Tag: UFC on ESPN 40

UFC on ESPN 40 post-event facts: Sam Alvey’s winless skid sets all-time record

UFC on ESPN 40 was a historic card with all finishes, but Sam Alvey left with a dubious record attached to his name.

UFC opened its August schedule in historic fashion on Saturday. UFC on ESPN 40 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas featured a finish in all 10 fights.

The main event needed the additional rounds, however, because [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) battled with [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in the fourth frame before securing a TKO stoppage that continued to his rise in the light heavyweight division.

For more on the numbers behind the record-setting event, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 40.

Geoff Neal explains how at UFC on ESPN 40 he faced fear of dying from past health complications

In 2020, Geoff Neal nearly died. At UFC on ESPN 40, he picked up seemingly the biggest win of his MMA career.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] is looking better than ever as a welterweight contender in 2022, a fantastic feat considering he almost died in 2020.

After a life-threatening infection nearly ended him, Neal (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) not only back to where he had been. He became better than ever, something he showed at UFC on ESPN 40 when he defeated Vicente Luque (21-9-1 MMA, 14-5 UFC) via third-round knockout.

“I really feel like yeah it was probably mentally (my best performance),” Neal told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I feel like everything finally clicked this fight. Everything was just there. It was kind of getting there before the whole sepsis thing and then it kind of fell off a little bit. Now I’m back on track to where I was.”

A big part of the mental reset was facing up with the worry that’s occupied the back of his mind. Since his near 2020 meet-up with the grim reaper, Neal has always been concerned his cardio would fail – and with it, his heart. The thoughts started to creep into his head mid-fight, but coach Sayif Saud was there to shoe them away.

“With sepsis came congestive heart failure,” Neal said. “My kidneys shut down so there has been this fear of gassing out, this fear of dying from being too tired, that I’m slowly trying to get over. It kind of hit in the second round, just because it happens. My coach pulled me out of it and it took me over to the third round.”

Neal, 31, has now won back-to-back fights over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Luque. Other notable UFC victories include Belal Muhammad, Niko Price and Mike Perry.

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Jamahal Hill wants champ Jiri Prochazka after UFC on ESPN 40, but will settle for Jan Blachowicz

Jamahal Hill is looking to take a big step next.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] wants a big matchup next.

The UFC light heavyweight contender is itching to take a big step-up in competition following his most recent win in the octagon. Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) defeated former title challenger Thiago Santos by fourth-round TKO during their main event clash at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 40.

And now on a three-fight wining streak and his second consecutive headlining bout, Hill wants a title shot against champion Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), but he’s willing to settle for the former champion Jan Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC).

“Everybody interests me at the top, but I want the shot at Jiri,” Hill told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 40 post-fight press conference. “I’ve been calling for Jiri for two years now. I want him. I don’t care if he’s the champion. I got twice as many wins as he does in this organization.

“So I want him. I can’t get him? Give me the man that used to sit on that throne. I’ll take Jan. I’m hungry. I want gold. The lion is hungry for gold.”

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Prior to UFC on ESPN 40, Hill won back-to-back bouts against Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker, each by first-round knockout. Seven of Hill’s 12 professional bouts have ended by either knockout or TKO.

Although he kept his finishing rate high, Hill is not entirely satisfied with his performance against Santos.

“I’m happy with the win, but I’m not happy with the performance,” Hill explained. “I need to go back to the drawing board and do a much, much better job, and yeah, that’s what I’m going to do.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 40 with Beyonce and Nipsey Hussle vs. Nipsey Hussle

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 40 event in Las Vegas.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

See what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 40 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

UFC on ESPN 40 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jamahal Hill nets $6k for main event

UFC on ESPN 40 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 on ESPN 40 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $140,000.

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

The full UFC on ESPN 40 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zac Pauga[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Juliana Miller[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brogan Walker[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Erick Gonzalez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Miranda Granger[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/autotag]: $4,500

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 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 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 $40,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-40 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,393,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $11,560,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 bonuses: Jamahal Hill vs. Thiago Santos main event war among 5 total winners

Check out which fighters took home an extra $50,000 for their performance at the UFC Apex on Saturday.

The UFC handed out post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card to five total fighters after the event which saw all 10 fights result in an early finish.

From a Fight of the Night main event battle between Jamahal Hill and Thiago Santos to multiple knockouts throughout the card, the promotion had plenty of bonus-worthy performances to choose from when it came time to issue extra paychecks. The 100 percent finish rate sparked some generosity from the promotion as it handed out one more Performance of the Night bonus than typically awarded.

After UFC on ESPN 40, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

UFC on ESPN 40 results: Jamahal Hill TKOs Thiago Santos after wild exchange as event makes history

Things got a bit wild at times at UFC on ESPN 40, but Jamahal Hill once again had his hand raised when the smoke cleared.

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t easy, but [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] got the job done Saturday in Las Vegas.

In the UFC on ESPN 40 main event, Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) defeated [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) via TKO at 2:31 of Round 4 at the UFC Apex.

The TKO solidified a 100 percent finishing rate for the event as a whole, marking only the second time in UFC history the feat has occurred. The other card that needed no judges was UFC 199 in June 2016.

The first round was methodical and measured by Santos. He utilized kicks of all levels to chip away at the mobility and aggression of Hill, who is usually a strong starter. A brief tie-up against the fence by Santos was the extent of the grappling in Round 1.

From the opening bell of Round 2, the tempo increased tremendously. Both men winged punches as Hill baited Santos into wild exchanges. Santos faired well in them, however. Cardio seemed to be the biggest issue, more so of the damage from Hill, who looked fresh despite the hard punches thrown and landed by both men.

After some heavy admonishing by his corner for getting into a “bar fight,” Santos mixed it up in Round 3 and scored a takedown. He only controlled Hill on the canvas briefly, before a scramble led to both men on the feet again. Santos tested his luck with another takedown attempt. It was successful again. Santos utilize some light ground-and-pound before Hill rose back up. Wild exchanges led to another Santos takedown, but not before he ate a big knee from Hill.

In the corner just before the championship rounds, Hill sported some a noticeable swell above his left eye. More damage came before all was said and done as Hill and Santos traded punch-for-punch in the pocket midway through Round 4. In a wild exchange, Hill toppled Santos who covered up and attempted to survive.

Santos, tired and stunned, visibly tried to stay in the fight. He crawled to the side of the cage, but there was no escape. Elbows and punches from Hill rained down over and over until referee Herb Dean saw enough.

After the fight, an audibly and visibly winded Hill told commentator Michael Bisping in the cage that people need to stop mentioning experience as a diss toward him and his rise toward the top as a relatively fresh face in the division.

Hill extends his winning streak to three with the victory. Prior to UFC on ESPN 40, Hill won back-to-back bouts against Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker, each by first-round knockout. Seven of Hill’s 12 professional bouts have ended by either knockout or TKO.

As for Santos, his woes to win continue. He is 1-5 in his most recent six with his only a unanimous decision over Johnny Walker in October. He has now lost back-to-back bouts, also including a March loss to Magomed Ankalaev.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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Twitter reacts to Jamahal Hill’s wild TKO of Thiago Santos at UFC on ESPN 40

See the top Twitter reactions to Jamahal Hill’s win over Thiago Santos in the UFC on ESPN 40 main event.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] further elevated himself as a contender on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 40 main event.

Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) kept his momentum rolling with a fourth-round TKO over former title challenger Santos (22-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in the light heavyweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Hill’s victory over Santos at UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 video: Geoff Neal becomes first to knock out Vicente Luque, calls out Gilbert Burns

Geoff Neal ended Vicente Luque’s run of never been knocked out then called out Gilbert Burns at UFC on ESPN 40.

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] delivered the performance of his career in his most high-profile fight to date against [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 40.

Neal’s (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) striking was crisp from the opening bell and he battered Luque (21-9-1 MMA, 14-5 UFC) with speed and power until he secured the third-round knockout win in the welterweight bout, which served as the co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“I’ve been looking forward to fight someone like Luque,” Neal said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I had no choice but to fight, and he brought the fight out of me.”

Neal came out of the gate looking very sharp. He staggered Luque within the first two minutes and continued to pick his shots from there. He busted open Luque’s nose with quick hands, backing the Brazilian up on multiple occasions, and scoring a big knockdown with roughly one minute left. Luque got up and kept pushing, but Neal poured it on for the remainder of the round.

Luque appeared to regain some of his composure between rounds, because in the second, he came out looking more confident in his movement and striking. Neal waited for his moment, though, and got a brief trip to the mat that showed his diversity. They moved back into the striking, and both men pressed forward and landed good shots down the stretch of a competitive second frame.

In the final round, Neal went back to his opening round look as he pressured and hurt Luque. He staggered his opponent with a multi-strike combination highlighted by a pair of vicious uppercuts, then Neal landed one final shot that faceplanted Luque in what was his first career knockout loss.

After the win, Neal called out Gilbert Burns, who is a good friend and teammate of Luque at Kill Cliff FC, and responded (via Twitter):

“I’ve been looking at Gilbert Burns,” Neal said. “I want him next.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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UFC on ESPN 40 results: Mohammed Usman violently starches Zac Pauga to become ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman looked on as his brother scored a knockout for the highlight reel.

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] is “The Ultimate Fighter, Season 30” heavyweight winner, a title he clinched with a bludgeoning of Zac Pauga at UFC on ESPN 40.

Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Usman (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) knocked out Pauga (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a violent left hand. The single conscious-snatching blow sent Pauga to the canvas, star-fished and knocked out. Usman followed it up with a nail in the coffin, a massive diving follow-up punch that further sealed the deal at 0:36 of Round 2.

With the victory, Usman won the heavyweight bracket of “TUF 30.” He defeated Mitchell Sipe and Eduardo Perez via decisions in exhibition fights during the taping of the reality series. He is now 5-1 in his most recent six amateur bouts. He earned himself a six-figure UFC contract with the win.

Usman, 33, is the younger brother of UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], who was in his corner Saturday and joined him in the cage after his victory.

The Usman brothers became the first siblings to win TUF.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 40 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 40.

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