The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including a massive title upset in the main event.
After UFC 293, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Sydney. Check out the winners below.
'Performance of the Night': Justin Tafa
Justin Tafa def. Austen Lane via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:22
Justin Tafa nearly suffered the same fate from his first meeting with Austen Lane, which went down as a no contest due an eye poke. Tafa was poked early in this one too, but the fight would go on – for a few more short moments. Tafa landed a crushing left hand to flatten Lane, ending the fight in violent fashion in Round 1. In a night with a few clean finishes, this one was certainly worth a Performance of the Night bonus.
'Fight of the Night': Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos
Manel Kape def. Felipe dos Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
In one of the best fights of the night, flyweight debutant Felipe Dos Santos came to scrap against ranked and highly-touted Manel Kape. Dos Santos was originally set to fight for a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, but ended up on the main card of UFC 293 facing one of the best flyweights in the division. Although he didn’t get the win against Kape, dos Santos proved he belongs in there with the best after an exciting 15 minutes worthy of the Fight of the Night award and an extra $50,000.
'Performance of the Night': Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland def. Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Sean Strickland did it. It wasn’t a lucky punch or any other fluke moment inside the cage. Strickland cleanly outstruck now-former middleweight king Israel Adesanya over the course of five rounds to claim the UFC title. It was a career performance, and a near-flawless one at that. Naturally, Strickland’s display against one of the all-time greats deserves something extra, and he takes home an additional $50,000 along with the UFC middleweight title.
