The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including one to its all-time record holder in finishes.
After UFC 289, five fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.
'Performance of the Night': Stephen Erceg
Australia’s Stephen Erceg represented well in Canada by turning in a fantastic performance in his UFC debut against David Dvorak. The flyweight bout was intense from beginning to end, but it was the performance from the underdog Erceg that turned heads, and caught the eye of the UFC bosses who decided to award him $50,000 for his fun unanimous decision victory.
'Performance of the Night': Mike Malott
Tasked with holding down the fort as the final Canadian fighter on the card, Mike Malott had a little bit of pressure on his shoulders. It was no problem for Malott, though, as he delivered on his promise to finish Adam Fugitt. Although he was unable to secure his sixth-straight first-round finish, Malott had to settle for a second-frame submission that was worthy of his second-straight Performance of the Night bonus.
'Performance of the Night': Charles Oliveira
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira made a statement in his return after losing his title. Standing in his path back towards gold was the streaking Beneil Dariush who entered as a winner of eight straight fights. Oliveira stepped into the cage on a mission, and finished Dariush in the first round with powerful punches to extend his all-time UFC finishing record, which now sits at 20. Saturday’s bonus is the 19th overall for Oliveira in his storied career.
'Fight of the Night': Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Eryk Anders
Opening the main card of UFC 289 was a middleweight matchup between two tough fighters who don’t like to back down from exchanges. Marc-Andre Barriault and Eryk Anders did exactly that over the course of 15 minutes, creating a memorable opening bout for the Vancouver fans. Barriault walked away with his hands raised as a winner of a unanimous decision, but both fighters earned an extra $50,000 for their performance in the intense battle.
