The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including two for a fight most predicted to be Fight of the Night.
After UFC 286, four fighters raised an additional $50,000 for their London appearances. View the winners below.
Performance of the night: Jake Hadley
March 18, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Jake Hadley (red gloves) fights Malcolm Gordon (not shown) at UFC 286 at the O2 Arena. Required Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Hadley defeats. Malcolm Gordon via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:01
[autotag]Jack Hadley[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) needed a great performance to get the taste out of his mouth after a loss in his UFC debut. He came through with flying colors with a 61 second TKO of Malcolm Gordon (14-7 MMA, 2-4 UFC) that started with a few shots to the body. Gordon also missed weight, so Hadley got 30 percent of his check on top of his own pay and the bonus.
[lawrence-related id=2625768,2625187]
Performance of the Night: Gunnar Nelson
March 18, 2023; London, United Kingdom; Gunnar Nelson (red gloves) prepares to fight Bryan Barberena (not pictured) at UFC 286 at the O2 Arena. Required Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Gunnar Nelson defeats. Bryan Barberena via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:51
A year after returning from a 30-month layoff with a decision win, jiu-jitsu stood out [autotag]Gunnar Nelson[/autotag] (19-5-1 MMA, 10-5 UFC) picked up his first submission win in over four years when he tagged Bryan Barberena (18-10 MMA, 9-8 UFC) with a first-round back choke.
[lawrence-related id=2625786]
Fight of the night: Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev
Justin beats Gaethje. Rafael Fiziev
Justin beats Gaethje. Rafael Fiziev via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) were Fight of the Night winners on paper even before fight week started. They lived up to the hype. After a back and forth opening of two rounds, Gaethje had a little more in the tank in the third and did more damage. He finished with a pair of scores of 29-28 but settled for a 28-28 draw on a third card from a judge who gave Fiziev the first two rounds but gave Gaethje a 10-8 in the last. Gaethje now has 11 post-fight bonuses in 11 UFC fights; Fiziev has six of the eight attacks in the company.
[lawrence-related id=2625938]
Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
