UFC Fight Night Zagreb Bonuses: Lewis, Taisumov, Perez, Cannonier Pocket $50K

Derrick Lewis has the type of power that can help pad a bank account.

“The Black Beast” did exactly that at UFC Fight Night Zagreb on Sunday, knocking out Gabriel Gonzaga 4:48 into the opening frame of their co-headlining clash to earn a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. A hard right hand from Lewis sent Gonzaga tumbling face-first to the canvas, bringing an immediate halt to the heavyweight tilt just before the end of the round.

No “Fight of the Night” bonus was awarded on Sunday. Instead, Mairbek Taisumov, Alejandro Perez and Jared Cannonier joined Lewis in receiving $50,000 performance bonuses.

Taisumov earned a $50,000 performance award for his first-round knockout of Damir Hadzovic in a preliminary lightweight encounter. Taisumov had his opponent reeling near the fence after landing a pair of right hands, and he put Hadzovic away with a right uppercut at the 3:44 mark of the period for his fourth straight stoppage victory inside the Octagon.

Meanwhile, Perez made Ian Entwistle pay for his single-minded focus on leg locks, forcing his adversary to verbally submit to punches 4:04 into the first round of their bantamweight tussle. “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” winner avoided multiple submission attempts from Entwistle and he eventually overwhelmed his foe with offense from top position.

Finally, Cannonier earned his first UFC triumph with a first-round knockout of Cyril Asker in a preliminary heavyweight clash. A left hook sent Asker to the canvas near the base of the fence, and after a moment’s hesitation, Cannonier finished off his foe punches and elbows on the canvas at the 2:44 mark.