Melissa Gatto fights Tamires Vidal at UFC Fight Night 241 after Hailey Cowan suffers broken leg

Hailey Cowan has withdrawn again, and so Melissa Gatto is now set to make her UFC bantamweight debut.

The UFC Fight Night 241 lineup has been tweaked slightly.

With [autotag]Hailey Cowan[/autotag] injured, [autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag] moves to bantamweight to fight fellow Brazilian [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] at the May 18 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the change recently informed MMA Junkie of the tweak but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Update (5:45 p.m. ET): Cowan (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) revealed on social media after MMA Junkie’s report that she suffered a broken leg in training. Initially thought to be a rolled ankle, Cowan said an X-ray showed a displaced fracture of her fibula. She shared photos of her bruised leg.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6PN0iqSYuN/

Gatto (8-2-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was scheduled to fight Victoria Dudakova at UFC on ESPN 54 on March 30. The bout was canceled moments prior to the scheduled walkouts due to an illness with Dudakova. Gatto has not previously competed at bantamweight in the UFC and will look to snap a two-fight skid.

After a flying knee knockout win in her promotional debut, Vidal (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) most recently competed in September when she lost a split decision to Montserrat Rendon. The defeat snapped a six-fight winning streak.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night 241 lineup includes:

  • Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Angela Hill vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • Warlley Alves vs. Abus Magomedov
  • Vinicius Salvador vs. Adrian Yanez
  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Emily Ducote
  • Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo
  • Victor Martinez vs. Tom Nolan
  • Carlston Harris vs. Khaos Williams
  • Ariane Carnelossi vs. Piera Rodriguez
  • Rodolfo Bellato vs. Oumar Sy
  • Heili Alateng vs. Kleydson Rodrigues
  • Melissa Gatto vs. Tamires Vidal

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

UFC books Hailey Cowan vs. Tamires Vidal for May event

Back on the UFC’s books is Hailey Cowan vs. Tamires Vidal, a fight initially scheduled for March 2023.

[autotag]Hailey Cowan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] is back on the books.

Originally scheduled to fight in March 2023, Cowan (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Vidal (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will now fight May 18 at a UFC Fight Night event that does not yet have a known location. The initial meeting was canceled due to medical issues with Vidal.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Cowan, 32, made her long-awaited UFC debut in April after she earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. A unanimous decision loss to Jamey-Lyn Horth snapped a two-fight winning streak.

Vidal, 25, also looks to bounce back from her first UFC loss. After an emphatic flying knee TKO over Ramona Pascual, Vidal lost a split decision to Montserrat Rendon in September.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for May 18 includes:

  • Angela Hill vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • Hailey Cowan vs. Tamires Vidal
  • Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Emily Ducote

UFC Fight Night 228 post-event facts: Michelle Waterson-Gomez TKO’d after 14 years

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 228, including the end of Michelle Waterson-Gomez’s more than 14-year run without a TKO loss.

The UFC put a bow on its September schedule and a run of 17 straight weeks of events on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 228, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After a card with a handful of highlights, the lightweight main event ended in disappointing fashion when Rafael Fiziev (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) suffered a knee injury that ended the fight prematurely, giving Mateusz Gamrot (23-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) the TKO victory.

For more on the numbers from the card, check out MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 228.

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UFC Fight Night 228 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Tim Means’ $21,000 leads card

UFC Fight Night 228 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 228 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $164,500.

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

The full UFC Fight Night 228 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]A.J. Fletcher[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dan Argueta[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Andre Fialho[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jake Collier[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mizuki Inoue[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Montserrat Rendon[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/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 2281 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: $6,294,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,883,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 17-23)

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 or officially announced by a promotion from July 17-23

UFC on ESPN 43 news: Tamires Vidal out, Hailey Cowan’s debut delayed again

A medical issue has forced Tamires Vidal out of her scheduled UFC on ESPN 43 matchup against Hailey Cowan in San Antonio.

A late addition to UFC on ESPN 43 will no longer take place.

The promotion officially announced Thursday evening that [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] is out of her scheduled bout against [autotag]Hailey Cowan[/autotag] due to an undisclosed medical issue. The event taking place at AT&T Center in San Antonio will proceed with 12 bouts, as there will be no replacement for Cowan (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Earlier this month, MMA Junkie first reported the booking, which was the final matchup to complete the card. The event airs on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+, beginning at 4 p.m. ET.

Vidal (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made her UFC debut in November, where she finished Ramona Pascual with a flying knee in the first round at UFC Fight Night 214.

Cowan, who was signed to the UFC from Dana White’s Contender Series, attempted to make her debut in February, but it fell through due to medical issues of her own. An ovarian cyst rupture forced the 31-year-old fighter to withdraw from the bout, leading to the booking against Vidal. Now, her debut will have to wait even longer.

The updated UFC on ESPN 43 lineup is as follows:

  • Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen
  • Holly Holm vs. Yana Santos
  • Nate Landwehr vs. Austin Lingo
  • Maycee Barber vs. Andrea Lee
  • Manel Kape vs. Alex Perez
  • Albert Duraev vs. Chidi Njokuani
  • Tucker Lutz vs. Daniel Pineda
  • Lucas Alexander vs. Steven Peterson
  • Trevin Giles vs. Preston Parsons
  • Daniel Da Silva vs. CJ Vergara
  • Trey Ogden vs. Manuel Torres
  • Victor Altamirano vs. Vinicius Salvador

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 43.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (March 6-12)

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 March 6-12.

UFC on ESPN 43 gets late addition: Hailey Cowan vs. Tamires Vidal for San Antonio

Hailey Cowan has a UFC debut back on the books after a health scare canceled her first booking weeks ago.

After a health scare left her unsure of her immediate future, budding women’s bantamweight [autotag]Hailey Cowan[/autotag] has a promotional debut back on the books.

At UFC on ESPN 43, Cowan (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will fight [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a late addition to the card. The event takes place March 25 at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Cowan, 31, was expected to debut at UFC Fight Night 220 on Feb. 25. However, she withdrew from the bout hours prior to weigh-ins. After her scheduled opponent Ailin Perez criticized the withdrawal, Cowan revealed she suffered from an ovarian cyst rupture that landed her in the hospital. Cowan is a “Dana White’s Contender Series” signee with pro wins in Invicta FC and LFA among other promotions.

Vidal, 24, added a big-time highlight to her reel in her promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 214 in November when she scored a flying knee knockout of opponent Ramona Pascual. The victory extended her winning streak to six.

With the addition, the UFC on ESPN 43 lineup includes:

  • Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen
  • Holly Holm vs. Yana Santos
  • Maycee Barber vs. Andrea Lee
  • Manel Kape vs. Alex Perez
  • Alex Caceres vs. Nate Landwehr
  • Albert Duraev vs. Chidi Njokuani
  • Tucker Lutz vs. Daniel Pineda
  • Lucas Alexander vs. Steven Peterson
  • Trevin Giles vs. Preston Parsons
  • Liang Na vs. Brogan Walker
  • Daniel Da Silva vs. CJ Vergara
  • Victor Altamirano vs. Vinicius Salvador
  • Trey Ogden vs. Manuel Torres
  • Hailey Cowan vs. Tamires Vidal

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 43.

Tamires Vidal discusses lengthy walkout for UFC debut, troubles leaving Brazil

Hear from Tamires Vidal following her TKO win in her debut at UFC Fight Night 214 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag] made quite an impression in her UFC debut.

The Brazilian bantamweight stopped Ramona Pascual (6-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC) with a flying knee to the body to open up Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 214. It was a stellar finish by Vidal (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), which caught the attention of many watching.

Vidal is currently on a six-fight winning streak and only has one professional loss on her record, which came against current UFC fighter Karol Rosa in the regional circuit in Brazil.

Learn more about Vidal and the difficulties she encountered in the leadup to her UFC debut in her post fight interview. You can watch the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.

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UFC Fight Night 214 post-event facts: Neil Magny passes Georges St-Pierre on wins list

Neil Magny passing Georges St-Pierre for most welterweight wins was one of many notable feats to come out of UFC Fight Night 214.

UFC Fight Night 214 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and it was an action-filled card with nine of 11 fights ending inside the distance.

The main event saw [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) break through as the next strawweight contender. She scored a standing TKO over fellow Brazilian standout [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (17-2-2 MMA, 6-2-2 UFC) in the third round of their clash.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 214.