UFC Fresno Bonuses: Ortega Takes Home Extra $100,000
UFC Fight Night 123 emanated tonight (Saturday, December 9, 2017) from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA. The main event featured scintillating top-six featherweights Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega. The abbreviated main event won Fight of the Night honors.
Swanson controlled large portions of the action with his sharp and unpredictable kickboxing, darting in to land punches and kicks before ducking away from Ortega’s counters. At the end of the first, Ortega corralled Swanson, latched a front choke, and dragged him to the mat. Swanson was saved from the D’Arce choke by the bell, but it foreshadowed what was to come.
Swanson again controlled the action in round two before Ortega trapped him along the fence. Ortega jumped for a standing guillotine and leaned back, yanking on Swanson’s neck. Swanson had no way out and was forced to tap out, giving Ortega his fifth straight come-from-behind finish victory. Swanson banked $50,000 for the spirited main event. Meanwhile, Ortega took home that bonus and an additional $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, for a grand total of $100,000.
The other Performance of the Night bonus went to Marlon Moraes for dominating and stretching Aljamain Sterling in other main card action. The Brazilian pieced up the New Yorker, landing punches and kicks, one of which dropped Sterling. Right after letting Sterling up, Moraes landed a knee that Sterling ducked into, instantly knocking him unconscious. Sterling froze and fell to the canvas, stiff as a board. Moraes earned an extra $50,000 for his efforts.
Keep it locked to LowKickMMA for all your UFC Fresno post-fight news and notes.
