Tag: UFC Fight Night 218

Spinning Back Clique: Conor McGregor returns as ‘TUF’ coach, Dana White downplays Fedor, more

This week’s live stream of “Spinning Back Clique” reacts to Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler as “TUF 31” coaches, Fedor Emelianenko’s legacy and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Nolan King, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] retired from MMA competition with his loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290. Afterward, Bellator president hailed him as the greatest heavyweight in the sport’s history, while UFC president Dana White offered a less complimentary view on where “The Last Emperor” fits in history.
  • [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] are confirmed as coaches on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and are expected to fight later this year. Did the UFC make the right call on the matchup for McGregor’s return? Can his unmatched star power revive the reality series?
  • Undefeated champ [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] claimed he’s the No. 1 middleweight in the world after a dominant title defense over Anatoly Tokov in the Bellator 290 co-headliner. Is Eblen’s statement fact or fiction?
  • Bantamweight star [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] revealed he’s signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC and is more than pleased with the pay he negotiated with the promotion. Did O’Malley make a mistake for his future by signing such a long-term deal?
  • UFC 284 on Saturday marks the seventh champion-vs-champion fight in company history, with featherweight king [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] set to move up a division to challenge lightweight champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]. What would a win do for each man’s legacy going forward?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

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Dana White: Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler the kind of matchup needed for ‘TUF’ on ESPN

Dana White could be forgiven if he didn’t understand questions on why ex-UFC champ Conor McGregor is coaching “The Ultimate Fighter.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] probably could be forgiven if he refused to answer any more questions about why [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is coaching the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

After all, if you were the UFC president, wouldn’t you want the fighter who has been the biggest draw in your company’s history to be anyplace you can get him?

“Conor’s a massive star, No. 1,” White said at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 218 post-fight news conference in Las Vegas. “He’s been away for a while. And the timing was perfect for it. That’s why we did it.”

That’s the no-duh answer, it seems. But like with most things involving McGregor, a former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion, there still are some hurdles before McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will have his second stint on the reality show, this time coaching opposite former Bellator lightweight champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC).

The Irishman is under investigation for allegedly attacking a woman on board his yacht in Ibiza in Spain in July 2022. A McGregor rep issued a denial statement on McGregor’s behalf.

McGregor has not fought since a July 2021 TKO loss to Dustin Poirier, which was his second straight knockout loss to him. McGregor broke his leg in the fight. He has been rehabbing since then and his return regularly is teased.

Part of his rehab and recovery included leaving the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug-testing pool, and his return for a UFC fight is contingent on him being in the testing pool for at least six months, barring an exception granted by the UFC,

The former simultaneous two-division champ – who never defended either belt and was stripped of both for inactivity – has lost three of his past four fights. His only win in that stretch was a quick knockout of Donald Cerrone three years ago, which was part of Cerrone’s six straight losses to close his career before retirement.

McGregor remains one of the most popular and bankable athletes in the world and is the UFC’s biggest draw. But in recent years, he’s become known more for his issues outside the cage than in it.

The promotion will attempt to use that star power to inject some life back into “TUF,” with former three-time Bellator titleholder Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) on the other side.

Chandler has been pursuing a matchup with McGregor for the better part of the year. He’s coming off a submission loss to Poirier at UFC 281 in November, and told MMA Junkie in December that he was expecting a clash with McGregor to materialize in the second half of this year.

According to White, the matchup came about because of fan interest. The fact the season will broadcast on big ESPN instead of just as a stream on ESPN+ the way Season 30 did is a boon, as well.

“I think that’s the fight that people want to see right now. I think that’s an exciting fight,” White told MMA Junkie at the UFC Fight Night 218 post-fight news conference. “And the fact that this season is on ESPN (is big). When you think about how long ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ has been around, it started on Spike, we had a run on FOX, and now it’s actually going to be on ESPN the network. … It’s a big deal. This is a big season – it’s a big deal.”

“With Chandler and Conor, I think there’s a level of respect between those two. But when you get inside and you see each other every day and you’re crossing paths, things happen. I don’t know how it’s going to play out, and that makes the season fun.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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Marcin Tybura ready to step in for Jon Jones or Ciryl Gane at UFC 285

Although it didn’t go down quite the way he hoped, Marcin Tybura wasn’t in position to complain about his Saturday win.

LAS VEGAS – Although it didn’t go down quite the way he hoped, [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] wasn’t in position to complain about his Saturday win.

Tybura (24-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) outworked Blagoy Ivanov (19-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC) on the UFC Fight Night 218 main card in Las Vegas. It gave him back-to-back wins after a loss to Alexander Volkov in 2021, and with seven wins in his past eight, he’s proving to be a threat at heavyweight.

“My mindset was to do a little bit more, but a win is a win,” Tybura said at his post-fight news conference. “He’s really tough to start to close distance. He’s a very solid guy and it’s hard to look well against him. I think I was able to outstrike him at least one round and I handled him on the ground.”

The win may not have Tybura next in line for a shot at the title, but he certainly now is in the mix.

The UFC’s heavyweight division got particularly interesting a few weeks ago when the promotion announced champion Francis Ngannou is gone from the company. His vacant belt will be up for grabs at UFC 285 in March between former longtime light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and former interim champ Ciryl Gane. Jones will be fighting for the first time in more than three years.

Tybura said if anything happens to one of those two, he’ll be ready for a call.

“If someone pulls out of the main event in a month in the heavyweight title fight, I can step in.”

But barring that, Tybura said he thinks Jones can return from his lengthy layoff with a win.

“It’s hard for me to say for sure because I don’t know how Jon Jones will perform after three years off, and changing a weight class,” Tybura said. “But I see him as the GOAT, so I think he’ll come back as his prime time and he’ll win the fight.”

Check out Tybura’s full post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Serghei Spivac after UFC Fight Night 218 win?

Serghei Spivac called out Jon Jones at UFC Fight Night 218, but what’s a realistic next fight for him after he tapped out Derrick Lewis?

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Derrick Lewis after UFC Fight Night 218 loss?)

[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] continued his ascent up the heavyweight rankings Saturday when he submitted former title challenger Derrick Lewis in the UFC Fight Night 218 headliner.

Spivac (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) extended his winning streak to three fights courtesy of a first-round arm-triangle choke finish of Lewis (26-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and he made it clear he wants a big fight next.

What makes most sense for him? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC Fight Night 218.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Derrick Lewis after UFC Fight Night 218 loss?

What does the future hold for Derrick Lewis after his third consecutive loss in the UFC Fight Night 218 headliner?

(ALSO SEE: Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Serghei Spivac after UFC Fight Night 218 win?)

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]’ career woes continued Saturday when he was finished in the first round by Serghei Spivac in the UFC Fight Night 218 main event.

Lewis (26-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) saw his personal-worst losing skid hit three fights with an arm-triangle choke submission loss to Spivac (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the heavyweight main event at the UFC Apex.

With his career hitting unprecedented territory, what does the future hold for Lewis? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on “The Black Beast” going forward after UFC Fight Night 218.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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UFC Fight Night 218 post-event facts: Derrick Lewis’ struggles continue

Derrick Lewis, the UFC’s all-time knockout record holder, is on a personal worst losing skid after UFC Fight Night 218.

The UFC opened its February schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 218, which went down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The main event saw [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) continue his climb as a heavyweight contender when he halted former title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) with a first-round submission.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 218.

Devin Clark ready to put in work to be champion after UFC Fight Night 218

It’s been more than two years since Devin Clark had a winning streak to help propel him. Now he’s starting to get that feeling once again.

LAS VEGAS – It’s been more than two years since [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] had a winning streak to help propel him. Now he’s starting to get that feeling once again.

Clark (14-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) outworked Da-un Jung (15-4-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) for a unanimous decision sweep of the scorecards in the UFC Fight Night 218 co-main event at the UFC Apex. Clark said a game plan his team knew would wear down Jung is to thank.

“When you go for the legs, the head’s open. Switching back and forth between those two, it’s a tiring game to defend,” Clark said. “It’s super hard to be good at it, and I know I can be even better at it. We’re just going to keep getting better and get back in the lab.”

Clark debuted in the UFC in 2016, but it’s been a fairly constant state of up and down at light heavyweight. He’s had a pair of two-fight winning streaks in the promotion, but that’s as good as it’s been so far.

His next time out, he’ll have a chance to match that and have wins in three of his past four fights. Despite the yo-yo effect of his UFC resume, Clark thinks he might be about to hit his stride.

“Just being in the right position is huge, and I felt the difference tonight,” he said. “Being able to go out there and not have to think about where my positioning is and just be able to throw those hands and let them connect, it proved to me that it’s making a difference.

“We’re just getting warmed up. I’ve been in the UFC seven years now. I’m 32, about to be 33, and I feel like I’m moving into my prime. I have to work hard to accomplish what I want to accomplish. … We have to keep working and keep getting better. I know I’m hard on myself, but I want to be champion. I know I have to put that work in and I can’t settle for this one.”

Check out Clark’s full post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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Serghei Spivac lobbies for another step up in competition after UFC Fight Night 218 dominance

After the biggest win of his career, Serghei Spivac is more than happy to take a little time off.

LAS VEGAS – After the biggest win of his career, [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] is more than happy to take a little time off.

And it’s not because his win in the UFC Fight Night 218 main event Saturday was that taxing – it didn’t seem to be at all when Spivac (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) steamrolled the UFC’s all-time knockout leader, Derrick Lewis (26-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC), with an easy first-round submission.

It’s because Spivac trained for the fight for weeks ahead of its original date this past November, then had to wait to get a new date when Lewis couldn’t fight the day of their UFC Fight Night 215 headliner. Fast forward to now, and Spivac wouldn’t mind a chance to chill, even though he said he’s likely to be right back in the gym, no matter what.

“We were ready for everything,” Spivac said of his win over Lewis. “… Today, I showed you guys my judo style, my sambo style, my boxing style, and in the future, I’ll show you guys more. I trained a lot for this moment. My friend Misha Cirkunov showed me this triangle choke and we worked a lot for this moment. I saw Derrick Lewis doesn’t have good balance and grappling. I took the moment.”

In the cage, Spivac said he’d gladly step up for a fight against former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who fights Ciryl Gane in March for the vacant heavyweight title.

But with some time to reflect, he’ll take anyone who is a step up in competition.

“I don’t choose my opponents and I don’t think about (rankings),” Spivac said. “The UFC needs to think about this. I just wait. Give me a contract, I (sign) it, and that’s it. But we (want) somebody from the top five, yes.”

Could that be Jones, or at least the winner of Jones vs. Gane? Spivac doesn’t want to put the cart too far ahead of the horse, but thinks Jones may have the edge.

“I don’t like to (predict) fights. It’s not for me,” Spivac said. “But I think it will be a great fight. We haven’t seen Jon Jones in a long time – he didn’t fight for three years. But he has big skills, good skills. He was a great champion and he’s still a great champion, in my opinion. Ciryl Gane is very tough, too. We’ll see what happens.”

Check out Spivac’s full post-fight news conference in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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Dana White: Derrick Lewis’ roster spot safe despite being ‘manhandled’ at UFC Fight Night 218

Dana White says Derrick Lewis’ position on the UFC roster in not in jeopardy despite being “manhandled” at UFC Fight Night 218.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] says [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]’ position on the UFC roster is not in jeopardy despite being dominated by Serghei Spivac UFC Fight Night 218.

After two-time UFC title challenger Lewis (26-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) suffered a third consecutive loss with a first-round submission defeat to Spivac (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in Saturday’s heavyweight headliner at the UFC Apex, the UFC president doesn’t see “The Black Beast” at a career crossroads.

In fact, White thinks the result at UFC Fight Night 218 showed a lot about Spivac in the fact he could put on such a lopsided performance.

“I have a lot of respect for Derrick Lewis,” White told MMA Junkie at the UFC Fight Night 218 post-fight news conference. “I love the guy, and he got manhandled tonight. Spivac looked really good. He made a big statement tonight.”

Lewis, who is the record holder for most knockout wins in UFC history, has been as active as any fighter in the octagon since his debut in 2014.

He’s never struggled with this type of losing skid before, though, and at 37, it raises questions about his future.

White isn’t looking on the downside, though. He said Lewis is as relevant as ever in his mind, and intends to book him again in the future.

“(It doesn’t hurt his stock) with me,” White said. “I love the guy. I love him. So he’s not going anywhere.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

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UFC Fight Night 218 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Derrick Lewis’ $21,000 tops card

UFC Fight Night 218 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 218 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $136,000

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 218 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 218 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Da-un Jung[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Blagoy Ivanov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
vs. [autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Adam Fugitt[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yusaku Kinoshita[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Anshul Jubli[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jeka Saragih[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jeong Yeong Lee[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yi Zha[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinya Nakamura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Toshiomi Kazama[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Sung Hyun Park[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Seung Guk Choi[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Denis Tiuliulin[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jesus Santos Aguilar[/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 2187 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2181 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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $632,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $15,151,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 217.