Whittaker and Romero received “Fight of the Night” honors for their five-round war. However, due to Romero missing weight, Whittaker received the full $100,000 instead of splitting it with his Cuban foe.
In a bout filled with momentum swings, Whittaker held on for a split-decision triumph, surviving knockdowns from Romero in round three and five in the process. While “The Reaper” improved to 2-0 against Romero, a trilogy bout wouldn’t be surprising considering the competitive nature of their first two meetings.
Elsewhere, Curtis Blaydes garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his third-round technical knockout victory over former title challenger Alistair Overeem in a preliminary heavyweight clash. After controlling the contest through his wrestling, “Razor” Blaydes opened up and finished Overeem with a violent salvo of elbows at the 2:56 mark of the third round.
Finally, Charles Oliveira captured the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his first-round submission of Clay Guida in a preliminary lightweight matchup. After absorbing a few strikes in an early exchange, Guida attempted to shift gears with a takedown. However, “Do Bronx” was waiting, and he ensnared his opponent in a guillotine choke at the 2:18 mark of the opening stanza.