Don’t hop the fence, UFC fighters … or Nevada will come for a portion of your paycheck.
Don’t hop the fence, UFC fighters … or Nevada will come for a portion of your paycheck.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]’s decision to scale the fence and speak to Dana White immediately following the stoppage in her UFC 303 bout has cost her.
On Thursday, the Nevada Athletic Commission fined Bueno Silva $2,500, plus $157.04 in prosecution fees, for leaping the cage after her June 29 bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ended in a doctor’s stoppage.
The commission said Bueno Silva “against previous instruction exited the octagon by jumping over the fence.”
The fine is the second time this year a UFC contender has received such a fine. Diego Lopes was hit with the same $2,500 punishment after he jumped the cage at UFC 300 in April.
❌ The fight's been called!
A NASTY cut opens up on the forehead of Mayra Bueno Silva and there's no choice but to stop this one. #UFC303pic.twitter.com/t2f263PRAY
At UFC 303, Mayra Bueno Silva hopped the cage to show Dana White her cut, and now she could lose four digits-worth of her purse.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] is the most recent fighter to have a small portion of their purse withheld by the Nevada Athletic Commission for hopping the cage post-fight.
At a monthly commission hearing Tuesday, the NAC announced it has temporarily withheld $2,500 from Silva for jumping the cage to show Dana White her gnarly facial laceration immediately after her June 29 bout vs. Macy Chiasson at UFC 303 was stopped by the doctor. The commission claims fighters were explicitly instructed not to leave the fight surface.
A decision on a sanction was not yet handed out. The matter was continued, meaning Silva will appear on a future monthly meeting agenda where the NAC will officially approve any potential fines or suspensions.
The NSAC has temporarily withheld a small portion ($2,500 of $100,000) of Mayra Bueno Silva’s #UFC303 purse for hopping the cage post-fight. pic.twitter.com/RuMJ55CW5C
Silva is the second prominent UFC fighter to receive a fine for the maneuver in recent months. UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes was fined $2,500 for leaping the cage at UFC 300 in April. Initially, the commission withheld $5,000 from him.
McGregor clarified that after over three years away from the octagon, the fans deserve a fully healthy version of him. However, Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) isn’t sure if his injury warrants canceling the fight.
“A pinky toe? I fought with so much injuries,” Poirier said on The MMA Hour. “Like Conor said, he’s fought with so many injuries, I fought with so many injuries over the years, but a pinky toe doesn’t seem like a reason to pull out of a fight. Giving him his respect, I also don’t know the severity of it.”
“He crossed lines you can’t come back from,” Poirier said. “I want to whip his ass (when I see the Tweets). He’s trying to bring that out of me. He wants me to fire back. I’m just like, ‘Nah.’ Of course I want to say something back and try to set up a fight with him, but it is what it is. We have a lot of back-and-forth over the years, since 2014.”
Michael Page doesn’t see championship potential in Ian Machado Garry.
[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] doesn’t see championship potential in [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag].
Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) remained unbeaten when he edged out Page last month at UFC 303. He was able to outgrapple “MVP” and land a pivotal takedown late in Round 3 to secure the win.
Garry expressed interest in facing [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] next, but Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) doesn’t see him winning that fight – or being the one to dethrone welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag].
“Not at all, no,” Page said on The MMA Hour. “Because if that’s the game you’re going to go when you get a decent striker, then Leon is going to kill you anyway, then Shavkat is going to kill you anyway. There’s a few guys in there that I just don’t see him surpassing. He went a bit more tactical and even in some of the areas, he didn’t feel massively strong. I’m not even trying to be disrespectful to him because again, he’s done his job, he was smart about how he kind of went by it.
“But for me, regardless, this game for me is about combat. It’s about fighting. Not about stealing wins. Even like I said, that last round, I didn’t necessarily need to stand up or need to let him stand up. I could’ve stayed there and just dragged it out and potentially got a better score in the third round and maybe that would’ve swayed it, but that’s not the game I’m in. I’m in a combat game. Like, I want to cause damage, I want to hurt people.”
So what’s Garry’s ceiling in Page’s opinion? A perennial welterweight contender.
“I don’t see him progressing to the top,” Page said. “I think he’s talented. I think he’ll always be around there – top 10, top five – and then he’ll keep losing out to certain people. But he is still talented, and obviously he’s got a loads of time to progress and get better anyway.”
UFC correspondent Megan Olivi gives picks for best fighters, knockout, submission, fight, storyline and more from the first half of 2024.
The first six months of the UFC calendar were nothing short of chaotic.
The promotion hosted 22 events between January and June. Within those there were plenty of memorable and dramatic moments both in and out of the octagon.
Before the UFC turns the page to the next half of its 2024 campaign, though, longtime correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] joined MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn to recap what’s happened so far and give out awards for the half-year, including:
Best Male Fighter
Best Female Fighter
Best Knockout
Best Submission
Best Fight
Top Storyline
Favorite Personal Moment
Check out the video above to see Olivi and Bohn discuss all the topics above that highlight the likes of UFC 300, UFC 303, Alex Pereira, Max Holloway, Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier and much, much more.
Gilbert Burns thinks the sky is the limit for Ian Machado Garry.
[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] thinks the sky is the limit for [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag].
Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) defeated Michael Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in this past Saturday’s UFC 303 main card opener at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Garry received some criticism for his grappling approach, but Burns (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC) praised the Irishman for implementing a smart game plan against a dangerous striker in Page.
“I think in that fight, he wanted to showcase his improvements – and that’s the best (way) to show your improvements in the grappling and (Page is) dangerous in the striking,” Burns said on Morning Kombat.
“I think it was a very close fight, but I think Ian showed a lot of improvements in his grappling. This guy is only 26. He showed a lot of potential. He has dangerous striking with good IQ, and his jiu-jitsu is getting better and better.”
Burns has a good relationship with Garry, but has no issues fighting him if they get matched up. Garry called out Shavkat Rakhomonov after his win, and each fighter has opposing views on how their training sessions at Kill Cliff FC went.
Having trained with both fighters at Kill Cliff FC, Burns gave some insight on their sparring sessions.
“I think he’s very tough,” Burns said on Garry. “He’s scrappy. He’s getting so much better. I even remember those sessions with Shavkat (Chimaev). On the feet, he was doing good – very good. It was just getting way harder when Shavkat was taking him down. But now, he’s putting a lot of emphasis on his grappling.
“That’s one fight that might happen – Ian and Shavkat. That would be a good fight. … He’s good. People are still doubting him, but he’s that good. People should start believing a little bit more in the guy. He’s only 26. Guy’s confidence is very good, very high IQ, works very hard, crazy gas tank, good volume. I think he’s going to do super well with a lot of the guys in the division.”
Burns meets Sean Brady in a UFC Fight Night main event Sept. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Ian Machado Garry thinks it’s pretty clear he beat Michael Page at UFC 303.
[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] thinks it’s pretty clear he beat [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] at UFC 303.
Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) picked up a unanimous decision win over Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) this past Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, winning Rounds 1 and 3 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Garry almost cinched in a rear-naked choke in Round 1, but Page was able to rally in Round 2 and land the more significant strikes. Round 3 was close, with Page controlling the start, and Garry regaining momentum to close out the fight strong.
“Livid – absolutely livid,” Garry said about his performance on The MMA Hour. “It should have been done in the first round. There should have never been a second, there should have never been a third. It should have been, ‘Ian Machado Garry takes his back and subs him unconscious.’
“That’s what it should have been. I’ve already lost sleep over that and I just have this burning sensation in my brain that is just – it’s the competitor in me. It’s the perfectionist in me that goes, ‘Tthat was where the fight should have been done and dusted.'”
“You’re full of sh*t,” Garry said. “You need to go back and watch the fight. First round was mine. Here’s the thing: There is more of a case to say that I won all three rounds than than there is to say it was a draw. That’s the way I look at it. First round, dominated. No one in the world is arguing that. Third round, it’s pretty obvious I won.
“I ended up on bottom somehow. It was just a weird exchange of punches, ended up on bottom, I used elbows from the bottom, in tight, dirty. I had the damage when I was off my back. I went, ‘OK, I’m going to stand up.’ Then I ended up taking him down, getting his back, and dusting him up a little bit. It wasn’t a massive amount of damage, but there was absolutely nothing from ‘MVP.'”
Michael Page does not appear to be deterred by his UFC 303 loss against Ian Machado Garry.
[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] does not appear to be deterred by his UFC 303 loss against Ian Machado Garry.
Former Bellator contender Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered his first octagon defeat this past weekend in the form of a unanimous decision to Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was a big moment for “Venom” after winning his promotional debut against Kevin Holland in March, but he could not get over the hurdle.
MVP has remained in silence since his defeat to Garry on Saturday, but on Thursday he finally shared insights on social media, and were positive in tone (via Instagram):
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Ai_YgJuZN
When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. #ufc303
After nearly being submitted by Garry’s rear-naked choke in the opening round of the welterweight bout at UFC 303, Page rallied to take the second round. The third frame came down to the wire, but ultimately the judges scored it in Garry’s favor.
In the aftermath of the event, UFC CEO Dana White stated that he scored Page vs. Garry as a draw.
It’s unknown at this time when Page, 37, will return to competition.
[lawrence-related id=2751195,2752773]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
In the lead-up to the fight, Prochazka pleaded with Pereira to not seek spiritual help from Shamans, and to fight in a pure and clean way. On his “Funky and the Champ” show with Daniel Cormier, Askren knew that mindset would lead to Prochazka’s downfall.
“I hate it,” Askren said of Prochazka’s thoughts leading into UFC 303. “If you start talking like that, that is a clear sign you’re going to get your ass kicked. If you’re starting to worry about witchcraft, no, you’re done. You’re not going to win.
“I said, ‘Listen, if he’s worrying about witchcraft, this is going to be over quick. He’s going to get knocked out,’ and that’s what happened. … When you get that far, it’s a little too far. I said it – I hate this. I hate the fact he was thinking about this kind of stuff. If you think about that type of stuff, it’s probably over for you.”
Prochazka was visibly distraught after his second title loss to Pereira, prompting him to say that if he doesn’t evolve, he won’t fight again.
Magomed Ankalaev wants to prove Alex Pereira is an “overrated” striker in a UFC light heavyweight title fight later this year.
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] refuses to accept the notion UFC champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] has cleaned out the light heavyweight division.
Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) registered his second consecutive title defense this past Saturday with a second-round TKO of Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 303 main event. Afterward, there’s been discussion about “Poatan” moving up to the heavyweight division to pursue a historic third divisional title under the UFC banner, but Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) isn’t having it.
With a 12-fight unbeaten streak at 205 pounds, Ankalaev, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, is the only highly-ranked fighter left in the weight class who No. 1 Pereira hasn’t beat.
“It’s been a good run so far in UFC, 12 fights, and obviously Alex Pereira got up there – he had two, three fights (in the division) and he skyrocketed,” Ankalaev told MMA Junkie through an interpreter on Wednesday. “Now he holds the title and now I feel I deserve with all my past credentials to get a title shot. I’m definitely looking forward to this opportunity now.
“I don’t know why people are saying he’s going to move up to the actual heavyweight division. I don’t see that. As a guy who has no wrestling I think it’s going to be really hard for him. Maybe just one fight. But I think once he came up to light heavyweight, he went through the division, but I’m still there. He didn’t fight me. If you want to be the champion of the division I think he definitely has to face me first. Then maybe he can consider other moves.”
On paper, Ankalaev, 32, is arguably the worst matchup in the division for Pereira, 36. The Brazilian is a decorated and dangerous striker with a perceived weakness on the ground, while Ankalaev has proven to be highly competent both on the feet and the ground.
With so much attention paid to Pereira’s recent success, pitting him against Ankalaev is a risky bit of matchmaking, especially if the current champion were to be exposed on the ground.
However, Ankalaev’s social media posts in the aftermath of UFC 303 have explicitly stated he thinks he would win a striking-only affair. He stood behind that notion, though admitted he’s also aware his advantage in grappling situations would be significant.
“With Alex you just have to watch a couple of his past fights: With (Jan) Blachowicz, his wrestling was on the level and Alex didn’t have much to offer. Same with (Israel) Adesanya. They’re both strikers, but Adesanya was able to show him some wrestling,” ankalaev said. “I think he is a great striker, but he is the kind of guy that always moves forward, and that’s sometimes where he might make mistakes, where I might catch him. There is strategy we have if he’s going to be doing striking. But also, if we add wrestling here, I think he doesn’t stand a chance and I have a few potential options how to finish him.
“He definitely has a strong punch, but overall his standup is overrated. Watch his fight with Jamahal Hill. He had something to offer to counter him. Same in the fight with Prochazka. You could see he is also moving forward with the same style. He was lucky he didn’t face serious opposition. Wrestling is there, but I’m ready to fight with him standing up, to test him out.”
Ankalaev said he would be ready to accept a title shot with Pereira at any point. He rejected the rumor spread by former champ Hill that he is unable to competed in the United States due to visa issues, but said he his ideal situation would be to book it for UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi.
“As of now we don’t have any certain dates set,” Ankalaev said. “I do not have any problems with visa right now. I have a valid visa, so if it’s going to be (in the U.S.) that’s one option. I would love it to be in Abu Dhabi, that’s a better place for me.”
UFC CEO Dana White was open to the idea of Pereira vs. Ankalaev when proposed with the matchup at the UFC 303 post-fight news conference. Pereira also said he will fight “whoever” the UFC wants him to compete against next.
Ankalaev is optimistic he will get the call sooner than later, and when he does, he will be prepared to maximize his moment.
“I think I’m going to be the next one for the title shot because if you look at the top five, everyone had a loss recently, and just logically I’m going to be stepping up and having this title fight next,” Ankalaev said. “When it comes to light heavyweight, I put a lot of hard work here. I have a stellar record. He moved up to our division. He got lucky. He had a good run, but it’s just fair that he has to face me.
“We have to settle this with him. It’s going to be a great fight. We both have our personalities and I think people should expect fireworks in that one.”
