The two old rivals earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their thrilling middleweight championship clash in the UFC 204 headliner on Saturday night. Unlike their first encounter at UFC 100, Bisping managed to survive a pair of H-bombs early, and the Englishman maintained his composure down the stretch, landing with superior volume to win a thrilling and controversial five-round verdict.
Meanwhile, Jimi Manuwa pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his second-round knockout of Ovince St. Preux in a featured light heavyweight clash. A body shot backed OSP to the fence and an overhand right put the former University of Tennessee football player on wobbly legs. From there, Manuwa unleashed a left hook that sent St. Preux crashing awkwardly to the canvas at the 2:38 mark of round two.
Elsewhere, Iuri Alcantara’s ability to chain submission attempts together earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award. The Brazilian dropped Brad Pickett with a spinning elbow in the opening round of their preliminary bantamweight affair to set up his finish. After attempting to end the fight with ground-and-pound, Alcantara transitioned from an armbar to a triangle to secure the tapout at the 1:59 mark.