Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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 from May 1-7.
Check out the numbers to come out of an insane UFC 281, where Alex Pereira’s title win put him in the record books alongside Brock Lesnar.
UFC 281 took place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York, and with 11 finishes in 14 fights, including two title changes, it proved to be among the best cards of the year.
The main event saw [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) earn another combat victory over [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC), but this time with the highest stakes imaginable when he claimed the middleweight title with a fifth-round TKO.
The co-headliner saw [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) begin a second reign as women’s strawweight champion when she submitted [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) with a choke in the second round.
For more on the numbers behind both title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 281.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 281 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $332,500.
NEW YORK – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 281 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $332,500.
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 281 took place at Madison Square Garden. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
The full UFC 281 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
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[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag]: $42,000
[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag]: $21,000
[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Claudio Puelles[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ottman Azaitar[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Silvana Gomez Juarez[/autotag]: $4,500
[autotag]Michael Trizano[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Seungwoo Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Nicolae Negumereanu[/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 $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: $7,554,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $13,732,000
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden in New York.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
See what the fighters from UFC 281 went with as their backing tracks in New York.
Check out the best photos from Andre Petroski’s unanimous decision win over Wellington Turman at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos by Jessica Alcheh, USA TODAY Sports)
Ahead of UFC 281, Brazil’s Wellington Turman said he aspires to be like training partner Glover Teixeira – an eventual UFC champion.
NEW YORK – [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] met the media Wednesday ahead of his fight at UFC 281.
Turman (18-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) takes on Andre Petroski (8-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a middleweight fight on the ESPNews preliminary card at Madison Square Garden in New York. At the event’s media day in Manhattan, Turman took questions from media members before his fight.
Turman, from Brazil, has been training with fellow Brazilian Glover Teixeira, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, in Connecticut for a year. He’ll be chasing his third straight win on the heels of a bonus-winning submission of Misha Cirkunov in February. He said Teixeira is an inspiration to him in training.
“He’s a good friend and he takes care of me,” Turman said. “It’s so good to learn with this guy every day – learn with a champ. He’s where I want to be, and I’m so happy to be with him.”
Check out Turman’s full media day interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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Ahead of UFC 281, Brazil’s Wellington Turman said he aspires to be like training partner Glover Teixeira – an eventual UFC champion.
NEW YORK – [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] met the media Wednesday ahead of his fight at UFC 281.
Turman (18-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) takes on Andre Petroski (8-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a middleweight fight on the ESPNews preliminary card at Madison Square Garden in New York. At the event’s media day in Manhattan, Turman took questions from media members before his fight.
Turman, from Brazil, has been training with fellow Brazilian Glover Teixeira, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, in Connecticut for a year. He’ll be chasing his third straight win on the heels of a bonus-winning submission of Misha Cirkunov in February. He said Teixeira is an inspiration to him in training.
“He’s a good friend and he takes care of me,” Turman said. “It’s so good to learn with this guy every day – learn with a champ. He’s where I want to be, and I’m so happy to be with him.”
Check out Turman’s full media day interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
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Go inside the numbers of Saturday’s stacked UFC 281 event, where multiple fighters have a chance to make history.
The UFC returns to New York on Saturday for its annual event at Madison Square Garden with UFC 281, which has a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
A doubleheader of championship bouts is featured at the top of the card, with middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) set to take on former two-time kickboxing rival [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the headlining act.
The co-main event will see strawweight champion [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) attempt to kick off her second reign in positive fashion when she meets former titleholder [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind both title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 281.
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Two middleweights will look to keep up their recent success.
A middleweight matchup is the first booked for a UFC event June 18.
The card, expected to be a UFC Fight Night, will feature a three-round bout between [autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC). The event does not currently have an announced location or venue.
Two people with knowledge of the booking informed MMA Junkie of the matchup Wednesday, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Marquez, 31, rides a two-fight winning streak into the contest including exciting submissions of Sam Alvey and Maki Pitolo. The former earned him a Fight of the Night bonus; the latter a Performance of the Night bonus. Despite his success in winning and pocketing bonuses, Marquez has faced back-to-back cancellations since as he withdrew from both bouts.
Turman, 25, finds himself in a similarly successful situation. He enters the June 18 matchup with two straight victories. After a split decision victory over Sam Alvey, Turman defeated Misha Cirkunov via second-round armbar at a Feb. 26 event. The victory marked the first finish of his UFC tenure.
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Brazil’s Wellington Turman recounts his comeback win over Misha Cirkunov at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 202.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] sure faced adversity to get his latest win in the octagon.
The light heavyweight picked up an armbar finish over Cirkunov (15-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) in their co-main event clash at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 202. It was a slick finish that put the Brazilian on a two-fight winning streak. But, the victory came with a price.
“It wasn’t easy, but it was great,” Turman told MMA Junkie at the UFC Fight Night 202 post-fight press conference. “As the famous saying goes, ‘Life’s not about how hard of a hit, but about how many you can get hit and still keep moving forward.’ I live by that.”
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Turman (18-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) came close to finishing Cirkunov with a rear-naked choke in the first round. The 35-year-old was able to escape and put Turman in a world of trouble landing heavy ground-and-pound from top that battered Turman’s face.
“First round, I put that rear-naked choke and he started growling and making noises, and that’s when I started squeezing even more,” Turman recalled. “I thought I had it. He was able to take me off his back and he landed some shots, but my corner did a great job in between rounds and I came back motivated and you guys saw what happened.”
Turman came back strong in the second after a tough first round and closed the show in style. The Brazilian set up a quick and explosive armbar from guard that had Cirkunov tapping in just seconds.
“I do that a lot in the gym,” Turman said. “Everyone I train with knows I do that very well. So when he took me down, I felt Glover (Teixeira) in my corner say, ‘He’s slowing down. He’s slowing down. He’s a little soft.’ That’s when I threw and I got it.”
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