Tag: Volkan Oezdemir

UFC Fight Night 248 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Deiveson Figueiredo’s $16,000 leads way

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out $30 million to athletes since its deal began with Venum.

MACAU – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 248 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $160,000.

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 Fight Night 248 took place at Galaxy Arena. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 248 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Gabriella Fernandes[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Wang Cong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Zhang Mingyang[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ozzy Diaz[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Su Young You[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Balgyn Jenisuly[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Dong Hoon Choi[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kiru Sahota[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ming Shi[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Xiaocan Feng[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Nyamjargal Tumendemberel[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Lone’er Kavanagh[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Ochoa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Xiao Long[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Quang Le[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nikolas Motta[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Hayisaer Maheshate[/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 2481 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: $7,703,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $30,440,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 248

Will the judges be needed in this light heavyweight clash between Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg at UFC Macau?

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 248 main card at Galaxy Arena in Macau. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 4-1
UFC main cards, 2024: 99-90-3

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC Fight Night 248 preview

Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going after back-to-back wins that ended in the first round. Last September, Oezdemir submitted Bogdan Guskov and followed that victory up with an opening-round knockout of Johnny Walker in June. … Ulberg (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) enters as one of the hottest fighters on the entire roster as a winner of six straight with five finishes. In his first fight of 2024, Ulberg stopped Alonzo Menifield in just 12 seconds.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC Fight Night 248 expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is a light heavyweight attraction between Oezdemir and Ulberg.

One of the more tested products at 205 pounds, Oezdemir will be looking to test the potential of the up-and-coming Ulberg.

Although part of me wanted to take a flier on Oezdemir for the upset, I suspect that we get a slow and somewhat sloppy affair that favors the range and athleticism of Ulberg.

Whether it is because he is a City Kickboxing fighter or the fact that he’s had to spend a considerable time imitating Alex Pereira for Israel Adesanya, Ulberg seems much more composed at range while looking to walk opponents into his patent left hook.

Ulberg also showed off an improved gas tank and grappling skills in his fight with Da Woon Jung – something that will likely serve him well here if Oezdemir tries to make things ugly.

The pick is for Ulberg to edge out a narrow win on the scorecards.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC Fight Night 248 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the fighter from New Zealand, listing Ulberg -265 and Oezdemir +200 via FanDuel.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC Fight Night 248 start time, how to watch

As the co-main event, Oezdemir and Ulberg are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 6:40 a.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.

Volkan Oezdemir plans on showing Carlos Ulberg a different level at UFC Fight Night 248

Volkan Oezdemir wants to give Carlos Ulberg a taste of the upper echelon at light heavyweight.

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] wants to give [autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag] a taste of the upper echelon at light heavyweight.

Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) takes on rising contender Ulberg (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 248 (ESPN+) main card at Galaxy Arena in Macau.

City Kickboxing’s Ulberg has won six straight, but former UFC title challenger Oezdemir expects to present a different challenge for him.

“He’s riding good momentum of course, but he also fought lesser-level competition,” Oezdemir said at UFC Fight Night 248 media day. “The only ranked guy that he fought was (Alonzo) Menifield, who is right now out of the rankings.

“It’s a different world. There is a different level. This is the highest of the levels. This is the UFC – of course everybody’s strong in the UFC. But within the UFC, there’s also levels. This is also why I’m going to show him on Saturday.”

Oezdemir admits he was initially aiming higher than Ulberg, but after being told that top-ranked contenders weren’t available, he just wanted to compete so he can continue building momentum after back-to-back first-round finishes of Bogdan Guskov and Johnny Walker.

“I was OK because first I wanted to fight up the rankings, and my goal was to fight Jamahal Hill or Jan Blachowicz, but both guys were injured,” Oezdemir said. “They told me I had to wait quarter 1 or quarter 2 of 2025, and you know my nickname, ‘No Time.’ So, I had to be active, I had to stay on track.”

Anthony Smith previously mentioned that if Magomed Ankalaev picked up a lackluster win at UFC 308, Oezdemir had a big opportunity to emerge as No. 1 contender with a win over Ulberg.

“This fight is going to be a fast-paced fight for sure,” Oezdemir said. “It’s going to be a banger. This is going to be a must-see fight for the fans. We are both very strong and athletic guys looking for the finish, so of course this is not a fight you want to miss because I’m going to go there and get my hand raised.

“He’s riding a six-fight winning streak, so he’s like a hot prospect right now. But I’ve also been knocking (out) and submitting top-competition guys. With a great performance on Saturday, it is going to bring me close to a title shot. I think this is one of the conversations we’re going to have because a great performance, a great finish on Saturday, will bring the eyes also on this potential matchup.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.

UFC Macau adds Yan Xiaonan vs. Tabatha Ricci, Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg, return of Wang Cong

The upcoming UFC Fight Night 248 event in Macau on Nov. 23 is filling out with the addition of multiple matchups.

UFC has announced multiple fights for its upcoming event in Macau.

UFC Fight Night 248 takes place Nov. 23 at Galaxy Arena in Macau, featuring a big bantamweight matchup between former 135-pound champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and former flyweight champ [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag].

Wednesday, the promotion officially announced multiple new fights on social media for the return event to China.

A UFC-ranked top 10 matchup in the women’s strawweight division has been added. Former title challenger [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] will face [autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag].

Xiaonan (17-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) returns to action for the first time since her title challenge loss against Zhang Weili at UFC 300. Ricci (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) enters on a two-fight winning streak, fresh off a unanimous decision win over Angela Hill at UFC on ESPN 62.

Another UFC-ranked top 10 bout is also on the card, this one in the light heavyweight division, between former title challenger [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag].

Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) is on a two-fight winning streak, both by way of early stoppage. His last performance was a devastating knockout of Johnny Walker at UFC on ABC 6. Ulberg (10-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was a part of the UFC 303 fight shuffle, but was unable to compete. He will now enter his second fight of the year after a 12-second knockout of Alonzo Menifield.

In addition, Wang Cong will compete in her second UFC bout, taking on Gabriella Fernandes.

Cong (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made waves in her promotional debut by flattening Victoria Leonardo in the first round. “The Joker” holds a kickboxing win over current UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.

With the additions, the current UFC Fight Night 248 lineup includes:

  • Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
  • Yan Xiaonan vs. Tabatha Ricci
  • Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Jose Ochoa
  • Carlos Hernandez vs. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel
  • Wang Cong vs. Gabriella Fernandes
  • Ozzy Diaz vs. Zhang Mingyang
  • Xiaocan Feng vs. Ming Shi – “Road to UFC” strawweight final
  • Dong Hoon Choi vs. Kiru Sahota – “Road to UFC” flyweight final
  • Balgyn Jenisuly vs. Su Young You – “Road to UFC” bantamweight final
  • Bin Xie vs. Kangjie Zhu – “Road to UFC” featherweight final

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 25: Volkan Oezdemir, Alexander Volkov move up

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC on ABC 6, Bellator Champions Series: Dublin, and 2024 PFL 5.

Following UFC on ABC 6, Bellator Champions Series: Dublin, and 2024 PFL 5, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

In the 2024 PFL 5 main event, Mads Burnell picked up a big win over Clay Collard by unanimous decision, but it wasn’t enough to get him to the post season to compete for $1 million.

In the BCS: Dublin headliner, a new welterweight champion was crowned, as [autotag]Ramazan Kuramagomedov[/autotag] defeated Jason Jackson unanimously on the scorecards.

At UFC on ABC 6 in Saudi Arabia, [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] torched short-notice opponent Ikram Aliskerov, but two other fights generated big moves: [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]’s decision win over Srgei Pavlovich and [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]’s brutal knockout of Johnny Walker.

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

Volkan Oezdemir explains callouts of Jan Blachowicz, Jamahal Hill after UFC on ABC 6 knockout

Volkan Oezdemir has two top contenders in mind after his brutal knockout win at UFC on ABC 6.

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] has two top contenders in mind after his brutal knockout win at UFC on ABC 6.

Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) scored a first-round knockout of Johnny Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in Saturday’s main card opener at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “No Time” has now won three of his past four fights.

The former title challenger called out [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) in his post-fight octagon interview.

“To just climb the ranks,” Oezdemir explained to reporters at the UFC on ABC 6 post-fight press conference. “Blachowicz is going to be a fight for the crown of Europe. It’s going to be the top fight for the European fighters, so that’s a fight I want to do. And Jamahal Hill, I want that fight, as well. My goal is to climb the ranks, take over the division. I’m back. ‘No Time’ is back. This is my time now, and I’m here to showcase this.”

With Hill currently healing from a knee injury and Blachowicz from shoulder surgery, Oezdemir isn’t sure if he’ll be able to get those fights anytime soon – especially that he’s targeting a September return in Paris.

“Both are injured right now, so I don’t know really what’s going to happen with this,” Oezdemir said. “I know I want to have a quick turnaround because I’m eyeing Paris. I want to fight in France again. France is also my home crowd, so I would love to be there again end of September.

“I’m going to have my wedding now in three weeks, so, guys, I’m waiting for the 50K. I’m waiting for the 50K so I can have a great, great wedding. I’ll have a big party and enjoy that a little bit before turning around for the fight in Paris.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

UFC on ABC 6 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Ikram Aliskerov gets $4,000 in main event save

UFC on ABC 6 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ABC 6 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $186,000.

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 ABC 6 took place Saturday at Kingdom Arena. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ABC 6 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Ikram Aliskerov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Antonio Trocoli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Felipe Lima[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Muin Gafurov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kyung Ho Kang[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Magomed Gadzhiyasulov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]ChangHo Lee[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Xiao Long[/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 $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 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,637,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,374,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

UFC on ABC 6 results: Volkan Oezdemir leaves Johnny Walker stiff after terrifying knockout

UFC Saudi Arabia provided one of the scariest knockouts of the year, as Volkan Oezdemir left Johnny Walker stiff.

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]’s power was on full display once again Saturday as he savagely knocked out [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] in Round 1 of their UFC on ABC 6 bout.

The light heavyweight fight kicked off the main card at Kingdom Arena and ended at 2:28 after a pair of Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) punches to the dome of Walker (21-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC).

Walker was in semi-survival mode for much of the minute that led up to his demise. Oezdemir landed more throughout the sequence and Walker was unable to reset himself completely. A left-right combination folded Walker like a lawn chair. Already scrambled, Walker then absorbed a massive follow-up shot that stiffened his entire body.

With a busted nose, Walker was alert and sitting on the stool after the knockout but was not present for the final decision.

After the victory, Oezdemir mentioned Jan Blachowicz and Jamahal Hill as potential next opponents. Oezdemir has won back-to-back fights and three of his most recent four.

Walker has been knocked out in back-to-back fights and is winless in his most recent three.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ABC 6 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ABC 6

Two powerful light heavyweights clash on the UFC on ABC 6 main card. Will Volkan Oezdemir or Johnny Walker get a stoppage?

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] and [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ABC 6 from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 preview

Oezdemir (19-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going after scoring an early finish in his last outing. “No Time” made quick work of Bogdan Guskov last September, finishing the fight by submission in the first round. Oezdemir will look to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2019. … Walker (21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was on the wrong end of a knockout in his previous fight. In January, Walker was stopped in the second round by Magomed Ankalaev, ending a run of three consecutive wins, aside from a no contest with Ankalaev last October.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 expert pick, prediction

Considering that every fight under 185 pounds has been relegated to the prelims, one can only assume that the UFC matchmakers are just blatantly micturating on the memory of Joe Silva and his surefire method of kicking off main cards with lightweight or featherweight fights.

Nevertheless, this light heavyweight bout between Oezdemir and Walker should be weird for as long as it lasts.

Walker, who can be somewhat “Jekyll and Hyde” given his inconsistencies, has steadily steered toward more of a conservative route since joining forces with SBG Ireland.

On one hand, it’s nice to see Walker honing in on the fundamentals and trying to develop a process. On the other hand, it’s hard to get too excited given that the Brazilian’s staying power remains beyond suspect.

For that reason, I’ll semi-reluctantly side with Oezdemir to edge out the scorecards in a fight that only gets stranger down the stretch.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 odds

The oddsmakers and the public believe this is a pick’em fight, listing Walker with a slight edge at -110 and Oezdemir at -106, via FanDuel.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 start time, how to watch

As the opening bout on the main card, Oezdemir and Walker are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 3:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ABC and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

UFC Saudia Arabia fight card announced with Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev headliner

The UFC is headed to Saudi Arabia and the lineup (which will air on ABC) is stacked thus far.

The UFC will debut in Saudi Arabia this summer, and it’s bringing a major middleweight headliner with it.

Former champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] will take on [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] in a five-round main event on June 22, UFC CEO Dana White announced Thursday.

White added the bout’s winner will earn a crack at title gold and announced the main card will air on ABC.

Other fights on the card include [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag], [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag], [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag], [autotag]Shara Magomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag].

Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC), No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, looks to continue the momentum from a unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa in February. The win was his second in three fights and bounced him back into the win column after a loss to Dricus Du Plessis.

Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) returns for the first time since September 2022, when he defeated former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by majority decision. The No. 8 middleweight’s other UFC victories include Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland among others.

The current UFC Saudi Arabia lineup includes:

  • Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev
  • Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker
  • Shara Magomedov vs. Ihor Potieria