Latest news with #FightofNight
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 315 bonuses: Mike Malott \n'Proper' screwed, no $50K for making 'Buffalo' into burger
UFC 315 bonuses: Mike Malott 'Proper' screwed, no $50K for making 'Buffalo' into burger Belal Muhammad gets first Fight of Night bonus in nearly nine years – since UFC debut – but loses title The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday's card, but denied one of the most brutal finishes of the year – and a moment that electrified fans perhaps more than any other yet this year in the UFC. Four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in at UFC 315 in Montreal. Check out the winners below. Performance of the Night: Marc-Andre Barriault Marc-Andre Barriault def. Bruno Silva via knockout (elbows) – Round 1, 1:27 It's pretty hard to deny someone a bonus when their knockout sends an opponent out of the arena on a stretcher and to the hospital. That's what Marc-Andre Barriault (17-9 MMA, 6-8 UFC) did to Bruno Silva (23-13 MMA, 4-7 UFC)with crazy elbows on the prelims. Plus, he took 20 percent of Silva's purse because the Brazilian missed weight. Performance of the Night: Jasmine Jasudavicius Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Jessica Andrade via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:40 Canada's Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) continued to make a rapid ascent up the women's flyweight ladder when she took out former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade (26-14 MMA, 17-12 UFC) with a first-round submission. She made a strong case for title consideration with the win. Fight of the Night: Jack Della Maddalena def. Belal Muhammad Jack Della Maddalena def. Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) The welterweight title changed hands in the main event when Jack Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) upset champion Belal Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC), who was making his first attempted defense of the title. Della Maddalena has yet to lose in the UFC. Despite the loss, Muhammad's bonus was just his third – and his first Fight of the Night bonus since his promotional debut nearly nine years ago.
USA Today
05-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Brad Tavares prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 65
Gerald Meerschaert and Brad Tavares meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 65 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 3-3 UFC main cards, 2025: 25-22-1 Gerald Meerschaert vs. Brad Tavares UFC on ESPN 65 preview Perhaps one of the most unheralded UFC stats is that Meerschaert (37-18 MMA, 12-10 UFC) hash nine straight wins by submission and nearly 80 percent of his total haul of MMA victories by tapout. If he can get Tavares (20-10 MMA, 15-10 UFC) to tap, it will be the 30th submission of his career. The beauty of the matchup? Tavares hasn't been submitted in 15 years – and it didn't even count since it was a fight in the 'TUF' house. Gerald Meerschaert vs. Brad Tavares UFC on ESPN 65 expert pick, prediction Filling out the main card is a matchup between two of my favorite middleweights, Brad Tavares and Gerald Meerschaert. Despite my constant complaining about the matchmakers' love of force-feeding us middleweights at any opportunity, Meerschaert and Tavares are two fighters whom I have genuine love and appreciation for. Tavares doesn't get enough love for his longevity due to his propensity to participate in hard-fought decisions. Meerschaert, on the other hand, is a workman-like veteran who will generally sell out to secure his win conditions – which is why he quietly holds so many finishing records at 185 pounds. Although Meerschaert is primarily known for his submission prowess, 'GM3' is an underrated southpaw striker who can make things much closer than many suspect. Luckily for Tavares, he generally tends to fair well against dedicated UFC-level lefties, standing at 3-1 opposite listed southpaws in the octagon. Tavares' last finish also comes against a southpaw in Krzysztof Jotko, but the Xtreme Couture product also got clipped with a southpaw right hook by a stance-switching Bruno Silva (who eventually knocked him out from orthodox with another right hand). I'm not sure Meerschaert has the same pop or shot selection as Silva, so this may come down to his ability to wear down and eventually ground Tavares. The small cage should favor Meerschaert's efforts, I'm just not sure it will be enough to overcome Tavares' excellent takedown defense. As a big fan of these guys, I'm hoping for a Fight of Night barnburner that ends in a draw. But as an analyst who is trying his best to put biases aside, I believe that Tavares is stylistically set up to hit his quiet trend of finding a finish in the octagon every seven years. The pick is Tavares by knockout in Round 1. Gerald Meerschaert vs. Brad Tavares UFC on ESPN 65 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Hawaiian fighter, listing Tavares (-220) and Meerschaert (+176) via FanDuel. Gerald Meerschaert vs. Brad Tavares UFC on ESPN 65 start time, how to watch Meerschaert and Tavares are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET. The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.
