File Photo: Sherdog.com
The two World Extreme Cagefighting featherweights earned matching $65,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses after they engaged in an epic three-round brawl at WEC 48 “Aldo vs. Faber” on Saturday at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif. What the bout lacked in technique, it made up for with unhinged violence.
Garcia won a controversial split decision from the South Korean, who made a definite impression in his promotional debut. All three judges scored it 29-28, two of them for Garcia. The two men exchanged wildly throughout their 15 minutes inside the cage.
Meanwhile, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 runner-up Manny Gamburyan pocketed a $65,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus after he stopped former featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown inside the first round. Gamburyan dropped Brown with a counter right hook and put away the American Top Team veteran with hammerfists from the top 2:22 into round one.
Finally, WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson banked a $65,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus after his guillotine choke solicited a tapout from Donald Cerrone in the co-main event. The end came 1:57 into the opening stanza. Henderson softened the challenger in the clinch with knees to the legs and head, scored with a takedown and cinched the submission in a scramble.
The $65,000 post-fight bonuses dwarfed those from previous WEC events. By comparison, the four winners at WEC 47 in March each left with $10,000.