Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Albuquerque welterweight Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means catches up with MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and Brian “Goze” Garcia ahead of his bout with Mike Perry at UFC 255.
Albuquerque welterweight Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means catches up with MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and Brian “Goze” Garcia ahead of his bout with Mike Perry at UFC 255.
Mike Perry is still fighting at UFC 255, and he has a new opponent.
[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] is still fighting at UFC 255, and he has a new opponent.
Perry, who was slated to meet former welterweight champion [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag], will instead take on [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] on Nov. 21 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Monday after an initial report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN.
Lawler was forced out of the fight last week because of an injury, although details were not disclosed.
Perry (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC), 29, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Mickey Gall in June at UFC on ESPN 12. Perry has been entangled in outside-the-cage issues this year, including a troubling altercation in which he punched a man at a restaurant that was caught on video. Additionally, Perry’s ex-wife, Danielle Nicholson, alleged domestic during their marriage in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. The UFC hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment, although UFC president Dana White stated publicly that he wasn’t entirely aware of the news.
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Means (30-12-1 MMA, 10-7 UFC), 36, has alternated wins and losses in his last five fights, going 3-2. In his most recent bout in August at UFC on ESPN+ 32, Means won a unanimous decision against Laureano Staropoli.
With the change, the latest UFC 255 lineup includes:
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Four fighters are facing lengthy suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 32 injuries.
Four fighters are facing potential six-month suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective UFC on ESPN+ 32 bouts.
[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (neck and arm), [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (facial fractures), [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (left ribs), and [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag] (right hand, right wrist, and left eye) will not be able to fight until Feb. 5, 2021, unless they are cleared by a doctor beforehand.
On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.
Headlining victor [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] did not receive a suspension, while his opponent, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], received a 45-day suspension for lacerations sustained in the fight.
Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and his opponent, [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], both received 30-day suspensions after their co-main event bout.
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Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions:
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All the notable stats to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32, which took place in Las Vegas, and saw Derrick Lewis knock out Aleksei Oleinik.
The UFC’s loaded August schedule continued on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which went down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.
The UFC’s busiest heavyweight picked up another notable win in the headliner when [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) overcame the grappling prowess of [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to net a second-round TKO and extend his current winning streak to three fights.
“The Black Beast” made UFC history with his finish, and for more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32.
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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $162,000.
Debuting fighters went 0-3 at the event.
[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 32 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN+ 32 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 10-2 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 15-7 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:09.
Lewis’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Junior Dos Santos for third most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18) and Frank Mir (16).
Lewis’ 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Arlovski, Gabriel Gonzaga and Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13),
Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).
Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are tied with Thiago Santos for most among active fighters in the organization.
Oleinik has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was successful in his return to the middleweight division.
Weidman earned his first UFC victory where he failed to outland his opponent in strikes.
[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (20-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) fell to 3-1-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-1-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.
Akhmedov suffered the first decision loss of his career.
Stewart (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) improved to 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.
[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.
Kunitskaya outlanded her opponent 209-to-30 in total strikes. The +179 margin is largest in UFC women’s bantamweight history.
Kunitskaya has earned all three of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) earned the eighth knockout in UFC history stemming from a spinning backfist.
Dariush’s four-fight stoppage streak in UFC competition is tied with Justin Gaethje and Francis Ngannou for second longest among active fighters on the roster behind Charles Oliveira (seven).
[autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (30-12-1 MMA, 12-9 UFC) improved to 10-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.
[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.
[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his submission defeat.
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Take a look inside Tim Means’ win over Laureano Staropoli at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] beat Laureano Staropoli with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Means, who got back in the win column and has alternated victories and defeats over his past six bouts.
Result: Tim Means def. Laureano Staropoli via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Means (30-12-1 MMA, 12-9 UFC), Staropoli (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Key stat: Means outstruck Staropoli 126-81 and landed a pair of takedowns.
“We saw everything in practice. Some of those spinning attacks were a little bit quicker, so I kind of waited out the first round, waited for the second round, let him get dog-tired, kept mixing the body locks, the takedowns. (I) started trying to wear him down. I could hear him slowly breathing. We were working on head kicks. I think I dropped him with a head kick in the second round. I wanted to jump on him a little bit quicker, but it just shows the durability of guys in this weight class and in the UFC. And this guy in particular – tough as nails. There is not an easy fight in this league.”
“I can look myself in the mirror and tell myself the truth right out of the gate: I’m not a quitter. I might do some stupid things along the way and own what I do wrong – earn my reputation, earn my way. But I don’t quit. And that’s what we were stating out there today: We don’t quit.”
“I have some cheesecake waiting for me back at the hotel now. I’m going to throw down on that, talk to the coaches and I imagine I’ll get a call soon. I also have to get back and talk to the doctor about the hardware I have in my ankle from when I broke my leg last year – get some screws removed, and on to the next fight.”
To hear more from Means, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
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Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.
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 on ESPN+ 32 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN+ 32 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: $3,500
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
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 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $3,763,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $34,767,500
Tim Means talks to media about his UFC on ESPN+ 31 victory
Tim Means talks to media about his UFC on ESPN+ 31 victory
The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 32, which features a Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik main event.
The UFC’s busy August stretch continues on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.
Two heavyweights with opposing styles are set to clash in the main event. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) brings his heavy hands back to the octagon for a clash with submission ace [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 32.
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Lewis makes his 20th UFC heavyweight appearance since 2014, the most in the division and second most fights on the roster behind Donald Cerrone (24).
Lewis’ 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).
Lewis’ 10 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind Mir (13), Arlovski (11), Gabriel Gonzaga (11) and Stefan Struve (11).
Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez for most in divisional history.
Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are second most among active fighters in the organization behind Thiago Santos (11).
Lewis’ six knockouts stemming from ground strikes in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture for second most in company history behind Velasquez (eight).
Lewis is the only fighter in history to have his first eight UFC bouts end in a knockout.
Lewis’ knockout of Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 despite a -82 significant strike differential marked the greatest statistical striking comeback in UFC history.
Lewis and Francis Ngannou combined for 31 total strikes landed at UFC 226, the second fewest in a three-round UFC fight that went the distance behind Jens Pulver vs. Joao Roque (23) at UFC 26 in June 2000.
Oleinik, 43, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division and is the oldest of all fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Oleinik was the first fighter in MMA history to earn victories in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s). Alistair Overeem also accomplished the feat.
Oleinik has earned 54 of his 59 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his eight UFC wins.
Oleinik has earned 46 of his 54 career stoppage victories by submission.
Oleinik’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (eight).
Oleinik has earned two of the three Ezekiel-choke submission victories in UFC history. He accomplished the feat at UFC 224 and UFC Fight Night 103. Remco Pardoel also won with the technique at UFC 2.
Oleinik attempts 2.21 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) is 3-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.
Akhmedov’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at middleweight is tied with Paulo Costa for the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (eight).
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) returns to the middleweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at light heavyweight in October 2019.
Weidman became the first male fighter in UFC history to win a championship with an undefeated record and go on to successfully defend the belt more than once when he defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175.
Weidman is 1-5 in his past six fights dating back to December 2015.
Weidman has out-struck his opponent in all 10 of his UFC victories.
Weidman has completed at least one takedown in all 15 of his UFC appearances.
Weidman’s 37 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Thales Leites for most in divisional history.
Weidman has suffered all five of his career losses by knockout.
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[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is 4-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.
[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.
[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]’s (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) 12 UFC lightweight victories since 2014 are the most in the division.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-12-1 MMA, 11-9 UFC) is 9-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has landed at least one knockdown against four of his five UFC opponents.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
A welterweight matchup between Tim Means and Laureano Staropoli is the latest addition to the UFC’s Aug. 8 lineup.
A welterweight banger is the latest addition to the UFC’s Aug. 8 event.
[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag](29-12-1 MMA, 11-9 UFC) will face [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in an event expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking Saturday, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Means has split his last four appearances. After scoring a first-round submission over Thiago Alves last December, Means suffered a second-round submission loss to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February.
After picking up wins over Hector Aldana and Thiago Alves in his first two UFC bouts, Staropoli saw his seven-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Muslim Salikhov last October in Singapore.
With the addition, the Aug. 8 lineup includes:
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Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”
There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?
“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.
So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:
Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.
