Michael Chandler had an Ultimate Fighting Championship debut to remember, and it helped make his payday that much better.
Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier gained revenge and a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his second-round stoppage of Conor McGregor in the lightweight main event. Poirier attacked his foe’s calf with low kicks and backed him into the fence, where he dropped the Irishman with a right hook and sealed his win with a barrage of follow-up strikes at the 2:32 mark of the frame.
Earlier, Marina Rodriguez garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for her upset victory against Amanda Ribas in a featured strawweight affair. After spending most of Round 1 on her back, Rodriguez rocked Ribas with a right hook and after a period of confusion, finished her foe off 54 seconds into the second frame.
Finally, Makhmud Muradov captured the card’s fourth $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for an impressive finish of Andrew Sanchez in a middleweight clash. In Round 3, Muradov put Sanchez on wobbly legs with an overhand right, followed up with a flying knee and teed off with punches against the fence for a stoppage 2:59 into the period.