UFC Melbourne (also called UFC Fight Night 101) emanated from the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia tonight (Saturday, November 26, 2016). The night’s main event pit rising middleweight sluggers Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson against one another.
The two 185-pounders delivered the best fight of the night in a back-and-forth barnburner. The headliners each picked up $50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses for their one round war that saw Whittaker emerge victorious by first-round knockout.
The New Zealander had to withstand multiple power-punching barrages from Brunson, but he eventually made the former All-American wrestler pay for his overly aggressive approach. Whittaker landed a hard counter left hook that permanently turned the tide of the fight and put Brunson on wobbly legs. Soon after, a head kick and follow-up punches put the finishing touches on the biggest victory of Whittaker’s career. The knockout garnered ‘The Reaper’ another $50,000 check, this for Performance of the Night. The streaking middleweight is only 25 years old.
The final bonus of the evening went to the debuting Tyson Pedro. The Sydney, Australia, native survived a hellacious straight left knockdown from Khalil Rountree to author his own first-round comeback. As Rountree charged in for the finish, he overcommitted and soon found himself engaged in a grappling battle with the Aussie. Pedro flipped the script by completing a takedown and taking the TUF alum’s back, and he completed the turnaround by cinching a rear-naked choke just over four minutes into the first round. For his dramatic come-from-behind win, Pedro nabbed an extra $50,000.
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