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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from December 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from December 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for December.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.
A dozen UFC Austin competitors including Arman Tsarukyan, Beneil Dariush, and Bobby Green have been given lengthy suspensions by Texas.
UFC on ESPN 52 took place Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas and featured a dozen fights.
Of the 24 competitors on the card, 12 fighters were suspended 180 days due to injuries sustained in their bouts, according to documentation from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), the commissioning body that oversaw the event.
Among those who received the lengthiest suspensions are both sides of the main event, Arman Tsarukyan and Beneil Dariush, as well as co-main eventer Bobby Green.
The TDLR does not reveal injury specifics, just the duration of the suspensions. Fighters are permitted to return to competition prior to the conclusion of their suspension durations should they be cleared by a doctor beforehand.
Check out the 24 medical suspension durations below:
Check out all the facts from UFC on ESPN 52, which saw a record two slam KOs and Clay Guida tying the UFC record for most losses.
The UFC’s third-to-last event of 2023 went down as one of the best of the year. UFC on ESPN 52 delivered with nine stoppages in 12 fights.
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) capped off the night with the quickest finish of the bunch. He dropped and stopped [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) just 64 seconds into their high-stakes lightweight headliner, solidifying himself as a top contender.
For more on the numbers behind the card, which featured a number of historic feats, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 52.
UFC on ESPN 52 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
AUSTIN, Texas – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 52 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $225,000.
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 ESPN 52 took place at Moody Center. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 52 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000
[autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Joaquim Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Julia Avila[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Rodolfo Bellato[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Veronica Hardy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/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 $4,520; 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 $52,000 while title challengers get $52,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-52 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $7,689,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,208,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.
Check out the best photos from Jared Gooden’s second-round submission win over Wellington Turman at UFC on ESPN 52 in Austin, Texas.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 52 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. (Photos by Scott Wachter, USA TODAY Sports)
Things got all sorts of wild in the best way possible during Jared Gooden vs. Wellington Turman at UFC on ESPN 52.
Win or lose, [autotag]Jared Gooden[/autotag] has a knack for the dramatic.
That once again was evident Saturday at UFC on ESPN 52 when Gooden (20-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) rallied to submit [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) by rear-naked choke at the 1:11 mark of Round 2.
After a first round that leaned in favor of Turman, Round 2 was all Gooden. He initially caught Turman with a punch. Noticeably buckled, Turman tried to stay upright, but Gooden poured on the pressure. Turman was rocked multiple times and once dropped down to his knees.
Eventually, Turman couldn’t withstand the punishment on the feet. Gooden tossed him down, mounted him, and eventually got the tap with a rear-naked choke.
This exchange was wild 😳 #UFCAustin pic.twitter.com/wGYWyRLVud
— ESPN+ (@ESPNPlus) December 2, 2023
WHAT A COMEBACK BY JARED GOODEN 😳 #UFCAUSTIN pic.twitter.com/9hSQYY8yC9
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 2, 2023
The fight could’ve been a must-win for both guys. Gooden bounced back from a loss to Carlston Harris in which he missed weight. Turman, a Glover Teixeira student, fell into a three-fight skid.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 52 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.
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 the promotions from Oct. 2-8.
Josh Emmett and Justin Tafa suffered graphic injuries at UFC on ABC 5 and are among those suspended indefinitely by the Florida commission.
UFC on ABC 5 took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. and featured 13 fights.
There were back-and-forth battles, knockouts, an eye gouge, and a submission. Through these fights, the athletes involved sustained injuries that will put them on the shelf for some time, unless cleared by a doctor.
Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of athlete medical suspensions from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the sanctioning body that oversaw the event. The DBPR does not disclose injury specifics, but does show the durations of the suspension.
Atop the card, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] proved he’s a premiere contender when he dominated [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] en route to a unanimous decision, including a rare 10-7 scorecard. The two headliners were suspended indefinitely by DBPR afterward.
Seven fighters total were handed indefinite suspensions, while two were handed terms of specific durations and the rest of the card was cleared on fight night. Fighters are permitted to return prior to the end of their assigned durations if they are cleared by a doctor.
Scroll below to see the suspensions for the full UFC on ABC 5 card.
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ABC 5, where Ilia Topuria’s main event win was boosted by a rare achievement.
The UFC returned to Florida for the second time this year on Saturday with UFC on ABC 5, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville and saw eight of 13 bouts go to a decision.
The main event was one of those bouts to go to the judges, but it was a clear result with [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) defeating [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in historic fashion in the form of a lopsided unanimous decision in the matchup between featherweight contenders.
For more on the numbers to come out of the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ABC 5.
UFC on ABC 5 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ABC 5 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $174,000.
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 5 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The main card airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
The full UFC on ABC 5 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Gabriel Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Mateusz Rebecki[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Gillian Robertson[/autotag]: $11,000
[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Jose Mariscal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Jack Jenkins[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Sedriques Dumas[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag]: $6,000
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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Year-to-date total: $3,964,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $18,553,500
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 5.
