The UFC handed out four main bonuses following Saturday’s event in New York, highlighted by an unforgettable heavyweight championship matchup at Madison Square Garden, as reported by sports.yahoo.com.
Fight of the Night
Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit earned $100,000 each after delivering an all-time classic heavyweight title fight that set a new division record for total strikes in a single bout. Hokit created immense pressure and threatened to take scorecards, but Gane ultimately secured identical 48-47 scores across all three judges to keep his championship belt.
Performance of the Night Winners
Kayla Harrison collected a $100,000 bonus after defending her women’s bantamweight title in the co-main event against Amanda Nunes. Although Nunes appeared to shift momentum in the fourth round, Harrison seized victory by catching a kick, taking the back, and forcing the returning former dual champion to tap out via rear-naked choke.
Stephen Thompson also secured a $100,000 bonus by stopping Charles Radtke with a third-round head kick. The victory marked the final bout of Thompson’s career, snapping a three-fight losing streak and mirroring his promotional debut with a signature striking finish.
Additional Finish Bonuses
Cesar Almeida earned a $25,000 finish bonus for pulling off a major upset as a significant underdog against the previously undefeated knockout artist Donte Johnson, securing a first-round technical knockout at a mutually agreed 190-pound contract weight.
Bia Mesquita received a $25,000 finish bonus after submitting Macy Chiasson with a first-round rear-naked choke, marking her fourth consecutive submission victory to begin her UFC tenure and breaking the previous organizational record previously held by Ronda Rousey.
The promotion additionally awarded $25,000 checks to fighters who secured finishes without capturing the primary bonus categories on the New York card.
