Knockdown Daily 1/7/22: UFC PPVs See $5 Price Increase In The U.S.
The recent change in price for a UFC PPV in the U.S. leads the MMA stories for Friday
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Welcome to the Friday edition of the Knockdown Daily. Today’s issue will discuss the latest news in the world of MMA.
News
UFC Pay-Per-View Price To Increase By Five Dollars In U.S. Market
The price for UFC pay-per-view events in the U.S. market has seen yet another increase, going up to $74.99 USD per purchase, as announced Thursday.
The change will go into effect later this month when the promotion hosts UFC 270 on January 22nd.
The news marks another increase in the price of viewing PPV events in the U.S. The last price increase, which was announced in late 2020, was also $5.
A bigger price tag will also be added to the PPV package that is tied to a deal with ESPN+. The package to buy a PPV event and also get a year of ESPN+ has increased by $10, up to $99.98 from $89.98.
ESPN+ deals not associated with PPV purchases will remain unchanged. An annual subscription to the service is currently $69.99, with a subscription that is billed monthly on a recurring basis charging $6.99 each time.
While ESPN+ is not being increased with this news, it has gone up in price twice over the past year-and-a-half. In December 2020, the annual fee went from $50 to $60. In July 2021, it was reported that the price would increase again, moving up to what it goes for now.
The ESPN+ service continues to be a reliant platform for U.S. viewers for the UFC. The online subscription service is currently the exclusive home to purchasing PPV events and is the host of the majority of UFC “Fight Night” cards.
UFC hosts roughly one PPV event per month. In 2021, they aired precisely 12.
Anthony Pettis Expected To Compete In 2022 PFL Season
Anthony Pettis is expected to return to PFL this year, competing in their season format for the second time.
Pettis announced his return to the promotion on Wednesday night via social media, posting a highlight reel of his fights in the PFL cage whilst tagging the promotion. It was later confirmed by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting that Pettis is set to compete for the promotion again this year.
Pettis surprised many in 2020 when he announced he was leaving the UFC to fight in the PFL. This concluded a 20-fight run that he had with the promotion that lasted nearly an entire decade.
Pettis competed in the lightweight division during the 2021 PFL season, hoping to get a shot at their grand prize of $1 million.
However, due to being on the losing side of two upsets in the regular season, he didn’t qualify for the playoffs. After losing on scorecards to Clay Collard in April, two months later he lost a close split decision to Raush Manfio. He did not compete again for the final six months of the year.
Aside from competing Pettis will be busy in 2022 launching his new promotion, Showtime Fighting Championship. The promotion is set to launch on streaming service UFC Fight Pass sometime this year, per Pettis.
Matt Brown vs. Bryan Barberena Re-Booked, Now Set For March 26th UFC Card
Veteran Matt Brown will get his fight against Bryan Barberena after all, as the pairing was been booked for UFC’s March 26th card. News of the welterweight bout was confirmed by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting on Thursday.
The fight joins a card that is set to take place in Brown’s hometown, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Brown was first scheduled to meet Barberena in December. However, the fight was scrapped in the weeks leading up, as Brown tested positive for COVID-19.
Barberena still competed on that card, handing UFC newcomer Darian Weeks his first pro loss. That performance put Barberena back into the win column after suffering a loss to Jason Witt earlier in the year.
The upcoming fight is set to extend Brown’s record for most fights in the UFC welterweight division, which currently sits at 28 bouts in total.
Brown snapped a two-fight skid in his last appearance, putting away Dhiego Lima in the second round with strikes.
Warlley Alves Out of UFC 270 Bout Against Jack Della Maddalena
Jack Della Maddalena will need a new opponent if he plans on making his UFC debut on January 22nd. His opponent, Warlley Alves, has withdrawn from their matchup for UFC 270, per a report from Nolan King and Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie.
The fight was scheduled to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA.
It’s unknown why Alves withdrew from his fight currently. Also, with just over two weeks until UFC 270, it’s not clear whether Della Maddalena will compete on that card or if he will be placed on a new lineup.
Della Maddalena earned a UFC contract in September, fighting to a unanimous decision win over Ange Loosa on the TV show “Dana White’s Contender Series.” The victory extended his winning streak to 10 consecutive bouts.
The fight at UFC 270 was set to put Alves back into the win column after being stopped by Jeremiah Wells in June.
‘Contender Series’ Alum Aaron Jeffery To Defend CFFC Belt Against Rex Harris On January 29th
Aaron Jeffery will return to CFFC later this month to defend his middleweight belt against Rex Harris. The fight will headline CFFC 105, which is set to happen on January 29th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, per an announcement made Thursday.
Jeffery earned the CFFC Middleweight Championship in March of last year, fighting four rounds for a decision win over Collin Huckbody.
He later appeared on the 2021 Season of “Dana White’s Contender Series,” competing for a spot on the UFC roster. He was unsuccessful in that appearance as he lost to Caio Borralho.
Harris fought as part of the PFL for years, joining them when back in 2015 when they were still recognized as WSOF. He competed in their 2018 season, getting eliminated in the semi-finals of the playoff portion.
His last appearance was in August where he stopped Chris Dempsey with strikes in the first round on a regional card.
The title fight sees Harris make his return to CFFC nearly a decade after his last appearance for the promotion. Harris fought on CFFC 15 in 2012, defeating Shedrick Goodridge.
Here are all of the fights that were announced Thursday:
Bout 6: Aaron Jeffery (10-3) vs. Rex Harris (12-5) (CFFC Middleweight Championship)
Bout 5: Jose Perez (5-1) vs. Paul Capaldo (6-0) (Featherweight)
Bout 4: Taylor Pierce (2-1) vs. Joe Tiziano (3-1) (Featherweight)
Bout 3: James Lyons (2-1) vs. Damion Nelson (2-0) (Featherweight)
Bout 2: Caleb Hall (2-2) vs. Manny Morales (0-0) (Welterweight)
Bout 1: Nick Gebhard (1-2) vs. Dylan LaPalomento (3-0) (Amateur Flyweight)
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