Tag: Vinicius Oliveira

Vinicius Oliveira plots out bantamweight title path after UFC Saudi Arabia upset of Said Nurmagomedov

Vinicius Oliveira picked up a $50,000 bonus for Fight of the Night with his upset win over Said Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] beat Said Nurmagomedov with a unanimous decision Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 250 at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Take a look inside the fight with Oliveira, who picked up a $50,000 bonus for Fight of the Night.

Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov

Result: Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Oliveira (22-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Nurmagomedov (18-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC)
Key stats: Oliveira stuffed eight of Nurmagomedov’s nine takedown attempts and landed three of his own for more than 7 minutes of control time.

Oliveira on the fight’s key moment

“I surprised many people around the world. I wasn’t 100 percent and I (was hurt in the ribs) and feel some pain. But I did my best. It was a surprise for everyone, but not for me because I expected that.”

Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov, UFC Fight Night 250 (via UFC)

Oliveira on his confidence

“I always think I’m the best fighter in this organization. I don’t know how, but I just think that every single time. Now I can prove it because I’ve fought injured, I’ve fought tired. This fight was really a challenge for me – that I can beat a Russian (Dagestani) fighter in his (home region).”

Oliveira on what he wants next

“Now Dana (White) and the UFC can give me another (tough opponent) so I can prove I’m the best. … I was an underdog, and I like being that. But I believe in my job, I believe in my coach, I believe in my chin – and I’m 100 percent ready to fight for the belt. This year, 2025, I’d like to do at least three fights this year and by the end of the year, be fighting for the belt. I think I deserve that.”

https://x.com/UFCNews/status/1885768011623403829

To hear more from Oliveira, check out his post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

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UFC Fight Night 250 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Israel Adesanya leads card

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out $31.5 million to athletes since its deal began with Venum.

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 250 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $137,500.

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 250 took place at ANB Arena. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 250 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Mike Davis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Kaan Ofli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Thomas Petersen[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damir Hadzovic[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Bogdan Grad[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Alexander[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Hamdy Abdelwahab[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamal Pogues[/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 2501 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 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $617,000
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $31,634,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

UFC Saudi Arabia: Terrance McKinney now has 6 UFC first-round finishes – and 0 bonuses

The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card, but once again passed over a fighter who always finishes his wins.

The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card, but once again passed over a fighter who always finishes his wins.

Left off the list was [autotag]Terrance McKinney[/autotag], who had a first-round TKO of Damir Hadzovic on the prelims for his 12th straight first-round finish in his wins. Six of those have come in the UFC, including one in 7 seconds and one in 20 seconds – yet none of them, including Saturday’s finish, have been worthy of an official post-fight bonus.

After UFC Fight Night 250, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Saudi Arabia. Check out the UFC Saudi Arabia winners below.

Fight of the Night: Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov

Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov, UFC Fight Night 250 (via UFC)

Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) threw themselves all over the cage for 15 minutes with wild exchanges. Ultimately, Oliveira kept his UFC record perfect with an upset unanimous decision.

Performance of the Night: Bogdan Grad

Bogdan Grad def. Lucas Alexander, UFC Fight Night 250 (via UFC)

Bogdan Grad def. Lucas Alexander via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:22

[autotag]Bogdan Grad[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a two-time fighter on Dana White’s Contender Series, had a rough first round against Lucas Alexander (8-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) – who missed weight for the bout. But in the second, he took over and late in the round, in full mount, pounded Alexander out. Then he said now that his UFC debut is in the books, he will be a problem for the featherweight division.

Performance of the Night: Nassourdine Imavov

Nassourdine Imavov def. Israel Adesanya, UFC Fight Night 250 (via UFC)

Nassourdine Imavov def. Israel Adesanya via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 0:30

[autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) stayed rolling at middleweight with his biggest win yet when he took out former champion Israel Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) with a knockout 30 seconds into the second round. Adesanya looked good in the first, but Imavov drilled him in the second and shut the lights out in a hurry for Adesanya’s third straight setback. Imavov called for a title shot with his seventh straight win in the weight class.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

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Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 250

Exciting bantamweights Said Nurmagomedov and Vinicius Oliveira could produce the UFC Fight Night 250 Fight of the Night.

[autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 250 main card at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 6-5

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 preview

Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) enters his first fight in over 15 months. His last appearance was a first-round submission over Muin Gafurov at UFC 294. In the fight prior, Jonathan Martinez snapped his four-fight winning streak that included three stoppages. … Oliveira (21-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has quickly turned heads following his impressive performance on Dana White’s Contender Series and a flying knee knockout of Bernardo Sopaj in his UFC debut. He enters this matchup following a unanimous decision over Ricky Simon in his sophomore appearance.

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 expert pick, prediction

Serving as a solid offering at bantamweight is a matchup between Nurmagomedov and Oliveira.

Although it’s rare to see fans fading someone with the last name Nurmagomedov, Oliveira possesses plenty of the attributes that tend to attract MMA gamblers.

Fighting like he knows exactly what his advantages are, Oliveira is a flashy and wild striker who is insulated by his athleticism and insane size for the division. Nurmagomedov looks to have a submission and wrestling edge over his Brazilian counterpart, but Oliveira has shown an ability to scramble from negative positions and unleash hellacious ground-and-pound from topside.

On the feet, Oliveira looks like an ultra-violent version of Dominick Cruz with how he weaves his head and trunk movement into strikes. “Lok Dog” also loves to throw leg kicks with reckless abandon and will spin when feeling in stride.

That said, Oliveira will be facing a spinning connoisseur who can counter kicks, which could be problematic from a stylistic perspective. Add in the fact that Nurmagomedov will be able to offer some size parity, and I’ll side with the more experienced fighter to win the day.

I see Oliveira being extra live to upset the apple cart if this fight hits the final frame, but I’ll officially pick Nurmagomedov to win via knockout by scoring either a spinning backfist or a spinning sidekick by Round 2.

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 odds

Despite the oddsmakers opening this line a bit wider, public money has been coming in on the underdog, listing Nurmagomedov -176 and Oliveira +142 via FanDuel.

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira UFC Fight Night 250 start time, how to watch

Nurmagomedov and Oliveira are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 12:40 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

Every UFC newcomer in 2024: Full list of over 100 debuting fighters

Check out the names and records of each fighter who made their UFC debut in 2024.

Every year, the UFC welcomes new faces to the promotion.

Some will become ranked fighters, future title challengers, and possibly champions. A couple of names have already made a significant impact in their debut year.

Kayla Harrison, who is ranked No. 2 by the promotion in the women’s bantamweight division, is likely next up for a title shot. Carlos Prates claimed No. 14 in the welterweight division after ripping through four opponents.

On the flip side, unfortunately, some of the names will fizzle out and look to continue their careers in other promotions.

In 2024, the new names and faces reached triple digits, totaling 103. Those fighters went 46-57. Debuting fighters who faced an opponent with at least one bout of UFC experience went 29-39.

Check out the full list of debuting fighters and their records below:

UFC debuting fighters in 2024

  • [autotag]Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]AJ Cunningham[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Alice Ardelean[/autotag] (9-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Angel Pacheco[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Antonio Trocoli[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Baergeng Jieleyisi[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Bekzat Almakhan[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Bernardo Sopaj[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Bolaji Oki[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cameron Smotherman[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carli Judice[/autotag] (3-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Carlos Vera[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Changho Lee[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Charalampos Grigoriou[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cody Haddon[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Connor Matthews[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Cortavious Romious[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Danny Silva[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Dariya Zheleznykova[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Dione Barbosa[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]DongHun Choi[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Dylan Budka[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ernesta Kareckaite[/autotag] (5-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Fatima Kline[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Felipe Bunes[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Felipe Lima[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Feng Xiaocan[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Hyder Amil[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ibo Aslan[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Igor Severino[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ivan Erslan[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jean Matsumoto[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jordan Vucenic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jose Medina[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Jose Ochoa[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Julia Polastri[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kaan Ofli[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Kiru Sahota[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Klaudia Sygula[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Lone’er Kavanagh[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Lucas Rocha[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Luis Pajuelo[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Magomed Gadzhiyasulov[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mairon Santos[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mansur Abdul-Malik[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]MarQuel Mederos[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mauricio Ruffy[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mitch Ramirez[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Mitch Raposo[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Nathan Fletcher[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Navajo Stirling[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Nikolay Veretennikov[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Nyamjargal Tumendemberel[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Oban Elliott[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Oumor Sy[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ozzy Diaz[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Pedro Falcao[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Puja Tomar[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Quang Le[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Rafael Cerqueira[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ramazan Temirov[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ramon Taveras[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Rei Tsuruya[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Robert Bryczek[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Robert Valentin[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Roberto Romero[/autotag] (8-4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Ryan Loder[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Sean Sharaf[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Serhiy Sidey[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Shi Ming[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Stephanie Luciano[/autotag] (6-1-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Steven Nguyen[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Stewart Nicoll[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]SuYoung You[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Thomas Petersen[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Timmy Cuamba[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Valter Walker[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Victor Hugo[/autotag] (25-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Wang Cong[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Xiao Long[/autotag] (27-9 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Yi Zha[/autotag] (25-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
  • [autotag]Zachary Scroggin[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
  • [autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
  • [autotag]Zygimantas Ramaska[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)

‘LokDog’ gets next UFC assignment: Vinicius Oliveira vs. Said Nurmagomedov booked

This one has UFC Fight of the Night written all over it.

“LokDog” is ready to go on another walk to the UFC cage.

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] will battle [autotag]Said Nurmagomedov[/autotag] at the UFC Fight Night event Feb. 1 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Both fighters recently confirmed the booking on social media after an initial report by Ag.Fight.

Oliveira (21-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) aims for his third UFC win in less than 11 months. He made his promotion debut in March when he landed an incredible flying knee knockout on Bernardo Sopaj. In June, he returned and defeated Ricky Simon by unanimous decision.

Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) has been snakebitten when it comes to getting to the cage as of late. His 2024 schedule has consisted of three cancellations. A win here would make it two in a row and five out of six for the Dagestani.

With the addition, the UFC Saudi Arabia lineup includes:

  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz
  • Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Muhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
  • Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Jamal Pogues
  • Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
  • Shamil Gaziev vs. Thomas Petersen
  • Lucas Alexander vs. Bogdan Grad
  • Damir Hadzovic vs. Terrance McKinney
  • Abdul-Kerim Al-Selwady vs. Jordan Leavitt

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

Vinicius Oliveira calls out Umar Nurmagomedov after UFC 303: ‘He keeps running’

Just one fight into his UFC career, Vinicius Oliveira shot a reasonably big shot Saturday in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – Just one fight into his UFC career, [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] shot a reasonably big shot Saturday in Las Vegas.

Oliveira (20-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) outworked Ricky Simon (20-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) for a unanimous decision to open up UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena, the anchor of International Fight Week. Then he called out unbeaten bantamweight standout [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag], cousin of former UFC champ Khabib.

“I’d like to fight so much against Umar Nurmagomedov,” Oliveira said at his UFC 303 post-fight news conference. “He was changing some bad words on Instagram, on social media. But he’s scared of me right now. He must have watched my last fight here and he knows that it’s not easy to put me on the ground. I’m a nightmare for him.

“I think he will refuse to fight against me, so I would like to fight against Dominick Cruz, maybe, I know that (Nurmagomedov has a fight), but I think he was running away from me.”

While asking for Nurmagomedov may seem like Oliveira is fast-tracking himself, he’s got a plan in place.

“I don’t need many fights to fight for the belt,” he said. “I think in around two years, I’ll be fighting for the belt. And Dana (White) – Mr. D, how I say his name – Mr. D, my boss, he can put me to fight for the belt this year. The end of the year, I’ll be ready to fight for the belt, but he can choose all my fights that I’ll be prepared for anyone.”

Watch Oliveira’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

UFC 303 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Alex Pereira leads card with $42,000

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 303 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $306,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 303 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $311,500.

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 303 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 303 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Macy Chiasson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Payton Talbott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yanis Ghemmouri[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Rei Tsuruya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/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 $4,500; 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: $3,948,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,685,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.

Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon at UFC 303: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Vinicius Oliveira’s unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon at UFC 303.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] at UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos by Mark J. Rebilas and Per Haljestam, USA Today Sports)

‘LokDog’ Vinicius Oliveira gets Ricky Simon in first fight since UFC Knockout of the Year candidate

Vinicius Oliveira made quite the first UFC impression and now he fights Ricky Simon on the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler undercard.

[autotag]Vinicius Oliveira[/autotag] pulled off an all-time knockout in his UFC debut and the performance has earned him a big-name opponent for his second promotional outing.

“LokDog” will take on [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] in a three-round bantamweight bout at UFC 303, the promotion’s June 29 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card is headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight first reported the news.

Oliveira (20-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) bludgeoned fellow debutant Bernardo Sopaj with a flying knee in March. The win was his third in a row and first since he brutally knocked out Victor Madrigal on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his UFC deal. Since his promotional debut, Oliveira has repeatedly called for a fight vs. top contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

Simon (20-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) aims to snap a two-fight losing skid after defeats to Song Yadong and Mario Bautista. Prior to the consecutive losses, Simon was on a five-fight winning streak that included victories over Raphael Assuncao and Jack Shore among others.

With the addition, the UFC 303 lineup currently includes:

  • Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
  • Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree
  • Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson
  • Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
  • Carlos Hernandez vs. Rei Tsuruya
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Joe Pyfer
  • Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson
  • Vinicius Oliveira vs. Ricky Simon

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.