Conor McGregor did just about everything he said he was going to at UFC Fight Night 59 on Sunday night in Boston. He stopped long-time veteran Dennis Siver in the second round with strikes in a totally one-sided performance. As a result, he also earned $50,000 with a Performance of the Night bonus. UFC Dana White announced the news at the post-fight press conference.
McGregor was in control from the beginning, walking Siver down and pot shotting with long-range straights and jabs. The Irish featherweight attempted several spinning kicks, although not many of them landed. As he shrugged off takedown attempts or stood to his feet after a successful takedown from Siver, he steadily chipped away at the German opponent. By the end of the first round, Siver was visibly beaten up and throwing winging shots to keep McGregor off of him.
At the start of the second round, the end was near as McGregor dropped Siver with just over a minute into the round. He quickly passed to mount and dropped elbows until referee Herb Dean called a halt to the action at 1:54.
Also earning $50,000 through a Performance of the Night bonus was Lorenz Larkin. Dropping to welterweight for the first time, Larkin looked lean and mobile. Exploiting a speed advantage, he popped his opponent John Howard with a right hand that sent Howard crashing to the mat. Howard tried to hang on and survive, but Larkin’s finishing ability and instincts made that impossible. The bout was stopped at 2:17 in the first round.
Last, but certainly not least, Matt Van Buren and Sean O’Connell each earned $50,000 by claiming Fight of the Night honors. The two light heavyweights battered each other with punches at both short and long range, knees on the inside and every other strike over the course of nearly full three rounds. Bloodied and bruised, however, O’Connell exploited Van Buren’s slow movement and height to score a series of heavy hooks that eventually forced a referee intervention at 2:11 of round three.