Author: MMA Junkie

The UFC 300 bout order has been tweaked ever so slightly, but the change involves perhaps the most highly-debated initial placement. During the UFC Fight Night 239 broadcast Saturday, the promotion announced Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage will now open the April 13 main card at T-Mobile Arena. Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan will follow directly thereafter. The change comes seven days after the promotion first revealed the full fight card bout order during the UFC 299 main card broadcast March 9. The initial order had Nickal (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Brundage (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) above Oliveira (34-9…

Share this article share tweet text email link on Facebook on Twitter via text message on LinkedIn via email https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-fight-night-239-post-event-facts-gerald-meerschaert-royce-gracie-submissions March 17, 2024 11:00 am ET UFC Fight Night 239 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex, and it was a submission-heavy event in Las Vegas.The last of six submission stoppages on the card came in the main event, in which Marcin Tybura (25-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) survived an early storm to choke Tai Tuivasa (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) unconscious in the opening round of the heavyweight bout.For more on the numbers to come out of the headliner, as well…

“The King of Rio” will return in his home town at UFC 301 in May. UFC Hall of Famer and former featherweight champion Jose Aldo is ending his MMA retirement and returning to competition against Jonathan Martinez on the May 4 card, which takes place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro (pay-per-view, ESPN+). Aldo (31-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) and Martinez (19-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) both confirmed the matchup on social media following an initial report from AgFight. Aldo announced his retirement from MMA following a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in August 2022. He’s since…

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 239 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $189,500. 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 239 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+. The full UFC Fight Night 239 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included: * * * * Marcin Tybura: $16,000def. Tai Tuivasa: $11,000 Bryan Battle: $4,000vs. Ange Loosa: $4,500 Ovince Saint Preux: $21,000def. Kennedy Nzechukwu:…

Share this article share tweet text email link on Facebook on Twitter via text message on LinkedIn via email https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-fight-night-239-walkout-songs-las-vegas-music-billy-idol-motley-crue-queen-jimi-hendrix-chili-peppers March 17, 2024 8:00 am ET While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well. See what the fighters from UFC Fight Night 239 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas (fighters listed alphabetically). The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. If you come complaining to us that something you read…

LAS VEGAS – Jaqueline Amorim made quick work of Cory McKenna at UFC Fight Night 239 on Saturday, even with some confusion mid-submission. An IBJJF champion, Amorim (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) picked up another submission when she armbarred McKenna (8-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) for a tap at 1:38 of Round 1 in the strawweight bout at the UFC Apex. It was the fourth-fastest submission in divisional history. Despite the fight’s brevity, Amorim locked in a deep submission twice in the same sequence. Prior to the official stoppage, Mike Beltran initially yelled “Stop” as McKenna made a verbal noise in an armbar attempt…

Mike Davis hadn’t fought for 18 months. In case anyone forgot him, he returned with a statement Saturday at UFC Fight Night 239. On the preliminary card at the UFC Apex, Davis (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) became the first opponent to finish Israel’s Natan Levy (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who he submitted at 1:43 of Round 2. Davis edged the first round, but his success on the scorecards didn’t hinder his determination to finish. When the fight hit the canvas in Round 2, Davis worked his way to an arm-triangle choke from mount, squeezed, and got the tap. Mike Davis…

LAS VEGAS – Gerald Meerschaert tied one of the longest standing records in the UFC on Saturday when he choked Bryan Barberena unconscious at UFC Fight Night 239. Meerschaert (36-17 MMA, 11-9 UFC) notched his 11th finish in UFC middleweight competition and matched Anderson Silva’s all-time divisional finishes record at the UFC Apex. After putting a grappling pace on Barberena (18-12 MMA, 9-10 UFC), he locked in a rear-naked choke/neck crank that put the lights out at the 4:23 mark of Round 3. Check out a replay of the historic outcome below (via X): Gerald Meerschaert put Bryan Barberena to sleep…

The UFC Fight Night 239 co-main event was declared a no contest – and moments later pandemonium broke out. While no punches were thrown, both Bryan Battle and Ange Loosa were restrained by a crowd of promotion and commission officials after they exchanged choice words over the circumstances surrounding the fight’s ending. The welterweight bout, which took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, ended after Battle’s right thumb poked Loosa in the left eye. Loosa said he couldn’t see and the fight was waved off. The stoppage came at 1:00 of Round 2. The sequence peeved Battle…

Share this article 795 shares share tweet text email link on Facebook on Twitter via text message on LinkedIn via email https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-fight-night-239-twitter-x-reacts-marcin-tybura-exciting-submission-tai-tuivasa March 16, 2024 9:46 pm ET Tai Tuivasa’s downward spiral continued on Saturday when Marcin Tybura handed him a fourth consecutive defeat in the UFC Fight Night 239 main event.Tybura (25-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) bounced back from his knockout loss to Tom Aspinall with a first-round submission win over Tuivasa (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) in the heavyweight headliner, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Tybura’s…