Check out our breakdown of the post-fight bonuses from UFC on FOX: Weidman vs. Gastelum in Long Island, New York. We tell you who won, who didn’t and why.
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York was home to a decent night of fights, with three (T)KOs, two submissions and eight decisions, including three split-decisions. Three of the four fights on the main card saw the underdog come out victorious and two-thirds of the fights on the card as a whole ended in an upset. Former Middleweight champion Chris Weidman got himself back into the win column, as well.
Performances of the Night: Alex Oliviera and Junior Albini
“Cowboy” Oliveira came in as the underdog to New York’s own Ryan LaFlare and after a first round that saw the Brazilian stifled and controlled on the ground, it looked like we were in for a 15-minute decision. Cowboy had other ideas. Oliveira adjusted in round two and stuffed LaFlare’s takedown attempt, which proved to be the exact opening he needed. A few right hands and leg kicks had Ryan struggling to find his way in, and the next time he tried, Alex was ready, landing a perfectly placed uppercut for the one shot KO and a $50k bonus.
Junior Albini made a statement debuting in the UFC’s paper-thin heavyweight division, becoming the first person to knock out gatekeeper Timothy Johnson, and doing so in emphatic fashion. A series of combos involving elbows, knees and punches dropped Johnson and the 26-year-old Albini showed a veteran’s killer instinct, pouncing and finishing the fight with ground-and-pound. The debuting fighter earned his freshman win and $50,000 in bonus money.
Fight of the Night: Lyman Good vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Lyman Good returned after a two-year layoff to face a game opponent in Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and the Brazilian wasted no time showing the former Bellator champion how the game had changed in his absence. EZdS set a hellacious pace, and to Good’s credit, he did everything he could to match it. Unfortunately, for every two strikes Lyman landed, dos Santos landed three, and Elizeu got the nod on the judges’ scorecards as a result.
A back-and-forth brawl always catches the eye of the UFC’s decision-makers, and this fight definitely qualified as that. EZdS improved his record to 3-1 in the UFC, and while Good is now an even 1-1 in the Octagon, he can console himself with the 50 Gs both he and dos Santos earned for their efforts tonight.
