Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the best photos from Modestas Bukauskas’ unanimous decision win over Tyson Pedro at UFC 284 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag]’ unanimous decision win over [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] at UFC 284 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. (Photos by Jasmin Frank, USA TODAY Sports)
Check out the photos from the UFC 284 official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel in Perth, Australia.
Check out the photos from the UFC 284 official weigh-ins at the UFC host hotel in Perth, Australia. (Images by Jasmin Frank, USA TODAY Sports)
Light heavyweight contender Tyson Pedro will look to make it three straight wins at UFC 284 as he finally feels like a fighter again.
PERTH, Australia – Even though [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] finished his last two opponents in the first round, he just now feels like he’s getting back into the swing of things after a lengthy layoff.
Pedro (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) returned to action in 2022 after four years away from the cage. It was a successful return that saw two quick victories, and he hopes to keep the momentum going against Modestas Bukauskas at UFC 284, which takes place Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Pedro’s original opponent Mingyang Zhang pulled out in the weeks ahead of the event, but thanks to Bukauskas (13-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) stepping up in his return to the promotion, there is still an opportunity to fight on home soil.
“It’s actually a better fight I think, for the fans anyway,” Pedro told reporters at media day. “I’m just very glad that he took it on a week’s notice because I still get to get paid.”
Making another deposit in the bank is always nice, but keeping the winning streak alive is also important to Pedro, who is hunting for a place among the top 15 at light heavyweight.
[lawrence-related id=2615004,2614909]
In his two appearances in 2022, Pedro finished Ike Villanueva and Harry Hunsucker with strikes in the first round. But despite that success in his return after a long time away from the cage, Pedro revealed he still didn’t feel like a fighter again.
“It’s been enjoyable and transformative,” Pedro said. “I feel like after the four years off, I was a bit lost in those four years. Even coming back, even though from the outside looking in, it looks like its all happy and everything’s going good because I’m winning in a fight, but I hadn’t really transitioned back to being a fighter again and being the person that I love being.
“So now, I’m really starting to get into the groove. I’m back being comfortable with being who I am as a fighter, as a father, and now I’m just ready to get after it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
[listicle id=2614969]
Check out these photos highlighting the UFC 284 open workouts.
Check out these photos highlighting the UFC 284 open workouts – which featured [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag], [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag], [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] – by the waterfront in Perth, Australia. (Photos by Jasmin Frank-MMA Junkie)
Alexander Volkanovski can make at all types of statistical history at UFC 284 vs. Islam Makhachev, including joining the double champ club.
The UFC returns to Australia for the first time in more than three years Saturday with UFC 284, which takes place at RAC Arena in Perth with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Two title fights will headline the card “Down Under.” In the main event, just the seventh champion-vs-champion fight in UFC history will unfold with [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) set to put his lightweight strap on the line against featherweight kingpin [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC), who moves up in pursuit of a second belt.
With Volkanovski doing business at 155 pounds, the promotion implemented an interim title at 145 pounds. The co-headliner of the card will see[autotag] Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) clash with [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) to determine who will get the right to face Volkanovski when he returns to the division.
For more on the numbers behind the entire card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 284.
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 Jan. 23-29.
Modestas Bukauskas is back in the UFC thanks to a short-notice opportunity in Australia.
[autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] is back in the UFC thanks to a short-notice opportunity in Australia.
Bukauskas (13-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) will take on [autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) in less than three weeks at UFC 284 in Perth. His management team announced the matchup on Twitter late Wednesday.
Bukauskas will step in for Mingyang Zhang (16-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who was set to make his promotional debut after the Road to the UFC series in China.
UFC 284 takes place Feb. 11 (Feb. 12 in Australia) at RAC Arena in Perth. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
🚨 #TeamIridium Fight News 🚨
It's Comeback Season for our man @balticgladiator as he makes his highly anticipated return to the @ufc's Octagon vs. Tyson Pedro on Feb. 12 ✍🏽 #TheDarkside pic.twitter.com/N9ZGAUxAHd
— IridiumSportsAgency (@TeamIridiumISA) January 26, 2023
Bukauskas, a 28-year-old England-based Lithuanian, won his UFC debut in July 2020 with a TKO against Andreas Michailidis. But then he hit a big-time slump with three straight losses to Jimmy Crute, Michal Oleksiejczuk and Khalil Rountree.
Bukauskas found himself outside the UFC after that, and after a 14-month layoff, he picked up a win over Lee Chadwick at Cage Warriors 145. That victory was enough to get a vacant light heavyweight title fight against Chuck Campbell this past New Year’s Eve. Bukauskas won the belt with a fourth-round knockout.
Australia’s Pedro returned to the UFC in April 2022 after a layoff of about 40 months. After three losses in four fights to Ilir Latifi, Ovince Saint Preux and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Pedro was inactive from late 2018 until his return with a TKO win over Ike Villanueva.
This past August, the 31-year-old made it two straight in the first roundn when he took out Harry Hunsucker with a 65-second TKO at UFC 278. Now he’ll go after three in a row against a promotional newcomer.
With the addition, the UFC 284 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
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 Oct. 31-Nov. 6.
Tyson Pedro will look to make it three straight wins at UFC 284.
[autotag]Tyson Pedro[/autotag] will look to make it three wins in a row his next time out.
Light heavyweights Pedro (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and [autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will face off Feb. 11 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, UFC officials announced Monday. The bout was first reported by MMA Ecosystem.
We've got another BANGER headed to #UFC284 in Perth! 🇦🇺
Western Sydney's @Tyson_Pedro_ meets #RoadToUFC's breakout star Zhang Mingyang!
🛫🎟 Visit https://t.co/zdYvdmWAuj to register for pre-sale tickets, Travel Packages, and VIP Experiences for #UFC284 in Perth! pic.twitter.com/Nc19q9FaY4
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) October 31, 2022
Since returning from a three-and-a-half year layoff in 2022, Pedro has scored back-to-back first-round knockouts of Ike Villanueva and, most recently Harry Hunsucker, at UFC 278 in August.
Winner of his past nine in a row, Mingyang is coming off a brutal first-round knockout of George Tokkos on Episode 1 of Road to UFC in June. All 16 of the Chinese fighter’s professional wins have come in the first round.
With the addition, the UFC 284 lineup now includes:
[vertical-gallery id=2573328]
Former champions Kamaru Usman and Jose Aldo lead the way with six-figure paydays in Utah.
UFC 278 payouts have been released by the overseeing commissioning body.
Wednesday, MMA Junkie received a list of disclosed earnings from Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission head Scott Bowler, which oversaw the Aug. 20 pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City.
Atop the list of payouts is former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], who pocketed $500,000 for his head kick knockout loss to [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]. Edwards earned $350,000 with his upset victory.
Co-headliner winner [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] earned $130,000 for his win over [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag], who earned $200,000. Rockhold openly criticized fighter pay in the lead-up to the bout.
Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] took home $400,000 for a loss to [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag], who earned $198,000.
Heavyweight [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] also pocketed $240,000 for his win over [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag] ($36,000) on the prelims.
Scroll below to see a full list of payouts. It’s important to note the figures only represent the disclosed pursues. Performance bonuses, locker room bonuses, and additional compliance bonuses are not included.
