UFC Fight Night 68 Bonuses: Poirier and Jordan Pocket $50,000
UFC Fight Night 68 went down tonight (June 6, 2016) from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. With a main card featuring nothing but finishes, it was a great night of excitement and action.
Former top-five featherweight Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier returned for his second bout at lightweight in his home of New Orleans, and he definitely did not upset the fans. Taking on Yancy Medeiros on the main card, “The Diamond” was able to back Medeiros up against the cage, landing a brutal body kick and a plethora of uppercuts to earn the first-round finish. Poirier also earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his stoppage victory.
Also on the main card, Brian Ortega and Thiago Tavares went at it in a back-and-forth battle that saw some strong takedowns and ground and pound from Tavares. However, Ortega fought back with multiple submission attempts and unveiled a lethal new striking skillset with a superman punch off of the cage. Ultimately, he finished the bout off with a relentless third round attack after cutting Tavares wide open with a series of elbows. Both men won $50, 000 for their “Fight of the Night” earning efforts.
In the featured prelim bout, heavyweight sluggers Shawn Jordan and Derrick Lewis squared off. A former LSU football player, Jordan was also looking to impress the Louisiana faithful, and he did just that. Landing multiple takedowns in the first, Jordan was able to tire Lewis, and essentially turn it on in the second. In the second frame, Jordan landed a phenomenal, and perfectly placed hook kick that sent Lewis to the matt. The former LSU Tiger followed up with a flurry of strikes to finish the bout and earn a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” Bonus.
Overall, UFC Fight Night 68 produced a plethora of finishes, and exceeded expectations. Stay tuned to LowKickMMA for all of your post-fight coverage.