Once again, the UFC showed there’s very little rhyme or reason to its bonuses – except it seems if you ask for one, it’s a bad sign.
The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card in Las Vegas, including one to the second biggest favorite on the card.
But when it came to his second-round finish of Ismael Bonfim, who missed weight by a massive five pounds, Chris Padilla wound up being sh*t out of luck – despite a post-fight plea to the UFC brass for some bonus love to help his mother up her lot in life. (Uros Medic wouldn’t mind saying a thing or two, either, about who got extra checks and who didn’t.)
Padilla did, however, get 25 percent of Bonfim’s purse – capped at such in the state of Nevada. But then the promotion went and threw another little jab in the ribs Padilla’s way by giving a $50,000 bonus to Bonfim’s brother, Gabriel, who picked up a knockout win in the main event – but immediately had the validity of his finish called into question as an early stoppage by the ref.
After UFC Fight Night 264, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.
Performance of the Night: Gabriel Bonfim
Gabriel Bonfim (19-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was about a 2-1 favorite against Randy Brown (20-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC), and in the second landed a brilliant jumping knee that put Brown on his back – and likely even briefly out. The fight was stopped immediately, though Brown and many observers called it an early stoppage and though Brown should have had a chance to recover.
Performance of the Night: Christian Leroy Duncan
Christian Leroy Duncan (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) picked up his third win of the calendar year and second straight bonus when he took out Marco Tulio (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO. It all started with a spinning backfist. In August, he landed a spinning back elbow against Eryk Anders on his way to his first UFC bonus.
Performance of the Night: Josh Hokit
Josh Hokit (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was the second biggest favorite on the card against fellow UFC newcomer Max Gimenis (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC). He did what he was expected to do, then cut a WWE-like promo to call out Valter Walker.
Performance of the Night: Zach Reese
Zach Reese (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) took his fight against Jackson McVey (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on less than a week’s notice. He also had the benefit of not having to cut all the way down in the curtain jerker, which was negotiated to be a 195-pound contract weight. Reese had trouble in the first round and was cut, and he took a shot in the jimmies, too. But he rallied in the second for the rear-naked choke win.
