Anthony Johnson and Ben Rothwell were among the recipients of $50,000 bonuses following their efforts at UFC on FOX 18.
UFC on FOX 18 is in the books, and it’s perhaps no surprise that after a disappointing preliminary card, the $50,000 post-fight bonuses went exclusively to the main card competitors. The four award winners from this evening’s show are as follows:
Fight of the Night: Jimmie Rivera def. Iuri Alcantara by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Performance of the Night: Anthony Johnson (def. Ryan Bader via 1st round KO) and Ben Rothwell (def. Josh Barnett via 2nd round submission)
Since returning to the UFC in 2014, Rumble has earned himself performance bonuses in 4 of his 5 wins. Overall, Johnson has taken home a post-fight bonus check 7 times out of 12 victories. Rothwell’s gogo choke win over Barnett netted him his 3rd bonus, with the other two coming against Alistair Overeem and Brendan Schaub, both of whom he defeated by knockout.
Neither Rivera nor Alcantara had ever won a post-fight bonus in the Octagon prior to their entertaining battle at the Prudential Center, but it was definitely well-earned for both men. Unfortunately for Alcantara, his 1-3 record in his last 4 fights puts him nearer a UFC exit than ever returning to the top 10 of the bantamweight division.
On a final note, 4 of the 5 opponents to defeat Bader (Jones, Ortiz, Teixeira, Johnson) have gone on to win post-fight bonuses.