Tag: Viviane Araujo

Jennifer Maia: Viviane Araujo ‘a hard opponent, but I think I’m better’

Jennifer Maia expects to have the advantage over Viviane Araujo.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] expects to have the advantage over [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag].

Maia (21-9-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) takes on Araujo (11-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) in a flyweight bout in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 230 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

“I’m happy with this fight,” Maia told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “She is a hard opponent, but I think I’m better.”

If Maia can make it three straight wins vs. Araujo, that would mark her longest winning streak in the UFC. The former title challenger hopes she can return to fighting the upper echelon of the division.

“I’m excited for this fight because if I win, I want to fight against the top five,” Maia said.

Maia gave former champion Valentina Shevchenko a tough outing when she challenged her for the title in November 2020. She looks forward to competing for the title again in the near future.

“I’m prepared to fight with the champion soon,” Maia said.

Watch Maia’s full pre-fight interview in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 230.

Video: ‘UFC Fight Night 230: Yusuff vs. Barboza’ media day interviews

Before UFC Fight Night 230 on Saturday, watch as the main card athletes fighters speak to reporters at media day.

LAS VEGAS – UFC Fight Night 230, which takes place at the UFC Apex with a card that streams entirely on ESPN+, goes down Saturday.

Before fight night arrives, though, notable athletes from the main card spoke to reporters Wednesday at media day.

If you happen to miss any of the individual sessions on the live stream, check below for the archived videos of each media day.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 230.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Aug. 7-13)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from Aug. 7-13.

With Casey O’Neill out of UFC 293, Viviane Araujo will now face Jennifer Maia on Oct. 14

Viviane Araujo will have a change in opponent and venue after Casey O’Neill withdrew from UFC 293.

[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] will have a change in opponent and venue after [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] withdrew from UFC 293.

Araujo (11-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was scheduled to meet O’Neill (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) on Sept. 9 in Sydney, but the bout was scrapped after O’Neill was forced out due to an injury. Araujo now meets [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag] (21-9-1 MMA, 6-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 14 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people of knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie of change on Tuesday after an initial report by Sherdog.

O’Neill released a statement saying she’s already underdone surgery for the injury, but did not reveal exactly what happened (via Twitter):

Hurts to say this but unfortunately I am out of my fight in Sydney. Just had surgery on Friday and have already started recovering, looking to get rebooked in December ! Next year I’ll make sure I’m on an Australia card 🇦🇺 ❤️

Araujo will look to rebound after coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in her career. The 36-year-old dropped two straight unanimous decisions to current flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, and most recently Amanda Ribas at UFC 285.

Maia has split her past four octagon appearances. She is coming off two straight wins over Maryna Moroz and O’Neill, where she handed the Aussie fighter her first-career loss at UFC 286 in March.

The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night on Oct. 14 now includes:

  • Irina Alekseeva vs. Melissa Dixon
  • Emily Ducote vs. Ashley Yoder
  • Edson Barboza vs. Sodiq Yusuff
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Adrian Yanez
  • David Dvorak vs. Tatsuro Taira
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Jennifer Maia

Casey O’Neill booked against Viviane Araujo at UFC 293 in Sydney

Casey O’Neill will look to rebound on home soil when the UFC returns to Australia.

[autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] will look to rebound on home soil.

O’Neill takes on [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] at UFC 293 on Sept. 9 in Sydney. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Friday after an initial report by MMA Fighting.

O’Neill (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) suffered her first professional loss to former title challenger Jennifer Maia at UFC 286 in March. The Maia fight marked the Scotland-born Australian’s first competition since recovering from ACL surgery.

After winning five of her first seven octagon bouts – including wins over Montana De La Rosa and Andrea Lee – Araujo (11-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has lost two straight for the first time in her career. The 36-year-old dropped back-to-back unanimous decisions to current flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and most recently Amanda Ribas at UFC 285.

O’Neill vs. Araujo is the first addition to the UFC’s return to Australia.

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa are also expected to compete on the card.

UFC 285 post-event facts: Jon Jones enters a class of his own with heavyweight title win

The numbers show Jon Jones stands in rarified air after making it 15-0 in title fights when he claimed heavyweight gold at UFC 285.

The biggest UFC event of 2023 thus far delivered in spades Saturday with UFC 285 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 14-fight lineup featured eight finishes and two new champions crowned.

In the main event, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) returned from a 37-month layoff and joined an exclusive club of two-division titleholders. The former longtime light heavyweight champion captured heavyweight gold with a first-round submission of [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC).

The co-headliner saw [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) pull off one of the biggest title-fight upsets in recent memory when she dethroned [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) with a fourth-round submission to capture the women’s flyweight title.

For more on the numbers coming out of both championship contests, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 285.

UFC 285 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jon Jones nets $32,000 in octagon return

Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane both received an equal $32,000 in UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay for their UFC 285 title fight.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 285 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $282,500.

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

The full UFC 285 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamie Pickett[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Trevin Jones[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $6,000
def.[autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ian Garry[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cameron Saaiman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mana Martinez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Farid Basharat[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Da’Mon Blackshear[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Esteban Ribovics[/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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,440,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $15,959,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.

UFC 285 pre-event facts: Valentina Shevchenko’s remarkable resume speaks volumes about greatness

Go inside the numbers of UFC 285, the deepest card of the year, where history is at stake – both good and bad – for multiple fighters.

The crown jewel of the UFC’s first-quarter schedule for 2023 takes place Saturday with UFC 285. The loaded fight card goes down at T-Mobile Arena with a main card scheduled to air on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Two championship fights top the card, and they feature arguably the greatest male and female athletes the sport has ever seen. In the headlining act, Former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) will finally return from a more than three-year layoff and make the move to heavyweight for a vacant title showdown with [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC).

The co-headliner, meanwhile, will see decorated women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) attempt to make her eighth consecutive defense of her belt when she welcomes Mexican challenger [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the two title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 285.

Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas targeted for UFC 285 on March 4

A women’s flyweight bout between Viviane Araujo and Amanda Ribas is headed to UFC 285.

A women’s flyweight bout between [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] is headed to UFC 285.

Araujo will take on Ribas on March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the targeted matchup to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Dama de Ferro MMA first reported the booking.

Araujo (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) has split her past four appearances. After a solid win over Andrea Lee in May, Araujo dropped a unanimous decision to Alex Grasso at UFC Fight Night 212 in October in her first promotional headliner.

Ribas (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) also will look to rebound, but she will remain at 125 pounds. The 29-year-old moved back up to flyweight in her most recent outing in May, but was edged out by former title challenger Katlyn Chookagian in a Fight of the Night effort.

With the addition, the UFC 285 lineup includes:

  • Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
  • Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Farid Basharat vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas

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UFC Fight Night 212 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Main event nets $12k total

UFC Fight Night 212 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 Fight Night 212 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $151,500.

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 212 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 212 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mana Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Davis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Nick Maximov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Alexander[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Pete Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mike Jackson[/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 2127 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2121 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 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,642,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $12,810,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 212.