UFC Fight Night 63 Post-Fight Bonuses: Mendes, Poirier, Pena Pocket $50,000
UFC Fight Night 63 went down today (April 4, 2015) from Fairfax, Virginia and what an event it was. From top to bottom the card featured many great fights featuring some brutal and electrifying finishes.
Timothy Johnson made waves on the Prelim portion of tonight’s event, making a name for himself in his UFC debut. Taking on Shamil Abdurahimov, Johnson took top control and blasted Abdurahimov with a flurry of strikes to earn a first-round TKO stoppage as well as a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Former featherweight contender Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier opened up the main card in style, making a statement in his lightweight debut, battering Diego Ferreira. “The Diamond” landed some huge shots, securing a first-round knockout win and earning a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process.
Also on the main card, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18 winner Julianna Pena finally made her long awaited return from injury and made a huge statement. Not having competed since she was crowned the Ultimate Fighter in 2013, Pena came in and used lethal ground and pound to smash Milana Dudieva. She may have established herself as a contender in the women’s bantamweight division and earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus as well.
Finally came the highly anticipated main event of the evening: a featherweight showdown between top contenders Chad “Money” Mendes and Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas. Mendes proved why he is considered the best 145-pounder on the planet not named Jose Aldo, landing a huge right hand that dropped Lamas and following up with a brutal flurry of strikes to score an ultra-impressive first round finish. “Money” added $50,000 to his piggy bank with a well-deserved “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Stay tuned to LowkickMMA for all of your UFC Fight Night 63 post-fight coverage.
Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
