UFC 286 bonuses: The widely predicted Fight of the Night came through in London
The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including two to a fight most predicted would take Fight of the Night.
After UFC 286, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in London. Check out the winners below.
Performance of the Night: Jake Hadley
Mar 18, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Jake Hadley (red gloves) fights Malcolm Gordon (not pictured) during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Hadley def. Malcolm Gordon via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:01
[autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) needed a big-time performance to get the taste out of his mouth of a loss in his UFC debut. He came through with flying colors with a 61-second TKO of Malcolm Gordon (14-7 MMA, 2-4 UFC) that started with a pair of shots to the body. Gordon missed weight, to boot, so Hadley got 30 percent of his check on top of his own pay and the bonus.
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Performance of the Night: Gunnar Nelson
Mar 18, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Gunnar Nelson (red gloves) prepares to fight Bryan Barberena (not pictured) during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Gunnar Nelson def. Bryan Barberena via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:51
A year after he returned from a 30-month layoff with a decision win, jiu-jitsu standout [autotag]Gunnar Nelson[/autotag] (19-5-1 MMA, 10-5 UFC) picked up his first submission win in more than four years when he tapped out Bryan Barberena (18-10 MMA, 9-8 UFC) with a first-round rear-naked choke.
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Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev
Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev
Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) were Fight of the Night winners on paper even before fight week started. They lived up to the hype. After a back and forth opening two rounds, Gaethje had a little bit more in the tank in the third and did more damage. He wound up with a pair of 29-28 scores, but settled for a 28-28 draw on a third card from a judge who gave Fiziev the first two rounds, but gave Gaethje a 10-8 in the last. Gaethje now has 11 post-fight bonuses in 11 UFC fights; Fiziev has six in eight bouts in the company.
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