The UFC awarded four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, two of which were for what most predicted would be Fight of the Night.
After UFC 286, four fighters took home an additional $50,000 for their performance in London. Check out the winners below.
Performance of the Night: Jake Hadley
March 18, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Jake Hadley (Red Gloves) fights Malcolm Gordon (not pictured) during UFC 286 at The O2 Arena. Mandatory credit: Per Huljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Hadley def. Malcolm Gordon via TKO (punches) – 1:01 of round 1
(autotag)Jake Hadley(/autotag) (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) needed a big-time performance to get the taste of defeat out of the mouth in his UFC debut. He came away with flying colors with a 61-second TKO of Malcolm Gordon (14-7 MMA, 2-4 UFC), who started with two shots to the body. Gordon missed the weight, to boot, so Hadley received 30 percent of the check on top of his own salary and bonus.
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Performance of the Night: Gunnar Nelson
March 18, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Gunnar Nelson (Red Gloves) prepares to fight Brian Barberena (not pictured) during UFC 286 at The O2 Arena. Mandatory credit: Per Huljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Gunnar Nelson def. Bryan Barberena via submission (armbar) – 4:51 of round 1
A year after returning from a 30-month layoff with a decision win, jiu-jitsu standout (autotag) Gunnar Nelson (/autotag) (19-5-1 MMA, 10-5 UFC) earned his first submission victory in four years After he knocked out Brian Barberena (18-10 MMA, 9-8 UFC) with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
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Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fizzi
Justin Gaethje def. rafael fiziv
Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
(AUTOTAG) Justin Gaethje (/AUTOTAG) (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and (AUTOTAG) Raphael Fizeev (/AUTOTAG) (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) were fight winners of the night even on paper before fight week begins. They lived up to the hype. After opening two rounds back and forth, Gaethje had a bit more in the tank in the third and took more damage. He wound up with the pair scoring 29–28, but settled for a 28–28 draw on a third card from a judge who gave the first two rounds to Fiziv, but 10–8 to Gaethje in the last. Gaethje now has 11 post-fight bonuses in 11 UFC fights; Physiyev has six of his eight bouts in the company.
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