UFC 219 Bonuses: Khabib Banks Extra $50K For Smashing Edson Barboza
UFC 219 emanated tonight (Saturday, December 30, 2017) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The evening was topped by a women’s featherweight championship tilt between divisional ace Cris “Cyborg” Justino and former Ronda Rousey-killer Holly Holm.
That bout would take home Fight of the Night honors.
Holm did her best to frustrate Cyborg, darting in with a combination before tying up to avoid the Brazilian’s heavy counters. The strategy worked at times, but the former bantamweight champ was never able to mount much effective offense. Cyborg landed hard right-hand counters and kicks to the legs, body, and head of her challenger. Still, Holm refused to go away. Her spirited effort helped both ladies earn an extra $50,000.
Though he did not get the finish, one obvious Performance of the Night went to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who savaged Edson Barboza in the co-feature. The ever-pressuring Russian got his first takedown of the fast-kicking Brazilian halfway through round one and proceeded to dole out one of the cringe-worthy beatings with which he has become synonymous. Khabib seemed to take his foot off the gas a bit in the second half of the fight, but he still easily took the final two rounds from a badly compromised Barboza. Nurmagomedov will leave Vegas $50,000 richer.
Finally, Tim Elliott banked the other Performance of the Night in the lone Fight Pass prelim. The former flyweight title challenger ran a wrestling and grappling clinic on short-notice opponent and UFC newcomer Mark De La Rosa, eliciting the tap via anaconda choke in the second round. Elliott will pocket an extra $50,000 for his dominant effort.
Keep it locked to LowKickMMA for all your UFC 219 post-fight news, notes, and analysis.
