The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including two to the title fighters in the main event.
After UFC 297, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Toronto. Check out the winners below.
Performance of the Night: Jasmine Jasudavicius
Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 3, 4:21
Jasmine Jasudavicius (10-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) had a point to make against Priscila Cachoeira (12-6 MMA, 4-6 UFC), it seemed. The story goes Cachoeira signed for a flyweight fight, then asked for 130, then asked for 132, then asked for 135 – and that’s where they settled. Jasudavicius absolutely punished her for nearly 15 minutes and set a women’s bantamweight record for ground strikes. The disparity in the striking totals was at an absurd level, and ultimately Cachoeira tapped to an anaconda choke with less than a minute left in the fight. Jasudavicius landed 300 more total strikes than Cachoeira, which set a new UFC women’s record, an overall record for three-round fights, and was the third largest total strike differential in UFC history.
Performance of the Night: Gillian Robertson
Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:12
Gillian Robertson (13-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) continued to make her mark on the UFC’s record books with a second-round TKO of Polyana Viana (13-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC). That finish lifted Robertson into a tie for second all-time for women’s stoppage wins in the UFC. Retired former dual champion Amanda Nunes holds the mark with 10, but Robertson and ex-strawweight champ Jessica Andrade are right behind her with nine.
Fight of the Night: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland
Dricus Du Plessis def. Sean Strickland via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
There was plenty of heat between challenger Dricus Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and middleweight champion Sean Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) heading into their headliner. Strickland’s jab was on point, but Du Plessis frequently landed bigger strikes and mixed in takedowns and left Toronto with the 185-pound title around his waist in a split decision.
