Tag: Vince Morales

UFC on ESPN 64 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $33 million

UFC Mexico fighters took home Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, with Kelvin Gastelum and Drew Dober leading the way.

MEXICO CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 64 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $168,500.

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 64 took place at Arena CDMX in Mexico. The card aired on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 64 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]David Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Saimon Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kevin Borjas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ateba Gautier[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Daniel Medina[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rafa Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vinc Pichel[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Miranda[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]MarQuel Mederos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $11,000

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 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 $4,640; 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 $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-64 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,118,000
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $33,135,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC on ESPN 64 results: 20-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. outworks Vince Morales for fifth UFC win

20-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. now has five octagon wins to his name after beating Vince Morales at UFC Mexico.

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] continued to add valuable wins and experience to his resume and emerged with his hand raised against [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 64.

The 20-year-old Rosas (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) once again displayed a strong grappling presence on Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. He outworked Morales (11-10 MMA, 3-8 UFC) over the course of three rounds to claim a unanimous decision with three 29-28 scorecards.

The opening round was largely grappling-heavy in the favor of Rosas, who managed to get Morales to the mat and advance to dominant positions. Morales got a reversal late, but couldn’t do anything with it.

The pair stood for a few minutes to start Round 2, but then Rosas secured another takedown and took the back. Despite failing to get the finish, he kept Morales on the defensive for the remainder of the round.

Rosas shot for a takedown early in Round 3, and Morales stuffed it and countered with a series of submission attempts that nearly sealed the deal. Rosas escaped and ended on top, however, where he rode out the round to close the fight.

“Dana (White), thank you for allowing me for coming in here tonight to redeem myself in front of my Mexico people. I know it wasn’t my best performance, but I’m 20 years old and I’m getting experience. … You’ll see me evolve through the years, baby.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 64 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 64

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes inside the Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. fight at UFC Mexico.

Vince Morales and Raul Rosas Jr. meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 64 at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 4-2
UFC main cards, 2025: 25-22-1

Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico preview

Morales (11-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC) is in his second stint in the UFC, but has back-to-back losses since his return and might be being tossed to the wolves here … Rosas (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has designs still to become the youngest champion in UFC history and has three straight wins, including two for bonuses.

Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico expert pick, prediction

Serving as a potential showcase fight at 135 pounds is a scrap between [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag].

The UFC doesn’t go out of their way to try to properly build up a fighter these days, so it’s hard to hate them doing it for the 20-year-old Rosas.

And when you look at this fight on paper (especially at first glance), it’s difficult to deny that’s exactly what the UFC is doing by booking a veteran fighter on a losing skid to make a quick turnaround to fight one of their golden boys at elevation.

I interviewed Morales last week and he appeared to be in great shape and spirits, all things considered. I just hate that the UFC – whether it’s Morales here or Steve Erceg in the main event – puts good fighters who do solids for them in incredibly tough spots.

Nevertheless, I still suspect that Morales – despite not training at elevation – may still have the edge when it comes to staying power and stamina.

Aside from the fact that gas never appeared to be an issue for Morales before, the 34-year-old bantamweight is excellent at pacing himself in victory or defeat. Whereas Rosas, who seems hardwired to come out like hell on wheels in Round 1, tends to slow down as the fight wears on or, at the very least, needs pockets to recoup his energy.

With that in mind, this fight could get even more interesting if Morales can survive Rosas’s early storm.

I’m not sure if Rosas has the finishing prowess to put away an underrated grappler and wrestler like Morales, so the most likely outcome on paper is a competitive decision win for “El Niño Problema.”

The potential problem, however, is that I suspect that Morales’ underrated grappling game could present issues for Rosas from a stylistic perspective.

Not only has Morales been spending the past couple of years with guys like Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili wrestling with him in the training rooms, but “Vandetta” has also been putting said improvements to practice by submitting UFC-level fighters with his wicked front-choke repertoire.

It’ll be the least popular pick you’ll see all week, but I’ll take a flier on Morales to survive the early storm and lock up a D’Arce choke on a fading Rosas Jr. in Round 3.

Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Mexican fighter, listing Rosas Jr. -450 and Morales +330 via FanDuel.

Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico start time, how to watch

Morales and Rosas are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET. The fight airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC on ESPN 64 full card final faceoffs: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer, Raul Rosas Jr., more

The entire 13-bout lineup for Saturday’s UFC Mexico had final staredowns with a range of emotions on display.

MEXICO CITY – The build to UFC on ESPN 64 is now complete after Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in session, where the entire card had the opportunity to face off in front of fans and media.

With 13 contests scheduled, including a Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg flyweight headliner, there are some meaningful bouts set to go down on Saturday at Arena CDMX (ESPN2, ESPN+).

Supporting bouts include [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag], [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag], and [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag].

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The athletes had a final opportunity to get a good look at what they will be sharing the octagon with, and you can watch the video of all the UFC on ESPN 64 pre-fight staredowns in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

 

Raul Rosas Jr. set to return at UFC on ESPN 64 to face Vince Morales

UFC’s return to Mexico City has added another solid matchup between Raul Rosas Jr. and Vince Morales.

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] has his first assignment of 2025.

On March 29, Rosas Jr. (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) returns at UFC on ESPN 64 to take on Vince Morales. The event, headlined by Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg, takes place at Arena CMDX in Mexico City, Mexico (ESPN, ESPN+). MMA Junkie confirmed the bantamweight booking following a first report from ESPN Deportes.

Rosas Jr. will look to extend his current winning streak to four. After a decision setback against Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287, Rosas Jr. picked up back-to-back Performance of the Night bonus-earning finishes of Terrence Mitchell and Ricky Turcios. In his most recent outing, Rosas Jr. won a unanimous decision over Aori Qileng at UFC 306.

Morales (16-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC) aims to get in the winning column for the first time on his second run in the promotion. After exiting the UFC in 2022, Morales ripped through the regional scene, notching five wins with four finishes to earn another shot on the big stage. However, since his return in September 2024, Morales has ended up on the wrong side of two decisions against Taylor Lapilus and Elijah Smith.

With the addition the current UFC on ESPN 64 lineup includes:

  • Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg
  • Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer
  • Kevin Borjas vs. Ronaldo Rodriguez
  • Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri
  • Rafa Garcia vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres
  • Austin Hubbard vs. opponent TBA
  • Ateba Gautier vs. Jose Medina
  • David Martinez vs. Saimon Oliveira
  • Edgar Chairez vs. CJ Vergara

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

UFC Fight Night 243 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Renato Moicano’s $16,000 among top earners

UFC Fight Night 243 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,500.

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 243 took place at Accor Arena in Paris. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 243 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]William Gomis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Jousset[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Miranda[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Ivan Erslan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oumar Sy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Darya Zheleznyakova[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Taylor Lapilus[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Barez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jacqueline Cavalcanti[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bolaji Oki[/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 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2431 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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,895,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $28,632,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Vince Morales rejoins UFC a new fighter on mission to vernacularize ‘Vinchuvian neckie’

It’s hard to make it to the UFC. It’s even harder to make it twice.

It’ll be 679 days between UFC fights for [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag], but he’s made it back.

Two-plus years, five fights and four finishes later, Morales (16-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) has signed for a short-notice bout on Sept. 28 vs. Taylor Lapilus (20-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 243 in Paris.

“It’s a long time coming,” Morales told MMA Junkie on Friday. “I’m trying to take things in stride. I’m not really trying to push my narrative as I’m back, as much as I’m here now. I think it’s a different mindset and it’s a different skillset I’m going to be able to show that’s going to be turning heads a little bit differently than in the past.

“That’s because Vince Morales is a little more free now as a fighter. I’m just in there to fight fights, not to just win fights or not lose fights.”

It’s a difficult feat to make the UFC. It’s even harder to make it twice, but Morales has done that. A modified Peruvian necktie submission over fellow UFC alum Hunter Azure pushed him over the finish line, attracting a call from matchmaker Sean Shelby.

Morales, 33, hopes to rebrand the specific sub-genre of Peruvian neckties “the Vinchuvian necktie,” something he thinks could be accomplished if he hits it in the UFC.

“A bunch of people sent me like four different variations that are all real similar,” Morales said. “There was the caveman necktie, the Gamburyan necktie, the Texas necktie, the Armenian necktie. It was a whole bunch of different things. Next thing, I was like, ‘I’m going to go look up and see who’s got them in competition.’ I found zero. I was like, ‘Cool, I get it. I call dibs.’ So I might have to hit it again in the UFC on a bigger stage.”

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Flashy finishes aside, Morales knows he’s taking a step up – to a level he thinks is where he belongs. He’ll be the first to admit his eight-fight UFC tenure from 2018 to 2022 didn’t highlight his best abilities. He went 3-5 during that time.

But outside the promotion, he’s tweaked his mindset, which he pointed to as the main thing holding him back.

“(Being released from the UFC) didn’t really change the goals,” Morales said. “It just changed where I was doing them. I’m going out there to fight and beat people up. For now, I might have to be doing it elsewhere. But on the plus side, I can actually work some things in the gym in the fight. In the fights in the UFC, it’s hard to really develop, especially if you get in under 10 fights.

“We’re still kind of figuring out who we are and how we fight. I took that as opportunity to catch my breath and go work some things. I mixed in some wrestling. I tried to work some other areas in my game that I think needed to come out in the fight and not just the gym. The proof is in the pudding.”

Video: UFC veteran Vince Morales pulls off incredibly rare submission to win UFL title

Vince Morales has been on a tear since exiting the UFC, adding an incredibly rare submission to his highlight reel on Friday.

Former UFC bantamweight [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag] has been on an impressive run on the regional scene and has added a rarely-seen submission to his highlight reel.

At United Fight League 5, Morales (16-7) faced fellow UFC veteran Hunter Azure (11-4) for the promotion’s bantamweight title at Gila River Resorts & Casino in Chandler, Ariz.

In Round 3, Morales wrapped up Azure on the mat, sinking in a modified Peruvian necktie to get the tap at 4:06.

Check out video of the finish below:

https://twitter.com/Grabaka_Hitman/status/1829740595092320347

The Peruvian necktie is so rare it has only been pulled off twice in the UFC.

CB Dollaway was the first, tapping Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 14 in July 2008. The second occurrence was by Misha Cirkunov, who submitted Jimmy Crute at UFC Fight Night 158 in September 2019.

It happened once under the Bellator banner in June 2011, when Pat Curran trapped Luis Palomino with the choke at Bellator 46.

Morales exited the UFC in November 2019 after a unanimous decision loss to Miles Johns, ending a 3-5 run with the promotion. Since then, he’s been seemingly untouchable. The victory over Azure extended his current winning streak to five, including four finishes.

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20 former UFC fighters who could return to the promotion in 2024

Who of these former UFC fighters could get a second chance with the promotion in 2024?

It’s hard to make it to the UFC.

Thousands of professional fighters try every year – and most fail. For a small percentage, however, they sign their names on the dotted line to fight for the biggest MMA promotion in the world.

Sometimes the opportunity comes a bit too soon. Other times, they’re faced with difficult matchups that time proves were bigger challenges than originally anticipated.

When the pink slip comes and a fighter departs the promotion, there is often a phrase they hear on the way out: “Go get a few more wins, and the UFC will consider bringing you back.”

Easier said than done.

For the vast majority, they won’t be back. However, it’s not impossible. A number of fighters have done it over the years. Just look at former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. He was released from the promotion, built his way back, became a contender, and then won a UFC title.

Current roster members Nicolas Dalby, Dustin Jacoby, Modestas Bukauskas, Kurt Holobaugh, Roosevelt Roberts, and Rhys McKee are among those who have reinforced the possibility.

With the new year upon us, here are 20 former UFC fighters who could return to the promotion in 2024.

Note: Fighters considered for this list had to have competed in at least one UFC bout.

UFC veterans in MMA action Dec. 29-31

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC remains idle during its holiday season following the final pay-per-view event of the year.

Many other combat sports events are taking place that feature several familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing Dec. 29-31.

Scroll below to see how the UFC veterans fared last week, and see the names and details of this weekend’s competitors.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.