All articles tagged with #fight of the night
Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit staged one of the most brutal and acclaimed heavyweight battles at UFC 327, with Blaydes suffering an orbital fracture and a broken nose but earning a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus; Hokit reports no major injuries and is eyeing a June return, while the heavyweight scene remains active with ongoing title implications and new signings in the division.
Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit fought a Fight of the Night at UFC 327 in Miami, with Hokit defeating Blaydes and moving up the heavyweight rankings, while Blaydes acknowledged the fans’ praise that their war may have “saved the heavyweight division.” Blaydes has a six-fight winless streak since a 2022 run of three straight wins, including a win over Tom Aspinall, with losses to Aspinall (rematch), Sergei Pavlovich, and Hokit. Hokit, now 3-0 in the UFC, is set for a future assignment against Derrick Lewis on the June 14 White House card.
Alexander Volkanovski defended his featherweight title in a five‑round rematch with Diego Lopes at UFC 325 and earned Fight Of The Night (both fighters received $100,000). Dana White also unveiled a new $25,000 stoppage bonus for winners, awarded to Keiichiro Nakamura, Benoit St. Denis, Billy Elekana, Cameron Rowston and Jonathan Micallef; Quillan Salkilld earned $100,000 for Performance Of The Night, and Mauricio Ruffy received a six‑figure payout for his stoppage.
The UFC is doubling post-fight bonuses from $50,000 to $100,000 starting with UFC 324 and introducing a new $25,000 finish bonus for knockouts or submissions that don’t earn a Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night, aiming for at least $400,000 in bonuses per event under its Paramount deal.
The UFC announced new post-fight incentives for UFC 324: Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses are doubled to $100,000, plus a $25,000 finish bonus for KO or submission if the fighter doesn't win a post-fight award, as the promotion moves its first event to Paramount+ on Jan. 24, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Dana White is confident that the main event between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 will be the Fight of the Night, highlighting its excitement and significance. Du Plessis aims to become the first to defeat Chimaev and plans to push for a UFC event in South Africa if victorious. The event features a stacked lineup and is highly anticipated.
Max Holloway expressed frustration after missing out on the Fight of the Night award at UFC 318, despite his and Dustin Poirier's intense battle, which was overshadowed by a different prelim fight. The fighters discussed their disappointment backstage, feeling their fight deserved the accolade, which was awarded to a different match. This fight marked their third encounter, with Holloway winning the latest bout for the BMF title.
At UFC 317, four fighters received bonuses for their performances, including Ilia Topuria, who knocked out Charles Oliveira and established himself as a UFC superstar, and Joshua Van, whose fight with Brandon Royval was potentially Hall of Fame worthy. Gregory Rodrigues also earned a bonus for his impressive knockout. Van's quick turnaround and performance suggest a rising star with a likely future title shot.
UFC on ESPN 59 saw four fighters receive $50,000 bonuses for their performances. Montel Jackson and Charles Johnson earned Performance of the Night honors with quick knockouts, while Jean Silva vs. Drew Dober was awarded Fight of the Night after Silva's spinning back elbows led to a doctor’s stoppage due to a severe cut on Dober's forehead.
The UFC 302 post-fight press conference will take place approximately 30 minutes after the main event, where officials will announce the "Fight of the Night" and "Performance of the Night" bonuses, and winning fighters will address the media.
Justin Gaethje, despite suffering a gruesome broken nose and a dramatic loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300, showed sportsmanship by congratulating his opponent on Twitter. Gaethje's loss dashed his hopes for a title shot, but he still earned $300,000 for Fight of the Night.
Max Holloway and "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung put on a thrilling fight at UFC Singapore, earning them the Fight of the Night bonus. Holloway nearly scored a walkoff knockout in the second round, but the fight continued, allowing "The Korean Zombie" to come back strong in the third. Holloway ultimately delivered a devastating right hand that ended the fight. "The Korean Zombie" announced his retirement and received a $50,000 bonus. Junior Tafa and Michal Oleksiejczuk also earned bonuses for their impressive performances.
Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Moreno's flyweight battle at UFC 290 earned them the "Fight of the Night" bonus, with Pantoja winning via split decision. Dricus du Plessis and Denise Gomes also received "Performance of the Night" bonuses for their impressive victories.
Charles Oliveira earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his record-breaking finish of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, extending his own record for most stoppages in the UFC and breaking the tie with Donald Cerrone for most Post Fight bonuses. Mike Malott and Stephen Erceg also earned $50,000 bonuses for their wins, while Marc-Andre Barriault and Eryk Anders took home Fight of the Night honors.