UFC on Fox 17 Bonuses: dos Anjos, Diaz, Johnson, Luque Earn $50K Checks

Rafael dos Anjos set a record for fastest lightweight title defense with his 66-second stoppage of Donald Cerrone in the UFC on Fox 17 main event, but that short night at the office didn’t adversely affect the Brazilian’s payday.

The reigning lightweight king earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his lopsided victory over Cerrone at the Amway Center in Orlando on Saturday night. A knee and follow-up kick to the body had “Cowboy” reeling, and dos Anjos didn’t waste time in swarming with punches against the fence. Moments later, Cerrone dove for a desperation takedown attempt, which allowed dos Anjos to move to his opponent’s back and seal the victory with a series of right hands to the head.

Elsewhere, Nate Diaz and Michael Johnson garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their spirited lightweight battle. After a solid start by Johnson in round one, Diaz took control of the bout thanks to his reach and consistent combination punching to win via unanimous decision.

Finally, Vicente Luque captured the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his first-round submission of Hayder Hassan. Luque hurt Hassan with an overhand right and then locked in an anaconda choke moments later. He then rolled into top position to elicit the tapout at the 2:13 mark of the period.