Tag: UFC Fight Night 209

UFC Fight Night 209 post-event facts: Ciryl Gane rebounds on home soil

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 209, which saw Ciryl Gane knock out Tai Tuivasa in the main event.

The UFC’s debut event in France was nothing short of spectacular on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 209 at Accor Arena in Paris being a memorable show.

The hometown hero emerged with a stellar win in the main event, as [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) broke down and eventually finished [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) with a third-round knockout in the headlining act between heavyweight contenders.

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 209.

Georges St-Pierre views Khamzat Chimaev as UFC champion material: ‘He’s got all the skills’

Former UFC two-division champion Georges St-Pierre thinks very highly of Khamzat Chimaev.

PARIS – [autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] had high praise for undefeated rising UFC star [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

St-Pierre particularly is impressed with the resolve Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) showed when he outlasted former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns in a barnburner this past April at UFC 273.

St-Pierre, a former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, said Chimaev proved he has championship mettle by battling through adversity and getting his hand raised after a 15-minute war with Burns.

“Yes, Khamzat is very good,” St-Pierre told fans and media during a Q&A on Friday in Paris. “He’s got all the skills. He’s very good, and he showcased incredible durability and great mental strength in his last fight when he fought Gilbert Burns, because he was pushed to the limit, and that’s when you recognize a true warrior, a true champion than a contender. When he faced those moments of adversity, some collapse, but some push through and succeed, and he proved it in his last fight. He’s very, very good.”

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Chimaev meets Nate Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC) in the main event of UFC 279 on Sept. 10 and is a huge betting favorite heading into the bout. St-Pierre was asked about the matchup and said he finds it hard not to side with the odds.

“This fight is at welterweight. I think the odds will be towards Chimaev,” St-Pierre said. “I think it favors him because of that. However, Nate Diaz, you can never count him out. He’s very well rounded. He’s very durable, and it takes a lot to try and put him away. Khamzat is gonna be a tough challenge, because he only went the distance in his last fight, I believe, and I think he grew incredibly from that fight. He learned a lot.

“So I think we’re gonna see a better version of Khamzat, still better than what he was, and so it’s gonna be an interesting fight. But if I would have to bet on that fight, of course, I have to go with the odds and favor Khamzat Chimaev.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.

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Robert Whittaker: Marvin Vettori’s fake handshake at UFC Paris weigh-ins ‘a grubby thing to do’

Robert Whittaker admits Marvin Vettori’s fake handshake at weigh-ins annoyed him.

PARIS – [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] admits Marvin Vettori’s pre-fight antics got to him a bit.

The former UFC middleweight champion was left hanging at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 209 after his opponent faked a handshake and then got in his face for a tense staredown. Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) went on to beat Vettori (18-6-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) in a unanimous decision in the co-main event of the card.

Afterward, Whittaker told reporters that Vettori’s fake handshake didn’t sit well with him.

“It was grubby,” Whittaker said at the UFC Fight Night 209 post-fight press conference. “It was just grubby. It’s a grubby thing to do. My coaches anticipated he would do something like that to annoy me. It did. It was a grubby act.”

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And as far as his performance, Whittaker was able to bounce back from his second championship loss to Israel Adesanya and solidify his status as a top contender in the division.

Whittaker was very much happy with his showing, but says there’s room for improvement.

“I think I let the feeling out process go on a little too long in the first round,” Whittaker said. “I started a little slower than I would’ve liked in hindsight. But that’s always the beauty of hindsight, and after I gauged his space, controlled it, worked out his range, yeah, went to work.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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UFC Fight Night 209 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Headliner Ciryl Gane nets $6k

UFC Fight Night 209 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

PARIS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 209 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $155,000.

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 Fight Night 209 took place at Accor Arena. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 209 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alessio Di Chirico[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]William Gomis[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jarno Errens[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Michal Figlak[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Miranda[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Christian Quinonez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Khalid Taha[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Stephanie Egger[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ailin Perez[/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 2097 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2091 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 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,969,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $12,136,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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Ciryl Gane open to interim title after UFC Fight Night 209, explains why Francis Ngannou rematch would be different

Whether it’s interim or undisputed UFC gold, Ciryl Gane wants his next title to be for a championship after his win in Paris.

PARIS – Anyone, anywhere.

That’s long been the answer from [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] when asked about future matchups. However, after his UFC Fight Night 209 TKO victory over Tai Tuivasa, things are a tad different. There’s a stipulation. Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is set on gold.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen exactly,” Gane told reporters including MMA Junkie at the post-fight news conference. “I think nobody is knowing what’s going to happen. They had a big turnover in this division at this moment. I don’t know if there’s going to be an interim title. I don’t know when he is going to come back if he stays in the division, Francis. I don’t know when he wants to fight (or is) able to fight. I don’t know exactly, but no matter who. I say every time, anyone-anywhere. But now I’m looking for the belt, yeah.”

Right now, [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] currently holds the UFC heavyweight title. He is not currently booked as he continues to rehab his knee from surgery earlier in the year. Former champions Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones are also nearing returns. Perennial contender Curtis Blaydes also sits idly by.

The opponent doesn’t matter for Gane, just that he returns in a title opportunity. The public conversation has included potential interim titles. Gane is a former interim champion and doesn’t oppose doing that again.

“No, (I don’t mind) because I understand the UFC needs to manage this situation,” Gane said. “It’s not easy. He has big injuries and big surgeries, so I can understand. If I don’t want to wait a long time, then yes, I’m OK with an interim title. This would put me on the first line for the belt here.”

Gane is Ngannou’s most recent title defense. Former training partners, they fought at UFC 270 in January when Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) defeated Gane by unanimous decision. Despite the result’s recency, Gane doesn’t think it’s indicative of a repeated outcome.

“I think Francis did very well because he had more experience, more maturity,” Gane said. “He did a really great (job). That’s why I don’t think he was way better than me on this day, but he did really better. If tomorrow I have my revenge, I must do a better (job).

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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Robert Whittaker plans to ‘destroy’ everyone until he gets UFC title: ‘I’m a fiend for progress’

Robert Whittaker will do whatever it takes to fight for the UFC belt – and he doesn’t care if Israel Adesanya is holding it or not.

PARIS – Robert Whittaker once again proved he won’t be vanquished from the middleweight title picture with a masterclass performance against Marvin Vettori in the UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event.

Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC), a former UFC champ, took out another fellow top contender Saturday when he outworked Vettori (18-6-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) to a unanimous decision at Accor Arena in France. It was a brilliant showing from “The Reaper” on the heels of losing his rematch to current titleholder Israel Adesanya at UFC 271 in February.

Getting the UFC title back around Whittaker’s waist is his sole goal at this stage of his career, and he said he won’t let anyone stand in his way.

“I’m a fiend for progress,” Whittaker told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC Fight Night 209. “I want to move forward. I’m hunting that gold still. So I’m always going to lurking around, just destroying who they put in front of me until I get a chance to gobble up that gold.

“I’m the most dangerous man in the division. Israel’s the champ. He beat me twice. Hat’s off to him for that. He’s a great fighter, he really is. And I think stylistically he’s a great fighter. I still think I’m the most dangerous man in the division because I win. I win a lot, and I make people hate fighting and I take the fight out of them. That’s what I do. I get in there and I get to work.”

Adesanya is currently scheduled to fight Alex Pereira in his next title defense at UFC 281 on Nov. 12 in New York. Whittaker said he’s indifferent to who emerges victorious so long as he gets to fight them, but admits his two defeats to Adesanya are something he wants to get back – and he thinks things would be different in a third encounter.

“He knocked me out the first one then the second one was a really close decision,” Whittaker said. “I’m not butt hurt about it, but on another day it could’ve been my win. Mentally that’s massive. It’s very hard to explain how it feels to get knocked out and lose your belt like that. It sucks. There’s a bit of a learning process afterward. A picking-up-of-the-pieces process. I conquered most of them.”

One thing Whittaker said is important to note is that he’s not going to wait around for the perfect opportunity. He just wants to participate in meaningful contests, and said he would like to compete in his home country of Australia if the UFC makes a trip there in early 2023.

“I hear there’s rumors of an Australia card,” Whittaker said. “I would love to fight in my backyard. I think that’s the next move for me.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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Francis Ngannou: Ciryl Gane looked great at UFC Fight Night 209, but ‘it’s really hard to be impressed’

The UFC heavyweight champ quickly admitted Ciryl Gane looked great but said it’s difficult to be too impressed with someone he already beat.

[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] quickly admitted [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] looked great at UFC Fight Night 209, but the UFC heavyweight champion said it’s difficult to be too impressed with someone he already beat.

In the first UFC event ever in his home country, France’s Gane (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) defeated Tai Tuivasa (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) via third-round knockout in a wild barn burner. Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC), who also has spent significant time living in France, was present cage-side for the chaotic main event contender fight.

“That fight was very electric, though,” Ngannou said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “There were good actions in the fight. At some point, you see the fight was half-half and then it switched back to Ciryl’s side, which is what I thought. As far as distance, he’s good at controlling that and he was able to apply that in the fight tonight. You can see the body (shots), that’s what got him the victory. It was just like strategic, technical type of fight.”

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The most recent title challenger for Ngannou’s UFC heavyweight strap was his former training partner Gane. The two big men fought at UFC 270 in January. Ngannou picked up a unanimous decision win, which is why his praise for Gane can only go so far.

“I know he’s a great fighter,” Ngannou said. “It’s hard to respond to that question for the guy that I beat – if I’m impressed with him. He’s here for a reason. I fought him for a reason because he was probably the No. 1 contender. Yes, he’s good, but I’m the champ. Yeah, so it’s really hard to be impressed.”

While Gane asserted himself as the No. 1 UFC-ranked contender at heavyweight, Ngannou looks at a number of different options for his next fight. With Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones seemingly nearing returns, Ngannou has options – though nothing set yet as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

“I don’t have any whispers right now,” Ngannou said. “I don’t have any timeline or exact timeline for the return. I’m going to see the doctor one week from now. I’m following up with the doctor to see how it’s going. But it’s going pretty good. But you have to give it some time. It’s not like it’s going to be great. It’s been five months. (I need to) kind of have some more time.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 209.

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Ciryl Gane def. Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night 209: Best photos

Check out these photos from Ciryl Gane’s victory over Tai Tuivasa in the main event of UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]’s knockout victory over Tai Tuivasa in the main event of UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris. (Photos by Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports & Julien De Rosa, Getty Images)

Robert Whittaker def. Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 209: Best photos

Check out these photos from Robert Whittaker’s win over Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]’s decision win over Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris. (Photos by Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC Fight Night 209 bonuses: Ciryl Gane, Tai Tuivasa’s slugfest takes FOTN

Check out which fighters took home a bonus for their performance at UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris.

The UFC’s first trip to Paris saw a half of the 12 fights end early, much to the delight of the incredibly loud fans in attendance.

At the conclusion of the event, the promotion awarded a Fight of the Night bonus and two Performance of the Night awards.

The main event between former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane and top contender Tai Tuivasa was fireworks from beginning to end. Their back-and-forth war had fans at Accor Arena losing their minds, and naturally, it was a lock to take home FOTN.

Check out who all took home a bonus for their performance at UFC Fight Night 209 below.