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Bonus Coverage | UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs Perez
The Fights & Performances That Warranted An Extra $50,000 In 2024
UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs Perez
UFC APEX cards always deliver and this one was no different, delivering some epic moments and knockouts. See which ones were worthy of an extra $50,000.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Uroš Medić
Uroš Medić got back in the win column in a big way and kicked off the main card with some heat as he knocked out Tim Means in 2:09 into the first round. The welterweights spent the first few minutes feeling each other out, but once Means came forward and tried to do a level change, Medić clipped with a left uppercut that sent “The Dirty Bird” to the canvas.
Performance Of The Night: Jhonata Diniz
Jhonata Diniz made waves in his UFC debut and left with a performance to remember as he continued the string of knockouts inside the Octagon on Saturday night. The Brazilian faced a bit of adversity in the first round as Lane spent most of the round with him wrestling, but things quickly shifted in the second round. Three minutes into the second round, Diniz started landing huge blows to Lane’s chins, finally finding one that sent the heavyweight down and putting an end to the fight.
Performance Of The Night: Bogdan Guskov
The light heavyweight division has a new contender as Bodgan Guskov took out ranked contender Ryan Spann in the second round. The first round didn’t go as anticipated for Guskov, but heading into the second frame, he was able to find success after the two spent time throwing blows back and forth. Guskov threw a hook that connected with Spann, followed up by a few strikes, Herb Dean was forced to call the fight, moving Guskov’s record to 16-3.
Performance Of The Night: Alex Perez
Alex Perez is back in the win column and it couldn’t have come in a bigger way than in the main event spotlight against Brazil’s Matheus Nicolau.
From the bell, Perez was on point, throwing combinations as Nicolau searched for his groove. The judges had Perez up on the scorecards heading into the second frame and he continued to put his foot on the gas, throwing a right hand that sent Nicolau’s legs buckling and forcing him. The flyweight was out to prove he still belongs with the best and he certainly did that tonight.
UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill
The expectations put upon UFC 300 were enormous—perhaps even hyperbolic—and, all things considered, the night delivered and perhaps exceeded them. With $300,000 bonuses on the line thanks to some goading from the athletes toward UFC CEO Dana White at the pre-fight press conference, each of the fighters came out with an added urgency. From the three title fights that ended the night to the championship-level fighters competing on the prelims, the athletes stepped up to the “Unrivaled Greatness” tag put on the event.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway
The third-ever BMF title fight might have been the greatest edition yet as Max “Blessed” Holloway and Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje went toe-to-toe for 24 minutes and 59 seconds before delivering a raucous ending worthy of the moniker.
Holloway got off to the better start in a measured first round despite receiving heavy leg kicks from Gaethje. At the end of the first, Holloway threw a spinning back kick, which landed on the face of the ducking Gaethje, likely breaking the BMF champion’s nose. Holloway remained in command for much of the next few rounds, but Gaethje gained some traction in the third and fourth. In the penultimate round, Gaethje had his best moment as he became the first man in the UFC to knock Holloway down. However, Holloway would get the last punch in when, with about 12 seconds on the clock, the Hawaiian pointed to the center of the Octagon, inviting Gaethje to slug it out. As the two went at it rock-em-sock-em style, Holloway cracked Gaethje with a right hand that put Gaethje to sleep with a second remaining, making Holloway the third BMF champion.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Max Holloway
“Blessed” opened myriad doors for himself with his knockout win over Gaethje. He increased his case to challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight belt, and he also put himself in great position in the lightweight title picture. Championship aspirations aside, Holloway further cemented himself as one of the greatest to step into the Octagon. Although he told UFC.com’s McKenzie Pavacich that he would change the BMF acronym to stand for “Blessed Man Forever,” a knockout like that—likely the 2024 frontrunner for Knockout of the Year—had everyone calling him the Baddest Motherf*****.
Performance Of The Night: Jiří Procházka
With an eerie calm, Jiří Procházka put himself back in the light heavyweight title picture. The Czech brawler took some of Aleksandar Rakic’s best shots in the first round, including several heavy leg kicks, but Procházka kept pressuring, probing and picking his spots with accuracy. In the second round, he upped the ante, rocking Rakic midway through the round before pouncing on him and finishing him off violently.
Gross total revenue: $16,508,823
Attendance: 20,867
3rd highest grossing event in UFC history
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Curtis 2
An exciting nights of fights at UFC APEX brought some intense back-and-forth battles, including the main event middleweight bout between Brendan Allen and Chris Curtis.
See which performances stood out and were recognized by UFC brass.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight of the Night: Chepe Mariscal vs Morgan Charriere
Chepe Mariscal and Morgan Charriere put on a heck of show for fight fans, as both featherweights kept their foot on the gas for fifteen minutes.
Each fighter displayed a variety of skills, creating a fun mixture of grappling scrambles and dynamic striking. Mariscal closed the distance to limit Charriere’s explosive attacks, in doing so he was able to have success and wear on Charriere over the course of 15 minutes.
The back-and-forth battle had all the elements of a razor close fight, but it was Mariscal’s cardio that came into play and likely earned him the split decision nod. At 3-0 in the UFC, Mariscal is quickly building a resume as an all-action fighter who gets the job done.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance of the Night: Ignacio Bahamondes
Surging lightweight Ignacio Bahamondes got back in the win column and he did it in style.
The 26-year-old added to his highlight reel with a picture-perfect head kick knockout of Christos Giagos. The Chile born Bahamondes was looking on top of his game for the first few minutes of the fight, landing great kicks and controlling the striking exchanges. He waited for his moment and threw the head kick and that was all she wrote.
The big win for Bahamondes puts him in a great spot to showcase all the improvements he’s made to his game as he climbs closer to the Top 15.
Performance of the Night: Cesar Almeida
The combat sports career of Cesar Alemida makes him one of the more intriguing middleweight newcomers.
He showed that he’s more than just a kickboxer when he handled some early adversity against Dylan Budka. It was clear that Budka wasn’t interested in striking with Almeida and he had some early success taking Almeida down. In the second round, with his back up against the fence, Almeida started landing strikes while defending a takedown attempt from Budka. Those strikes hurt Budka and forced him drop to the canvas and cover up so Almeida poured on the strikes and got the knockout finish.
Great debut and Almeida remains an exciting new addition to the 185-pound division.
UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs Fiorot
The Octagon returned to Atlantic City for the first time since in almost six years with New Jersey-bred contender in the main event as Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot dueled with a title shot likely on the line. The fighters up and down the card brought the action for the East Coast crowd, delivering more than a few moments that set the arena on fire. On a night that tied the record for the most knockouts during a single event with eight, these fighters stood out from the crowd.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight of the Night: Anton Turkalj vs Ibo Aslan
In a rematch dating back to their days on the regional scene, Anton Turkalj and Ibo Aslan went to war much to the delight of the Atlantic City crowd. The back-and-forth was wild and chaotic at times with a handful of moments where both men just stood in the pocket and slugged it out. As they entered the third round, more of the same rock-em-sock-em action occurred, and it was a flush right hand from Aslan that finally sent Turkalj stumbling to the canvas.
Aslan, a Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, scored a debut win and avenged his lone professional loss.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Nate Landwehr
It was a classic performance from Nate “The Train.” After weathering an early storm from Jamall Emmers, Landwehr stood his ground and started tagging Emmers with his own shots. Maintaining his composure and utilizing sharp footwork to pressure Emmers against the octagon, Landwehr continued to bring the brawl to Emmers until a slick uppercut rocked his foe. A few ground strikes later, and Landwehr finally secured his first knockout finish in the Octagon.
Performance Of The Night: Dennis Buzukja
Facing UFC debutant Connor Matthews, Dennis Buzukja pulled out his best performance in the Octagon to date. Buzukja stayed on the front foot for much of the first two rounds with slick striking and smart defensive movement. As Matthews tried to push the pace in the third round, Buzukja connected with a slick left hand that buzzed Matthews and gave Buzukja his first UFC win.
UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs Namajunas
For the second time in as many weekends, the Octagon landed in the UFC APEX for a solid night of fights. Rose Namajunas and Amanda Ribas headlined the affairs with the former strawweight champion besting the Brazilian over the course of five rounds. Before those two went to battle, these fighters punched in standout performances and earned some extra cash for their efforts.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight Of The Night: Jarno Errens vs Steven Nguyen
Jarno Errens earned his first UFC victory in his third try, besting debutant Steven Nguyen in a hard-fought, impressive 3-round war.
Errens found his rhythm quickly, splitting Nguyen’s lip and staying ahead of the pace on the feet. The Dutchman found plenty of success getting to Nguyen’s legs, limiting the Fortis MMA product’s movement significantly. In the second round, Errens found a home for a big shot to score a knockdown and stayed on the front foot in the third despite a game effort from Nguyen toward the latter stages of the fight.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Payton Talbott
Reno’s Payton Talbott scored the most impressive win of his career, scoring a 2nd-round knockout win over South African bantamweight prospect Cameron Saaiman.
Talbott beat Saaiman up plenty early, including a big knee in the first round that put him on the front foot. From there, Talbott was in rhythm. He walked forward, picked his shots, varied his targets and moved with little concern for what Saaiman threw back toward him. In the second round, Talbott cracked Saaiman with a clean left hook and pounched on him to complete the finish.
Performance Of The Night: Fernando Padilla
Fernando Padilla walked into the UFC APEX with a point to prove and made it emphatically to the tune of a 1st-round submission win over Luis Pajuelo. Padilla got an early knockdown with a slick left hand, which led to him taking control of his opponent on the ground. As the Peruvian worked back to his feet, Padilla locked in a standing D’arce choke to get the submission win .
UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura
The world leader in MMA hosted an another action-packed event in Las Vegas at the UFC APEX. See which fighters stood out with their performances at UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Jaqueline Amorim
With the extensive jiu jitsu background that Jaquelien Amorim has, it was only a matter of time until she locked up her first UFC submission.
The strawweight prospect went right to work against Cory McKenna – transitioning through a few submission attempts before finding the armbar early in the first round. Amorim’s submission was the fourth fasted in women’s strawweight history and it showcased just how talented Amorim is on the canvas.
Performance Of The Night: Jafel Filho
For the second fight in a row, Jafel Filho has put the flyweight division on notice.
Filho nearly submitted rising contender Muhammad Mokaev in his debut and then he succeeded in submitting Daniel Barez in his sophomore UFC appearance. At UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura he went back to the well against veteran Ode’ Osbourne.
Filho timed a shot and got Osbourne to the canvas. After that he just waited for Osbourne to make a mistake before sinking in a rear naked choke and forcing the tap. At this rate Filho will make himself one of the names to watch at 125-pounds.
Performance Of The Night: Macy Chiasson
Welcome back Macy Chiasson!
The bantamweight contender was away from the Octagon for a year and half and came back with a vengeance. Chiasson faced a familiar foe in Pannie Kianzad as the two fought almost six years ago on The Ultimate Fighter, with Chiasson winning by submission.
It was the same result at UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs Tybura. Chiasson took Kianzad to the floor and found the rear naked choke to get the win. It was an important win for Chiasson who is right back on track.
Performance Of The Night: Marcin Tybura
A heavyweight main event usually is a signal of banger fight and for as long as it lasted, that’s exactly what Tai Tuivasa vs Marcin Tybura was.
Tuivasa came out of the gate swinging, clipping Tybura with an elbow that opened up a cut on his head, but the Polish contender didn’t flinch. Tybura worked for a takedown and then started pouring strikes down on Tuivasa. When Tuivasa made an attempt to get of danger Tybura jumped on his neck and finished the fight.
It was the perfect bounce back performance for Tybura and keeps him right in the mix at the top tier of the heavyweight division.
UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
The UFC's second trip to Miami in as many years was another incredible success, as the matchups in the 305 delivered everything that fight fans could ever ask for.
Recap some of the top performances from UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2 and see which fighters took home bonus cash.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight Of The Night: Dustin Poirier vs Benoît Saint Denis
Fans had this fight circled on their calendar from the moment it was announced and for good reason. Benoît Saint Denis entered the fight on a five-fight win streak and started the first frame of strong, pressuring Poirier and utilizing his wrestling and power throughout.
Poirier almost got to show his jiu-jitsu skills once again as he went for multiple guillotine attempts.But heading into the second round, “The Diamond” started to find success on the feet, as he dropped Saint Denis and followed up with a few punches on the canvas, forcing the referee to come in and stop the fight.
It was a high risk, high reward for Poirier who sits currently No. 3 in the lightweight division, compared to Saint Denis’ No. 12, but the “The Diamond” got back in the win column in a massive way inside the Kaseya Center.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Sean O'Malley
It truly was the “Suga” show in the 305.
Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley defended his title in style, besting Marlon “Chito” Vera over the course of five rounds. O’Malley landed strikes from all angles for 25-minutes, with a second-round knee up the middle standing out as the hardest strike of the fight. Vera never gave up, pressing through the damage and through O’Malley wide variety of attacks.
This was the type of performance that fight fans needed to see from O’Malley who was in control from start to finish, but also showed how the champ would deal with someone as tough and resilient as Vera. The “Suga” era is just getting started.
Performance Of The Night: Jack Della Maddalena
Jack Della Maddalena with another finish for the highlight reel.
It was a back and forth battle between Della Maddalena and Gilbert Burns, with the Brazilian up on the scorecards heading into the second round. In the third round, the Australian escaped from a grappling exchange and as the two stood up he threw a knee that severely hurt Burns, sending him back toward the canvas. He followed up with several elbows with just over a minute left in the fight to get the job done.
This is a big win for Della Maddalena who looks to continue his rise in the welterweight division.
Performance Of The Night: Curtis Blaydes
The heavyweight clash between Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida was the ultimate test to see which top 10 heavyweight had the better grappling – and in the first round it was all Almeida.
And when Almeida went back to the well at the beginning of the first round Blaydes made him pay for it. Blaydes landed a short uppercut on Almeida’s entry and then followed up with a series of furious hammerfists which planted Almeida to the canvas and put a sudden end to the bout.
It was an important bounce-back win for Blaydes, who proved once again that he’s one of the best heavyweights in the world for a reason.
Performance Of The Night: Michel Pereira
Michel Pereira continues to shine at middleweight, as he extended his win streak to seven in a row with his performance at UFC 299.
Before we talk about Pereira's win, we have to discuss the walk out. It was a coordinated effort that saw Pereira bust a move before he delivered one of his best performances to date. Pereira hit the body of Michal Oleksiejczuk, forcing him to retreat, and that's when Pereira put his foot on the gas and went after Oleksiejczuk's neck. Pereira wrapped up the rear naked choke submission in 61 seconds.
Big things are on the horizon for Pereira, but "Demolidor" wants to fight in Brazil his next time out - maybe at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.
Performance Of The Night: Robelis Despaigne
What a debut for Robelis Despaigne.
The heavyweight newcomer had a reputation for finishing his fights quickly and he lived up to that reputation against Josh Parisian. Wildly swinging and retreating after a slip, "The Big Boy" caught Parisian with a strike that put him to floor. He added a follow up strike before the ref stepped in to stop the fight. 19 seconds.
The performance instantly makes Robelis must see TV in the heavyweight division.
Attendance: 19,165 (Sold Out)
Gross Total Revenue: $14,142,904 (Announced Live Gate)
*Highest grossing event at Kaseya Center of all-time
**4th highest grossing UFC event of all-time
UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Gaziev
The prelims delivered some unforgettable moments, followed by jawdropping action on the main card, another Saturday at the UFC APEX did not disappoint. See who shined bright in Las Vegas.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight Of The Night: Vinicius Oliveira vs Benardo Sopaj
Two fighters walking to the Octagon for the first time tonight made an incredible first impression, as Vinicius Oliveira knocked out Benardo Sopaj with a flying knee late in the third round.
The two debutants went back and forth in the opening round, with the first round going to Sopaj who found more success. Sopaj kept things going into the second round, but Oliveira started to find his groove, wearing down the 23-year-old into the final frame. With under a minute left to go, Oliveira threw a flying knee that put Sopaj on the canvas, giving us an early Knockout of the Year candidate.
Oliveira also won a Performance of the Night bonus tonight, leaving the APEX with $100,000 in his pocket.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Steve Erceg
Steve Erceg secured his third UFC win in a row, defeating his biggest test to date in a big way. Erceg and Matt Schnell exchanged a handful of punches in the first frame, with the Australian getting the nod from the judges after five rounds.
The action continued in the second round, as “Astroboy” threw a left hook that sent Schnell to the canvas, leaving him with his hand raised. Erceg currently sits at No. 12 in the rankings, with Schnell at No. 9, meaning his jaw dropping victory tonight could very well push him to the top 10.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Royval 2
UFC's return to Mexico City, Mexico provided fight fans with an exciting night of fights. With 13 fighters of Mexican descent competing, there were plenty of highs for the crowd at Arena CDMX. Here's the fighters who shined extra bright on Mexican soil.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight Of The Night: Daniel Zellhuber vs Francisco Prado
Daniel Zellhuber has been one of most intriguing prospects coming out of the lightweight division for a while, and he showcased why against Francisco Prado at UFC Mexico City.
For 15 minutes "Golden Boy" was a sniper, picking a relentless Prado apart. Zellhuber busted up Prado pretty bad with his counter strikes and his combinations but Prado never stopped pushing forward and looking for the knockout. The combination of Zellhuber's striking prowess and Prado's toughness made for a high-quality battle that had fight fans everywhere appreciate the work of both lightweights.
Zellhuber got the unanimous decision win with the performance and puts himself in a great position to take a step up the 155-pound ladder his next time out.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Brian Ortega
"T-City" is finally back in the win column.
Brian Ortega has waited a long time to get back into the Octagon after suffering an injury against Yair Rodriguez in 2022. He made the most of his second chance versus Rodriguez, pushing through an excellent first round by the former interim champion. Then in the second Ortega utilized his grappling to take over the fight and dominate Rodriguez for basically the entire second frame.
He went back to the well at the beginning of the third, taking Rodriguez down and transitioning into full-mount. He quickly hopped on an arm triangle that forced the tap from Rodriguez. It was a beautiful sequence and showed everyone that Ortega still has that championship heart and ability. The win comes at a perfect time with the featherweight division going through a transition and with the division in the spotlight.
Performance Of The Night: Manuel Torres
If people don't know who Manuel Torres is at this point they may want to do some research.
The Mexican lightweight means business every time he competes, and most of the time he finishes his fights in the first round. That was the case at UFC Mexico City when he hurt Chris Duncan and then submitted him with a rear naked choke. The win solidifies "El Loco" as another exciting prospect coming out of Mexico.
[Attendance - 21,546 sold out]
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria
UFC's second PPV event of 2024 was an incredible one, with Ilia Topuria breaking through and claiming the UFC featherweight championship with a stunning knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski. Elsewhere on the card there were back-and-forth battles and other bonus worth performances.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight Of The Night: Amanda Lemos vs Mackenzie Dern
The featured prelim was a wild one, as Brazilian strawweights shined in a 15-minute battle.
The first round was a tale of two styles, as Amanda Lemos found great success on the feet until Mackenzie Dern a was able to get the fight to the canvas. It was a very close round and prompted Lemos to turn things up in the second frame.
Lemos landed a picture-perfect straight right as Dern entered and dropped the submission ace to the floor. Lemos pressed the action and connected with another strike that dropped Dern again, this time forcing her to shell up. The fight was nearly stopped but Dern showed next-level toughness to hang on and push the fight to the third.
Beat-up but far from out, Dern got the Anaheim crowd on their feet and fought her heart out for the last five minutes. She was able to get the fight to the floor and gain some control time and have her best round of the fight, but Lemos’ big first two rounds were too much to overcome. It was a great fight and shows just how great the strawweight division is.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Ilia Topuria
It doesn’t get any better than what Ilia Topuria accomplished tonight.
Topuria took his time and found the hole he needed to exploit in Alexander Volkanovski’s game. Volk had success in the first round and was picking away at Topuria for most of the third then out of nowhere Topuria rushed the longtime champion.
Topuria’s furious combo was capped off with a right-hand right on the button and put Volkanovski out up against the fence. It was shocking to everyone in Honda Center except Topuria. He was confident this would happen and he believed he would knock him out in the second round. Job done.
Topuria became the fifth featherweight UFC champion in history with the win and brings the belt back to Spain and Georgia.
Performance Of The Night: Anthony Hernandez
“Fluffy” needs to get the recognition he deserves. The middleweight contender has won five straight fights and he’s done them in impressive fashion.
Anthony Hernandez accepted a dangerous fight with knockout artist Roman Kopylov and he turned in a trademark performance. It was gritty and it was relentless, and eventually he was able to work his way into a favorable position and choke out Kopylov.
Only big things are on the horizon for the No. 15 ranked Hernandez who certainly earned the chance to fight up in the rankings his next time out.
Performance Of The Night: Zhang Mingyang
We saw a brief glimpse of Zhang Mingyang’s power when he fought on Road To UFC back in 2022. Well now we’ve had a full introduction to just how fun it is to watch the light heavyweight from China compete in the Octagon.
Zhang’s debut came against Brendson Ribeiro, who looked incredible on Dana White’s Contender Series. The two went toe-to-toe until someone was knocked out and it was Zhang who emerged from the battle victorious. With the win he became the first fighter from China to win a fight in a weight class of light heavyweight or higher.
Attendance - 18,186
Announced Live Gate - $7,264,734
Highest Grossing Live Event At Honda Center
Highest Grossing MMA Event In California History
UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Pyfer
The night before the big game kicked off at Allegiant Stadium, the best action in Las Vegas took place inside the UFC APEX, with a six-fight main card filled with middleweight matchups and capped by a classic “veteran versus prospect” battle between Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Bogdan Guskov vs Zac Pauga
Light heavyweight Bogdan Gustov earned his first UFC victory in-style, knocking out TUF alumni Zac Pauga.
Early in the first round the Uzbekistan native fired off a lightning quick combination that closed the show. It was the perfect way for Guskov to bounce back after coming off short in his UFC debut. With plenty of power and technique to boot, Guskov has his sights on a bright 2024.
Performance Of The Night: Carlos Prates vs Trevin Giles
Coming into UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Pyfer, prospect Carlos Prates looked to be one of the bright stars coming off of Dana White’s Contender Series. He backed up the hype with a walk off knockout over respected veteran Trevin Giles.
Although it took Prates some time to get going there's no denying that the Brazilian welterweight has all the skill to be a contender in the division. It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for the Fighting Nerds athlete as he looks to have a stellar rookie campaign.
Performance Of The Night: Rodolfo Vieira vs Armen Petrosyan
Known for his submission skills, middleweight Rodolfo Vieira came in and showed exactly why people rave about his ground game. Once he was able to get Armen Petrosyan to the ground he was lights out and sunk in an arm triangle submission as time expired in the first round.
That makes back-to-back arm triangle submission wins for Vieira, as well as back-to-back Performance of the Night bonuses. Vieira is now tied for the 3rd most submission wins in UFC middleweight history with five. He is also in sole possession of the most arm triangle choke submissions in UFC history.
Vieira has never had a three fight win streak in the UFC and looks to make that happen in 2024.
Performance Of The Night: Dan Ige vs Andre Fili
Coming off a tough decision loss to Bryce Mitchell featherweight stalwart Dan Ige defended his place in the rankings against Andre Fili. It was a weird matchup for Ige, who considers Fili a friend, but that didn’t hold him back in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Pyfer.
Ige delivered a stunning first round knockout reminding everyone why they used to call him “Dynamite Dan.” In his octagon interview Ige revealed that he and his wife were expecting a new baby at any moment.
With a new baby on the way and back in the win column 50,000 thousand dollars is just the cherry on top.
UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs Imavov
The second fight card of 2024 to take place in the UFC APEX delivered some important results for the leader in mixed martial arts.
There was just a little bit of everything at UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs Imavov, solid back-and-forth fights, submissions, knockouts and controversy. Here were the fighters and fights that shined.
Fight Card | Prelim Results | Main Card Results | Official Scorecards
Fight Of The Night: Azat Maksum vs Charles Johnson
If you only watched the first minute of the flyweight bout between Azat Maksum and Charles Johnson, you might not know why this clash earned Fight of the Night.
Maksum started out looking flawless – just as he’s been throughout his mixed martial arts career. He dropped Johnson multiple times and had the UFC vet on his heels. But between the first and second round, Johnson tapped into his “Inner G” and started working his game. He pushed Maksum and was the busier fighter in the second frame. In the third Johnson had completely turned the tables on Maksum, he hurt him a few times and nearly had him out with a ninja choke before pouring it on as time expired.
It was one heck of a comeback win for Johnson who took a big risk with this fight, which paid off in a big way.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Molly McCann
Strawweight Molly McCann is here, and she looked phenomenal at 115-pounds.
“Meatball” happily accepted a rematch with Diana Belbita, as both wanted to find their footing to kick off 2024. McCann stayed true to her aggressive style and pushed the issue from the beginning – connecting with some power strikes that got Belbita’s attention.
At the end of the round McCann took Belbita down and transitioned into a lightning quick armbar. It forced the tap the tap before the buzzer sounded to end round one and just like that, McCann was back in the win column.
It was a great win and showed how seriously McCann has worked on her game and her mentality. Attacking her weaknesses and moving to the proper weight class has McCann moving in the right direction.
Performance Of The Night: Randy Brown
Randy Brown has been looking a highlight reel knockout for quite a while, and he final got what he was looking for against Muslim Salikhov.
“Rudeboy” heard his coach point something out early in the first-round while standing across from Salikhov. He downloaded the data and waited for his chance to strike, and then landed a picture-perfect one-two down the pipe that put “The King of Kung-Fu” out of business.
Brown’s win put his win streak at two and will likely put him back in contention to fight in or near the welterweight rankings the next time he walks to the Octagon.
UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis
The first pay-per-view of 2024 saw the Octagon return to Toronto for the first time since December 2018 and featured nine Canadians as well as a pair of title fights. Dricus Du Plessis became South Africa’s first champion with a split decision defeat of Sean Strickland, and Raquel Pennington outhustled Mayra Bueno Silva to claim the vacant bantamweight crown. Throughout the rest of the card, hotly contested fights decorated the card, including a meaningful featherweight contest between Movsar Evloev and a classic comeback effort from Neil Magny.
Fight of the Night: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis
South Africa got its first champion as Dricus Du Plessis battled Sean Strickland and got the split decision nod. The first round looked like a classic Strickland fight as the champ landed his jab at will, but Du Plessis saw success as well and mixed in grappling with great success. Although Du Plessis seemed to struggle finding his range, he consistently landed high kicks and body kicks until finally scoring with his hands. Eventually, Du Plessis gave Strickland a nasty cut on his left eye that seemed to bother the champion, but Strickland still bounced back to win the fifth round on all the judges’ scorecards. Du Plessis did enough, however, in the middle trio of rounds to get the decision and showed he can very much implement his awkward style at the highest level over the course of five rounds.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Gillian Robertson
“Savage” put her grappling on display once again against Polyana Viana culminating in a nonstop, ground-and-pound finish in the second round. Viana had the speed advantage on the feet, but Robertson skillfully navigated the danger, changed levels and got the fight to the ground. After fishing for submissions, Robertson threw caution to the wind and unleashed an onslaught of ground strikes that earned the stoppage. The TKO was Robertson’s second, her first also coming in her native Canada at UFC 240.
Performance Of The Night: Jasmine Jasudavicius
Jasudavicius scored the first win of the night for Canada with a relentless and dominant performance ending in an anaconda choke submission in the third round over Priscila Cachoeira. In each round, Jasudavicius relatively manhandled “Zombie Girl” and breathlessly poured on the strikes. To call the fight one-way traffic is an understatement, and it was just the performance she needed after dropping her last fight. The result makes two wins in two for her in her native Canada as well.
Gross Total Revenue: USD: $7,898,695; CAD: $10,634,408 (Announced Live Gate)
Attendance: 18,559*Sold Out*
Highest grossing live event at Scotiabank Arena, UFC highest grossing arena event in Canada
UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Walker 2
UFC welcomed 2024 with an action-packed, highlight-loaded affair at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker collided to settle their score, while Jim Miller added to his record breaking UFC career against Gabriel Benitez. The card was also stacked with newcomers, prospects, and veterans trying to make good on their goals for the year.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Performance Of The Night: Magomed Ankalaev
Light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker ran it back after a bizzare ending to their UFC 294 bout last year and there was nothing controversial about the way this once concluded.
In the second round Ankalaev connected with a powerful strike that sent Walker tumbling back to the Octagon fence. Ankalaev’s follow up strike was a pin-point strike that instantly damaged Walker. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in right after the strike and the score was settled.
It was a key win for Ankalaev, who is trying to reestablish himself as the next fighter to fight for the light heavyweight title held by Alex Pereira.
Performance Of The Night: Jim Miller
What else would you expect from the one and only Jim Miller than a vintage performance that was grimy and ended with his hand raised. Miller had a game opponent in Gabriel Benitez and the two weren’t afraid to stand and exchange.
After some toe-to-toe combat Miller went to his bread and butter and took the fight to ground in the third frame. Miller wrapped up Benitez neck and cranked until the vet tapped. It was Miller’s 26th UFC victory – extending his record for most UFC wins. His 18 finishes are second only to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
Expect to see Miller next at UFC 300, where he will completely the holy trinity of competing on UFC 100, UFC 200, and UFC 300.
Performance Of The Night: Marcus McGhee
Bantamweights need to have Marcus McGhee on the radar.
The 33-year-old who trains out of Arizona stepped up his game at UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs Walker 2 when he beat decorated striker Gaston Bolaños at his own game. McGhee stood in the center and traded strikes with Bolaños and hurt him on multiple occasions in the second round.
After softening up Bolaños even more he dropped him with a straight shot and then was on the hunt. He threw a spinning kick and then overwhelmed Bolaños with ground and pound before the ref called it.
The TKO win puts McGhee at 3-0 in the UFC and with three finishes. Big things are on the horizon for “The Maniac” in 2024.
Performance Of The Night: Brunno Ferreira
Anytime a resume shows that a fighter has a 100% finish rate, you know he’s going to bring it. You can also tell when a fighter has the nickname “The Hulk” that he’s got real power.
That’s exactly what Brunno Ferreira has shown in his UFC fights so far, and although he suffered his first professional loss before his fight with Phil Hawes, he knew he could still rely on his power. Late in the first round Ferreira landed a power shot that put Hawes out cold and put the Brazilian middleweight prospect on the map as a real threat anytime he’s wearing 4. oz gloves.
It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for him, but whatever it is, you can guarantee he’s planning on smashing all expectations.
UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis took place live from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on January 20, 2024. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
