Tag: Tony Kelley

UFC parts ways with Tony Kelley after TKO loss to Adrian Yanez

Tony Kelley, a controversial figure with four UFC fights under his belt, is no longer with the promotion, as of Thursday.

[autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag] is no longer on the UFC roster.

Thursday, algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch posted the departure, which comes weeks after Kelley (8-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered a TKO loss to Adrian Yanez at UFC on ESPN 37.

Yanez’s finish was celebrated by many viewers and fellow fighters, due to controversial comments Kelley made as a corner for his girlfriend and UFC women’s flyweight contender Andrea Lee weeks prior.

“That’s what they’re going to do – they’re dirty f*cking Brazilians,” Kelley told Lee, who was in the midst of a fight vs. Brazil’s Viviane Aruajo. “They’re going to f*cking cheat like that.”

After a broadcast microphone picked up his comments, Kelley received much criticism from the MMA community online and in interviews. He responded to the backlash in a tweet, which pointed to “cancel culture” as the culprit for the criticism.

“Cancel Culture is real,” Kelley wrote on Twitter. “What I said was real and in the heat of battle, and in no way had any type of racist connotations meant…but if that’s the way you take it, idgaf (I don’t give a f*ck). So many people quick to say racist..that shits getting so old. My reference was to a dirty eye poke.”

Kelley departs the promotion after two wins in his most recent three fights. After a debut loss to Ali Alqaisi, Kelley won back-to-back fights against Kai Kamaka III and Randy Costa, which set him up for the June 18 bout vs. Yanez.

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UFC on ESPN 37 medical suspensions: Josh Emmett among 6 fighters suspended indefinitely by Texas commission

Six fighters were handed indefinite medical suspensions after what many fans are calling the most violent UFC card of the year.

UFC on ESPN 37 took place Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas where the promotion put on what many fans are calling one of the most violent cards of 2022.

With violence, however, comes injuries. Tuesday, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the commissioning body that regulated the event, released a list of medical suspensions for UFC on ESPN 37 fighters. The TDLR does not give injury specifics, but reveals the duration of suspensions.

Among those handed indefinite suspensions were main event winner Josh Emmett, co-main event loser Tim Means, Albert Duraev, Julian Marquez, Deron Winn, and Kyle Daukaus. Note: fighters can return sooner than the date listed if they receive medical clearance from a physician prior to completion of their suspension.

Check out the full list of medical suspensions below.

Adrian Yanez has no love for Tony Kelley despite UFC on ESPN 37 win: ‘There’s still some animosity’

Adrian Yanez’s disdain for Tony Kelley only intensified after sharing the octagon with him at UFC on ESPN 37.

AUSTIN, Texas – [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag]’s disdain for [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag] only intensified after sharing the octagon with him at UFC on ESPN 37.

Yanez (16-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) had all the pressure on him going into Saturday’s bantamweight matchup after Kelley (7-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) positioned himself as the villain following his controversial comments about Brazilians while working the corner of his girlfriend, Andrea Lee, earlier this year.

Many were hoping Yanez would give Kelley his comeuppance inside the octagon with a violent finish, and he delivered with a first-round knockout win to remain undefeated inside the octagon.

If Yanez didn’t have enough motivation to get the win coming into the cage, Kelley added fuel to the fire by missing weight then subsequently talking trash during the fight before getting dropped and stopped.

“He was talking to me in the cage. He was like, ‘You keep bringing up that stuff from Brazil, bro. You’re talking all that sh*t,'” Yanez told MMA Junkie and other media post-fight at UFC on ESPN 37. “Like, I can’t control what (the media) asks me. If y’all ask me, I’m going to say what I feel. I’m not going to hold back my opinion. At the same time, it’s not me putting up the headlines of, say, what a random MMA website puts up. Like ‘Adrian wants to knock him out for bigotry.’ If you actually listen to what I said in those interviews, I said a bunch of Brazilian fans would love for me to knock him out because of what he said, and that was a little bigotry.

“There was just an extra added thing to it whenever I was fighting him. In the middle, when he talked a little bit more sh*t, I was like, ‘Oh, now I really don’t like him.’ I can get being in that competitive spot and finding something to bump yourself up, but he talked sh*t and I felt like I kept everything pretty cordial, and next thing you know he started calling me a wish version of (Jorge) Masvidal. Now he wishes he didn’t say that.”

Yanez said the fact Kelley was chirping him all along the way has him feeling like “there’s still some animosity” between them. He said outright that he he still doesn’t like Kelley, but he shined in the important moment and is ready to move on with his career.

What he’s moving on to exactly, though, Yanez said he doesn’t know. He’s open to all challenges at 135 pounds as he continues to climb the rankings.

“Honestly, whoever,” Yanez said. “I really don’t care at this point. I fought guys that called me out. Then there’s guys that called me out and a lot of us weren’t worked at the time, and next thing you know they all get booked and they were calling me out and I didn’t have a fight booked. The only person was Tony Kelley, so props to him for that. But other than that, no love for that guy.”

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Adrian Yanez def. Tony Kelley at UFC on ESPN 37: Best Photos

Check out the best photos from the UFC on ESPN 37 grudge match between Adrian Yanez and Tony Kelley, which took place in Austin, Texas.

[autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 37 in Austin, Texas. Check out the best photos from the fight. (USA Today images via Scott Wachter)

UFC on ESPN 37 results: Top prospect Adrian Yanez picks apart Tony Kelley in first round KO

Adrian Yanez needed less than a round to put away Tony Kelley.

AUSTIN, Texas – [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] is heating up.

The UFC bantamweight continues to thrive since signing with the UFC in 2020. Yanez (16-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) picked up his fifth consecutive win in the octagon and put away [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag] at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 37.

Yanez stopped Kelley (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with a knockout at the 3:49 mark of the first round. It was a clinical performance by Yanez.

Kelley came out confident and trash talked Yanez, but Yanez stayed composed and looked to counter. After several counters to the head and body began to add up, Kelley began to back up when Yanez put on the pressure. Yanez wobbled Kelley with his crisp boxing and kept the attack going until Kelley dropped to the canvas almost four minutes into the fight. Yanez only needed a few follow-up punches to get the referee to stop the contest.

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This victory extended Yanez’s winning streak to nine in a row. The 28-year-old rising contender has yet to lose a bout since coming up short in a split decision against Miles Johns for the LFA vacant title in 2018. Yanez has four finishes in his five UFC outings.

Kelley saw a two-fight wining streak come to an end. He had back-to-back wins over Ali AlQaisi and Randy Costa entering UFC on ESPN 37.

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UFC on ESPN 37 faceoffs highlights video, photo gallery: Dana White pulls apart Adrian Yanez and Tony Kelley

Check out the video highlights and photo gallery from the UFC on ESPN 37 ceremonial weigh-ins, where things got heated between Adrian Yanez and Tony Kelley.

AUSTIN, Texas – All the pre-fight activities are in the books for UFC on ESPN 37 following Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs.

In the main event, top featherweights looking to make their case for a shot at the title clash as [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) meets [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC).

At the conclusion of the ceremonial weigh-ins, the fighters came face to face for final staredowns. Check out the highlights in the video above and a photo gallery from the weigh-ins and faceoffs below.

While intensity was visible for each matchup, things got particularly testy during preliminary card bout faceoff between [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC). The two fighters were separated by UFC president Dana White and UFC security, which took a while as the two fighters refused to back down.

Kelley is still under fire weeks after he called Brazilian fighter Viviane Araujo a “dirty Brazilian,” while he cornered his girlfriend Andrea Lee at a May event.

UFC on ESPN 37 takes place Saturday at the Moody Center. The main card airs on ESPN/ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

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6 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 36: Blachowicz’s title hopes, Rakic’s injury, Kelley’s cornering

Tony Kelley’s controversial cornering, Aleksandar Rakic’s injury and Jan Blachowicz’s win highlight our UFC on ESPN 36 takeaways.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 36 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings…

UFC’s Tony Kelley says comments while cornering Andrea Lee weren’t racist, blames ‘cancel culture’ for backlash

Tony Kelley responds to backlash from controversial comments made while cornering Andrea Lee at UFC on ESPN 36.

[autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag] has addressed his controversial comments made during the UFC on ESPN 36 broadcast.

The UFC bantamweight, who was at the event working as a cornerman for Andrea Lee, was under fire on Saturday night for what he told Lee in between rounds during her women’s flyweight bout against Brazil’s Viviane Araujo.

“That’s what they’re going to do – they’re dirty f*cking Brazilians,” Kelley told Lee. “They’re going to f*cking cheat like that.”

Soon after, reactions from fighters, fans, and media came pouring in regards to Kelley’s comments. The 35-year-old addressed the situation on early Sunday morning, claiming his comments weren’t racist and he doesn’t care if people perceive them that way.

“Cancel Culture is real,” Kelley wrote on Twitter. “What I said was real and in the heat of battle, and in no way had any type of racist connotations meant…but if that’s the way you take it, idgaf (I don’t give a f*ck). So many people quick to say racist..that shits getting so old. My reference was to a dirty eye poke.”

Lee went on to lose a unanimous decision to Araujo on Saturday night, snapping a two-fight win streak. Lee has not publicly commented on the fight or Kelley’s comments at the time of writing.

Kelley is currently scheduled to fight Adrian Yanez on June 18 at UFC on ESPN 37 in Austin, Texas. He last fought at UFC 269 in December where he stopped Randy Costa.

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Fighters criticize Tony Kelley’s ‘dirty f*cking Brazilians’ comment while cornering Andrea Lee at UFC on ESPN 36

Andrea Lee’s head cornerman at UFC on ESPN 36 on Saturday, Tony Kelley, came under fire for comments he made about Brazil’s Viviane Araujo.

[autotag]Andrea Lee[/autotag]’s head cornerman at UFC on ESPN 36 on Saturday, [autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag], came under fire for comments he made during her women’s flyweight bout with [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag].

Following the first round of the matchup at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, in which Lee (13-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) started strong with a huge punch and blistering head kick, she went back to her corner and sat on the stool. Kelley, a UFC bantamweight who is scheduled to fight Adrian Yanez on June 18, made a controversial statement to his athlete.

“That’s what they’re going to do – they’re dirty f*cking Brazilians,” Kelley told Lee. “They’re going to f*cking cheat like that.”

Araujo (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) rallied back to secure a unanimous decision win, including a lopsided 10-8 round. She could not react after the win backstage because she transported to a local hospital and did not speak with the media after the fight.

Kelly’s comments were picked up on the international live feed and quickly spread across social media. The feedback, not surprisingly, was not positive. Check out how several notable fighters reacted.

UFC 269 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Second highest payout in program history

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 269 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $323,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 269 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $323,500.

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 269 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 269 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ryan Hall[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tony Kelley[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,929,000
Program-to-date total: $5,929,000

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