With many impressive finishes, the UFC didn’t see fit to award a “Fight of the Night” bonus, but instead handed out four “Performance of the Night” bonuses.
On Saturday night, Cody Garbrandt, Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling, and Alex Perez each earned $50,000 bonuses for their respective finishes at UFC 250, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streamed live on ESPN+.
Both Garbrandt (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and O’Malley (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) picked up incredible walk-off knockouts against veterans of the game.
Garbrandt stopped Raphael Assuncao with one second remaining in the second round. It was a lightning quick right hook that sent the Brazilian straight to the canvas. The win over Assuncao snapped a three-fight skid for the former 135-pound champion.
Meanwhile, O’Malley put away former WEC champion Eddie Wineland in the first round with one punch. The 25-year-old remained undefeated in his professional MMA career.
In the flyweight division, Perez (24-5 MMA, 6-1 UFC) needed just one round to put away Jussier Formiga. Although there was some nice work done by Perez with his hands, it was the leg kicks that were the deciding factor, leading to a TKO win.
Sterling (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) picked up the only submission from all the “Performance of the Night” winners. “Funk Master” overwhelmed Cory Sandhagen on the ground, taking him down early, getting his back and sinking in a rear-naked choke to end the fight.
UFC 250 bonuses: Cody Garbrandt, Sean O'Malley earn 'Performance of the Night' nods after walk-offs
