Jim Miller at UFC 276. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Miller goes for his 25th (!) UFC win against Hernandez at the upcoming Fight Night.
The UFC has found a short-notice replacement for Jim Miller.
With Gabriel Benítez forced to withdraw from their fight at UFC Vegas 69 due to undisclosed reasons, Miller has agreed to face Alexander Hernandez on less than two weeks’ notice. Alex Behunin of MMA Mania was first to report the fight.
Following his second-round submission of Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at UFC 276 this past July, Miller became the owner of the most wins in UFC history (24). Prior to that, ‘A-10’ stunned with back-to-back finishes of Erick Gonzalez and Nikolas Motta at UFC Vegas 40 and UFC Vegas 48, respectively.
Hernandez has struggled recently, going 1-2 in his past three appearances. After the ‘Great Ape’ scored a brutal first-round KO of Mike Breeden at UFC Vegas 38, he fell short against Renato Moicano and Billy Quarantillo at UFC 271 and UFC 282.
Now, Hernandez will look to snap a two-fight losing streak against Miller.
UFC Vegas 69 is headlined by a flyweight fight between Taila Santos and Erin Blanchfield. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more updates to the event as they become available in the coming days.
About the author: Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016. (full bio)
Former WBC champ Deontay Wilder joins the list of boxers who want a piece of Francis Ngannou.
Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has become a hot commodity among high-profile boxers. Last month, Tyson Fury called out “The Predator” for a hybrid boxing match. Now, Deontay Wilder has joined the fray.
In a conversation with Trill Boxing Talk, “The Bronze Bomber” wants Ngannou for both boxing and MMA.
“I love Francis,” he said (H/T MMA Fighting). “When I met him at the [UFC] APEX in Vegas, we was talking about it during that time and I’m still interested in that fight. I would love to go to Africa for that one. I would love to do that one in Africa.
“I even thought about this idea. Let’s make it a two-fight deal. Everybody always comes to boxing. Let’s do this — you come to my shit, I come to yours. You come to my house, I come to yours. A true tea party. I love that idea. I’m a true warrior.”
Wilder says he’s already taken step one when he talked about it with UFC president Dana White at the P.I.
“Me and Dana talked about it and I told him when he brought the idea to me. The whole scene is if it makes dollars, it makes sense and that’s all they need to know. I know he’s doing his own thing and I’m proud of him for following his heart.
“I’m very interested in it. If [Francis] wants to do a showdown and give some people some good fights and let’s do it. I’d love to go over there to the continent and do it. That’s going to be a Marvel fight, two big Black superheroes, and let’s just be nice. I’d love to do it. I think it would be great.”
Wilder will obviously be at a big disadvantage once he crosses over to MMA, but he isn’t going into battle unprepared.
“I know how to whoop an ass. I know how to do that. I don’t have mixed martial arts experience but of course, if that happens, I’m going to get training and go from there. I wouldn’t just go in not knowing nothing. If I’m going to do it, I’m really going to put for effort.
“Cause he’s going to be training coming over where I am [in boxing]. Why would I not train in what he do? I might like the shit. I might crossover. This is my new home. I’m going to be kicking motherf–rs now. For sure, I’ll get one of the best trainers out there.”
Ngannou, 36, parted ways with the UFC in mid-January after a lengthy contract dispute with the organization. He last fought at UFC 270 in early 2022 where he defeated Ciryl Gane for his maiden title defense.
There have been significant changes in UFC contracts.
The UFC has recently made several changes to their promotional agreements, which could have a major impact in how the sport operates moving forward.
As seen on the several new UFC contracts obtained by Bloody Elbow, sweeping changes have been made that are both restrictive and concerning for fighters. The biggest change is the addition of an arbitration agreement and class action waiver. These have the potential to impact the current antitrust lawsuit and reverse some of the contractual gains that fighters have seen made over the last few years.
Previous improvements to UFC contracts
To provide better context on these newest changes, it’s worth discussing improvements to UFC contracts in recent years, thought to be in response to the antitrust lawsuit filed against them.
Last year, Bloody Elbow’s John S. Nash was the first to report on changes the UFC had made to their contracts. These changes included the additions of a “sunset clause” that put a five year maximum contract length, limitations to the amount of time a contract could be extended for turning down fights, removal of the exclusive negotiating period, and a shortened two-year window after the contract ended where UFC retained image rights.
The UFC introduced these changes to their contracts sometime in 2017, a date that now divides the two current lawsuits facing them. The class period for Le v Zuffa covers December 16, 2010 through June 30, 2017, while a second lawsuit filed in 2021 covers every fighter that had a match in the UFC between July 1, 2017 and today.
These changes might end up forcing the two classes to be split, and potentially mitigating damages against the UFC, with their Defense claiming that fighters in both groups are fighting under different contracts and market conditions.
Fighters have benefited from these changes, most noticeably Francis Ngannou, who took advantage of the new “sunset” clause to exit the promotion while UFC champion, which would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Other fighters, like Paulo Costa, now seem to be following the same path as Ngannou, while it seems very probable that others have used the threat of waiting out their contract in order to attain a better deal.
As reported by Nash on his podcast, the UFC recently made additional changes that threaten to make it much more difficult for future fighters to do the same.
Chief amongst these are three additional pages inserted into Section XXV: Choice of Law and Dispute Resolution, mainly relating to an arbitration agreement.
Arbitration
If fighters have any disagreements with the UFC over anything in their promotional agreements, instead of taking them to court, they are now required to have the dispute arbitrated.
Where parties hereto seek the resolution of any issues relating to or arising out of this Agreement, the Bout Agreement, and or any interaction or relationship between ZUFFA and Fighter, both expressly consent to arbitration, instead of court procedures, to resolve Covered Claims (as defined below.)
Arbitration is the process by which a neutral third party makes a binding decision relating to a dispute. The Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. Sections 1 et seq.) shall govern this agreement to arbitrate, as well as applicable state arbitration law only to the extent it is not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act. This agreement to arbitrate is in consideration of Fighter’s contract with ZUFFA. Both ZUFFA and Fighter understand that by using arbitration to resolve disputes they are giving up any right that they may have to a judge or jury trial with regard to all claims subject to this agreement to arbitrate.
Unless either party requests three arbitrators, the arbitration shall be before a single neutral arbitrator and administered by the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service (*JAMS) in Clark County, Nevada. Except as provided in this Agreement, the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures effective as of the commencement of the arbitration (“JAMS Rules”) shall govern the arbitration proceedings.
On the surface this doesn’t seem like that big of change. To begin with, very few fighters have ever sued the UFC. Adding arbitration would not take away a fighter’s right to dispute something in the agreement. It would, however, likely tilt the playing field even more heavily into the UFC’s favor.
Arbitration, unlike the lawsuits in the courts, are private. There is no public record detailing what is being disputed, or any disclosure of filings or exhibits. Fighters and media will all be kept in the dark about the developments, which only helps the UFC’s cause, especially in the long run.
There’s also no precedent that gets set when it comes to arbitration, and changes won’t get applied to all the other fighters in the roster. In principle, even if one fighter gets an advantageous result from arbitration, others who also want to challenge the same issue will have to argue and try to get the same ruling, without the favorable conditions that a legal precedent would’ve provided.
Waiver to protect UFC from collective action and lawsuits
In addition to the arbitration, section XXV includes a class action waiver:
“Waiver of Class, Collective, and Representative Actions. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the parties agree that no claims may be initiated or maintained on a class action, collective action, or representative action basis either in court or arbitration. This means that neither party may serve or participate as a class, collective, or representative action representative or member in any proceeding as to Covered Claims either in court or in arbitration.”
“Claims Not Covered. The claims which are not covered by this agreement to arbitrate are, to the extent applicable: claims that are not subject to mandatory binding pre-dispute arbitration pursuant to applicable federal or state law, including claims brought pursuant to the California Private Attorneys General Act, and claims currently pending in the lawsuit entitled Le v. Zuffa, LLC, Case No. 15-cv-01045 in the District of Nevada.”
The requirement that fighters resolve disputes through arbitration instead of going through the courts also extends to class actions lawsuits. This could have major implications for the current Johnson v Zuffa case. While there is a specific carve out for Le v. Zuffa, most likely because the Judge has already verbally announced his intention to grant class certification, Johnson v Zuffa is still in the early phases of the legal process.
A fighter that signs this agreement will not be allowed to be a class member in any class action lawsuit, including the current Johnson v Zuffa lawsuit, even if the court certifies the class and the fighter meets all the criteria to be classified as a member. If damages are awarded by a jury or settlement (Plaintiffs are asking for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, potentially billions if trebled) fighters who signed this agreement will not be eligible for them.
Instead, if fighters shared the same dispute as found in a class action lawsuit, they would have to go to arbitration to have their individual dispute heard separately. They would also have foot the bill themselves even if they are making the same case that class action attorneys and experts — who were working on contingent — may have already made. The price of hiring such experts for something like an antitrust case would likely be prohibitive for all but a few fighters.
The waiver would also likely apply retroactively. Fighters that competed in the UFC between July 1, 2017 and today, and was thus a potential class member in Johnson v. Zuffa, would be now be excluded from class membership if they signed this contract. This would not only impact the period covered by this new agreement but also for the period they fought under their previous agreement that did not include the waiver. This could dramatically reduce the number of class members, lowering not only the amount the UFC could potentially pay out in damages but also the potential number of fighters that would receive monetary compensation.
This waiver for class action could also lead to the UFC re-introducing some of their older, more restrictive contractual provisions. Since the intent of the those 2017 changes seems to have been to mitigate potential damages, then a waiver preventing any new member from even becoming a member of the class action lawsuit would mean those changes were no longer needed.
We already see some evidence that this may indeed be happening.
Return of controversial tolling provisions
One of the complaints in both antitrust lawsuits is the use of tolling provisions by the UFC to extend their contracts. If the promotion offers a fighter a bout and they are unable or unwilling to take it, the UFC has the ability to extend the agreement an additional six months or the amount of time required to find another opponent. Before 2017, there was no limit to the number of extensions the UFC can add this way. Contracts could therefore be in perpetuity if the fighter decided he was no longer willing to compete for the promotion.
In 2017, the UFC changed this provisions so that the maximum amount of time the UFC could extend a contract for a fighter that was unable or unwilling to compete was 18 months.
In the most recent contracts Bloody Elbow has obtained, this 18 month extension limit has been removed. The UFC has also added multiple reasons as for why opponents might not be available.
“In the event that Fighter is offered a Bout against an opponent designated by ZUFFA but does not accept that Bout because the Fighter is unable, unwilling or refuses to compete for any reason whatsoever (a “Declination”), for each such Declination, Zuffa may, at its election, extend the Term for the length of time sufficient to find a new opponent to accept the Bout or for six (6) months, whichever is longer. Such extension is necessary to provide Fighter with a suitable replacement Bout, as ZUFFA and Fighter recognize attendant difficulties including, but not limited to, that there is a limited pool of suitable opponents, suitable opponents may have pre-existing Bout obligations, and sufficient lead time must exist to adequately promote the replacement Bout.”
Due to the return of this controversial clause, now the only limit to how long a contract could be extended is the five year “sunset” provision.
Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty ImagesUFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was able to use the previous “Sunset” clause to become a free agent.
Longer ‘Sunset’ clause
Another welcome change stemming from the antitrust lawsuit was the “sunset” period added to UFC contracts. Francis Ngannou was able to become a free agent thanks to this clause terminating his contract after five years.
Unfortunately for other fighters moving forward, this section has since been tweaked.
Contracts Bloody Elbow have obtained now show that the sunset period starts after the fighter’s first bout, instead of the clock starting the day the deal was signed. They’ve also added a clause stating that suspensions no longer count on this duration.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Agreement will not be extended pursuant to this Section IV beyond the date which is five (5) years after Fighter’s first Bout under this Agreement, provided that any period of time in which Fighter is unable or unwilling to compete because he/she has been suspended or revoked by an Athletic Commission or anti-doping agency shall not be counted towards such five (5) year maximum term length.
Compared to the previous set up, this new language could easily mean that the five-year period essentially ends up months or years longer.
Is this legal?
How exactly would the UFC — a company being sued for abusing its market power by forcing one-sided contract terms — be allowed to now force contract terms that prevent them from being sued for abusing their market power?
Well, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld that this was legal in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis back in 2018 in a 5-4 ruling. This makes it unlikely that these new additions to UFC contracts can be challenged without new legislation.
Overall impact?
Led by Ngannou, the first wave of fighters who are just now able to take advantage of less restrictive UFC contracts, may also end up being the last to do so.
As former two-division champ Randy Couture noted on his attempt to take on the UFC and restrictive contracts during his career, “the upside to that is I got a much better deal moving forward. The downside is they closed a bunch of the loopholes in those crappy contracts and made it more difficult for other fighters moving forward.”
With waivers and arbitration now insulating the UFC from lawsuits, we should expect to see more restrictive terms in future contracts.
By asking fighters to waive and concede even more of their rights, the UFC may end up with the best of both worlds: Adding to their already overwhelming leverage and control, while also being protected from class action threats.
Dan Hooker backstage at UFC 281 in November. | Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
The ‘Hangman’ is out of his next fight.
One of the most anticipated fights on UFC 285 is canceled.
First reported by Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, Dan Hooker has withdrawn from his fight against Jalin Turner after suffering a broken hand in training. The ‘Hangman’ confirmed the report with a photo of his hand in a cast.
“Well f—k,” tweeted Hooker.
Well fuck. pic.twitter.com/bgAYxCBrr4
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 9, 2023
Hooker returned to the win column with a second-round TKO of Claudio Puelles at UFC 281 this past November. Prior to that, the City Kickboxing product struggled, going 1-4 in five fights. However, his losses came against top competition, including Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
After a loss to Matt Frevola nearly four years ago, Turner has rattled off five wins. In his most recent appearance, the ‘Tarantula’ earned his first ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus with a first-round submission of Brad Riddell at UFC 276 this past July.
At this time, the UFC is searching for a replacement for Turner.
UFC 285 goes down on Sat., March 4, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Headlining the upcoming pay-per-view event is a heavyweight championship fight between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more updates to the event as they become available in the coming weeks.
About the author: Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016. (full bio)
Dana White’s Power Slap League ratings hit a new low in Week 4 | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
The White/Fertitta spinoff show continues to lose the bulk of its AEW lead-in audience.
Four weeks into its run on TBS, Dana White’s Power Slap League continues to slide in the ratings. Despite the continued strong lead-ins from AEW Wrestling, the slap fighting league failed to crack the top 60 shows on Wednesday night’s original cable telecasts.
According to ShowBuzzDaily, AEW Wrestling had 899,000 viewers in the 8 p.m. slot and a .30 rating in the 18-49 demographic—with a .24 rating with 18-34-year-old viewers. That put the sports-entertainment promotion in fifth for the night in original cable telecasts. ESPN’s NBA game at 10:05 p.m. between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers led the night’s overall cable ratings on Wednesday with 1.602 million viewers and a .58 rating among 18-49 year-olds and .52 in the 18-34 demographic. The 899,000 lead-in from AEW was the lowest number the TBS wrestling broadcast garnered since Power Slap debuted on the network on January 18.
For the February 8 broadcast, Power Slap came in at No. 68 for the night with 275,000 viewers and a 0.08 share in the 18-49 age range. That number is a new low for White’s latest attempt to break into something other than MMA, dropping from last week’s previous low of 284,000 viewers and a 0.09 share among 18-49 viewers.
Shows that performed better than Power Slap with 10 p.m. starts included South Park (Comedy Central), the Ingraham Angle (FOX News), Watch What Happens Live (Bravo), House Hunters (HGTV), 1000-lb Best Friends (TLC) and Kingdom Business (BET).
Power Slap pulled 295,000 viewers in its debut. That week AEW provided the broadcast with a lead-in of 969,000 viewers. In Week 2, Power Slap had an amazing lead-in from AEW Wrestling, compliments of that broadcasts tribute to the late Jay Briscoe. Power Slap finished that nightwith 413,000 viewers off a lead-in of 1.003 million.
Power Slap was initially scheduled to debut on Wednesday, December 11. White addressed the delay of the show’s first episode at the UFC Vegas 67 post-fight press conference saying, “We pushed it back a week because I was supposed to come back (from vacation) and do this whole media tour, which obviously wasn’t going to happen when I got back.”
Ahead of Power Slap’s debut, White told potential viewers who were critical of the “sport,” “Nobody’s asking you to watch this! Oh, you’re disgusted by it? Watch The Voice.”
The world heavyweight champion urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to allow Russian athletes to compete at the upcoming Games, including under a neutral banner.
Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk believes that any medals that Russian athletes win at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris would be “medals of blood, death, tears.”
Usyk’s statement came in response to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) attempts to facilitate the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the upcoming Games. Russian and Belarusian athletes remain barred from competing in international sport due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
However, the IOC is attempting to “explore a pathway” to allow the excluded athletes to compete as neutral competitors, prompting Ukraine’s government, along with several European allies, to threaten a boycott of the event.
Since then, several Ukrainian athletes such as current mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko have spoken out against the IOC’s attempt to reinstate Russian athletes. Usyk shared his thoughts on social media, noting that Russian soldiers have killed Ukrainian athletes who could have competed at the Olympic Games.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Usyk. The Cat. Oleksandr (@usykaa)
“You want to allow Russian athletes to compete at the Olympics,” Usyk said on Instagram. “Russian armed forces invaded our country and kill civilians. Russian Army is killing Ukrainian athletes and coaches and destroying sports grounds as well as sports halls. The medals that Russian athletes are going to win are medals of blood, deaths and tears.”
Russian athletes have avoided being banned outright from the past four Olympics dating back to 2016 in fallout from a state-sponsored doping scandal. At the past three Olympics, they competed as “neutrals” without their national identity. However, several Baltic and Nordic countries continue to insist that Russia should be outright banned from participating in the upcoming Games given the ongoing war.
“It is not possible to parade as if nothing had happened, to have a delegation that comes to Paris while the bombs continue to rain down on Ukraine,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said this week.
Meanwhile, the IOC continues to push back on mounting pressure by claiming that an outright ban would amount to discrimination of Russian athletes.
About the author: Karim Zidan is an investigative reporter for Bloody Elbow focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. His is also a contributor to The New York Times and The Guardian. (full bio)
Jack Della Maddalena celebrating his win over Danny Roberts at UFC Vegas 65 | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Get the lowdown on the main card action of UFC 284, featuring steady veteran Randy Brown attempting to derail hot riser Jack Della Maddalena.
While the heavyweight contest doesn’t have any business being on the main card of UFC 284 – it may be the worst fight on the entire card – I have no qualms with the other two non-title fights on the main card. The two contests features Australia’s best chances for snatching gold sometime in the near future. It’s hard to believe either Jack Della Maddalena or Jimmy Crute have presented the best versions of themselves either. Of course, they’re facing respectable opponents, meaning it’s no sure thing either will have their hand raised.
As for the heavyweight contest… well, it’s a fight. Maybe someone will get their block knocked off. We’d better hope so. The other likely alternatives are a lot less appealing as It’s rare for lower-level heavyweights to put on an entertaining scrap otherwise.
For the early prelims preview, click here. For the televised prelims, click here.
Randy Brown vs. Jack Della Maddalena, Welterweight
It’s taken Brown a while to develop into the fighter that he is. Debuting in the UFC in 2016 as an unpolished 25-year-old prospect, he’s now a refined 32-year-old with 14 UFC contests under his belt. He’s also the first opponent lined up opposite of Della Maddalena who appears to have a realistic chance of upending the young Aussie’s applecart.
Della Maddalena has been a revelation thus far. Earning his way into the UFC with one of the more entertaining contests in the history of DWCS, Della Maddalena has looked better every time out since touching down in the UFC. It wasn’t a surprise when he trucked over the undersized Pete Rodriguez. Disposing of Ramazan Eveev in a half a round when it had previously been eight years since anyone put him away was a different story. Disposing of former boxer Danny Roberts with similar ease only added to the growing hype around Della Maddalena.
When Della Maddalena first appeared on DWCS, he appeared to be a solid prospect, but I didn’t hear anyone proclaiming him a future title contender. There’s a solid reason for that. Della Maddalena is a plus athlete, but not an elite athlete. He’s got plus natural power, but that isn’t elite either. His wrestling has largely been untested too, so that isn’t the aspect that has allowed him to become the hottest welterweight commodity on the up-and-up. What Della Maddalena has in his favor is an unusually natural feel for fighting. He knows when to put a light touch on his strikes and when to sit down on them. Where his opponent is going to be. What type of punch to throw. Della Maddalena fights with a maturity that defies his 26 years.
Brown’s own base is the standup as well. Owning a lanky frame, it took Brown a while before he was able to consistently attack from the outside. Brown has been able to center his attack with a jab, but he mixes in kicks and punching combinations too. However, given Della Maddalena’s feel for striking, it’s natural to wonder if he might look to envelop Della Maddalena in the clinch against the fence. Well, that’s provided Brown keeps the fight standing.
Della Maddalena’s ground game still leaves a lot of question marks. We haven’t seen much of him on the mat since getting to the UFC. In his appearance on DWCS, Della Maddalena struggled to get back to his feet. Brown’s wrestling is still questionable, but his submission game has proven to be highly underrated. Much of that can be attributed to his ability to entangle his opposition in his long limbs, something he’s even proven capable of doing on the feet.
Della Maddalena has the look of a future champion. I get that certain fighters have had a similar start to their UFC careers, only to stumble once they hit a certain level of competition. Johnny Walker comes to mind. Della Maddalena feels different. He isn’t starching fighters with one fight. He’s beating them from pillar to post before finding the finish each time. Brown is a tough and reasonable test, one fully capable of beating him. But he isn’t likely to beat him. Della Maddalena might not become a champion someday, but he isn’t hitting his ceiling here. Della Maddalena via TKO of RD2
Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield, Light Heavyweight
I don’t want to say it’s do-or-die for Crute, but he’ll be on a three-fight losing streak if he comes up short against Menifield. To be fair to Crute, the two losses that already exist in that hypothetical streak came against some of the best in the division, including the current reigning champion, Jamahal Hill. Plus, at 26, Crute is still a babe in the division. Perhaps it isn’t really do-or-die, but there’s no doubt Crute needs this win pretty badly.
It’s not a guarantee Crute will pick up the W either. Menifield is at the point where his explosive athleticism could begin declining at any point. However, he also appears to have put things together on the mental side. It isn’t that he isn’t springing high energy attacks anymore, but he’s far more judicious when he unleashes his power. In between those attacks, Menifield has also learned how to wear down his opponents in the clinch. Perhaps most impressive, he’s figured out how to maintain that style of attack over the course of 15 minutes. Given he used to gas after one round, that’s a big deal, even if it is an even-keel pace.
All that said, Menifield isn’t as diverse as Crute. Crute has a bigger frame than Menifield and has been able to secure takedowns almost at will. Remember his contest with Anthony Smith when he was even able to take down the former title challenger despite having suffered major nerve damage in the fight? The problem is, Crute hasn’t always attempted to utilize his wrestling. Not that he’s terrible on the feet. He stands a good chance of winning a slugfest with Menifield if it comes down to the two of them trading fisticuffs. But why would Crute want to do that when the odds favor him taking the fight to the mat?
Of course, I’m insinuating getting Menifield to the mat is a given. It isn’t. Menifield’s takedown defense has proven to be rock solid. However, the caveat is who has been trying to get him to the mat. William Knight is a hell of an athlete, but not technical in the least. Devin Clark is a solid wrestler, but he’s also undersized for the division. Don’t even get me started on Vinicius Moreira. Menifield hasn’t faced anyone with the combination of technique, size, and athleticism that Crute offers. What is unanswered is how Menifield deals with it and whether Crute will even try for the takedowns.
Most of the factors point to Crute securing the win. The Aussie is the better combination puncher, wrestler, and grappler. However, Menifield is has proven capable of landing the killshot on just about anyone. Throw in that it’s fair to question Crute’s durability and it isn’t so clear cut that Crute is going to secure the win. The most likely outcome is still Crute getting his hand raised, but if you’re looking for the most sure thing, it’s that this fight doesn’t go the distance. Crute via TKO of RD2
When he was first signed by the UFC in the summer of 2020, many looked at Parker Porter as a punchline. There were several reasons for that. He’s a below average athlete. A former light heavyweight, he has since ballooned up to the heavyweight limit. That’s despite having a frame that would be short at light heavyweight, much less heavyweight. He doesn’t have the most equalizing factor at heavyweight either: one-punch power. Despite all that, Porter has only been losing to the plus athletes of the division. Justin Tafa isn’t one of the plus athletes of the division. That shouldn’t be an automatic sentence for a loss for Tafa. The Mark Hunt protégé has power to end a fight with a single punch – or kick – and has shown a reliable amount of durability. What is likely to throw a wrench in Tafa’s success is his one-note approach. It isn’t just that Tafa has no ground game to speak of; he’s also a plodding pocket fighter without the ability to change gears on his own. If his opponent draws him into a brawl, he’s willing to throw at an increased pace. The problem is he’ll have trouble matching the pace of his opponent. Despite Porter’s appearance, the rotund veteran has a deep gas tank and pushes a pace that hard to maintain. Plus, he’s extremely difficult to move from the top position. Whether Porter can get the fight to the mat is another issue, though it should be noted Tafa hasn’t had his takedown defense seriously challenged. Regardless, I like Porter’s diversity of attack to get the job done. Porter via decision
Alex Pereira takes Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in November 2022. | Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
‘Po Atan’ says he can wrestle and directs his critics to look at his takedown against of Israel Adesanya in their championship fight at UFC 281.
UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira has a few thoughts for fans and pundits who feel the former kickboxing champion may be just a bit too one-dimensional to keep his belt for long.
After spending most of his amateur and professional career in kickboxing, Pereira transitioned to mixed martial arts. Within two years, ‘Po Atan’ joined the UFC, dispatched three opponents and earned his first championship opportunity. At the time, the UFC middleweight division was reigned by Israel Adesanya, a familiar foe from their time shared in the ring.
Despite losing to Pereira twice, Adesanya warned his opponent that their fight at UFC 281 this past November would be different. This time around, the ‘Last Stylebender’ had added a new layer to his game, securing the first-ever takedown of his UFC career. And when they got to the ground, Adesanya dominated Pereira.
Though he went on to defeat Adesanya by fifth-round TKO, Pereira was targeted immediately by those who were salivating after seeing his performance on the ground. In a recent interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN, the Brazilian responded to his perceived deficiency in wrestling.
“If you recall [my] grappling game, [I’ve] been training with such high-caliber guys,” said Pereira. “The people who talk about that are people that have never grappled [with me], people that have never trained [with] me. All the guys that come in and roll with [me], grapple, do some MMA, they leave very surprised. They say, ‘Man, I didn’t know he could grapple that.’ But like I said, [I’m] not trying to prove nothing to nobody. [I’m] just doing [my] thing, but stay tuned for the future.
“People say that [I] cannot grapple, but I don’t think almost nobody could be able to put Israel down with a takedown,” continued Pereira. “I took him down, so what’s going on?”
Pereira and Adesanya are expected to rematch at UFC 287, the upcoming pay-per-view event scheduled for April 8 at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, FL.
About the author: Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016. (full bio)
Saidyokub Kakhramonov after he beat Trevin Jones in the UFC APEX. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“3 fights in 2 years?”
Saidyokub Kakhramonov recently revealed on Twitter that he had been cut from the UFC, despite holding a 2-1 record. In a since deleted tweet the Uzbek fighter couldn’t hide his bemusement at being released from the promotion.
“Before you see my name on the ufc Roster watch lol UFC releasing me after 1 lost smh,” he wrote. “I never had fair shake in the ufc 3 fights almost in 2 years. Every time I walked into cage it felt like my debut. Sh*t 3 fights in 2 years? Feels like they brought me in to lose.”
| Saidyokub Kakhramonov has been released by the UFC.
Crazy decision. Hope you get the opportunities you deserve in the future, @SaidYokubMMA #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/9o39soRpoR
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) February 8, 2023
Kakhramonov debuted for the UFC in 2021, beating Trevin Jones with a third round guillotine choke. Last year, after a bout with Brian Kelleher fell through, he beat Ronnie Lawrence by unanimous decision.
In December he lost to Said Nurmagomedov by second round guillotine choke. Kakhramonov had appeared to be winning the fight up until that moment.
“My last fight was the one of the dumbest fights I ever had even then I was still winning until I wasn’t,” he tweeted (per MMA Junkie). “UFC never gave me platform to really show my self my personality. It was a always either you take this or you wait another 6 months.”
Kakhramonov also tweeted that he felt the promotion were hiding Umar Nurmagomedov from him, a fighter he lost a decision to back when they were both in the PFL.
Kakhramonov also shared his confusion over why he would be cut, suggesting it was because the UFC had a difficult time finding him opponents.
Like what ? I don’t do drugs ? I don’t have felony I dont Do steroids. All I do is make matchmakers life hard. Bcuz nobody wants to fight me.
— Saidyokub Kakhramonov (@SaidYokubMMA) February 8, 2023
“I don’t do drugs? I don’t have felony I don’t Do [sic] steroids,” he tweeted. “All I do is make matchmakers life hard. Bcuz [sic] nobody wants to fight me.”
Kakhramonov currently holds a 10-3 record. Before joining the UFC he appeared in the CFFC, WXC and Ring of Combat promotions.
Serghei Spivac submitted Derrick Lewis in the first round of their UFC Vegas 68 fight | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
A running tally of important stats for all UFC events in 2023 – updated after UFC Vegas 68 – Spivac vs Lewis
The third UFC event of 2023 went down on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In the main event of that card, Serghei Spivac forced Derrick Lewis to tap out before the end of the first round. In the process of earning his submission win, Spivac scored six takedowns on eight attempts. While he racked up that number in less than a round, Spivac’s wrestling skills gave him the most takedowns in a single UFC fight in 2023. He wasn’t the only fighter at the event who put their name at the top of a statistical category for the year.
For this coming year, we plan is to do an event-by-event look back after every card, along with keeping a running total of pertinent UFC statistics. Below is the post-UFC Vegas 68 update for data in 2023.
With UFC Vegas 68 in the books, the UFC has put on 37 fights, with 14 of those contests going the distance and 23 ending before the final bell. As we get deeper into 2023 the finishing methods are increasing in number. Following Saturday’s events, UFC fighters have registered 10 different types of KOs/TKOs and racked up five different submission techniques while topping more than 3,100 significant strikes landed.
Take a look at all the numbers we’ll be keeping track of as the year goes on.
The next event on the UFC schedule is UFC 284, which takes place on Saturday, February 12 from RAC Arena in Perth Australia. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Total Fights: 37
Title Fights: 2
Unanimous Decisions: 10
Split Decisions: 3
Majority Draws: 1
KOs/TKOs: 15
Submissions: 8
THE BIGGEST WIN OF SPIVAC’S CAREER!!
The Polar Bear submits Derrick Lewis in round 1 to close the show at #UFCVegas68 ❄️ pic.twitter.com/D1NMlWUFKC
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2023
Types of Finishes
Submissions
Rear Naked Choke: 4
Arm Triangle from Mount: 1
Arm Triangle on Ground: 1
Guillotine Choke After Drop to Guard: 1
Triangle Armbar from Bottom Guard: 1
Knockouts and Technical Knockouts
Doctor Stoppage: 1
Flying Knee to Head: 1
Kick to Body at Distance: 1
Knees to Body at Distance: 1
Punch to Head at Distance: 3
Punches to Head at Distance: 3
Elbows to Head from Mount: 2
Punches to Head from Back Control: 1
Punches to Head from Guard: 1
Punches to Head in Clinch: 1
OUT. COLD.
Rinya Nakamura is your #RoadToUFC bantamweight winner! #UFCVegas68 pic.twitter.com/6ULxnIOaxi
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2023
Fights by Weight Division
Heavyweight: 3
Light heavyweight: 5
Middleweight: 4
Welterweight: 4
Lightweight: 4
Featherweight: 4
Women’s Featherweight: 1
Bantamweight: 5
Women’s bantamweight: 1
Flyweight: 5
Women’s Flyweight: 1
HyunSung Park delivers on the biggest stage of his career! #UFCVegas68 pic.twitter.com/XmtD26xgjM
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2023
UFC Stat Totals in 2023
Total Knockdowns Landed: 11
Total Submission Attempts: 18
Total Reversals: 5
Total Significant Strikes Attempted: 6.421
Total Significant Strikes Landed: 3,172
Total Significant Head Strikes Attempted: 5,017
Total Significant Head Strikes Landed: 2,033
Total Significant Body Strikes Attempted: 933
Total Significant Body Strikes Landed: 736
Total Significant Leg Strikes Attempted: 471
Total Significant Leg Strikes Landed: 403
Total Significant Distance Strikes Attempted: 5,623
Total Significant Distance Strikes Landed: 2,549
Total Significant Clinch Strikes Attempted: 448
Total Significant Clinch Strikes Landed: 338
Total Significant Ground Strikes Attempted: 350
Total Significant Ground Strikes Landed: 285
Total Strikes Attempted: 7.585
Total Strikes Landed: 4,157
Total Takedowns Attempted: 208
Total Takedowns Landed: 67
TATSURO TAIRA STAY UNDEFEATED
He subs Aguilar in one at #UFCVegas68!
[ Live now on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/86bNWs04dP
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2023
Memorable Fight Stats in 2023
Shortest Three-Round Fight: Rinya Nakamura KOs Toshiomi Kazama at 0:33 of Round 1 via punch to head at distance at UFC Vegas 68.
Latest Finish in a Three-Round Fight: HyunSung Park submits SeungGuk Choi via rear-naked choke at 3:11 of Round 3 at UFC Vegas 68.
Most Takedowns Landed: Serghei Spivac lands six of eight takedown attempts on Derrick Lewis at UFC Vegas 68.
Most Submission Attempts: HyunSung Park three submission attempts against SeungGuk Choi at UFC Vegas 68.
Most Knockdowns Landed: Rinya Nakamura scores two knockdown on Toshiomi Kazama at UFC Vegas 68.
Most Significant Strikes Landed in a Three-Round Fight: Jessica Andrade lands 231 of 369 significant strike attempts in unanimous decision win over Lauren Murphy.
Shutouts: Serghei Spivac prevents Derrick Lewis from landing any strikes or takedowns during their UFC Vegas 68 main event fight.
ANDRADE WAS DOMINANT AT #UFC283 pic.twitter.com/7XTh4ZwVta
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 22, 2023
New UFC records in 2023
Jamahal Hill lands 232 significant strikes in a UFC light heavyweight fight for a new UFC LHW single-fight record. Hill defeated Glover Teixeira to by unanimous decision to win the UFC light heavyweight title.
Jessica Andrade lands 231 significant strikes in a UFC women’s flyweight fight for a new UFC women’s flyweight record. Andrade defeated Lauren Murphy via unanimous decision.
Jessica Andrade tied Amanda Nunes or most wins in women’s UFC history with her 15th victory with the promotion.
Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
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