Tag: UFC on ESPN 15

Pedro Munhoz thinks he beat Frankie Edgar at UFC on ESPN 15 ‘without a doubt’

Pedro Munhoz believes he was wronged in the UFC on ESPN 15 main event.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] believes he was wronged against [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 15.

Munhoz (18-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) suffered a split decision loss to Edgar (24-8-1 MMA, 18-8-1 UFC) in Saturday’s bantamweight headliner, which took place at UFC Apex and aired on ESPN. It was a five-round battle that received “Fight of the Night” honors, but there was only one winner.

And it wasn’t Munhoz, who was frustrated about it afterward.

“Without a doubt (I won),” Munhoz told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the post-fight news conference. “I was just right now with the doctor getting some stitches, and some of my coaches, Dan Lambert, he was just showing me 17 of the media scores. Of 20 of the media scores (on MMADecisions.com), 17 gave me the fight. So only three gave to him. Then I saw in the punching scores I had the first, the third, the fourth, and the fifth rounds. It is what it is.”

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Munhoz isn’t pointing only to the media and stats for his reasoning for winning the fight. He was in there for all five rounds against the former UFC champion and thinks he did better work.

“Not even (just) the leg kicks,” Munhoz said. “I was hurting him with the jab. I chased him for five rounds. He got a couple takedowns, but he couldn’t do anything with the takedowns, and I got back up right away. I was looking for the finish.”

Despite Munhoz’s disappointment, the outcome stands. He was reluctant to complain too much, though, and said he’s going to pick himself back up and rebound from the first two-fight losing skid of his career.

“I’m always down to fight anyone,” Munhoz said. “I never chose any opponent. I’m down to fight anyone, any time. That would be good to get the rematch. Right now just go back home and be mad for a couple days. I’m very grateful for what I do and the people around me.”

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UFC on ESPN 15 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $35 million

UFC on ESPN 15 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 15 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $88,000.

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 on ESPN 15 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 15 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $10,000
[autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Shana Dobson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Dwight Grant[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Mizuki Inoue[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Ike Villanueva[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Carlton Minus[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Matthew Semelsberger[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Timur Valiev[/autotag]: $3,500
[autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

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 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,052,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $35,056,500

Still doubt Frankie Edgar after UFC on ESPN 15 win? ‘I don’t want to hear nothing from anybody’

Frankie Edgar believes “the sky’s the limit” after beating Pedro Munhoz in his bantamweight debut, and he’s aiming for the title.

[autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] is turning toward the bantamweight title after winning his divisional debut against [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 15.

Edgar (24-8-1 MMA, 18-8-1 UFC), the former UFC lightweight champion, made a successful drop down to 135 pounds from featherweight and edged out a split decision win over Munhoz (18-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) in their headlining bout, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and aired on ESPN.

It was a huge moment for Edgar, who turns 39 in October and had seemingly hit a dead end at 145 pounds in terms of title contention. He had to go through a grueling five-round fight on Saturday, but he got his hand raised and thought it was a message to those wondering if his prime is over.

“It’s good to be on the winning side,” Edgar said in his UFC on ESPN 15 post-fight interview with Jon Anik. “That was a hell of a fight. Pedro’s a stud. I heard a lot of MFers barking that I’m old, I’m slow. I definitely should’ve proved them all wrong. I still got some fight in this tank, baby, and we’re going to make a run at ’35.”

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Edgar further entrenched himself in the UFC record books with his performance against Munhoz. Not only did he become the 11th fighter in company history to earn wins in three weight classes, but he became the first to earn “Fight of the Night” honors in three separate divisions.

Although some, including Munhoz, believe the decision should have gone the other way, Edgar was confident in his triumphant moment.

“He’s the No. 5, and that might put me in the top five in three weight classes,” Edgar said. “I’m showing I can compete with the best at 38 years old. I don’t want to hear nothing from anybody.”

The move down to bantamweight has been a long time coming for Edgar. He was first scheduled for it in January, but it has been delayed multiple times since. There’s been constant speculation since the UFC added the bantamweight class of how Edgar would do against fighters more equal to his physical stature.

After spending 25 minutes in the octagon with an established member of the division, Edgar said he sees the drop in weight as the answer to newfound success.

“(I felt) better than I was at the other weights,” Edgar said. “I didn’t carry any of the weight. … I just got my feet wet. I think the sky’s the limit for myself. I didn’t look slow in there. Pedro’s a top dog, and that makes me a top dog, baby. We back.”

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UFC on ESPN 15: Mike Rodriguez post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 15: Mike Rodriguez post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 15: Mike Rodriguez post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 15: Pedro Munhoz post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 15: Pedro Munhoz post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 15: Pedro Munhoz post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN 15 results: Frankie Edgar ekes past Pedro Munhoz with split call in bantamweight debut

Frankie Edgar edged out Pedro Munhoz with a split decision in his debut at bantamweight in the UFC on ESPN 15 main event.

[autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] is no stranger to fights that go 25 minutes, and Saturday he pulled himself back to .500 in them.

Edgar (24-8-1 MMA, 18-8-1 UFC) moved to 5-5-1 in fights that have gone into the fifth round with a split decision win over [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC). Edgar won with a pair of 48-47 scores. A dissenting judge had it 49-46 for Munhoz. It was his Edgar’s debut at bantamweight after years of fighting at featherweight, and years at lightweight before that, a division in which he was a UFC champion

The bantamweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 15 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

“It’s good to be on the winning side. That was a hell of a fight – Pedro’s a stud,” Edgar told UFC play-by-play voice Jon Anik after the fight. “I heard a lot of MFers barking that I’m old, I’m slow. I definitely should have proved them all wrong. I’ve still got some fight in this tank, baby, and we’re going to make a big run at (1)35. He was (ranked) No. 5, and that might put me right in the top five. Three weight classes, I’ve showed I can compete with the best at 38 years old. I don’t want to hear nothing from anybody.”

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Munhoz swung big early, then landed a leg kick that briefly took Edgar off his feet. But seconds later, Edgar landed a quick combination and moved quickly on the outside. Edgar popped Munhoz’s head back with a right hand, then circled again. Munhoz appeared to be looking for one big shot, while Edgar put together his offense in combinations more often than not over the first half of the round. Munhoz continued to work on Edgar’s lead leg, but Edgar landed a jab that caught Munhoz in the eye. A big right hand landed for Munhoz, and Edgar lost his mouthpiece. When he put it back in, Munhoz landed another right hand.

Edgar landed a solid right hand early in the second and Munhoz was bleeding from near his left eye. Munhoz continued to chase Edgar down on the outside, but Edgar scooped him up for a takedown, then another quickly after, though he didn’t keep Munhoz on the canvas with them. Both fighters kept touching the other, but Munhoz showed the effects of it on his face by the end of the second round much more than Edgar.

The strategy seemed to stay the same in the middle frame: Munhoz was looking for something big, and Edgar was content to circle, then get off several punches when he got inside to land. Midway through, after a couple punches, a big left hand landed for Edgar. Edgar started to show some blood on his face, too, but not quite as much as Munhoz.

A minute into the fourth, Munhoz continued to work leg kicks on Edgar and found himself still chasing Edgar, who circled both directions on the outside as he had the first three rounds. The storyline remained mostly the same – big strikes for Munhoz, and punches in bunches for Edgar.

Munhoz kept working big kicks to Edgar’s lead leg, and he appeared to show some ill effects from it. With three minutes left, Edgar landed a big right hand, but Munhoz walked through it like he had done most of the fight. Munhoz landed a big right with 90 seconds left. Then he went back to the lead leg kick. A right hand for Edgar popped Munhoz’s head back, but Edgar didn’t put anything on top of it.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 15 results include: