching victory at LFA 99. He extended his winning streak to three when he defeated Myron Dennis via unanimous decision to claim the vacant LFA light heavyweight championship.
With the change, the complete UFC 260 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
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A light heavyweight fight is in the works for November 28.
A light heavyweight fight is in the works for Nov. 28.
The UFC is targeting veteran 205-pounders [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] and [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag] for the event, which is scheduled to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Multiple people with knowledge of the situation recently confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Clark (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has won three of his most recent four outings. After defeating Dequan Townsend by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February, Clark returned to take on Alonzo Menifield at 250 in June. Despite breaking his orbital bone in Round 1, Clark rallied to get his second straight unanimous decision nod.
Gamzatov (14-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) won his lone UFC fight in November when he defeated Klidson Abreu by split decision. Gamzatov was booked twice since then – both times against Ovince Saint Preux. However, both bookings fell through.
With the addition, the Nov. 28 lineup includes:
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Ovince Saint Preux vs. Shamil Gamzatov has been rebooked for the UFC’s Aug. 22 event.
[autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag] has been rebooked.
Saint Preux (24-14 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will move back down to light heavyweight to face Gamzatov (14-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the UFC’s Aug. 22 card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Thursday after an initial report from MMA Fighting. The person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
The pair were initially scheduled to fight at UFC Lincoln on April 25, but Gamzatov was forced off the card due to travel ban restrictions in Russia. He was replaced by Ion Cutelaba. The switch-ups were all for not, however, as the event was then canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saint Preux was then booked against Ben Rothwell in a heavyweight bout at UFC on ESPN+ 29 on May 13 but fell short in a narrow split decision loss.
Gamzatov picked up a split decision win over Klidson Abreu in his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN+ 21 in his return to 205 pounds. He has competed under both the ACB and PFL banner.
With the addition, the lineup for the UFC’s Aug. 22 event now includes:
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Shamil Gamzatov won’t be fighting at UFC on ESPN+ 31 and Ovince Saint Preux is in need of a new opponent.
[autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag] won’t be fighting at UFC on ESPN+ 31.
The Russian light heavyweight Gamzatov (14-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was scheduled to face Ovince Saint Preux at the April 25 event pegged for Lincoln, Neb., but was forced to withdraw from the card due to travel restrictions set in place in Russia to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Two people with knowledge of the change recently informed MMA Junkie of the decision. The people asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
After a short but successful PFL career, Gamzatov made his UFC debut in November 2019. The 29-year-old fighter kept his unbeaten record in tact when he won an uneventful split decision against Klidson Abreu.
As for Saint Preux (24-13 MMA, 13-8 UFC), the longtime UFC veteran chocked his way back into the win column in September 2019 following back-to-back losses. Taking on Michal Oleksiejczuk, Saint Preux picked up fourth Von Flue choke under the promotion’s banner.
UFC on ESPN+ 31 takes place at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The event will stream on ESPN+.
With the addition, the UFC on ESPN+ 31 lineup now includes:
[vertical-gallery id=446682]
[vertical-gallery id=331504]
Russian prospect Shamil Gamzatov will face a stiff test in just his second UFC fight when he takes on Ovince Saint Preux.
Russian prospect [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag] will face a stiff test in just his second UFC fight.
Gamzatov (14-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will take on [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (24-13 MMA, 12-8 UFC) at UFC Lincoln in a light heavyweight bout. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report from Russian media outlet Vestnik MMA.
The event, likely to be UFC on ESPN+ 30, takes place April 25 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
Gamzatov picked up a split decision win over Klidson Abreu in his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN+ 21 in his return to 205 pounds. Undefeated in his professional MMA career, Gamzatov has competed under both the ACB and PFL banner.
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Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Saint Preux avoided a three-fight losing skid with a submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk last September at UFC on ESPN+ 18, scoring his fourth career Von Flue choke.
Saint Preux recently accepted a three-month suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for testing positive for banned substances in an out-of-competition drug test conducted Nov. 1. After an investigation, USADA concluded that Saint Preux’s failed drug test was due to contaminated supplements.
USADA also determined that Saint Preux’s exposure to these substances began Oct. 25, meaning Saint Preux’s suspension ended Jan. 25, which made him eligible to compete at the date USADA announced his suspension on Jan. 31.
With the addition, the current UFC Lincoln lineup includes:
[vertical-gallery id=446682]
