UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions: Yana Kunitskaya, three others face six months off

Four fighters are facing lengthy suspensions as a result of their UFC on ESPN+ 32 injuries.

Four fighters are facing potential six-month suspensions for injuries sustained in their respective UFC on ESPN+ 32 bouts.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (neck and arm), [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (facial fractures), [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (left ribs), and [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag] (right hand, right wrist, and left eye) will not be able to fight until Feb. 5, 2021, unless they are cleared by a doctor beforehand.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commission’s official record keeper.

Headlining victor [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] did not receive a suspension, while his opponent, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], received a 45-day suspension for lacerations sustained in the fight.

Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and his opponent, [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], both received 30-day suspensions after their co-main event bout.

[lawrence-related id=543758,543764]

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 32 medical suspensions:

  • Derrick Lewis: No suspension.
  • Aleksei Oleinik: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye and lip lacerations.
  • Chris Weidman: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to a “hard fight.”
  • Omari Akhmedov: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to laceration under left eye.
  • [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left scalp laceration.
  • [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • Yana Kunitskaya: Suspended 180 days or until MRI of neck and right arm are cleared by orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Scott Holtzman: Suspended 180 days or until left inferior orbital floor fracture cleared by maxillofacial surgeon; Also suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days.
  • [autotag]Laureno Staropoli[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: Suspended 21 days with no contact for 14 days due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye lacerations.
  • [autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left eye laceration.
  • [autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days, or until right eye is cleared by doctor.
  • [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: No suspension.
  • Peter Barrett: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; Also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Irwin Rivera: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand and wrist is cleared by doctor and possible left eye corneal abrasion is cleared by an ophthalmologist.
  • [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to sutures on nasal bridge.

[vertical-gallery id=542849]

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

After dominant win, Yana Kunitskaya defends Stoliarenko: I didn’t fight a no-name

Take a look inside Yana Kunitskaya’s win over Julija Stoliarenko at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] beat Julija Stoliarenko with a unanimous decision Saturday on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 32 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Kunitskaya, who bounced back from a loss to Aspen Ladd this past December.

Result: Yana Kunitskaya def. Julija Stoliarenko via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Kunitskaya (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Stoliarenko (9-4-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stat: Kunitskaya landed a massive 82 percent of her total strikes and outlanded Stoliarenko 209-30.

Kunitskaya on the fight’s key moment

“I’m really happy and I want to thank Julija for taking this fight on short notice. For me, at this time, it wasn’t so important (an opponent’s) ranking. It would be good if my opponent was higher in the rankings, but I’m so happy that they were able to find a replacement. She is such a good fighter. She was a champion at Invicta. She was on a good winning streak. So I don’t think I fought a no-name.”

Kunitskaya on changing things up

“It’s been a hard time for everyone with this pandemic and a lot changed in my life. I was stuck in Brazil for six months, then I moved to Florida. It was hard, but I’m so happy with this opportunity and for being able to fight.”

Kunitskaya on what she wants next

“Everyone thinks I’m a striker because I started with striking, but I think I have a good potential in wrestling. I’ll try to improve in this part and be more well-rounded. Maybe in the future it will be my strongest area.”

To hear more from Kunitskaya, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

[vertical-gallery id=542849]

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

UFC on ESPN+ 32 post-event facts: Derrick Lewis conquers one record and approaches others

All the notable stats to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32, which took place in Las Vegas, and saw Derrick Lewis knock out Aleksei Oleinik.

The UFC’s loaded August schedule continued on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which went down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed on ESPN+.

The UFC’s busiest heavyweight picked up another notable win in the headliner when [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) overcame the grappling prowess of [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-14-1 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to net a second-round TKO and extend his current winning streak to three fights.

“The Black Beast” made UFC history with his finish, and for more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN+ 32.

* * * *

General

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $162,000.

Debuting fighters went 0-3 at the event.

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN+ 32 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.

Betting favorites went 10-2 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 15-7 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:10:09.

Main card

Derrick Lewis

Lewis’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Junior Dos Santos for third most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18) and Frank Mir (16).

Lewis’ 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Arlovski, Gabriel Gonzaga and Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13),

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Lewis’ 11 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are tied with Thiago Santos for most among active fighters in the organization.

Oleinik has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was successful in his return to the middleweight division.

Weidman earned his first UFC victory where he failed to outland his opponent in strikes.

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (20-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) fell to 3-1-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-1-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Stewart (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) improved to 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.

[autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by stoppage.

Yana Kunitskaya

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) improved to 3-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

Kunitskaya outlanded her opponent 209-to-30 in total strikes. The +179 margin is largest in UFC women’s bantamweight history.

Kunitskaya has earned all three of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) earned the eighth knockout in UFC history stemming from a spinning backfist.

Dariush’s four-fight stoppage streak in UFC competition is tied with Justin Gaethje and Francis Ngannou for second longest among active fighters on the roster behind Charles Oliveira (seven).

[autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.

Preliminary card

Tim Means

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (30-12-1 MMA, 12-9 UFC) improved to 10-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

[autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Alexander Munoz[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his knockout defeat.

[autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with his submission defeat.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Tim Means leads $162,000 payout

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

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+ 32 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 32 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Alex Munoz[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Peter Barrett[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Ali Alqaisi[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

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 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,763,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $34,767,500

UFC on ESPN+ 32: Yana Kunitskaya post-fight interview

Yana Kunitskaya talks to media after her UFC on ESPN+ 32 victory.

Yana Kunitskaya talks to media after her UFC on ESPN+ 32 victory.

UFC on ESPN+ 32 results: Yana Kunitskaya grinds out Julija Stoliarenko to decision win

Yana Kunitskaya grinded out fellow former Invicta FC bantamweight champ Julija Stoliarenko with a unanimous decision win.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] welcomed [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag] to the UFC in decisive fashion at UFC on ESPN+ 32.

For nearly the entirety of three rounds, Kunitskaya (13-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) grinded, grappled and controlled fellow former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Julija Stoliarenko. The performance earned Kunitskaya a unanimous decision victory with scores of 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27.

Controlling the action against the cage, with a few takedowns mixed in, Kunitskaya cruised to a three-round unanimous decision victory over Stoliarenko (9-4-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC).

With the victory, Kunitskaya punched her ticket back into the win column after a loss to Aspen Ladd this past December. The former women’s featherweight title challenger has won three of her most recent four outings.

The women’s bantamweight bout was part of the UFC on ESPN+ 32 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It streamed on ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 32 results include:

[vertical-gallery id=542849]

[vertical-gallery id=542852]

UFC on ESPN+ 32 predictions: Can Aleksei Oleinik upset the favored Derrick Lewis?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 32 main card in Las Vegas.

Lewis
vs.
Oleinik
Akhmedov
vs.
Weidman
Pitolo
vs.
Stewart
Kunitskaya
vs.
Stoliarenko
Dariush
vs.
Holtzman
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 72-49
lewis2020
Lewis
(65%)
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
(53%)
stewart2020
Stewart
(75%)
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
(82%)
dariush2020
Dariush
(85%)
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 85-36
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
pitolo2020
Pitolo
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 85-36
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 83-38
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 81-40
trophy copy 2014 Champion
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
pitolo2020
Pitolo
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 80-41
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
lewis2020
Lewis
weidman2020
Weidman
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 80-41
trophy copy 2017 Champion
lewis2020
Lewis
weidman2020
Weidman
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 80-41
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
pitolo2020
Pitolo
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 79-42
trophy copy 2018 Champion
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
pitolo2020
Pitolo
stoliarenko2020
Stoliarenko
holtzman2020
Holtzman
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 78-43
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
holtzman2020
Holtzman
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 77-45
lewis2020
Lewis
akhmedov2020
Akhmedov
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 76-45
lewis2020
Lewis
weidman2020
Weidman
pitolo2020
Pitolo
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 73-48
lewis2020
Lewis
weidman2020
Weidman
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 73-48
lewis2020
Lewis
weidman2020
Weidman
stewart2020
Stewart
kunitskaya2020
Kunitskaya
dariush2020
Dariush
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 52-69
oleinik2020
Oleinik
weidman2020
Weidman
pitolo2020
Pitolo
stoliarenko2020
Stoliarenko
holtzman2020
Holtzman

The UFC is in its home city again this week with a hard-hitting heavyweight against a submission specialist atop the card.

UFC on ESPN+32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC). Lewis is a 2-1 favorite in the fight, and he’s got the support of a whopping 13 of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts in the picks.

In the co-main event, former middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) tries to stop his slump when he meets [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (20-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC). Weidman is the slight favorite at the betting window at -145, but it’s Akhmedov with a narrow 8-6 picks lead in a close fight among our staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is a -160 favorite in his middleweight bout against [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), and he has an 8-6 picks lead.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite in her women’s bantamweight bout against [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag] (9-3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), and she’s got a big 12-2 blowout in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Scott Holtzman[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) at lightweight. Dariush is the favorite at nearly 2-1, and he’s got a heavy 11-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Lewis (65 percent), Akhmedov (53 percent), Stewart (75 percent), Kunitskaya (82 percent) and Dariush (85 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

[vertical-gallery id=391998]

UFC on ESPN+ 32 pre-event facts: Derrick Lewis on verge of being KO king

The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 32, which features a Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik main event.

The UFC’s busy August stretch continues on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 32, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Two heavyweights with opposing styles are set to clash in the main event. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) brings his heavy hands back to the octagon for a clash with submission ace [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 32.

* * * *

Main event

Derrick Lewis

Lewis makes his 20th UFC heavyweight appearance since 2014, the most in the division and second most fights on the roster behind Donald Cerrone (24).

Lewis’ 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (18), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).

Lewis’ 10 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind Mir (13), Arlovski (11), Gabriel Gonzaga (11) and Stefan Struve (11).

Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez for most in divisional history.

Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are second most among active fighters in the organization behind Thiago Santos (11).

Lewis’ six knockouts stemming from ground strikes in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture for second most in company history behind Velasquez (eight).

Lewis is the only fighter in history to have his first eight UFC bouts end in a knockout.

Lewis’ knockout of Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 despite a -82 significant strike differential marked the greatest statistical striking comeback in UFC history.

Lewis and Francis Ngannou combined for 31 total strikes landed at UFC 226, the second fewest in a three-round UFC fight that went the distance behind Jens Pulver vs. Joao Roque (23) at UFC 26 in June 2000.

Aleksei Oleinik

Oleinik, 43, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division and is the oldest of all fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Oleinik was the first fighter in MMA history to earn victories in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s). Alistair Overeem also accomplished the feat.

Oleinik has earned 54 of his 59 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his eight UFC wins.

Oleinik has earned 46 of his 54 career stoppage victories by submission.

Oleinik’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (eight).

Oleinik has earned two of the three Ezekiel-choke submission victories in UFC history. He accomplished the feat at UFC 224 and UFC Fight Night 103. Remco Pardoel also won with the technique at UFC 2.

Oleinik attempts 2.21 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Co-main event

Omari Akhmedov

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) is 3-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at middleweight is tied with Paulo Costa for the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (eight).

Chris Weidman

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) returns to the middleweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at light heavyweight in October 2019.

Weidman became the first male fighter in UFC history to win a championship with an undefeated record and go on to successfully defend the belt more than once when he defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175.

Weidman is 1-5 in his past six fights dating back to December 2015.

Weidman has out-struck his opponent in all 10 of his UFC victories.

Weidman has completed at least one takedown in all 15 of his UFC appearances.

Weidman’s 37 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Thales Leites for most in divisional history.

Weidman has suffered all five of his career losses by knockout.

[protected-iframe id=”91dd3ef1202a105682028e0fd014b703-58289362-57329066″ info=”https://app.playpickup.com/widgets/props/319?utm_campaign=mma&utm_term=chris-weidman-omari-akhmedov&utm_content=ufc-yn” style=”width: 22rem; height: 505px; border: 0″]

Remaining card

Darren Stewart

[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is 4-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]’s (18-4-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) 12 UFC lightweight victories since 2014 are the most in the division.

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-12-1 MMA, 11-9 UFC) is 9-7 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has landed at least one knockdown against four of his five UFC opponents.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

UFC on ESPN+ 32: Make your predictions for Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 event in Las Vegas.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 32 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 on ESPN+ 32 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN+32 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:

UFC shifts Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya to Aug. 8 event

Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya is still happening, just at a different event than originally expected.

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] is still happening, just at a different event than originally expected.

Originally booked for Aug. 1, the women’s bantamweight fight will now take place on Aug. 8 instead.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the change to MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. My MMA News was first to report the news.

After a 4-0 start to her UFC tenure, which included wins over former bantamweight title challengers Sara McMann and Cat Zingano, Vieira (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) suffered her first career loss to Irene Aldana in her last outing at UFC 245.

Former Invicta FC bantamweight champ Kunitskaya (12-5-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) challenged then UFC featherweight champ Cris Cyborg in her promotional debut in March 2018 but was stopped in the first round. She has split her first four UFC appearances and is coming off a third-round stoppage loss to Aspen Ladd last December.

With the addition, the Aug. 8 lineup includes:

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman
  • Julia Avila vs. Nicco Montano
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Sergey Pavlovich
  • Andrew Sanchez vs. Wellington Turman
  • Miranda Granger vs. Nadia Kassem
  • Peter Barrett vs. Steve Garcia
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alex Munoz
  • Tim Means vs. Laureano Staropoli
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Ketlen Vieira

[vertical-gallery id=527869]

[vertical-gallery id=534956]