USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, April 15: UFC 314 results in multiple upward shifts

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC 314 and 2025 PFL World Tournament 2.

UFC 314 was a major card – with major impacts.

Coming out of Saturday’s fight card in Miami, multiple fighters shifted upward in the official USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings including [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag], [autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag], [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag], and [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag].

Additionally, another impactful (though lesser so) fight card took place in the Sunshine State. 2025 PFL World Tournament 2 featured wins from [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] and [autotag]Ekaterina Shakalova[/autotag].

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.

Virna Jandiroba wants strawweight title shot after fifth straight win at UFC 314

Virna Jandiroba got her second straight win over a recent title challenger when she outworked Yan Xiaonan in Miami.

MIAMI – [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] met the media Saturday after her win over Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314.

Jandiroba (22-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who was a slight favorite in the fight, outworked Xiaonan (16-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC), a former women’s strawweight title challenger, for a scorecard sweep on the prelims at Kaseya Center.

Afterward, the Brazilian, who has won five straight, said she thinks it’s time for a title shot now that she’s got her most high-profile win yet over Xaionan. It was her second straight win over a former title challenger. And if that’s not against champion Zhang Weili for some reason, she doesn’t care – as long as hardware is on the line.

“I think now, it’s undeniable,” Jandiroba said at her post-fight news conference. “I’ve beaten five very high-level opponents, all back to back. If it’s Weili, great. I’ll go wherever I have to go to fight her. But if it’s against another person in case Weili goes away, that’s fine. I’ll fight whoever, but a title fight has to be next. Let’s go. I want the title.”

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

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

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UFC 314 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Michael Chandler, Paddy Pimblett combine for $12,000

Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett combined for a $12,000 payout under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program at UFC 314.

MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 314 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $300,500.

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 314 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 314 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Mitch Raposo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Marco Tulio[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tresean Gore[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Hailey Cowan[/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 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 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,579,500
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $33,597,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Virna Jandiroba, Yan Xiaonan set for UFC 314 clash of contenders

A big strawweight matchup between Virna Jandiroba and Yan Xiaonan is set for UFC 314 in Miami.

Former UFC strawweight title challenger [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] has a tough task in her way of getting another shot at gold.

At UFC 314 on April 12, Yan (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will face fellow top 115-pound contender [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the promotion’s return to Miami. The main card airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news with two sources who know of the booking following a first report from Ag Fight.

China’s Yan earned her first shot at the strawweight title at UFC 300 last April, but she couldn’t defeat her fellow countrywoman Zhang Weili. Yan lost a unanimous decision in the biggest fight of her career thus far but rebounded well in a decision over Tabatha Ricci in November.

Brazil’s Jandiroba has been navigating her way through the division to earn her first title shot. She’s currently on a four-fight winning streak, including wins over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez and Lupita Godinez. In her most recent appearance in July, Jandiroba submitted Amanda Lemos to win her first UFC main event.

The latest UFC 314 lineup includes:

  • Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Virna Jandiroba calls out fellow UFC strawweight title contender Yan Xiaonan

Virna Jandiroba didn’t get a shot at the UFC strawweight title, but she knows who she wants to solidify her contender status.

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] knows who she wants next to solidify her case for a UFC strawweight title shot.

Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) was not chosen to be the next challenger for Zhang Weili’s title, despite winning four straight fights. At UFC 312 in February, Weili will instead face Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312, who withdrew from a fight at UFC 310 against Jandiroba.

Wednesday, Jandiroba made a public call out for her next potential opponent, and her eyes are set on former title challenger Yan Xiaonan.

“Hey, Yan!! While Weili Zhang and Tatiana Suarez are busy, I think we should have some fun together into the cage,” Jandiroba wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “What do you think?”

Jandiroba fought twice in 2024, and jumped from the prelims to a main event. In March at UFC, Jandiroba picked up a unanimous decision over Loopy Godinez. She went on to compete in her first main event at UFC where she trapped Amanda Lemos in a tight ambar for a second-round finish.

Yan (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) faced Weili at UFC 300 in her first title opportunity, but lost a unanimous decision. She rebounded in November with a unanimous decision win over Tabatha Ricci.

In the latest USA TODAY SPORTS/MMA Junkie women’s strawweight rankings, Jandiroba is No. 3, and Yan is right behind her at No. 4.

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Tatiana Suarez disputes reports of being injured, out of UFC 310 fight vs. Virna Jandiroba

Not long after news surfaced of a Tatiana Suarez injury, the UFC strawweight contender said it’s not true.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Not so fast?

After it was reported that the UFC’s year-end pay-per-view event took a hit with the removal of [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag], Suarez has spoken out.

X user MMA Melotto reported Monday that Suarez suffered an injury to force her out of the UFC 310 matchup on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation subsequently confirmed the news to MMA Junkie.

Within hours, though, Suarez responded to a post on X account Women’s MMA Rankings asking why the injury news was being reported. While she disputed the injury, she did not address whether or not her fight with Jandiroba is off.

“I did not get injured. I’m curious where you heard this. Why would you put this out there?” Suarez wrote.

The fight between Suarez and Jandiroba, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the strawweight division, respectively, has been widely viewed as a title eliminator to determine the next challenger for champion Zhang Weili, who hasn’t fought since beating Yan Xiaonan this past April at UFC 300.

Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who hasn’t lost as a professional, most recently competed in August 2023 when she submitted former champion Jessica Andrade. Her other notable UFC wins include former champions Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso. Suarez’s career has been riddled with injuries, which kept her out of action for three-and-a-half years before she returned in February 2023.

Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), a former Invicta FC champ, is on a four-fight winning streak after consecutive victories over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, Loopy Godinez, and a Submission of the Year candidate armbar against Amanda Lemos in July.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310 title eliminator? Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez in the works

For UFC 310, a potential title eliminator between Virna Jandiroba and Tatiana Suarez is in the works.

Likely to be a women’s strawweight title eliminator, [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] is in the works for the UFC’s final pay-per-view event of 2024.

The top contenders are expected to collide Dec. 7 at UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Verbal agreements are in place and bout contracts expected to be signed in the coming days.

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

Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) looks to extend her winning streak to five. After consecutive victories over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Loopy Godinez, Jandiroba hit a Submission of the Year candidate armbar against Amanda Lemos in July.

Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has yet to lose as a professional, despite her career being riddled with injuries and delays. She most recently competed in August 2023 when she submitted former champion Jessica Andrade in Round 2. Other notable UFC wins include former champions Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso.

With the addition, the UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, July 23: Virna Jandiroba cracks top 5

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC on ESPN 60 in Las Vegas.

Following UFC on ESPN 60, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

In the main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Virna Jandiroba submitted former title challenger Amanda Lemos to extend her winning streak to four. Jandiroba has made quite the argument to be next up for a strawweight title shot.

Entering the week at No. 8, Jandiroba vaults into the top 5, landing at No. 3, shaking up the rankings behind her as well.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

Video: After her UFC on ESPN 60 win, is Virna Jandiroba next up for strawweight title shot?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” debates where Virna Jandiroba falls in the 115-pound title picutre after tapping Amanda Lemos at UFC on ESPN 60.

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] could very well be the next challenger for Zhang Weili’s UFC strawweight title.

In the main event of UFC on ESPN 60 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Jandiroba submitted Amanda Lemos in the second round after a slick transition into an armbar.

Jandiroba has now won four straight in the strawweight division, is high in the promotional rankings, and appears ready for a shot at Weili after beating a former title challenger.

Has Jandiroba done enough for a title shot? Will she pass over Tatiana Suarez? Should Jandiroba take another fight or wait for her shot?

That’s what our “Spinning Back Clique” of Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Matthew Wells discussed along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. Check out their conversation in the video above, and be sure to watch this week’s full episode below.

https://youtube.com/live/KNxplxwLQ20

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 60.

Spinning Back Clique LIVE: Jake Paul KOs Mike Perry, UFC 304 preview, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Virna Jandiroba’s title chances, Jake Paul defeating Mike Perry, UFC 304, 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 Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Matthew Wells join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] may have punched her ticket to a strawweight title shot with her performance in the UFC on ESPN 60 headliner. Jandiroba forced Amanda Lemos to tap from an armbar in the second round to record her fourth-straight win. Now firmly in the upper tier of the division, will she get the next crack at Zhang Weili’s title?
  • [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] picked up a win over another UFC veteran by knocking out [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]. Paul turned his attention to [autotag]Mike Tyson[/autotag] and even called out UFC champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]. Of course, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] had a lot to say and got involved in the conversation. What should Paul do next?
  • UFC 304 goes down in Manchester, and two titles will be on the line. Will [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] defend his welterweight crown against [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]? Can [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] hold on to his piece of the heavyweight throne by beating [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]?
  • The “Spinning Back Clique” touches on a few other news and notes, such as the news of Movsar Evloev fighting Aljamain Sterling, Nick Diaz’s travel issues to Abu Dhabi, and UFC Marc Ratner’s comments on open scoring.

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