Bonus Coverage | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Brendan Allen

If you're not "All-In" on Brendan Allen it might be time to join the club.

The middleweight contender has won six-straight and he's finishing everyone the UFC puts in front of him. This time he faced a tough grappling test in former light heavyweight contender Paul Craig and he passed that test with flying colors.

The Louisiana native was in control from start to finish before submitting Craig in the first minute of the third round. With big-time wins in a row it'll be interesting to see who the UFC decides to lineup for the budding contender next.

Performance Of The Night: Amanda Ribas

Amanda Ribas is back at 115-pounds and she's back with a vengeance. The always-game Ribas faced Luana Pinheiro in tough match-up that was knotted up at one-a-piece heading into the final frame, but Ribas broke through.

In the final half of the round Ribas got to her feet and started landing strikes at will - including a devastating spinning heel kick (pictured above) that set the fight finishing sequence in motion. Ribas swarmed Pinheiro and dropped her to the canvas followed by some hammer fists.

It was a great win and puts Ribas in a solid spot to start her run back up the strawweight top 10.

Performance Of The Night: Jeka Saragih 

Getting your first UFC victory by first round knockout is exactly the way you want it to go and Jeka Saragih couldn't have been happier with his upset win over Lucas Alexander.

After a little scramble, Saragih caught Alexander off-guard and he caught him in a big way. The strikes put Alexander flat out and put a quick end to the fight. It's evident that Saragih has real power and he's going to make waves in the Octagon.

Performance Of The Night: Joanderson Brito

It's likely you've heard the phrase "famous last words" before, and in the case of featherweight Jonathan Pearce, telling that to Joanderson Brito may have come back to bite him.

Pearce chirped at Brito while in a dominate position, and Brito obliged him by getting up, but when he did he locked into a ninja choke and tossed Pearce to the canvas. It was very tight from the second that Brito got his arms around Pearce's neck and he quickly put an end to Pearce's five-fight winning streak. The impressive performance was Brito's fourth finish in a row and sets him up for a big fight next at featherweight.

Fight Of The Night: Viacheslav Borshchev vs Nazim Sadykhov

The back-and-forth affair between Nazim Sadykhov and Viacheslav Borshchev resulted in a majority draw, but for 15 minutes, the fans were thrilled with the ebb-and-flow of action. Borshchev seemed to have the upper hand for much of the first round putting on display his smooth and efficient striking. However, in the second round, Sadykhov hurt Borshchev and seemed to be a few clean follow-up shots away from a stoppage. Somehow, Borshchev recovered to have a clean, effective round on the feet in the final round, and the judges couldn’t split the difference between the fighters. 

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Alex Pereira

Once again, Alex Pereira delivered a stunning performance inside of Madison Square Garden. This time, he stopped Jiří Procházka in the second round to become the ninth UFC fighter to win titles in multiple weightclasses. It didn’t come easy. The first round was measured and tactical, but Pereira was getting the better of Pereira with his signature calf kick. Procházka scored a takedown midway through the first frame and started to find his rhythm on the feet in the second, but “Poatan” overwhelmed Procházka with strikes as the Czechian dove for a takedown. 

In the end, the flurry was enough to secure the light heavyweight title nearly a year after winning the middleweight belt in 2022.  

Performance Of The Night: Tom Aspinall

Tom Aspinall did what Tom Aspinall does in his short-notice interim title fight against Sergei Pavlovich. After a short feeling-out process, Aspinall rolled away from a Pavlovich combination, found space and sparked Pavlovich with a lightning-quick 1-2. He follows that with another 2-punch combination that sent Pavlovich crumbling shortly after the first minute of the fight and crowned Aspinall the interim heavyweight champion.

Performance Of The Night: Jessica Andrade

With her back up against the wall, Jéssica Andrade reminded everyone why she is as dangerous as any woman on the roster. Andrade took advantage of her skills in the striking department while thwarting Mackenzie Dern’s bids to get the fight to the ground, and eventually, the frustrated Dern started rushing into the pocket with reckless abandon. Andrade punished her fellow Brazilian and dropped her multiple times in the second round. When Dern didn’t answer the call to her feet quickly enough, the referee called the fight. 

Performance Of The Night: Benoît Saint Denis

The already-loaded light heavyweight division welcomed another hyper-dangerous contender in the form of Benoît Saint Denis. The Frenchman commanded the Octagon against the fan-favorite Matt Frevola. Instead of a back-and-forth war, Saint Denis cemented himself as a true force at 155 after connecting with a beautiful head kick as Frevola skirted away across the fence. “God of War” is now 5-0 at lightweight with five finishes, and he is sure to get a big-time opportunity as the calendar flips to 2024. 

Performance Of The Night: Diego Lopes 

Perhaps the signature newcomer in 2023, Diego Lopes steamrolled Pat Sabatini to announce himself as a must-watch contender in the featherweight division. As Sabatini changed levels, Lopes connected with a picture-perfect uppercut followed with an overhand right that left Sabatini stunned. The 28-year-old has won over a large portion of the fan base, and if he continues delivering these kinds of results, the hype train is bound to pick up plenty of steam. 

UFC 295: Procházka vs Pereira Attendance, Gate & Records 

Gross Total Revenue: $12,432,563 (Announced Live Gate)
 
Attendance: 19,039
 
2nd Highest-grossing event in MSG history
4th Highest-grossing event in UFC history

*UFC holds #1, 2 and 3 positions for highest gate at MSG

Fight Of The Night: Nicolas Dalby vs Gabriel Bonfim

“Danish Dynamite” went into enemy territory and handed Gabriel Bonfim his first defeat, but it was a hard-won result for Dalby. After weathering the storm for the first round and a good chunk of the second, but eventually, Bonfim slowed down to a glacial pace. Meanwhile, Dalby poured on the pressure with myriad knees and elbows before melting the previously unbeaten Bonfim.

It was a gritty and impressive performance from the veteran, who hopes to parlay the big win into a top-15 shot. 

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Vitor Petrino

All it takes as one, and few had a crispier one than Vitor Petrino’s check hook he landed on Modestas Bukauskas a minute into the second round of their bout. Petrino peppered Bukauskas with jabs in the first frame, and he developed that into a beautiful counterstrike when Bukauskas tried to rush into the pocket. Petrino is now 3-0 in the Octagon after earning his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. 

Performance Of The Night: Elves Brener

The Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative kept the good times rolling in his first year on the UFC roster with perhaps his most impressive finish yet. Late in the first frame, Brener threw a switch-stance overhand that clipped Kaynan Kruschewsky on the temple and put him straight to the canvas. 

UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Almeida Attendance, Gate & Records 

Attendance: 10,792 (Sold out, largest attendance for a UFC event in São Paulo history)

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Islam Makhachev

If their first meeting left any doubts or any questions, Islam Makhachev answered them emphatically tonight, cementing his status as the greatest lightweight in the game. His thirteen straight wins are not only the longest win streak among active UFC fighters, but it’s the third longest of all time, and Makhachev is far from finished. Of all those thirteen victories, his first round head-kick KO of the featherweight champion is hands down the most impressive. He’s the 11th fighter in UFC history to earn a finish in a title fight stemming from a kick and the first lightweight to do so. For a fighter so closely associated with his grappling game, with each passing fight, Makhachev reveals himself to be the complete package.

Performance Of The Night: Ikram Aliskerov

His lone loss over 16 pro fights was to the otherworldly Khamzat Chimaev four years ago. Outside of that fight, Ikram Aliskerov continues to be a middleweight puzzle nobody has solved. A jab, a flying knee then followed by some brutal combinations was the short two-minutes story as he added a TKO of Warlley Alves to an already stunning résumé. Will he ever cross paths with Chimaev again? Hard to say. But he continues to put on performance that demand bigger and bigger

Performance Of The Night: Said Nurmagomedov

As the saying goes, fighters don’t get paid overtime, and nobody understands that better than Said Nurmagomedov. Needing only one minute and thirteen seconds to submit Muin Gafurov, Nurmagomedov is now the owner of two of the ten fastest submissions in bantamweight history, the only fighter to have two in the top ten. The Dagestani product has now won five of his last six and continues to make it look easy.

Performance Of The Night: Muhammad Mokaev

“This kid is problem. A true contender a flyweight,” said announcer Paul Felder as Muhammad Mokaev secured the win over Tim Elliott. And that’s not hyperbole. His fifth consecutive win in five UFC fights qualifies him for the longest win streak in the 125-lb ranks, and he remains undefeated professionally. It wasn’t simply the beautiful head and arm choke that ended Elliott’s night that made his performance special. It was also a visibly high fight IQ that belies his 23 years and allowed him to escape moves that would have ended any number of other contenders. Mokaev is now the 22nd fighter in UFC history to earn a submission win in the UFC with four different techniques, doing so with guillotine, armbar, neck crank, and triangle choke. Big things are surely ahead for “The Punisher.”

Fight Of The Night: Sodiq Yusuff vs Edson Barboza

My goodness, how fun is it to watch Edson Barboza.

The 37-year-old Brazilian striker looked like "Super" Sodiq Yusuff was going to get him out of the fight in the first round. But that's not how Barboza rolls.

Barboza somehow weathered the storm and delivered a trademark comeback by besting Yusuff over the course of the remaining four rounds. In the third round, Barboza connected with a spinning wheel kick that put Yusuff on skates. He nearly finished the fight there but Yusuff was able to make it to the fourth. Barboza's excellent body work and his willingness to stay business the whole through 25-minutes was the difference in the fight and proves that Barboza is far from finished.

Fun fights are ahead for the featherweight contender.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Jonathan Martinez

Coming into UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza, only one man in UFC history had ever won two fights via TKO due to leg kicks. That man was Edson Barboza.

Add rising bantamweight contender Jonathan Martinez to that list, as he kicked his way to victory over Adrian Yañez. The Colorado based Martinez looked phenomenal is all areas and he ate up Yañez's leg in the first round in-route to pouring it on in the second. It was another brilliant performance and puts the quiet Martinez in the spotlight for his next fight.

Performance Of The Night: Michel Pereira

Middleweight looks good on Michel Pereira.

The Brazilian all-action fighter looked like his move up a weight division was the right call as he bulldozed his way through the streaking Andre Petroski at UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza. Pereira landed a power strike right down the pipe and followed it up with some furious ground and pound and that's all she wrote.

There's a new contender at 185 pounds.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Bobby Green

"King" delivered one of the best performances of his UFC career in his second main event. Right at the 30 second mark Bobby Green connected with a straight left strike that sent No. 10 ranked lightweight Grant Dawson to the canvas. Green followed up with some strikes as Dawson covered up. Referee Keith Peterson jumped in and it was a quick night at the office for Green.

The win puts Green right into the mix in the top ten of the always exciting lightweight division. What a win for the veteran, who has now put back-to-back stunning victories and officially announced that he's bringing the heat.

Performance Of The Night: Joe Pyfer

If you haven't stopped thinking of Joe Pyfer as just a good story it's about time to. Pyfer is for real and he proved it by submitting Abdul Razak Alhassan in the second round of their middleweight bout. Pyfer and Alhassan were featured in the co-main event and Pyfer delivered good on his promise that he's rising up the ranks and he's in a full blitz to graduate from prospect to contender.

Performance Of The Night: Drew Dober

The highlight reel of Drew Dober got a little longer thanks to the all-action lightweight's performance at UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs Green.

Dober found the mark early and often against Ricky Glenn and he it was evident that each time he connected with a strike that he was hurting Glenn. Dober never let off the gas and he battered Glenn until the damage had piled up and Glenn covered up on the canvas. The knockout win put Dober in first place all-time in terms of lightweight knockout wins.

It was the perfect bounce-back win for Dober.

Performance Of The Night: Nate Maness

Nate Maness is an under-appreciated dude.

Maness faced a dangerous fighter in Mateus Mendonca. When it became clear that Mendonca was determined to get a submission victory, Maness landed a powerful strike while sitting down and then popped into a dominant spot to land more ground and pound strikes. He put Mendonca out and the referee wisely saw it and put a quick end to their bout.

With his knockout win at UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs Green, Maness became the 18th fighter in UFC history to win a fight in three different weight classes (flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight). 

Fight Of The Night: Tim Means vs Andre Fialho

Grimy, gritty and gutsy, Tim Means’ 50th pro bout was vintage “Dirty Bird.” Powerful knees, boxing and clinching left his always-game opponent Andre Fialho searching for answers. Means complimented Fialho for his power-punching; shots that almost turned the tides of the fight at several points. But the veteran mindset won the day with repeated, savvy combinations that switched slowed the roll of the Portugal native.

With a TKO that announcer Michael Bisping called “a finish straight out of a video game,” the pride of Albuquerque put on a definitive performance that encapsulates why he’s been a UFC mainstay at welterweight for the past ten years.

Performance Of The Night: Marina Rodriguez

Marina Rodriguez is no stranger to high-level performances, but in her rematch against Michelle Waterson-Gomez, she looked as unstoppable as any moment in her career, marching forward and leveling “The Karate Hottie” with a flurry of knees, elbows and strikes. “Truly vicious,” said announcer Michael Bisping. “A stunning display of violence…a non-stop beatdown.”

Performance Of The Night: Charles Jourdain

In 2022, Charles Jourdain got a first-round guillotine choke vs Lando Vannata and he successfully replicated that result vs seasoned grappler Ricardo Ramos tonight to open the main card. The most seasoned Canadian fighter currently on the roster, “Air” wasted no time in calling out veteran Cub Swanson to continue his climb up the featherweight ranks.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Raul Rosas Jr.

Raul Rosas Jr. couldn't have had a better bounce-back performance.

It took him less than a minute to get the most emphatic victory of his career so far, knocking out veteran Terrance Mitchell in 54 seconds. Known for his grappling, the young bantamweight did all the work with his power, connecting with a massive shot that sent Mitchell to the canvas. He quickly followed up with a few more strikes that forced the referees to step in and call the fight.

Performance Of The Night: Daniel Zellhuber

The "Golden Boy" lived up to his nickname, delivering one of the best performances of the night.

Daniel Zellhuber didn't let a strong opening round from Christos Giagos deter him from getting a movie-like finish in the second round. Zellhuber hurt Giagos and then when Giagos looked to wrestle he turned an Anaconda Choke in the speed of light and was able to force the tap. It was a great performance on such a special night.

Performance Of The Night: Charlie Campbell

Welcome to the UFC Charlie Campbell!

The Serra-Longo product delivered big time in his debut, knocking out the returning Alex Reyes in the first round. Campbell wasn't throwing his punches with the intent to finish the fight, he was just throwing to connect, and he knew that the rest would take care of itself. He followed that up with an Octagon interview that is likely to catch the attention of WWE fans.

Performance Of The Night: Roman Kopylov

Four finishes in-a-row prove that Roman Kopylov is true contender in the middleweight division.

Kopylov showed just how dangerous he was against Josh Fremd, finding his shots and battering Fremd until he landed a devastating body shot that put Fremd down to the canvas. Only big things are on the way for Kopylov who has been one of the most impressive fighters to step into the Octagon this year.

Performance Of The Night: Loopy Godinez

What a masterclass from Loopy Godinez.

Godinez put everything together against Elise Reed. Her hands were great and his fight IQ was excellent. Godinez had a deep deep armbar in the first round but somehow Reed didn't tap and pushed through but that only prolonged the inevitable. She dominated from start-to-finish in route to her Rear Naked Choke submission win the second round and proved once again she's a real player at strawweight.

UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Shevchenko 2 Attendance, Gate & Records 

{Attendance - 18,766}
{Gate - $2,265,537.16}

Fight Of The Night: Manel Kape vs Felipe sos Santos

The unexpected scene-stealer of the UFC 293 pre-fight conference, Manel Kape had his hands full with high energy newcomer Felipe dos Santos, but was able to use his skillful counterstriking to edge him out on the scorecards. The entire crowd was on their feet for the full fifteen minutes, most of them throwing their support behind dos Santos who stepped in on short notice for their local favorite, Kai Kara France. With consecutively canceled fights against Alex Perez, Deiveson Figueiredo and Kai Kara France, Kape has been vocal in his frustration. And while that level of outspokenness didn’t endear himself to Aussie fans in attendance, his fight of the night effort vs Dos Santos was an undeniable crowd-pleaser.

Performance Of The Night: Sean Strickland

And…new! The outspoken Sean Strickland rolled into Sydney as a betting underdog in villain role he relished opposite Israel Adesanya and will fly back to the United States the new middleweight champion (and $50,000 richer). After a flurry of punches that the former champion barely escaped in round one set the tone for the rest of the 25 minutes, with Strickland marching down Adesanya and stymying the Stylebender’s attack with his unorthodox high guard an well-placed strikes. Although Adesanya remains the fan-favorite throughout the region, Strickland's tenacity seemed to win over a large contingent of the Sydney audience, who he thanked for motivation him with their energy. Whatever propelled him, it worked. Sean Strickland is now the 13th middleweight champion in UFC history.

Performance Of The Night: Justin Tafa

Justin Tafa walking out to “Country Roads” by John Denver—and the crowds’ immediate singalong—might not have seemed like the most obvious choice for a tune, but it turned out to be ice cold. After dropping the much taller and longer Austen Lane, he swarmed in for some fight-ending ground and pound just one minute and 22 seconds into the bout. Recalling that he had done something similar at UFC 284 in Perth without getting a bonus, “Bad Man” immediately appealed for the extra 50K the second Daniel Cormier gave him the mic, and here in Sydney he got what he asked for.

Fight Of The Night: Benoît Saint-Denis vs Thiago Moises

Lightweights brought the heat on the main card, with both Benoît Saint-Denis and Thiago Moises standing toe-to-toe.

Saint-Denis was able to slowly break Moises over the course of the bout, landing a particularly devastating elbow that split Moises open in the first round. In the second round he used his striking to set up some great clinch work, which he parlayed into a takedown. Once he got Moises to the canvas he poured on the strikes, forcing Moises to cover up until the referee called an end to the fight.

It was Saint-Denis' fourth straight finish and was a perfect way to cap off another beautiful performance in his home country.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Ciryl Gane

The former interim UFC heavyweight champion looked brilliant in the main event.

Ciryl Gane dominated Serghei Spivac from start to finish, and added another storybook chapter to his UFC career in Paris. Gane worked Spivac's body early and made sure to avoid Spivac's wrestling. His constant movement and his powerful arsenal of strikes finally overwhelmed Spivac in the second round to get the knockout win.

Performance Of The Night: Morgan Charriere

There was plenty of hype around former Cage Warriors champion Morgan Charriere - and rightfully so.

Charriere landed a three body kick sequence on Manolo Zecchini that they just might hang in the Louvre. It was the perfect debut for "The Last Pirate", and sets him up to go from one of the most exciting new additions to the UFC roster to one of the hottest prospects in the featherweight division.

UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Spivac Attendance, Gate & Records 

{Attendance - 15,610 (Sold Out}
{Gate - $4,000,000 USD}
{Accor Arena Live Gate Record}

Fight Of The Night: Max Holloway vs The Korean Zombie

Their iconic walkouts alone seemed worthy of some sort of bonus. Chan Sung Jung’s took his time and soaked up every second of what seemed like the entire crowd at Singapore Indoor Stadiums singing in unison to the The Cranberries’ “Zombie.” Max Holloway seemed to carry the weight of his fire-ravaged Hawaii homeland on his shoulders. The only thing to top it were the performances that followed, with The Korean Zombie looking as sharp as ever and Holloway reminding everyone why he is one of the most dominant featherweights in UFC history. It would end with a brilliant third round KO by Holloway and a tear-filled retirement from Chan Sung Jung, but there were absolutely no losers anywhere in the stadium or in the audience watching at home. The crowd would stay on their feet to see Zombie off, once again singing the iconic anthem in perhaps the most memorable UFC ending of all time.

“The noise in this building,” commentator Michael Bisping gasped, “everyone is on their feet.”

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Justin Tafa

The Tafa brothers continue to be one of Australia’s hottest UFC exports, and in front of a friendly Singapore crowd, it was Junior Tafa who gave a demonstration of why. In just his sixth MMA bout (and his fifth win) he stymied Parker Porter’s attempts to grapple and countered with a sweet right hand that, at 1:24, was the shortest night at the office for any fighter this night in Singapore.

Performance Of The Night: Michal Oleksiejczuk

“This fight is ridiculous!” Michael Bisping exclaimed…and it was barely halfway through the first round. Chidi Njokuani and Michal Oleksiejczuk went to war from the opening bell, with Njokuani getting better of the early exchanges including a head kick that would have ended most men. But Oleksiejczu  dug deep and mounted an improbable comeback, ending the Texan with some mean hammer fists. “He’s a dog, man,” said commentator Paul Felder said. “If you give him an opportunity to get back in the fight, he’ll finish you.” Indeed.

Fight Of The Night: Brad Katona vs Cody Gibson

What is it about The Ultimate Fighter Finales and absolute bangers?

Bantamweights Brad Katona and Cody Gibson added their names to the list of epic TUF fights at UFC 292 by pushing the pace for all three rounds. Katona (160) and Gibson (164) combine for 324 significant strikes, a new 3-round bantamweight record. It also ranks 2nd most by any pair of bantamweights (430, Marlon Vera vs. Rob Font).

It was an awesome fight and had the entire TD Garden on their feet. In the end, it was Katona who earned the nod and walked away a two-time The Ultimate Fighter champion. Gibson had nothing to hang his head about, as it was just about as good of a performance you could have in a losing effort.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Sean O'Malley

Sean O'Malley really did it.

"Suga" is the UFC bantamweight champion of the world and he did it exactly how he said he was going to do it. After a first round of feeling things out, O'Malley sat calmly on the stool in before the second round. Then less than a minute into the second he fired off a piston straight right that dropped Aljamain Sterling straight to the canvas.

O'Malley followed up with relentless ground and pound while Sterling struggled to defend himself. After what felt like an eternity of Sterling scrambling around, the referee had seen enough. O'Malley did it. Absolutely stunning performance.

Performance Of The Night: Zhang Weili

Zhang Weili delivered her own incredible performance, absolutely shutting out Amanda Lemos over the course of 25 minutes.

Zhang landed nearly 300 significant strikes and handled everything that Lemos threw her way. Zhang controlled the fight on the feet and nearly finished Lemos in the fifth round when she dropped her with one of the cleanest strikes of the fight. And she utilized her take downs and ground and pound to demoralize Lemos.

The win showed just how great Zhang is and puts her in a great spot to add to her growing legacy.

UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley Attendance, Gate & Records 

{Attendance - 18,293 (Sold Out)}
{Gross Total Revenue: $7,247,654.86 (Announced Live Gate)}
{Highest-grossing event in TD Garden history, excluding the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals}

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Marcus McGhee

After six consecutive fights with finishes, Arizona's Marcus McGhee put the capstone on the prelims with a punch that folded JP Buys just past the two minute mark. For those keeping track at home, that means every one of his nine professional victories has come inside the distance. Bantamweight division, you've been warned.

Performance Of The Night: Khalil Rountree Jr.

Khalil Rountree Jr spoiled the light heavyweight debut of Chris Daukaus with a nasty left hand that sent the former Philadelphia policeman dropping backwards to the canvas. The winner of four straight--tied with Jamahal Hill and Carlos Ulberg for longest active win streak in the light heavyweight division--Rountree had an interesting callout in his victory speech: instead of naming a fighter, he asked for a five round main event. After a performance like that, most watching from home or the UFC Apex had to agree.

Performance Of The Night: Iasmin Lucindo

The youngest female fighter on the roster at age 21, Iasmin Lucindo can look forward to being a permanent fixture in the strawweight division if she can keep stringing together the type of efforts that have defined her first three UFC bouts. Tonight she beat jiu-jitsu ace and UFC veteran Polyana Viana at her own game, scoring the arm triangle submission in the second round. Don't be surprised to see Lucindo in the rankings sooner than later.

Performance Of The Night: Da'Mon Blackshear

It was just the third twister submission in UFC history, and it was the sort of thrill that typified tonight's prelims when Da'Mon Blackshear locked up Jose Johnson in what looked to be the most painful, pretzel-like contortion we've seen in some time. That's two thrilling finishes in a row from the North Carolina native, good enough for the bantamweight's first official win streak in the promotion. 

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Assu Almabayev

Never a bad start to bonus in your UFC debut.

That's exactly what Assu Almabayev accomplished. The flyweight newcomer's strong statement came in the form of a submission win over Ode' Osbourne. Almabayev mixed things up well before getting Osbourne to the canvas and taking his back. From there it was a rear naked choke over the jaw that forced Osbourne to tap. Excellent start to Almabayev's UFC career and it instantly puts him on the flyweight top prospects list.

Performance Of The Night: Carlston Harris

Entering the third round of his bout with Jeremiah Wells, Carlston Harris wasn't discouraged. The rising welterweight knew he was down two rounds and needed to make something happen - that's when he put Wells to sleep.

It was a beautiful anaconda choke that started the feet and ended on the canvas. It was a massive with for Harris who made it two wins in-a-row with the submission win and it sets him up for a big fight in the very near future.

Performance Of The Night: Diego Lopes

The hottest prospect in the featherweight division might just be Diego Lopes.

The submission ace made his short notice debut in epic fashion at UFC 288 in may and then followed that up with a triangle armbar submission win over Gavin Tucker in Nashville. It was just the 11th submission of its kind in UFC history and puts Lopes in position for nothing but fun fights as he continues to take the division by storm.

Performance Of The Night: Dustin Jacoby

Dustin Jacoby wanted to scrap with Kennedy Nzechukwu. He knew he had to defend his spot in the light heavyweight rankings and he did just that by knocking out Nzechukwu in the first round. It was a beautiful counter jab-hook that sent Nzechukwu crashing to the canvas. Jacoby followed up with some extra ground strikes that forced the referee to call the bout.

Perfect bounce-back win and sets him up for a chance to fight forward in the rankings in his next time out.

Performance Of The Night: Tatiana Suarez

The most impressive win of the night belonged to Tatiana Suarez.

Suarez remained perfect, submitting former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade in the second round with a guillotine choke. It was the perfect scenario for Suarez who was initially slated to face Virna Jandiroba, but instead was able to fight the higher ranked Andrade. The performance certainly puts the undefeated Suarez right at the forefront of title contention.

UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov Attendance, Gate & Records 

{Attendance: 17,792 - Sold Out}
{$2,102,127.12 - Announced Live Gate}

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Justin Gaethje

"The Highlight" lived up to his nickname, creating one for the ages in Salt Lake City.

Early in the second round Justin Gaethje landed massive head kick that looked eerily similar to Leon Edwards' stunning head kick knockout win to dethrone Kamru Usman. It dropped Dustin Poirier to the canvas immediately and sent the Delta Center into a frenzy. It was a special moment for Gaethje, who evened the score with Poirier and put himself in position to compete for the lightweight title.

Performance Of The Night: Derrick Lewis

Derrick Lewis opened up his heavyweight showdown with beautiful flying knee that dropped Marcos Rogerio de Lima.

For the next thirty seconds "The Beast" dropped heavy shot and heavy shot that forced the referee to put an end to the bout. The win put Lewis back in front of Matt Brown for the most knockouts in UFC history. What Lewis did next was just as incredible as his performance. 

Lewis ripped off his shorts, did a dance, and then jumped on the mic with Joe Rogan and said his trademark line. It was perfect.

Performance Of The Night: Bobby Green

Bobby Green added another impressive win to his resume.

For nearly 15 minute "King" peppered Tony Ferguson with his lightning quick strikes. But in the final minute he flipped the switch and was able to lock up a submission win with just six seconds remaining in the fight.

The arm triangle choke was Green's first submission win since his UFC debut in 2013.

Performance Of The Night: Kevin Holland

Kevin Holland looked flawless versus Michael Chiesa in the welterweight PPV opener.

"Trailblazer" defended Chiesa's takedowns well and was able to do some damage with his dynamic strikes. After softening Cheisa up he locked up a d'arce choke when Chiesa was looking to get after his legs.

It didn't take long for Chiesa to tap and to send Holland back into the welterweight rankings. That's two wins in a row for Holland and sets him up for big things moving forward.

UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2 Attendance, Gate & Records 

{Attendance - 18,467 (Sold out)}
{Gate - $6,556,443.97}
{This event broke the Delta Center venue record}

Fight Of The Night: Danny Roberts vs Jonny Parsons

Jonny Parsons delivered the fireworks in his UFC debut.

Roberts went blow-for-blow with England’s Danny Roberts at the O2 Arena, exchanging shots in an exhilarating first round. By the second round, Parson connected on several devastating hits to build out his advantage. 

Just before time ran out on the Missippian in the second round, Parson delivered a series of stunning blows to the Englishman, earning the TKO. It was a debut that will not soon be forgotten for the Dana White’s Contender Series veteran, who starts his UFC career with a victory.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Paul Craig

Paul Craig’s middleweight debut was a successful one.

Craig, the longtime light heavyweight veteran, dropped down to middleweight for his fight with the equally experienced Andre Muniz. The transition looked like a natural one for the Scotland native, who won by TKO with 20 seconds remaining in the second round.

It was a series of elbows that sealed the deal for Craig, who holds an unblemished record in one fight as a middleweight.

Performance Of The Night: Tom Aspinall

Saturday was a night to remember for Tom Aspinall, who earned his first victory in over a year in his long-awaited return to the Octagon in his home nation.

Aspinall made quick work of fellow heavyweight Marcin Tybura in the night’s main event, knocking his opponent to the ground and finishing him off with a flurry of attacks to earn the TKO victory just over a minute into the fight.

Tom Aspinall is back in successful fashion, much to the delight of a raucous crowd in London.

UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs Tybura Attendance, Gate & Records 

{Attendance: 15,078}
{Gate: $2.5M USD}

Fight Of The Night: Jack Della Maddalena vs Bassil Hafez

Jack Della Maddalena finally got his opportunity to fight after two opponent cancellations last week at UFC 290, but it wasn’t an easy one against newcomer Bassil Hafez. 

It was a back and forth battle between the two welterweights, each finding their strengths in grappling and striking exchanges. After securing a few early takedowns in the first round, Hafez continued his fast pace into the second round, with Della Maddalena firing off body shots looking to end the fight. 

The intensity carried into the third round with both fighters unsure of how the scorecards could turn out. Della Maddelena wobbled Hafez, but the Philadelphia native wasn’t quitting, taking the fight back down to the canvas for the majority of the third round. In the end, it was Australia’s Della Maddalena that would end on the right side of the split decision. 

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Mayra Bueno Silva

Mayra Bueno Silva did not disappoint in the biggest fight of her career so far, as she submitted former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the second round. 

Holm got the action going early, throwing strikes that sent Bueno Silva to the fence where the two stayed before separating. As the fight progressed, Bueno Silva started to find her range, landing punches of her own. The second round kicked off with Bueno Silva keeping the momentum, which led the Brazilian to lock in a tight guillotine choke forcing Holm to tap. 

Performance Of The Night: Francisco Prado

Francisco Prado earned his first UFC victory in exciting fashion as he stopped Ottman Azaitar in the first round. 

It didn’t take long for either fighter to find their groove, both throwing and landing hard strikes. Prado was the lucky one, throwing a spinning back blow that dropped Azaitar. From there, he continued to lay it on Azaitar, forcing the referee to stop the fight with less than a minute left in the round. 

Fight Of The Night: Brandon Moreno vs Alexandre Pantoja 2

Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja used every moment of their UFC 290 flyweight title fight to entertain the fans inside T-Mobile Arena.

The two fighters mixed up their game well over the course of 25-minutes, landing big strikes and executing well-timed takedowns. By the end of the five-round display, it was clear that Pantoja had gotten the better of his Moreno.

Pantoja started off fast and dropped Moreno in the first. Moreno bounced back in the second round and clawed back to level with Pantoja. But that’s when Pantoja turned on the gas and utilized his grappling to gain control over the remaining rounds.

It was an incredible moment for Pantoja who became the fifth flyweight in UFC history.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Denise Gomes

The hype coming into the fight behind Yazmin Jauregui and Denise Gomes was all focus on Yazmin Jauregui.

Not anymore. That focus is all on Gomes, and rightfully so. Gomes knocked Jauregui out in 20 seconds, the fastest finish in strawweight history. It was a picture perfect right hand and it put Gomes on the fast track to being one of the rising prospects in one of UFC’s most entertaining divisions.

Performance Of The Night: Dricus Du Plessis

Dricus Du Plessis said his UFC 290 bout with Robert Whittaker meant everything to him.

And he fought like it.

Du Plessis attacked each exchange with the former middleweight champion with eargency and he followed up a very good first round performance with a beautiful TKO win in the second round. Du Plessis beat Whittaker everywhere in the fight and it will be interesting to see how he matches up with Israel Adesanya.

The two came face-to-face in the Octagon and exchanged some heated words. The faceoff set the tone for when they collide in Sydney in September.

UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez Attendance, Gate & Records 

{Attendance: 19,204}
{Gate: $9.75M}

Fight Of The Night: Guram Kutateladze vs Elves Brener

Guram Kutateladze and Elves Brener came to fight! The two lightweights stood toe-to-toe and battled until Brener was able to put Kutateladze away in the final frame.

For the first ten minutes, Kutateladze was in control. He used his crisp striking and his ground and pound game to gash Brener. He was very close to getting the TKO stoppage at the end of the first round, but Brener hung in there to pull up the upset in the third.

The final sequence of the fight was perfect for Brener. He landed a left hook that sent Kutateladze reeling and finished the fight with some strikes as an exclamation point. It was one heck of a fight and these two definitely earned the extra cash.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Nursulton Ruziboev

Debuts don’t get much better than the one that middleweight Nursulton Ruziboev had at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov.

Ruziboev caught a kick from Brunno Ferreira and floored him with a straight punch. He pounced the second that Ferreira hit the canvas and he followed up with big strikes that forced the referee to end the bout.

The 29-year-old has 45 career fights as a professional and he’s a prospect that fans have to keep an eye on.

Performance Of The Night: Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland remains Sean Strickland at all times.

That’s true for his personality and for how he fights. The middleweight contender overcame an early eye poke and strong round for Abus Magomedov to comeback in the second and absolutely disassemble his opponent.

Strickland made an adjustment before the second and he came out on fire. He couldn’t miss. He stalked Magomedov until he finally landed the strike that put Magomedov to the ground.

It was one heck of win in a very risky situation, but Strickland’s win earns him a big fight next and a big paycheck along the way.

Fight of the Night: Josh Emmett vs Ilia Topuria

The main event delivered all of the fireworks that were promised in the build-up toward Jacksonville. Although the scorecards displayed Topuria’s dominance in the first main event of his career, Emmett’s heart, toughness and power made sure it wasn’t one-way traffic for the full 25 minutes. 

Naturally, both guys came out throwing heat early and often, but Topuria’s defense and jab put him a little ahead early. He added a heavy and effective calf kick that impacted Emmett’s lead leg, but Emmett continued doing what he does best: biting down and throwing haymakers. None caught Topuria flush, but they did enough to keep “El Matador” from walking Emmett down with ease. Topuria, to his credit, remained viciously calm and composed, showing why he is due for a title shot sooner or later at 145 pounds.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Maycee Barber

Barber extended her winning streak to five fights with one of the finest performances of her career. Against the always-game and highly-skilled Amanda Ribas, Barber showed the patience, power and finishing instincts that make her such a bright prospect at 125 pounds. After a back-and-forth first round finished with Barber pressing the action, the Colorado-native answered RIbas’ aggression in the second round well. With her nose bloodied and back against the cage, Barber placed a beautiful high kick on the Brazilian before stunning her with a right hand to start the finishing sequence.

Performance Of The Night: David Onama

After partaking in one of the best fights of 2022, Onama gave us one of the better knockouts of the first half of 2023 with an uppercut that shut down Gabriel Santos in the second round of their fight. Onama looked sharp and patient – attributes from training with the crew at Factory X in Denver, Colorado. While both men had their share of success, Onama shifted the fight completely in his favor and showed off that scary power that makes him so dangerous when a tight uppercut floored Santos.

UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Topuria Attendance, Gate & Records 

Gate: $1,491,128.63

Attendance: 14,101

Fight Of The Night: Marvin Vettori vs Jared Cannonier

The crowd inside the UFC APEX was treated to a high-level display of toughness, output and heart as Jared Cannonier put on a record-breaking performance against the ironclad Marvin Vettori. 

“The Italian Dream” got ahead first, wobbling Cannonier a couple of times in the first round, but Cannonier came back with a real fury. “Tha Killa Gorilla” had Vettori badly hurt on multiple occasions, particularly in the second round, and despite the high output, Cannonier never really slowed down. To Vettori’s credit, he weathered each storm and continued to fire back with counter shots of his own, but Cannonier’s power was too much. The remainder of the fight followed a similar pattern of dominance for Cannonier. 

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Manuel Torres

Things didn’t start smoothly for Manuel Torres against Nikolas Motta. Torres ate a big shot, but Torres took notice and closed the distance. When the two came together, Torres timed a hellacious elbow that flattened Motta. The Contender Series graduate now has consecutive first-round finishes since joining the roster.

Performance Of The Night: Alessandro Costa

In his first fight with a proper camp, Alessandro Costa put it all together to beat up Jimmy Flick over the course of a round and change. Costa started battering Flick’s lead leg early, and by the beginning of the second round, Flick could barely put any weight on it. After Costa fired another kick at Flick’s damaged wheel, Flick had to go to ground and Costa pouced on him raining ground-and-pound until the referee stopped the fight. 

Fight Of The Night: Marc-Andre Barriault vs Eryk Anders

It nearly defied imagination how two middleweights could keep up the insane pace of the first round deep into the third round, but so it was with the electrifying main card opener. Canadian Barriault kept the edge that he established early in the fight and all the scorecards saw it for him when the final bell sounded. But Anders didn’t make it easy, even after suffering a couple brutal low blows. Much praise was heaped upong the matchmakers for this one, and rightfully so. This is how you open a pay per view.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Charles Oliveira

For a moment this evening, the Rogers Center was rocking so hard that it might easily have been mistaken for an arena in Charles Oliveira’s home town of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Turning the tables on a determined Beneil Dariush late in the fourth round, Oliveira’s TKO of his opponent was not only the most thrilling moment of a thrilling UFC 289 card, but a truly compelling case for why he should be the next man to face the champion Islam Makhachev.

Performance Of The Night: Steve Erceg

Now that’s how you make a UFC debut. A late replacement for an injured Matt Schnell, Steve Erceg stepped in with the tough task of facing No. 10-ranked flyweight David Dvorak for his short-notice promotional bow. It was a wild back-and-forth affair that might have been in the cards for fight of the night were it not for a middleweight contest waiting in the wings. But in introducing himself to a legion of new fight fans and getting a number next to his name next week, “Astro Boy” showed he’s exactly where he belongs.

Performance Of The Night: Mike Malott

It may only have been his third UFC tilt, but Mike Malott received a hero’s welcome from his home country crowd that propelled him to his fifth consecutive victory over Adam Fugitt. With the guillotine choke he executed in the second round, Malott kept his finishing rate at 100% while keeping the rest of the welterweight division on notice.

UFC 289: Nunes vs Aldana Attendance and Gate

Attendance: 17,628 (Sold Out)
CAD: $5,140.482.16 / USD: $3,834,893.25  (Announced Live Gate)

Fight Of The Night: Alex Caceres vs Daniel Pineda

With more than 75 combined professional fights between them, it didn’t take a genius to realize the co-main event of Alex Caceres vs Daniel Pineda was a recipe for fireworks. That said, the battle that ensued quickly entered the short list for fight of the year consideration. Tied on the scorecards entering the third frame, Caceres unloaded with every ounce of his being, wobbling Pineda but unable to completely stop the pure heart of his opponent. Caceres survived on the scorecards to continue his impressive featherweight run, but fight fans were the true winners at the final bell.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Muhammad Naimov

Back in his native Tajikistan, where it was the middle of the night, throngs of fans gathered to watch and cheer as their native son Muhammad Naimov dropped rising lightweight prospect Jamie Mullarkey. Down on the scorecards heading into round two, Naimov found an opening for a bonus-worthy counter right hand as the two closed distance, and ended the fight with some show-closing ground and pound.

Performance Of The Night: Jim Miller

Jim Miller already has a plethora of UFC records to qualify him for the Hall of Fame one day, and on this night he notched the fastest KO of his career vs Jesse Butler at just 23 seconds. His dramatic 17th finish puts him second to only Charles Oliveira (19) for most in company history.

Fight Of The Night: Mackenzie Dern vs Angela Hill

What a performance from Mackenzie Dern. Her third main event was her best one yet, as she brought the fight to Angela Hill for 25 minutes.

Dern showcased an improved stand-up game paired with a mean ground and pound strikes that overwhelmed “Overkill”. But Hill was able to stay in the fight, not giving up for a second. On more than one occasion Dern nearly had an armbar submission but Hill’s outstanding defense prevented the multiple time jiu jitsu world champion from adding to her UFC strawweight submission record.

In the third round Dern landed a devastating step-in knee that wobbled Hill. It was an impressive wrinkle that Dern added to since her last time out.

It’s evident that Dern’s striking has become another area where strawweights need to take notice.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Viacheslav Borshchev

After a first round eye-poke, it was unclear if Viacheslav Borshchev would be able to deliver the sensational knockout he had hoped versus Maheshate.

In the second round Borshchev found the mark and earned a highlight reel worthy KO despite his vision being compromised. It was a beautiful performance from Borshchev and just proves that the lightweight striker can compete with any of the killers in the UFC’s most stacked division.

Performance Of The Night: Diego Ferreira

Now that’s the way to announce you’re back.

Diego Ferreira connected with a picture-perfect right hand that knocked out longtime contender Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Hill. It was a huge moment for Ferreira who couldn’t help but be emotional after the win. Ferreira has fought some of the best lightweights in the top 15 and a win of this caliber might put him right back into the mix.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Jailton Almeida

The Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus aced his first main event test with ease in Charlotte. Within the first frame, Jailton Almeida melted Jairzinho Rozenstruik the way he has with each of his opponents in his young UFC career – takedown, methodical ground-and-pound to the rear naked choke. Almeida loudly announced himself as a force the top-10 has to reckon with sooner than later. 

Performance Of The Night: Ian Machado Garry

Facing his first top-15 test, the undefeated Ian Machado Garry dispatched of Daniel Rodriguez with ease. Making the most of his great speed, Machado Garry patiently managed the distance on the feet and kicked Rodriguez’s body before uncorking a high kick that essentially ended the fight. 

At 14-0, the brash “Future” made it known: he wants the slow grind to the top, but if he turns in performances like that, his path might look more like an inside track. 

Performance Of The Night: Carlos Ulberg

New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg did it again. When his opponent rushed in on him, Ulberg faded back and planted a check lead hook on Ihor Potieria that sent him crashing to the canvas. That makes for four wins in a row and three via knockout for Ulberg, and he could very well have a top-15 test coming sooner than later. 

Performance Of The Night: Matt Brown

Few fighters have aged more aptly into their nickname than “The Immortal” Matt Brown. At 42 years old, he tied the UFC knockout record with a dynamite right hand planted on Court McGee in the first round of their duel. It was yet another example of Brown’s thunderous power, and showed that even at his advanced age, he has plenty of fight left in him. 

UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Almeida Attendance, Records and Gate

18,712 (sellout)

$2.09m

Highest attended fight night in the United States ever

Fight Of The Night: Movsar Evloev vs Diego Lopes

In a dicey situation, Movsar Evloev welcomed Diego Lopes on short-notice, and the UFC debutant gave the undefeated Evloev everything he could handle for three rounds. 

Lopes got his licks in early on Evloev and threatened myriad submissions, but Evloev showed his experience and methodically broke down Lopes. Evloev’s defense tightened up, and as Lopes fatigued, Evloev showed why he is one of the more exciting featherweight prospects in the top-10 right now. Tip of the hat to Lopes, however, for testing Evloev despite taking the fight on five days’ notice. 

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Yan Xiaonan

Yan Xiaonan delivered the best performance of her life in the biggest fight of her career against former strawweight champion Jéssica Andrade. Xiaonan looked sharp and quick early, and when a frustrated Andrade blitzed forward, Xiaonan evaded, planted her feet and uncorked a furious right hand that sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas. The result likely secured a title shot for China’s first female fighter.

Performance Of The Night: Matt Frevola

“Steamrolla” locked in the best result of his career against the all-action Drew Dober. In a high-octane first round, Frevola and Dober came out swinging, but Frevola’s shots were a bit cleaner early. When Dober applied some pressure, Frevola rocked Dober with a quick punch followed with a right hook that sat down Dober and got the stoppage.

UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo Attendance, Records and Gate

Gross Total Revenue: $5,182,210.36 (Announced Live Gate)
Attendance: 17,559 (Sold Out)
Highest grossing sporting event in Prudential Center History

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Song Yadong

A short notice step up to the his second main event was no challenge for China's Song Yadong, who came away with a major victory over 10th-ranked Ricky Simon.

The bantamweights put on a banger of a main event, putting their striking — and Song's grappling defense — on display. The matchup somehow made it into the fifth round before Song dropped Simon with a massive left hand that had stung him at the end of the fourth round. The strike sat Simon down before Song finished it off with a barrage of punches and, of course, a fantastic callout of either Sean O'Malley or Marlon 'Chito' Vera for his next fight.

Performance Of The Night: Caio Borralho

Brazil's Caio Borralho extended his unbeaten streak inside the Octagon in his fourth UFC showing with a statement finish over Michal Oleksiejczuk in the night's co-main event.

"The Natural" made his ground game look like easy work, dropping Oleksiejczuk in the second before climbing to his back and sinking in a solid rear-naked choke.

Performance Of The Night: Rodolfo Vieira

UFC Middleweight Rodolfo Vieira became the personification of resilience in his first fight in ten months, bouncing back from his loss to Chris Curtis last June in a big way against Cody Brundage.

After being dominated by Brundage throughout the entire first round, Vieira bounced back with in the second after countering a guillotine attempt of Brundage's and turning it into a submission attempt of his own. A textbook arm triangle for the world champion submission grappler earned him some extra cash.

Performance Of The Night: Marcus McGhee

In just a handful of days, Arizona's Marcus McGhee went from hoping to one day fight inside the Octagon to coming away big in his UFC debut, with a massive second-round finish and an extra $50 thousand in his pocket.

After a back-and-forth opening round, McGhee dropped Journey Newson with a cross, creating the perfect window for him to jump on the bantamweight's back and lock up a rear-naked choke in probably the biggest moment of his career to date.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Sergei Pavlovich

Sergei Pavlovich earned his sixth straight first-round finish against Curtis Blaydes in his first main event on Saturday night, giving him a strong case for a title shot. Both heavyweights were exchanging punches throughout the first minutes of the round, with some getting through. As the round progressed, Pavlovich’s power continued to dominant as he landed a blow that sent Blaydes down to the canvas. This marks Pavlovich’s sixth victory in a row.

Performance Of The Night: Bruno Silva

Brazil’s Bruno Silva got back into the win column after earning a first-round stoppage over Brad Tavares in the co-main event. Tavares came out swinging, showing his technical striking, but as Silva started to find his groove he became a dangerous man inside the Octagon. A knee up in the middle, followed by a left hand that put Tavares down and sent the referee over to intervene.

Performance Of The Night: Christos Giagos 

Christos Giagos first fight in nearly a year did not disappoint as he made a statement with his first-round knockout over Ricky Glenn inside the UFC APEX. It only took 95 seconds for Giagos to get the job done as he hit Glenn with a right hand that sent Glenn face-first to the canvas.

Performance Of The Night: Montel Jackson

A first-round knockout over Rani Yahya gave Montel Jackson his fourth straight victory. The 30-year-old hit Yahya with a left hook that put him down, followed up by some punches to seal the deal at 3:42 of the first round. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum is now 13-2 as he continues to make a case for himself in the bantamweight division.

Fight Of The Night: Bill Algeo vs TJ Brown

Off the rip it was evident that featherweights Bill Algeo and TJ Brown were going to put on a banger for KCMO fight fans.

Round one was a strong one for one of Arkansas' finest, as "Downtown" TJ Brown had his foot on the gas for all five minutes. He had success, peppering Algeo and keeping everyone on the edge of their seat. In the second round Algeo turned the tide quickly, thanks to a short elbow that dropped Brown.

Algeo pounced on the opportunity, as "El Senior Perfecto" went to the canvas and sunk in the rear naked choke. It was a great win and one heck of an Octagon interview for Algeo.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Edson Barboza

Edson Barboza hasn't fallen off one bit.

The longtime lightweight and featherweight contender continued to showcase why he's one of the most popular fighters in the sport at UFC Kansas City. Tasked with dispatching a rising and game Billy Quarantillo, Barboza delivered a classic Edson Barboza performance.

Retreating around the outside of the Octagon about halfway through the first round, Barboza countered a "Billy Q" strike with a lighting quick knee that put Quarantillo out cold. It was epic.

It was Barboza's sixth finish by kick or knee, that's second most in UFC history only trailing Donald Cerrone (7).

Performance Of The Night: Brandon Royval

What a return to action for flyweight Brandon Royval.

Royval, who is usually pure chaos the second he steps in the Octagon, took a more measured approach versus Matheus Nicolau at UFC Kansas City. And it paid off big time.

Early in the first round Royval hit Nicolau with a step in knee that dropped the Brazilian contender. Royval followed up with some ground and pound elbows that put an end to his work night early. It was the perfect statement for Royval as he continues to show why he could be the next flyweight to fight for the title.

Performance Of The Night: Gillian Robertson

The move to strawweight paid immediate dividends for Gillian Robertson.

"The Savage" dominated Piera Rodriguez from start-to-finish, securing a second round armbar submission. There was some question whether or not Rodriguez tapped, but the writing was on the wall and Robertson left Missouri as the only fighter to ever hand Rodriguez a loss.

UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Allen Attendance, Records and Gate

Attendance: 16,234
Gross Total Revenue: $2,180,096.00 [Announced Live Gate]

Fight Of The Night: Chris Curtis vs Kelvin Gastelum

Middleweights Chris Curtis and Kelvin Gastelum put on an incredible performance for the fight fans in Miami.

Both men stood toe-to-toe for 15 minutes and threw hands and showcased why they are must-watch every time they compete. Each fighter had moments, but Gastelum's efficiency and his power made the difference over the course of the fight.

The win was particularly sweet for Gastelum, who earned a victory after a lengthy time away and couldn't help but yell in excitement after hearing the judge's scorecards. It was an instant contender for Fight of the Year and one we'll be talking about for a long time.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Israel Adesanya

OH MY GOSH ISRAEL ADESANYA.

The middleweight king reclaimed his throne in one of the wildest ways we've ever seen. Up against the Octagon, "The Last Stylebender" fired off a lighting fast right hand that whipped rival Alex Pereira's head back. As Pereira brought his head back up Adesanya landed a nearly identical punch that put Pereira to the canvas.

Adesanya pounced and put the lights out on the Pereira, finally beating his rival and celebrating with a stone-cold archer celebration that was all-time. Absolutely stunning.

Performance Of The Night: Rob Font

If you had Rob Font vs Adrian Yanez circled on your bingo card as a banger you were right on the money.

The bantamweight showdown didn't make it to the first bell but it was epic as long as it lasted. Yanez started off fast, finding success and quickly causing damage to Font's eye. But the veteran contender woke up and started connecting on massive shots that stunned Yanez. That's when Font hit Yanez with a punch that sent the rising young fighter flying back and to then to the floor. It was truly epic win for the New England Cartel captain.

UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 Attendance, Records and Gate

Gate: $11,943,363.20 (Announced Live Gate)

Attendance: 19,032 (Sold Out)

Highest grossing event ever in Kaseya Center history

6th highest grossing event in UFC history

Fight Of The Night: CJ Vergara vs Daniel Lacerda

It was only the second fight of the night, but it was one that people will be talking about for days to come after UFC San Antonio concludes. Daniel Lacerda started the fight strong, landing a series of punches that looked like they might put CJ Vergara away early.

The hometown favorite, Vergara wasn’t going to go down without a fight in front of the San Antonio crowd, as he got out of the first round and turned things around in the second frame. With one minute left to go in the round, Vergara started laying it on the Brazilian forcing the ref to come in and stop it. A true comeback by Vergara that had everyone inside the arena on their feet and everyone outside the arena talking.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Nate Landwehr 

“Nate The Train” came rolling through San Antonio, Texas as he submitted Austin Lingo in the second round to earn his third straight victory inside the Octagon.

Both men were exchanging punches in the first round, with Landwehr turning it up a notch as the second round got underway. Landwehr landed a head kick that seemed to rattle Lingo and from then on it was only a matter of time before the fight would come to a halt. Once the two ended up on the canvas, Landwehr locked in a rear-naked choke forcing Lingo to tap.

Performance Of The Night: Daniel Pineda 

Daniel Pineda returned to action for the first time in almost two years and made the most of his return, submitting Tucker Lutz in the second round. After the two spent the first round, Pineda picked things up in the second. The Texas native hurt Lutz with a knee which would later lead to Pineda securing the guillotine choke. All 28 of Pineda’s wins have come inside the distance.

UFC Fight Night: Vera vs Sandhagen Attendance, Records and Gate

Attendance: 16,076 (sold out)
Gate: $2.15 million

Fight Of The Night: Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev 

The co-main event between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev exceeded the expectations it had set from the moment it was announced. It was a back and forth battle, ultimately being sent off to the judges who sent Gaethje home the winner by majority decision.

Fiziev started off quick earning success against “The Highlight” in the first round, but Gaethje soon started to pick things up, landing punches that started to cut open Fiziev. The bruising and bloodiness continued into the third round with Gaethje shooting some punches that had the crowd filled with excitement.

It was an unforgettable matchup between two exciting lightweights that will be talked about for some time to come.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Jake Hadley 

It was an easy night in the office for Jake Hadley as he submitted Malcolm Gordon 61 seconds into the fight. After the two spent a few seconds feeling each other out in the canvas, Hadley threw a body shot followed by some jabs that sent Gordon down.

From there, the night was over after the ref stepped in, sending Hadley and the O2 crowd into celebration mode. This marks Hadley’s second victory in a row.

Performance Of The Night: Gunnar Nelson

Gunnar Nelson earned his second straight win in London after submitting Bryan Barberena by arm bar with seconds left in the first round.

Nelson showed his grappling abilities from the beginning of the fight and continued to march forward even after Barberena tried to throw a few leg kicks. Once the two made their way to the canvas, there was no going back as Nelson threw elbows, continuing to work as he made his way to the arm bar submission.

UFC 286: Edwards vs Usman 3 Attendance, Records and Gate

Attendance: 17,588 (sold out)
Gate: £7,030,490/$8,577,197

Highest grossing event in O2 Arena history 

Fight Of The Night: Vitor Petrino vs Anton Turkalj

Few people had this one circled as a certified banger, particularly on such a stacked and entertaining card, but Vitor Petrino vs Anton Turkalj kicked off the main card with a contest that set the tone for the rest of the evening.

It’s remarkable that this one went the distance considering both light heavyweights found their mark on repeated occasions. As the fifteen minutes wore on, it was the Brazilian Petrino who started to pull away on the scorecards, despite some wild attacks from his opponent. With the win, Petrino is already on the short list for debut of the year.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Davey Grant

Veteran Raphael Assuncao had indicated this week that it was likely his last visit to the Octagon, and for the better part of the fight, it looked like he might go out with a victory, particularly after his opponent, Davey Grant, had a point deducted. But with the card stacked against him, “Dangerous” went into beast mode and ended the fight in the waning seconds with only the fourth inverted triangle choke submission in UFC history.

Performance Of The Night: Bruno Silva

Despite being two years removed from Octagon, Bruno Silva displayed zero sign of ring rust as he notched his third straight finish victory against veteran Tyson Nam. Speedy, strong and surgical, Silva’s three-fight win streak sends a clear notice to the rest of the flyweight division.

Fight Of The Night: Geoff Neal vs Shavkat Rakhmonov

These two welterweight contenders did not disappoint.

Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov laid it all on the line for almost 15 full-minutes before Rakhmonov secured a standing rear naked choke forcing Neal to tap. Prior to that jaw dropping moment, both men had big moments on the feet, but it was mainly Rakhmonov deploying a wide variety of strikes leading the dance.

Neal never backed down though, connecting with his own power shots that put Rakhmonov in trouble. It was back-and-forth and gutsy-and-grimy.

Even though Neal missed weight, which would normally mean he was ineligible to receive a bonus, UFC President Dana White loved the fight so much that he decided to make an exception and give “Handz Of Steel” his portion of the bonus.

Rakhmonov is now 17-0 in his professional MMA career, and he’s won each of those fights by either knockout or by submission. He’s the first welterweight in UFC history to begin his career with five consecutive finishes.

That’s impressive stuff for the 28-year-old and fight fans should be ecstatic to see him matchup with the other beasts at the top of the division. Big things are on the way from Rakhmonov – and UFC 285 was the perfect opportunity to prove he absolutely belongs.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Jon Jones

Jon Jones took a long time to come back to action, but he made up for it to fight fans by beating Ciryl Gane 124 seconds.

“Bones” took Gane down after feeling the fight out for a bit on the feet, he worked his way into a mounted position and locked in a guillotine choke. That’s all she wrote.

Just like that, the fighter that many believe is the ‘G.O.A.T.’ added another bullet to his resume which likely proves he’s just that. With the win Jones became the 8th fighter in UFC history to become a champion in two different divisions and he’s the 18th undisputed UFC heavyweight champion overall.

Jones’ win adds to his legacy and opens the door wide open for his future in the heavyweight division.

Performance Of The Night: Alexa Grasso

What an amazing showcase of focus from Alexa Grasso.

The once-strawweight contender made the switch to flyweight and has flourished on her way to challenging longtime champion Valentina Shevchenko. She capped of that brilliant decision with a stunning rear naked choke win over “Bullet” at UFC 285.

Grasso took Shevchenko’s back in the final minute of the third round after Shevchenko threw a spinning kick. Grasso rushed to Shevchenko and got her hooks in and arms around Shevchenko’s neck in an instant. She applied the pressure and Shevchenko was forced to tap.

With the victory, Grasso became the Mexico’s first female UFC champioin.

Alexa Grasso, you are the new flyweight champion of the world.

Performance Of The Night: Bo Nickal

The debut of Bo Nickal was worth the wait as the wrestling phenom proved he’s well on his way to becoming a superstar in the Octagon.

Nickal quickly pressured Jamie Pickett and was able to get his foe to the canvas. From there he positioned himself for an arm triangle submission. He was patient and he waited until he found the right grip and position to really lock in the choke. Pickett tapped and just like that, Bo Nickal had arrived.

Welcome to the Bo show.

UFC 285: Jones vs Gane Attendance, Records and Gate

Attendance: 19,471 (Sold Out)

Gross Total Revenue: USD $12,154, 753.10

4th highest in UFC history, highest ever for a heavyweight bout

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Brendan Allen

Brendan Allen made the most of the surprise spotlight against Andre Muniz when upgraded into the main event the day of the fight. Against the highly touted Muniz, Allen showed his skills on the feet, reversed Muniz on a takedown and finished his work with a methodically worked rear-naked choke in the third round. 

Performance Of The Night: Tatiana Suarez

After more than three years away, Tatiana Suarez returned with some fury against Montana De La Rosa. In a pitstop at flyweight before returning to strawweight, Suarez implemented her usual brand of exhaustive grappling. In the second round, she secured a front-headlock position in the middle of the Octagon and jumped into a guillotinechoke that earned her the second-round finish.  

Performance Of The Night: Mike Malott

Malott secured yet another first-round finish in his sophomore appearance with his submission victory over fellow Canadian Yohan Lainesse. Ontario’s “Proper” prospect started off patient, capitalzing on Lainesse’s overextension to secure the takedown and work toward the arm-triangle finish.

Performance Of The Night: Trevor Peek

In his UFC debut, Trevor Peek showed the UFC brass exactly what he means when he described himself as violent and mean. Peek came out aggressive early, and late in the first frame, he connected with several sledgehammers on Erick Gonzalez. Eventually, he overwhelmed his opponent and earned the stoppage right before the end of the round. 

Performance Of The Night: Jordan Leavitt

Normally known as a grappler, Jordan Leavitt bounced back from his disappointment in London with a vicious knockout win over Victor Martinez. In the first round, the UFC debutant Martinez was aggressive, but Leavitt found his way to a nice clinch, and from there, he landed several knees to Martinez’s dome that put him away and placed Leavitt back in the win-column. 

Performance Of The Night: Joe Solecki

Solecki was at his backpacking-best against Carl Deaton en route to a second-round submission win. In the first round, Solecki worked his way to Deaton’s back and threatened chokes for the majority of the round, and much of the same occurred in the second round. It was a nice and tidy effort from the Contender Series graduate as he looks to climb the lightweight ladder.

Fight Of The Night: Nazim Sadykhov vs Evan Elder

These lightweights seeking their first UFC victories put on a show in the UFC APEX. Nazim Sadykhov and Evan Elder went back-and-forth for two rounds that showcased that both men were determined to leave it all in the Octagon. The pace was breakneck. It featured power shots, variety, and was highly competitive.

An early third-round kick from Sadykhov badly cut Elder’s right eyebrow. The cut immediately caught the eye of the referring prompting referee Mark Smith to stop the fight on the spot.

It’s an unfortunate defeat for Elder, who was up 2-0 on all three of the judges’ scorecards entering the final round and a strong debut for Sadykhov who deserves credit for landing the kick that caused the cut.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Erin Blanchfield

A true contender has revealed herself.

Erin Blanchfield is the real deal ladies and gentlemen. The New Jersey native handled her first main event – which had a big-time opponent change – in the absolute best way possible.

“Cold Blooded” stood for five minutes with former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade for five minutes and proved that she can more than handle herself in the striking game. But in the second, Blanchfield’s bread and butter grappling shined through in the second round when she landed a perfect trip.

She immediately passed Andrade’s guard and then waited for Andrade to make a move to her feet. She quickly sunk in the choke followed by the hooks and forced the tap. It was a big moment for Blanchfield, who is no-longer a prospect. She’s ready to compete with the contenders and maybe even the champ at flyweight.

Performance Of The Night: 

Mayra Bueno Silva continues to excel at bantamweight, as she added another submission win to her record at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs Blanchfield.

Bueno Silva’s kneebar submission of Lina Lansberg was impressive and shows just how dangerous she is when the fight gets to the canvas.

That’s three wins in a row for Bueno Silva who has her sights on climbing the ranks and making some big noise in 2023.

Fight Of The Night: Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski

The hype leading up to a fight between pound-for-pound No. 1 and No. 2, Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev absolutely lived up it to expectations.

The UFC lightweight champion defended his championship in a hard-fought battle where Makhachev displayed his striking against the pressure of Volkanovski. This fight was no doubt the biggest test of Makhachev's UFC career and proved that Volkanovski can hang with the best lightweight in the world.

The five-round displayed big moments for each fighter, but Makhachev was able to inflict more damage and control Volkanovski more throughout the 25 minutes. Makhachev's first title defense was a close one, but it also came against the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter - no more.

It will be interesting to see what's next for Makhachev and Volkanovski but fight fans will definitely like to see this one again.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Yair Rodriguez

What a moment for Yair Rodriguez.

The journey has had tons of ups and downs for "El Pantera", but this moment will be something he can always look back on with the upmost pride. Rodriguez not only accepted the interim UFC featherweight title but he absolutely showed out against Josh Emmett.

Rodriguez is truly 1-of-1 and he showcased his unique style in the second round, combining dynamic strikes and unorthodox movements on his way to hurting Emmett. Rodriguez threw a flying knee that nearly connected flush. That flying knee allowed Emmett to get some top control, which Rodriguez turned into a triangle choke submission victory.

It was just the third triangle choke submission win in UFC championship fight history and it sets up the featherweight division for an exciting title fight between Rodriguez and incumbent champion Volkanovski.

Performance Of The Night: Jack Della Maddalena

If you didn't think Jack Della Maddalena was the real deal, you better now.

The Perth native completely met every hope and expectation of the 14,000+ Aussie faithful by handling his biggest test yet with flying colors. Della Maddalena's step-up in competition came against Randy Brown, which had fight fans on the edge of their seat. Della Maddalena dropped Brown and then locked up a quick rear-naked choke submission to earn his fourth UFC first-round finish in four fights.

The 26-year-old welterweight is ready for a massive fight at 170lbs and UFC brass will have to give a big ranked fight next time we see him walk to the Octagon.

UFC 284: Makhachev vs Volkanovski Attendance, Records and Gate

Attendance: 14,124 (sold out)

Gross Total Revenue: AUS $5,911,598 / USD $4,083,141

Highest grossing event for any arena in Australia

Fight Of The Night: Glover Teixeira vs Jamahal Hill

No more questions about the light heavyweight title were needed after Jamahal Hill and Glover Teixeira went to battle for 25 minutes. 

The back-and-forth contest saw Hill impress with his defensive grappling, often thwarting Teixeira’s takedowns attempts and dealing damage out of both stances. Hill had plenty of success with a left high kick that rocked Teixeira on several occasions. “Sweet Dreams” threw a variety of damaging shots and opened cuts around both of the Brazilian’s eyes, but Teixeira brought his best and never seemed truly out of the fight. In the end, Hill earned the light heavyweight title via unanimous decision.

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Ismael Bonfim

In an anticipated UFC debut, Ismael Bonfim put the lightweight division on notice with a stunning knockout victory over Terrance McKinney. After a clinical but tightly contested first round, Bonfim turned it up in the second round. Showing technical prowess on the feet, Bonfim consistently seemed a step ahead, and after landing a punch to stun McKinney, Bonfim elevated for a beautiful flying knee that sent McKinney crashing to the canvas unconscious. 

Performance Of The Night: Jailton Almeida

Perhaps the heavyweight prospect to watch in 2023, Jailton Almeida passed his toughest test yet with flying colors as he secured a TKO win over Shamil Abdurakhimov. At his suffocating and mauling best, Jailton Almeida controlled the majority of the contest and displayed beautifully patient ground-and-pound. In the second frame, he kept Abdurakhimov on his back, punishing him with strikes to earn another win.

UFC 283: Teixeira vs Hill Attendance, Records and Gate

Attendance: 13,604

Performance Of The Night Bonuses 

Performance Of The Night: Dan Ige

Coming off three consecutive losses, Dan Ige got back into the winner’s circle in a big way with a 2nd-round knockout win over Damon Jackson in the co-main event. Ige came out faster than usual, pressing the action and landing a variety of punches up top and to the body before scoring a takedown at the end of the first frame. The second round, he continued his powerfully methodical work, and when Jackson lept into range late into the second round, Ige found a home for a huge left hand and walked off without following up at all.  

Performance Of The Night: Roman Kopylov

Roman Kopylov picked up his second consecutive knockout in the Octagon with a technically adept TKO win over Punahele Soriano in the second round. After a steady start in the first round, Kopylov started working Soriano’s body, highlighted by a spinning back kick to the Hawaiian’s body. Another body shot buckled Soriano, and Kopylov swarmed to get the stoppage.

Performance Of The Night: Umar Nurmagomedov

In perhaps his best performance yet, Umar Nurmagomedov scored his first career knockout win with a beautiful left hook against Raoni Barcelos. Nurmagomedov started out methodically, and his striking looked sharp from the southpaw stance. As the two came together, Nurmagomedov came up short on a left kick but followed quickly with a left hook that put Barcelos out cold. Nurmagomedov followed up with one more shot, but it wasn’t necessary at that point. Nurmagomedov now hopes to turn his attention to a top-15 opponent. 

Performance Of The Night: Allan Nascimento

Brazil’s Allan Nascimento looked sharp against Carlos Hernandez. After a steady start, Nascimento found his way to Hernandez’s back and threatened the choke. When Hernandez stood up with Nascimento still hanging onto his back and looking for a rear naked choke, Nascimento deftly switched his grip and got the submission win midway through the first round.