– UFC 182 hit big on pay-per-view according to MMA Fighting and Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer. Initial estimated put the show between 740,000-820,000 buys, which is the most in the company in over a year.
UFC President Dana White had projected a 750,000 buy show, but after said all indications pointed to a higher number. 2014 was a down year for PPV in the UFC, but if the most optimistic projections end up being true, UFC 182 outsold the previous three company PPV’s combined.
– After missing over a year from the Octagon it appears former UFC Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos won’t be returning any time soon. The Brazilian heavyweight had surgery to repair his knee and nose, and there’s no timetable for his return.
“I would like to let you know that I just had a knee and nose surgery and that went very well,” dos Santos said on his Instagram page. “There are some people that a simple thank you doesn’t seem to be enough to show them how thankful you are for their help. But I still want to give a special thank(s) to doctor Moisés Cohen and his crew who one more time are taking care of me and doctor Sergio Miranda and his crew who did my nose surgery and his daughter Maria Vitoria. Thank you!”
– UFC Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza is set for her first championship defense, as she’ll take on Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in Dallas, Texas. Esparza became champion in December after a one-sided victory over highly touted Rose Namajunas.
– Speaking of standout strawweights, Paige VanZant has also been booked, as she’ll take on Felice Herrig at UFC on Fox 15 on April 18.
VanZant received heavy mainstream coverage after her UFC debut, which was a “fight of the night performance” over Kailin Curran at UFC Fight Night 57 in November. Despite the bout appearing on UFC Fight Pass, the 20-year old Californian made front page news the following week on Yahoo. She’s also getting press from the likes of Vogue and Sports Illustrated.
