UFC on ESPN 55 Bonuses: Alex Perez, Three Others Garner $50K Performance Awards

Alex Perez bet on himself, and it paid off handsomely.

The Team Oyama product ended a three-bout skid in emphatic fashion, as he scored a second-round knockout of Matheus Nicolau in the UFC on ESPN 55 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. A short-notice replacement for the injured Manel Kape, Perez folded his opponent with a right hook at the 2:16 mark of Round 2 — earning himself a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process.

Meanwhile, Bogdan Guskov garnered a $50,000 “Performance of Night” check for his finish of Ryan Spann in the co-main event at lightweight. After being controlled on the canvas in Round 1, the Uzbekistan dropped Spann and then sealed his victory with a barrage of unanswered strikes on the ground to force a stoppage at the 3:16 mark of Round 2.

Elsewhere, Jhonata Diniz captured a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award by rallying for a second-round knockout of Austen Lane at heavyweight. The Brazilian kickboxer rocked his foe, then rendered him unconscious with a left hook 2:12 into the period.

Finally, Uros Medic secured a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award with a first-round stoppage of Tim Means in a featured welterweight contest. Medic dropped “The Dirty Bird” with a powerful uppercut and then put his veteran foe away with a follow-up punch at the 2:09 mark of the period.