UFC Vegas 20 Bonuses – Three Fighters Bag An Extra $50,000
UFC Vegas 20 was a largely disappointing fight card and that is reflected in the fact only three fighters walked away with bonus cheques.
The highly anticipated heavyweight main event between Ciryl Gane and Jairzinho Rozenstruik disappointed more than most. Gane stretched his undefeated record to 8-0 in a dull affair which saw him pop shot a gun-shy opponent over five rounds.
UFC president Dana White was critical of Gane despite his win post-fight.
At the post-fight press conference UFC officials announced that only three fighters had done enough to bank bonus cheques.
Fight of the Night
The standout fight of UFC Vegas 20 saw Pedro Munhoz take on Jimmie Rivera in a bantamweight bout with title implications. Rivera started well early and was able to land big punches. The Brazilian showed off his granite chin and returned every forward attack with nasty calf kicks. By the end of round one Rivera was clearly compromised. Despite that fact he continued to push forward. Munhoz was unrelenting with his leg attacks until the final bell. Rivera showed great heart and toughness to keep the fight competitive for three rounds. Unfortunately for the American it wasn’t enough, and he fell to a decision defeat. Munhoz will now go on to mix it with the best 135lbs has to offer. Rivera will surely remain in the mix despite defeat after putting it all on the line at UFC Vegas 20.
Performance of the Night
In an unusual move the UFC awarded just one performance of the night bonus. Ronnie Lawrence earned his extra $50K when he scored a third round TKO win over on the prelims. Lawrence was the only fighter to get a stoppage win at UFC Vegas 20.
Do you think the UFC were right to reduce the amount of bonus winners for UFC Vegas 20?
