Tag: Zviad Lazishvili

UFC heavyweight Carlos Felipe suspended 18 months for failed drug screen

UFC heavyweight Carlos Felipe has been suspended 18 months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

LAS VEGAS – UFC heavyweight [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] has been suspended 18 months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Felipe (11-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) tested positive for boldenone, an anabolic steroid, following his October fight with Andrei Arlovski at UFC Fight Night 195, which the Brazilian lost via decision.

The suspension was issued at Tuesday’s monthly commission meeting at the Nevada State Business Center. As part of the adjudication agreement, Felipe is eligible to return to action on April 16, 2023 and must pay a fine of $4,200, or 15 percent of his $28,000 purse, as well as attorney’s fees of $489.

Additionally, prior to his next fight in Nevada, Felipe must submit to drug testing 30 days, 15 days and 3 days ahead of the contest.

Felipe’s manager, Tiago Okamura, told MMA Fighting that his client maintains his innocence but did not want to commit the financial resources needed to contest the case, which he anticipated would be around $10,000.

Felipe was previously suspended for two years in 2017 by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for metabolites of stanozolol, a steroid, prior to his planned promotional debut. A second suspension from the UFC’s official anti-doping partner could carry a four-year suspension.

A request for comment from USADA by MMA Junkie was not immediately returned.

Additionally, Georgian bantamweight [autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] was suspended nine months by the NSAC for a failed test associated with his October 23 loss to Jonathan Martinez at UFC Fight Night 196. Lazishvili tested positive for clomiphene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator.

Lazishvili was also fined $1,800, or 15 percent of his $12,000 purse, and must pay attorney’s fees of $326. As part of the adjudication agreement, he is eligible to compete again on July 23 and must submit to drug testing 30 days, 15 days and 3 days ahead of the contest.

UFC Fight Night 196 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Paulo Costa gets $6,000

UFC Fight Night 196 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 Fight Night 196 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $157,500.

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 Fight Night 196 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 196 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $6,000
vs. [autotag]Ricky Glenn[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Seungwoo Choi[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Dwight Grant[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nicolae Negumereanu[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ike Villanueva[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Gregor Rodrigues[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Maria Oliveira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jamie Pickett[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Laureano Staropoli[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jai Herbert[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Khama Worthy[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jeff Molina[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Daniel da Silva[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Livinha Souza[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/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.

Full 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,489,000
Program-to-date total: $4,489,000

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With Said Nurmagomedov out, Zviad Lazishvili steps in to face Jack Shore at UFC Fight Night 191

Zviad Lazishvili has finally received the UFC call and will step in on short notice to face Jack Shore at UFC Fight Night 191.

[autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] has finally received the UFC call.

Said Nurmagomedov has been forced out of UFC Fight Night 191 and Lazishvili (12-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step in on short notice to face [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at the Sept. 4 event.

A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Adjara Sport was first to report the news.

UFC Fight Night 191 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Unbeaten Lazishvili captured the LFA bantamweight title when he submitted Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” alum Ricky Steele in the first round in September. A native of the Republic of Georgia, Lazishvili signed with LFA in hopes to achieve his UFC goal, and after going 2-0, including winning the bantamweight title, he will get a big opportunity when he faces rising contender Shore.

Also unbeaten in his pro MMA career, former Cage Warriors bantamweight champ Shore has notched three octagon wins, most recently edging out Hunter Azure at UFC on ABC 2 in April.

The latest UFC Fight Night 191 lineup now includes:

  • Derek Brunson vs. Darren Till
  • Paul Craig vs. opponent TBA
  • Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dalcha Lungiambula
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Volkan Oezdemir
  • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Khalil Rountree
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcelo Rojo
  • Molly McCann vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Paddy Pimblett vs. Luigi Vendramini
  • Mandy Bohm vs. Ariane Lipski
  • Sergey Khandozhko vs. David Zawada
  • Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell
  • Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich
  • Charles Jourdain vs. TBA
  • Zviad Lazishvili vs. Jack Shore

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Fighters line up, lobby for Sean O’Malley matchup after Louis Smolka’s UFC 264 withdrawal

Is there anyone who DOESN’T want to fight Sean O’Malley?

As it stands, [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] doesn’t have a UFC 264 opponent – but he has no shortage of potential suitors.

Shortly after news surfaced Tuesday that O’Malley’s original opponent, Louis Smolka, withdrew from their July 10 pay-per-view main card bout, an assortment of fighters took to social media to lobby for the opening.

The callouts and challenges for O’Malley (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) stretched beyond the bantamweight division as even some flyweights and featherweights raised their hands.

Scroll below to read a running list of the fighters eager to compete against “The Suga Show” at UFC 264.

LFA 90 results: Zviad Lazishvili wins vacant bantamweight title, moves to 13-0

Zviad Lazishvili is the new LFA bantamweight champion after an impressive performance at LFA 90.

[autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] is the new LFA bantamweight champion.

The native of the Republic of Georgia picked up a dominant win in the main event of Friday’s LFA 90 card in Sioux Falls, S.D. to capture the vacant 135-pound title. Lazishvili (13-0 MMA) submitted [autotag]Ricky Steele[/autotag] with a rear-naked choke at 3:42 of the first round.

Lazishvili was nothing but dominant at LFA 90. The 28-year-old took down Steele early, secured the back mount against the cage, and from there worked relentlessly for the rear-naked choke. Steele did a good job defending the choke multiple times, but Lazishvili eventually secured the submission once and for all and got the tap.

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Lazishvili revealed in his post-fight interview he battled with three injuries in the training camp leading up to the fight, but he’s grateful he went trough it. He hopes the UFC takes notice of his performance and gets an offer to join the promotion.

The undefeated Lazishvili picked up his ninth submission win with the victory over Steele. This was also Lazishvili’s second win under the LFA banner, as he outpointed Josh Huber back in November 2019 at LFA 79.

Full results from LFA 90 below:

  • Zviad Lazishvili def. Ricky Steele via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:42.
  • [autotag]Maycon Mendoca[/autotag] def. [autotag]Devin Smyth[/autotag] via  knockout – Round 2, 4:21
  • [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag] def. [autotag]Chris Brown[/autotag] via split decision
  • [autotag]Mo Miller[/autotag] def. [autotag]Mando Gutierrez[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:26
  • [autotag]Allan Begosso[/autotag] def. [autotag]Sen McPadden[/autotag] via TKO – Round 1, 0:48
  • [autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag] def. [autotag]Kelsey Arneson[/autotag] via unanimous decision
  • [autotag]Daniel Argueta[/autotag] def. [autotag]Jackson Filho[/autotag] via unanimous decision
  • [autotag]Alden Coria[/autotag] def. [autotag]Calvin Harbaugh[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:20

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LFA announces second string of four events in four weeks starting Aug. 21 in South Dakota

LFA is ready to keep rolling with closed-door events.

LFA is ready to keep rolling with closed-door events.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced that it will return Aug. 21 with LFA 88 and four consecutive weeks of events at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

In addition to LFA 88, the promotion also will host LFA 89 (Aug. 28), LFA 90 (Sept. 4), and LFA 91 (Sept. 11). All four events will stream live on UFC Fight Pass.

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Sanford Pentagon was the site of LFA’s July return from hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The promotion crowned four new champions during that run. In this second phase of events, two title fights have been booked. Only main events were announced for its next four shows, except for LFA 91, which is expected at a later date.

The three other headliners include:

LFA 88

  • [autotag]Vinicius de Jesus[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] – for vacant welterweight title

LFA 89

  • [autotag]Joe Giannetti[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brant Moore[/autotag]

LFA 90

  • [autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricky Steele[/autotag] – for vacant bantamweight title