The UFC handed out five post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including one to its newest champion.
After UFC 298, five fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Anaheim, Calif. Check out the winners below.
Performance of the Night: Zhang Mingyang
Zhang Mingyang def. Brendson Ribeiro via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:41
Zhang Mingyang (17-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC) wasn’t afraid to stay in the pocket against Brendson Ribeiro (15-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a firefight. He landed a right hand in tight quarters after 100 seconds of a slugfest, then followed with a left hook that had the Brazilian out on the canvas. A few hammerfists before Mike Beltran could get in to stop it were icing on the cake.
Performance of the Night: Anthony Hernandez
Anthony Hernandez def. Roman Kopylov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:23
Anthony Hernandez (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) struggled to get Roman Kopylov (12-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) to the canvas in the first round. But once he got the fight to the mat in the second, he was in his world and sank in a rear-naked choke. The win was his fifth straight and fourth by stoppage.
Fight of the Night: Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern
Amanda Lemos def. Mackenzie Dern via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
The women’s strawweight bout between Amanda Lemos (14-3-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Mackenzie Dern (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) to close out the prelims delivered as promised with a highly competitive fight that saw Lemos take a unanimous decision to stay relevant in the division after a title fight loss in August 2023.
Performance of the Night: Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria def. Alexander Volkanovski via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 3:32
Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was confident all fight week that he’d put away featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC). He thought a first-round knockout would come, but it was in the second, instead. Topuria landed a clean shot to the chin that had Volkanovski out cold, and a couple shots on the canvas made sure of it. The Spaniard stayed unbeaten and ended Volkanovski’s lengthy reign at 145 pounds.
