Table of Content
The Ultimate Fighting Championship distributed four major bonuses following Saturday’s fight card at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Headliners and standout finishers took home extra cash, including four $100,000 checks and four additional $25,000 payouts for finishes that did not win top honors.
Fight of the Night
Johnny Walker and Waldo Cortes Acosta each earned $100,000 for winning Fight of the Night. Walker controlled the opening round with strong leg kicks before facing trouble and spending considerable time on his back during the second frame. Just past the halfway mark of the third round, Walker landed a glancing head kick followed by a spinning attack, eventually dropping Cortes Acosta to secure the upset victory.
Performance of the Night Bonuses
Elijah Smith collected a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus after a quick bantamweight clash against Davey Grant on the main card. Both fighters landed simultaneous punches within the first minute, but Smith’s blow proved more powerful, leading to a follow-up knockdown and two decisive punches that ended the bout at the 60-second mark.
Thomas Petersen claimed the other $100,000 Performance of the Night award after overcoming a turbulent first round against Gabriel Lorenco, where he nearly suffered two finishes. Petersen survived the opening frame and staged a second-round comeback against an exhausted Lorenco, ultimately securing the stoppage with just 13 seconds remaining in the fight.
Finish Bonuses
Nina Milosevic received a $25,000 finish bonus after applying early pressure against Priscila Cachoeira in the opening round. Although she could not secure a stoppage immediately, Milosevic maintained her attack into the second frame to earn her second consecutive UFC knockout.
Austin Bashi earned a $25,000 finish bonus by landing a combination on Carlos Calderon and securing an easy takedown. Bashi quickly locked in a rear-naked choke when Calderon turned his back, forcing a tapout in just 67 seconds. The matchup came together during fight week after original opponent Lucas Brennan withdrew from facing Bashi, who entered the event as the card’s heaviest betting favorite.
Andre Petroski secured a $25,000 finish bonus by pounding his way to a second-round TKO victory against Mantas Kondratavicius. The emotional win snapped a three-fight losing skid for the middleweight competitor.
Jose Souza opened the event with a $25,000 finish bonus after stopping Jonny Parsons with a clean two-punch combination. Souza faked with his right hand before landing an uppercut, followed by a precise left hook that knocked Parsons out instantly with 44 seconds left in the first round.
