Latest news with #UFConESPN64
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lerone Murphy wants title shot with UFC on ESPN 64 win but won't 'be an actor' to get it
LAS VEGAS – Lerone Murphy knows that eventually, there comes a point where winning solves everything, and that's the mentality he brings into Saturday's UFC on ESPN 65 headliner vs. Josh Emmett. Murphy (15-0-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) has never lost a fight to this point in his career, and he intends to keep that streak going when he takes on Emmett (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a five-round featherweight headliner at the UFC Apex (ESPN, ESPN+). It's a fight he specifically asked for after beating Dan Ige in October, and now he wants to show the promotion it made the right call granting his wish. 'It's a massive challenge,' Emmett old reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday's UFC on ESPN 64 media day. 'Biggest challenge of my career so far, but I'm ready for that and I've trained hard for this. So the outcome will be the outcome. That's it. Simple as that. I didn't ask for this fight for no reason. I asked for the fight because I know Josh Emmett's a warrior. I know how good he is and I know that'll bring the best out of me.' The timing of the fight couldn't be much better for Murphy. Just one week after his main event, Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will fight for the 145-pound title vacated by Ilia Topuria when they meet in the UFC 314 headliner on April 12 in Miami. It's Murphy's intentions to show he is the right man to challenge whoever the new champion is. 'Ilia Topuria went on to fight for the title after Josh Emmett, so for me, this is a No. 1 contender fight,' Murphy said. 'I feel like behind Lopes and Volkanovski, who are fighting the week after, I think this is the best fight in the division. For me, this is the No. 1 contender fight. I'm looking forward to it.' What Murphy, 33, thinks about his positioning compared to how the UFC brass and fans view him are two entirely different things, though. Murphy said he understands this, and thus far he has struggled a bit to gain traction where it arguably means the most. Murphy refuses to sell out and showcase himself as anything other than what his core valuable represent, though. If that means it takes him a little longer to get where he wants to be, then the Brit said he can live with that. 'I'm here to provide for my family and get that title and I don't really care about anything else,' Murphy said. 'But it's probably because I'm quiet and reserved. That's the only thing I can put that too, because if anybody else, especially in the UK, any of the UK fighters had the record I had and beat who I've beat, then you already know. It is what it is though.' 'I'm always going to be me. I'm never going to be fake. I could be fake and be an actor, but I'm always going to stick to what feels good for me. I'm just going to let my fighting do the talking and keep stacking up those wins, and surely after a bit, everyone will get behind me.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.
USA Today
01-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 64 winner MarQuel Mederos says 'f*ck it' and calls out lightweight veteran
MEXICO CITY – MarQuel Mederos wasn't totally thrilled with his performance, so a callout wasn't the first thing on his mind. But just as he was going to officially decline a namedrop once and for all, he had a change of heart. Following his UFC on ESPN 64 win over Austin Hubbard on Saturday in Mexico City, Mederos (10-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) mentioned the experienced veteran Jared Gordon (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) as a potential next fight. 'I have some things in mind,' Mederos told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference after the win. 'But definitely after that fight, I think I need to sit my ass down and go do some training. Then, we can talk about that later. That's my next move. Actually, you know what? F*ck it. I had Jared Gordon in mind and that's who I wanted. If they can make that happen, let's make it happen. I don't really have a date necessarily, but I'd love to have that fight.' Mederos said the callout is rooted less in what Gordon does and more in his own self-confidence. Mederos has yet to lose as a professional and thinks he has the skills to beat a crafty veteran like Gordon. 'I like a lot of things,' Mederos said. 'You see when you ask me about it, it puts a smile on my face. I like a lot of things. I more like the idea of what I can do, rather than what he has going on. But I love the idea of the fight, just in general.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
USA Today
30-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mick Maynard's Shoes: What's next for Brandon Moreno after UFC on ESPN 64 win?
Brandon Moreno showed that he's still among the most prominent figures in the flyweight division when he defeated Steve Erceg in Saturday's UFC on ESPN 64 main event. Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC) earned a unanimous decision victory over Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, and afterward called for a title shot on the newly announced UFC 320 card for Noche UFC on Sept. 13. Will Moreno get booked for a third showdown with champion Alexandre Pantoja? Or does something else make more sense given his current position at 125 pounds. Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Moreno's future after UFC on ESPN 64. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ESPN 64 predictions: Unanimous picks up and down the card in Mexico
The UFC is back in Mexico this week with a a former champion at the top of the card. UFC on ESPN 64 (ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below. Records: Borjas (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC), Rodriguez (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) Past five: Borjas 3-2, Rodriguez 5-0 Division: Flyweight Rankings: None Odds (as of 03.29.25): Borjas +130, Rodriguez -155 Junkie pick results: Rodriguez 11, Borjas 0 Records: Martinez (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Oliveira (18-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) Past five: Martinez 5-0, Oliveira 3-2 Division: Bantamweight Rankings: None Odds (as of 03.29.25): Martinez -520, Oliveira +390 Junkie pick results: Martinez 11, Oliveira 0 Records: Morales (11-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC), Rosas (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) Past five: Morales 3-2, Rosas Jr. 4-1 Division: Bantamweight Rankings: None Odds (as of 03.29.25): Morales +390, Rosas Jr. -520 Junkie pick results: Rosas 11, Morales 0 Records: Gastelum (18-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC), Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) Past five: Gastelum 2-3, Pyfer 4-1 Division: Middleweight Rankings: None Odds (as of 03.29.25): Gastelum +240, Pyfer -300 Junkie pick results: Pyfer 9, Gastelum 2 Records: Dober (27-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC), Torres (15-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) Past five: Dober 2-3, Torres 4-1 Division: Lightweight Rankings: None Odds (as of 03.29.25): Dober -110, Torres -110 Junkie pick results: Torres 9, Dober 2 Records: Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC), Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) Past five: Moreno 3-2, Erceg 3-2 Division: Flyweight Rankings: Moreno No. 3, Erceg No. 9 Odds (as of 03.29.25): Moreno -195, Erceg +165 Junkie pick results: Moreno 11, Erceg 0 Although they don't count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results: Edgar Chairez vs. CJ Vergara: Chairez 6, Vergara 5 Ateba Gautier vs. Jose Daniel Medina: Gautier 10, Medina 1 Melquizael Costa vs. Christian Rodriguez: Rodriguez 11, Costa 0 Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri: Godinez 11, Polastri 0 Rafa Garcia vs. Vinc Pichel: Garcia 10, PIchel 1 Jamall Emmers vs. Gabriel Miranda: Emmers 8, Miranda 3 Austin Hubbard vs. MarQuel Mederos: Mederos 10, Hubbard 1 Check out all the main card picks below. (Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.) Moreno vs. Erceg Dober vs. Torres Gastelum vs. Pyfer Morales vs. Rosas Jr. Martinez vs. Oliveira Borjas vs. Rodriguez MMA Junkie readers' consensus picks 31-21 Moreno (82%) Dober (53%) Pyfer (74%) Rosas Jr. (88%) Martinez (88%) Rodriguez (90%) Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 34-18 2024 Champion Moreno Torres Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Matt Erickson @MattE 31-21 Moreno Dober Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Ken Hathaway @1khathaway 31-21 2017, 2022, 2024 Champion Moreno Torres Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Brian Garcia @thegoze 31-21 2017 Champion Moreno Torres Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Nolan King @mma_kings 31-21 2023 Champion Moreno Torres Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 30-22 2014 Champion Moreno Torres Gastelum Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 29-23 Moreno Torres Gastelum Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 27-25 Moreno Torres Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Simon Samano @SJSamano 27-25 Moreno Dober Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 27-25 Moreno Torres Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez Matthew Wells @MrMWells 25-27 Moreno Torres Pyfer Rosas Jr. Martinez Rodriguez For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 64. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC on ESPN 64 predictions: Unanimous picks up and down the card in Mexico
USA Today
30-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 64 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $33 million
MEXICO CITY – Fighters from Saturday's UFC on ESPN 64 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $168,500. 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 on ESPN 64 took place at Arena CDMX in Mexico. The card aired on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+. The full UFC on ESPN 64 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included: * * * * Brandon Moreno: $16,000 def. Steve Erceg: $6,000 Manuel Torres: $4,500 def. Drew Dober: $21,000 Edgar Chairez: $4,500 def. CJ Vergara: $6,000 Raul Rosas Jr.: $6,000 def. Vince Morales: $11,000 David Martinez: $4,000 def. Saimon Oliveira: $4,000 Kevin Borjas: $4,000 def. Ronaldo Rodriguez: $4,000 Ateba Gautier: $4,000 def. Jose Daniel Medina: $4,000 Melquizael Costa: $6,000 def. Christian Rodriguez: $6,000 Loopy Godinez: $11,000 def. Julia Polastri: $4,000 Rafa Garcia: $6,000 def. Vinc Pichel: $11,000 Jamall Emmers: $6,000 def. Gabriel Miranda: $4,500 Marquel Mederos: $4,000 def. Austin Hubbard: $11,000 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 $4,640; 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 $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000. In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-64 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials. Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts: Year-to-date total: $2,118,000 2024 total: $8,280,500 2023 total: $8,188,000 2022 total: $8,351,500 2021 total: $6,167,500 Program-to-date total: $33,135,500 For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
