UFC 222 Bonuses: Ortega, O’Malley, Soukhamthath, Hernandez Earn $50K Checks

Brian Ortega, Sean O’Malley, Andre Soukhamthath and Alexander Hernandez received $50,000 post-fight bonuses for their efforts at UFC 222.

Ortega received a “Performance of the Night” award for his first-round knockout of Frankie Edgar in featherweight title eliminator bout in Saturday’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “T-City” stopped Edgar in his tracks with a standing elbow and sent his foe to the canvas with a massive uppercut moments later. Referee Jason Herzog quickly stepped in to intervene at the 4:44 mark of the frame, making Ortega the first man to finish Edgar in MMA.

Elsewhere, O’Malley and Soukhamthath garnered “Fight of the Night” honors for their featured bantamweight tilt. O’Malley appeared to be in total control early, as he rocked his adversary in round one and built up a solid lead on the scorecards after two rounds. However, the tone changed when O’Malley hurt his leg in the final frame, but “Sugar” was able to withstand Soukhamthath’s final assault to hold on for a unanimous decision triumph.

Finally, short-notice newcomer Alexander Hernandez took home the card’s other “Performance of the Night” check for a 42-second knockout over veteran lightweight Beneil Dariush in a preliminary bout. During an early exchange, Hernandez rocked his foe with a forearm to the temple and finished the contest with follow-up punches on the ground to begin his UFC tenure in style.