UFC 271 medical suspensions: Derrick Lewis gets two months; two fighters out indefinitely

As a result of their UFC 271 bouts, all 28 fighters were handed medical suspensions of varying durations by the Texas commission.

Two fighters are facing indefinite suspensions as a result of their UFC 271 bouts.

UFC 271 took place Saturday at Toyota Center and featured 14 bouts, including a middleweight title rematch between champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and challenger [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag].

Of the 10 main card competitors, hometown favorite Derrick Lewis received the longest suspension from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) for his upset knockout loss to Tai Tuivasa. He now faces two months on the shelf.

Two preliminary card fighters, Marcelo Rojo and Maxim Grishin, were suspended indefinitely. Unlike many other commissions, TDLR does not release injury details, so specific causes for their suspensions are not known.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the official record keeper of the Association of Boxing Commissions. All fighters’ suspensions can terminate sooner should they be cleared by a doctor.

Check out the full UFC 271 medical suspensions below.

William Knight on 12-pound weight miss for UFC 271: ‘I tried my best on short notice’

William Knight opens up about his 12-pound weight miss for Saturday’s UFC 271 bout against Maxim Grishin.

[autotag]William Knight[/autotag] is not happy about his weight miss for UFC 271, as well as some of the criticism that’s come his way.

“Knightmare” missed weight by 12 pounds in his attempt to make the 206-pound limit for a light heavyweight bout against Maxim Grishin at Saturday’s event, registering 218 pounds on Friday morning at the UFC 271 official weigh-ins in Houston.

Shortly after, he took to Instagram to explain what happened – and what he observed in the aftermath.

I tried my best on short notice definitely not the kinda fighter I am and it definitely won’t happen again…. crazy I turn into the bad guy trying to save a fight on short notice….. im happy the real snakes have shed their skin today ill remember this moving forward for sure…. God has blessed me with this as a lesson and I’ll definitely make sure I do better next time…. fight is still on tommrow at 8pm its now a heavyweight fight

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ2OGwupQZA/

Despite the weight miss, Grishin (31-9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) still accepted the matchup. Knight vs. Grishin was bumped to a heavyweight contest. Knight (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) forfeited 40 percent of his purse for the miss, a UFC official told MMA Junkie.

This marked the first time Knight missed weight in his year-and-a-half with the company. He took the fight against Grishin on short notice, filling in for the withdrawn Ed Herman.

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UFC 271 video: William Knight massive 12-pound weight miss bumps bout up to heavyweight

Originally a light heavyweight bout, William Knight vs. Maxim Grishin has been bumped a weight class.

HOUSTON – [autotag]William Knight[/autotag] missed big on the scale Friday, so much so his UFC 271 bout was bumped up a weight class.

Originally scheduled to take on [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag] at light heavyweight Saturday, Knight (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) missed the 206-pound divisional limit by 12 pounds when he stepped on the scale.

As a result, Knight vs. Grishin (31-9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) was bumped to a heavyweight contest. Knight forfeited 40 percent of his purse for the miss, a UFC official told MMA Junkie.

Prior to Friday, Knight had yet to miss weight in his UFC tenure. He took the fight against Grishin on short notice, filling in for the withdrawn Ed Herman.

UFC 271 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Check out Knight’s weight miss in the video above.

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UFC on ESPN 31 pre-event facts: Rob Font, Jose Aldo battle for more accolades

The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 31, which features a Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo main event.

The UFC kicks off its final stretch of 2021 events Saturday with UFC on ESPN 31, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN.

A very important fight in the bantamweight division serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will attempt to keep his winning streak alive in pursuit of a title shot when he takes on former longtime featherweight king [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC), who continues chase a second belt at 135 pounds.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 45 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 31.

UFC on ESPN 29 medical suspensions: Jared Cannonier, flyweight contenders face lengthy time off

Check out the list of medical suspensions from UFC on ESPN 29 in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] exited UFC on ESPN 29 on a wave of momentum after their wins – but they didn’t do so unscathed.

Both Cannonier and Pantoja were handed 180-day suspensions by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), according to a list MMA Junkie acquired Wednesday from MixedMartialArts.com, the ABC’s official database.

In his main event win over [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag], Cannonier suffered a right foot injury. As for Pantoja, a win in a potential title eliminator battle with [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] resulted in a left knee injury. Depending on the severity of the fighters’ injuries, they could be ineligible to compete until February.

Also receiving 180-day suspensions were the aforementioned Royval, [autotag]Luis Saldana[/autotag], [autotag]Domingo Pilarte[/autotag], and [autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag].

It’s important to note fighters’ suspensions may terminate sooner than the date listed if their injury is cleared by a medical doctor.

The UFC on ESPN 29 medical suspensions include:

UFC on ESPN 29 video: William Knight faceplant KOs Fabio Cherant in Round 1

William Knight showed off his knockout power once more on Saturday when he shut the lights off on Fabio Cherant at UFC on ESPN 29.

[autotag]William Knight[/autotag] showed off his knockout power once more on Saturday when he shut the lights off on [autotag]Fabio Cherant[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 29.

Knight (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) rebounded from his first octagon loss in emphatic fashion when he landed a short shot on an incoming Cherant (7-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) early in the light heavyweight contest, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Cherant went down in a heap when the blow landed, and Knight jumped on top and pounded away on his opponent’s skull to force the referee to step in at the 3:58 mark of Round 1.

Check out the highlight of the finish below (via Twitter):

Knight was enthusiastic about his performance after the fact and said the short left hook was a testament to his power.

“My coach said not to use so much power,” Knight said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “To use my speed, and the power will be there. … It just landed. It’s timing.”

The up-to-date UFC on ESPN 29 results include:

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UFC on ABC 2 medical suspensions: Mackenzie Dern, five others face potential 6 months

Mackenzie Dern and five others could be out up to six months due injuries sustained during Saturday’s card.

Six fighters face potentially lengthy layoffs as a result of injuries sustained in their UFC on ABC 2 bouts.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie acquired a full list of the UFC on ABC 2 medical suspensions handed out by the Nevada Athletic Commission from MixedMartialArts.com, the Associate of Boxing Commission’s official recordkeeper.

Among those potentially suspended for 180 days is co-headliner [autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag], who perhaps suffered a broken left hand in his victory over [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag].

Fan favorite [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] also could be out up to six months due to a potentially broken thumb suffered in her win against [autotag]Nina Nunes[/autotag].

[autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag], who defeated [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag] by submission, will need his right hand cleared in order to avoid the mandatory 180 days off.

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Also handed a six-month suspension was UFC lightweight veteran [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag], who will need his left foot cleared after his decision loss to [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag].

Both [autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag] (face and foot) and [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag] (nose and hand) received six-month suspensions for multiple potential injuries sustained in their back-and-forth preliminary card war.

The card was headlined by middleweights [autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag], who received matching 21-day suspensions for facial lacerations.

The full list of UFC on ABC 2 medical suspensions:

  • Marvin Vettori: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days due to left eyebrow laceration.
  • Kevin Holland: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days due to left eyebrow laceration.
  • Arnold Allen: Suspended 180 days or until left hand x-ray is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Sodiq Yusuff: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • Julian Marquez: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by orthopedic doctor.
  • Sam Alvey: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Mackenzie Dern: Suspended 180 days or until right thumb x-ray is cleared by an orthopedic doctor.
  • Nina Ansaroff: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Joe Solecki: No suspension.
  • Jim Miller: Suspended 180 days or until left foot x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • John Makdsessi: Suspended 180 days or until subtle nondisplaced fracture of the right zygomatic arch is cleared by a maxillofacial doctor and right foot displaced fracture of the second metatarsal is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • Ignacio Bahamondes: Suspended 180 days or until nose x-ray is cleared by a doctor and left hand x-ray is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Jarjis Danho[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Hunter Azure[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Luis Saldana[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Da Un Jung[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]William Knight[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Sasha Palatnikov[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.

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UFC on ABC 2 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Venum era begins

UFC on ABC 2 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 on ABC 2 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $182,500.

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 on ABC 2 took place at the UFC Apex. The main card aired on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC on ABC 2 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Nina Ansaroff[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jarjis Danho[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Hunter Azure[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Luis Saldana[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Griffin[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Da Un Jung[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]William Knight[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Impa Kasanganay/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sasha Palatnikov[/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.

William Knight out of UFC 260 due to COVID-19 protocols; Alonzo Menifield meets Fabio Cherant

William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield marks the second fight week cancellation UFC 260 has faced due to COVID-19.

For the second time in as many bookings, [autotag]William Knight[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alonzo Menifield [/autotag] has been canceled.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, Knight (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has been removed from UFC 260 and will be replaced by promotional newcomer and LFA light heavyweight champion [autotag]Fabio Cherant[/autotag], the promotion announced Wednesday.

Knight has been rebooked for UFC on ABC 2 card on April 10. He’ll fight [autotag]Da Un Jung[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) in place of [autotag]Shamil Gamzatov[/autotag], who has withdrawn from the event due to visa issues.

UFC 260 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Knight vs. Menifield (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) originally was scheduled for UFC Fight Night 186 on Feb. 27. However, Menifield tested positive for COVID-19, and the fight was rebooked for UFC 260.

Massachusetts’ Cherant (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) enters his UFC debut on the heels of a Feb. 12 title-clinching victory at LFA 99. He extended his winning streak to three when he defeated Myron Dennis via unanimous decision to claim the vacant LFA light heavyweight championship.

With the change, the complete UFC 260 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou – for heavyweight title
  • Vicente Luque vs. Tyron Woodley
  • Thomas Almeida vs. Sean O’Malley
  • Miranda Maverick vs. Gillian Robertson
  • Jamie Mullarkey vs. Khama Worthy

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Fabio Cherant vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Jared Gooden vs. Abubakar Nurmagomedov
  • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
  • Omar Morales vs. Shane Young

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Abu Azaitar vs. Marc-Andre Barriault

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UFC 260: Make your predictions for Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2 (Updated)

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 260, featuring a heavyweight title rematch between champion Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou.

(Updated at 11:50 a.m. on March 23, 2021, to include Omar Morales vs. Shane Young fight and poll not included on original publication.)

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 260 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 260 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 260 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.