UFC 205 Bonuses: Conor McGregor Leads List Of $50,000 Winners
UFC 205 emanated from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, tonight (Saturday, November 12, 2016). It will hold a place in history as the first MMA event held at the “World’s Most Famous Arena”, but also for the excellence and depth of the card.
In the highly anticipated main event, Conor McGregor took apart defending lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez with punches in the second round after a dominant first. He became the company’s first ever simultaneous two-division champion. For his efforts, McGregor banked an extra $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus check.
The co-main event ended in a controversial majority draw, but there can be no question that the fight was absolutely scintillating. Welterweight king Tyron Woodley had his challenger, Stephen Thompson, on the proverbial ropes in the first and in dire straits in a 10-8 fourth. A brutal knockdown transitioned to a deep guillotine choke that seemed certain to end “Wonderboy’s” night, but he refused to go away. He won the other three rounds on two judges’ scorecards, resulting in a majority draw.
The high-drama contest and both men’s iron wills earned them matching $50,000 Fight of the Night checks.
The final Performance of the Night bonus money went to middleweight dynamo, Yoel Romero. The former Olympic wrestler blasted former champion Chris Weidman with a jumping knee that split open the side of his head and ended his night immediately. Several unanswered punches followed, but the stoppage was a foregone conclusion by then. The Cuban wrestling phenom took home an extra $50,000 for his electrifying knockout victory.
In other news, the reported attendance of UFC 205 was 20,427 with a live gate of $17.7 million. It’s safe to say the UFC’s first foray into New York was a success.
