Whittaker garnered $100,000 in post-fight bonuses for his victory over Derek Brunson in the UFC Fight Night 101 headliner at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Saturday Night. “The Reaper” and Brunson combined to earn “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their wild brawl, which ended with Whittaker putting his foe away with a jab, head kick and a swarm of follow-up punches 4:07 into the opening stanza.
That finish, Whittaker’s fifth consecutive triumph at 185 pounds, also earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” pay check.
Elsewhere, Tyson Pedro took home the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his first-round submission of Khalil Rountree at 205 pounds. Pedro survived an early knockdown to take his foe down and eventually transition to a rear-naked choke at the 4:07 mark of the period.