UFC 178 delivered several great performances, but only two fighters could walk away with bonuses.
The exciting main card delivered, and the preliminary action chimed in too to make Dana White and Joe Silva’s decision on bonuses more difficult.
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson looked stellar in taking care of Chris Cariaso in the main event. His thorough performance was still not enough to nab him the extra $50,000 in bonus money. Also coming up short was Cat Zingano. She battled back from a rough first round to earn a title shot against Ronda Rousey by stopping Amanda Nunes by TKO in the third and final round.
The Fight of the Night did not go to the battle between Donald Cerrone and Eddie Alvarez. The competitive fight nearly saw Cerrone finish with leg kicks in the third round. Alvarez could barely stand. Cerrone got the decision and rudely welcomed Alvarez to the cage.
So, who did win the bonuses? Let’s have a look at the fighters who walked away with extra cash.
Performance of the Night No. 1: Dominick Cruz
Cruz had been out of action since 2011 when he defended the UFC Bantamweight Championship against Demetrious Johnson. Fast forward three years, and T.J. Dillashaw is the 135-pound champion and Johnson is dominating at 125 pounds.
How he would come back from his injuries was a big question mark, and he answered emphatically.
In just 61 seconds, he earned the stoppage by pasting Takeya Mizugaki—ranked No. 5 in the division—with a barrage of punches. It was a remarkable performance—one that earned him a title shot against Dillashaw.
We will finally get to see Cruz challenge for the belt he never lost.
Performance of the Night No. 2: Conor McGregor
McGregor talks a lot of trash, but he backs it up. That’s the important thing.
In just one minute, 46 seconds, he got the TKO finish over No. 5-ranked Dustin Poirier. McGregor clipped him, hurt him and finished.
The charismatic Irishman is a rising star in the UFC. This performance solidifies his spot as a title contender.
When Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes meet in October, McGregor will be in attendance. Will the UFC bring him in the cage and announce the next title fight, or is he simply going to lobby for the shot? Regardless, he is the star to watch in the division.
Fight of the Night: Yoel Romero vs. Tim Kennedy
All of the talk surrounding this fight has to do with what happened prior to the third round beginning, but take that away and it was still a fantastic fight.
Kennedy and Romero battled. Kennedy hurt Romero at the end of the second round, and it was questionable if Romero could even continue. He got a few extra seconds to recover, came out in the third and finished Kennedy.
It was a controversial end, but it was exciting for fight fans. When awarding the Fight of the Night, that is what plays the most to the decision-makers. The two men earned their bonus money for a very fun Top 10 middleweight contest.
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