UFC 268 Bonuses: Gaethje vs. Chandler Slugfest Earns ‘Fight of the Night’ Honors
Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler delivered on the hype in a big way at UFC 268.
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Meanwhile, on an evening that featured a number of memorable finishes, the Las Vegas-based promotion handed out a quartet of $50,000 “Performance of the Night” checks to deserving athletes.
Marlon Vera earned one of those bonuses on the strength of a front kick knockout of Frankie Edgar in a featured bantamweight clash. After two competitive rounds, Vera emphatically brought the show to a close at the 3:50 mark of Round 3, becoming just the eighth fighter in promotion history to win a bout via front-kick KO.
Elsewhere, former Glory Kickboxing standout Alex Pereira garnered an extra $50,000 for a knockout of Andreas Michailidis in his Octagon debut. After a slow-paced opening stanza in which Michailidis controlled much of the fight with his grappling, Pereira brought an abrupt end to the contest with a flying knee and follow-up punches just 18 seconds into Round 2.
Bobby Green went eight years between finishes in UFC competition, but his latest effort made him $50,000 richer, as he put away Al Iaquinta in the first round of a preliminary lightweight encounter. A two-punch combination floored Iaquinta, and Green sealed his triumph moments later with punches and hammerfists at the 2:25 mark of the frame.
Finally, Chris Barnett secured his first promotional triumph in style, scoring a performance bonus for a spinning wheel kick finish of Gian Villante in a preliminary heavyweight affair. A barrage of follow-up punches ended the bout 2:23 into Round 2, sending Villante into retirement on a low note.
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