Tag: Tai Tuivasa

Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura joins UFC 298 lineup in February

Ranked heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura will look to rebound at UFC 298 in Anaheim in February.

Ranked heavyweights will look to rebound at UFC 298.

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag](14-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) on Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+., promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Tuivasa will aim to snap a three-fight losing skid, which most recently added a submission loss to Alexander Volkov at UFC 293 in September. Prior to that, “Bam Bam” was on a five-fight knockout streak, including a stoppage of former title challenger Derrick Lewis.

Tybura is also coming off a stoppage loss. After winning seven of his past eight, the Polish fighter suffered a first-round TKO to current interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall at UFC Fight Night 224.

The latest UFC 298 lineup now includes:

  • Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria – for featherweight title
  • Henry Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili
  • Danny Barlow vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
  • Zhang Mingyang vs. Brendson Ribeiro
  • Marcos Rogerio vs. Justin Tafa
  • Andrea Lee vs. Miranda Maverick
  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura

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

UFC 293 post-event facts: Sean Strickland starts a new era at 185 pounds

The best facts to come out of UFC 293, which saw Sean Strickland force a changing of the guard with his title win over Israel Adesanya.

The UFC’s return to Sydney after nearly six years produced one of the most shocking main event results of the year as the middleweight title changed hands at Qudos Bank Arena.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) closed out UFC 293 with a massive unanimous decision upset of [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) to take the belt and force a reset at the top of the middleweight rankings.

For more on the numbers from the title bout, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 293.

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UFC 293 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean Strickland gets $32,000 for title win

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 293 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $209,000.

SYDNEY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 293 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $209,000.

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 293 took place at Qudos Bank Arena in Australia. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 293 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Felipe dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Anton Turkalj[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Chepe Mariscal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jack Jenkins[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jamie Mullarkey[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Landon Quinones[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Charlie Radtke[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Blood Diamond[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gabriel Miranda[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Shane Young[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kevin Jousset[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kiefer Crosbie[/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: $5,944,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,533,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

UFC 293 results: Alexander Volkov taps Tai Tuivasa with sneaky Ezekiel choke

Alexander Volkov wants one last run at UFC gold, and his finish over Tai Tuivasa at UFC 293 takes him one step closer.

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] is hunting for UFC gold, and his statement win over Tai Tuivasa at UFC 293 keeps his momentum going toward the top of the heavyweight division.

In the co-main event of UFC 293 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Volkov (37-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) faced Tai Tuivasa (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in what proved to be a hard-hitting affair until the fight hit the ground. Volkov was able to put his slick grappling skills to use and tap Tuivasa with an Ezekiel choke at 4:37 of Round 2.

Tuivasa looked to get the action started quickly with a few hard leg kicks, but Volkov responded in kind as he utilized his range advantage. Successfully timing Tuivasa’s forward charges, Volkov was able to land sharp punches to bloody his opponent’s nose midway through Round 1. Both fighters mixed in attacks to the body during exchanges. In the closing sequence of the first round, Volkov teed off on Tuivasa as he covered up against the cage.

Tuivasa repeatedly attacked the lead leg of Volkov early in Round 2, causing the taller, longer fighter to adjust. Volkov caught Tuivasa with a clean punch that knocked him off balance, and followed to the ground for a submission attempt. Although he couldn’t secure the position and the fight returned to the feet, a few moments later Volkov ended up in full mount after catching a Tuivasa kick.

After securing the position, Volkov attempted an arm triangle, but switched to a sneaky Ezekiel choke. Tuivasa did his best to fight off the attempt, but he was trapped and had no choice but to tap.

Volkov extends his winning streak to three, entering UFC 293 with consecutive first-round stoppage wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexandr Romanov. During his post-fight interview, Volkov said he hopes his run can take him to the heavyweight title before he decides to call it a career.

While Volkov is a winner of his last three, Tuivasa is the opposite, and was unable to snap his skid. He entered on the heels of stoppages against Ciryl Gane and Sergei Pavlovich.

Up-to-the-minute results of UFC 293 include:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

UFC 293: Adesanya vs. Strickland preview show live stream with Farah Hannoun (5 p.m. ET)

Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 293.

UFC 293 takes place Saturday headlined by a middleweight title fight, but before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a preview show right here at 5 p.m. ET.

In the main event, 185-pound champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) looks to make the first defense of his second title reign against [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC). And in the co-headliner, [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) clashes with [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (36-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a battle of top-ranked heavyweights.

UFC 293 takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.

Below is the full lineup:

Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland – for middleweight title

  • Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Felipe dos Santos vs. Manel Kape
  • Austen Lane vs. Justin Tafa
  • Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Da Woon Jung vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Jack Jenkins vs. Chepe Mariscal
  • John Makdessi vs. Jamie Mullarkey
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Landon Quinones

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews, ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)

  • Blood Diamond vs. Charlie Radtke
  • Gabriel Miranda vs. Shane Young
  • Kiefer Crosbie vs. Kevin Jousset

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

UFC 293: Adesanya vs. Strickland watch-along live stream with MMA Junkie Radio

Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of UFC 293 in Sydney.

UFC 293 takes place Saturday headlined by a middleweight title fight, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live-streamed watch-along right here, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

In the main event, 185-pound champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) looks to make the first defense of his second title reign against [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC). And in the co-headliner, [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) clashes with [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (36-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a battle of top-ranked heavyweights.

UFC 293 takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.

Below is the lineup of fights included in the watch-along:

Champ Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland – for middleweight title

  • Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Felipe dos Santos vs. Manel Kape
  • Austen Lane vs. Justin Tafa
  • Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Da Woon Jung vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Jack Jenkins vs. Chepe Mariscal
  • John Makdessi vs. Jamie Mullarkey
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Landon Quinones

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

UFC 293 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: ‘It’s not about me, it’s about we’

The “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.

The UFC is back with its 11th 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 293 takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts to make the first defense of his second middleweight title reign against [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC). And in the co-headliner, [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (36-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) meet in a heavyweight battle of big men.

The sixth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters during fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

The UFC 293 athletes make weight then face off one more time before the bad-blood title bout between champion Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland.

Also watch:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

UFC 293: Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 293 odds between Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round heavyweight bout on the main card, Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Volkov meet at UFC 293 on Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 293: Tuivasa vs. Volkov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

Records: Tuivasa (15-5-0) | Volkov (36-10-0)

The early prelims can be viewed on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the prelims can be viewed on ESPNews/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View

Tuivasa has suffered back-to-back KO/TKO losses against Sergei Pavlovich (Dec. 2022) and Ciryl Gane (Sept. 2022). His past 7 bouts have all resulted in KO/TKOs, with 5 wins and those 2 losses, and he has finished inside the distance in each of his previous 8 outings.

Volkov has recorded 1st-round KO/TKO victories in the past 2 outings against Alexandr Romanov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. He has finished inside the distance in 3 in a row, and 5 of the past 7 outings.

Volkov takes the walk to the octagon with a 4.89 significant strikes landed per minute while landing 61.92%. Tuivasa has recorded 4.10 significant strikes landed per minute while landing just 52.69%. The Russian favorite also holds a 5-inch reach advantage, while posting a 0.51 takedown average.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC 293: Tuivasa vs. Volkov odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 6:38 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Tuivasa +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Volkov -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -115 | Under -115)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +225 | No -350)

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UFC 293: Tuivasa vs. Volkov picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Volkov (-250) will cost you 2 1/2 times your potential return, and that’s a little too much risk and not enough reward. It’s a risky play, too, as he actually hasn’t won 3 fights in a row since winning his first 4 fights at the UFC level from Nov. 2016 to March 2018, and his final 2 fights in the M-1 Challenge.

Taivasa (+200) has been knocked out in the past 2 fights and could be on his way to a 3rd consecutive loss.

While it’s not a good idea to bet the 2-way line, take a look at the METHOD OF VICTORY 7-WAY: VOLKOV BY KO/TKO OR DQ (-110) is a much better value, and it’s worth playing instead of tying it together with the submission on the 5-way line. Neither of these fighters are going to go to the mat.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 1.5 ROUNDS (-115) is worth a look, as neither of these 2 fighters is keen to go very deep into the night.

Taivasa has not even made it out of the 1st round in 4 of the past 7 bouts, and he hasn’t made it past the halfway point of the 2nd round in 6 of the past 7 outings. In addition, Volkov hasn’t made it out of the 1st round in each of the past 3 bouts, too.

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.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.

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UFC 293 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Dope-ass hat, cringeworthy banter

The “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.

The UFC is back with its 11th 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 293 takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts to make the first defense of his second middleweight title reign against [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC). And in the co-headliner, [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (36-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) meet in a heavyweight battle of big men.

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters during fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

The City Kickboxing boys, including champ Israel Adesanya and Tyson Pedro, enjoy the benefits of sharing the card. Tai Tuivasa hits the beach. Sean Strickland explains how he wins. Adesanya meets fans and things get spicy at the high-energy press conference.

Also watch:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.

UFC 293 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Sean Strickland vs. ‘influencer’

In the fourth episode of “Embedded,” Sean Strickland has a doozy of a day doing media before UFC 293.

The UFC is back with its 11th 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 293 takes place Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) attempts to make the first defense of his second middleweight title reign against [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC). And in the co-headliner, [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (36-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC) meet in a heavyweight battle of big men.

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters during fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Anzac fighters attend a traditional welcome ceremony. Alexander Volkov goes for speed. Sean Strickland and champ Israel Adesanya field questions. Felipe Dos Santos embraces the moment. Fans flock to open workouts.

Also watch:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 293.