UFC Fight Night 103 performance bonuses and highlights

Fighters at UFC events are paid a fixed amount to show and another fixed amount to win; this sum is usually made public, although it depends on the governing rules of the commission. However, this is not the sole sources of income generated by a fight.

There is Reebok pay, based on tenure, for wearing the distinctive apparel during fight week and in the Octagon. Sometimes fighters get discretionary locker room bonuses of varying amounts; despite their name, locker room bonuses actually come in the mail now. The most elite fighters get points on the pay per view. And four discretionary $50,000 performance bonuses are given at each event.

Usually, there is a Fight of the Night in which both fighters are given a performance bonus, and a performance bonus to the winner in two fights. “Performance Bonus” is a phrase for fights that made you say “HOLY F@#$ING $#!@.”

One of the primary differences between the UFC model and the boxing model is the depth of the card. Sometimes the best fights are all the way down on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. Both the fight of the night and one of two performance bonuses came from the undercard. And the main event delivered as well, with Yair Rodriguez looking like a particularly brutal video game character.

Of further exceptional note was the submission win by Oleksiy Oliynyk. He landed the first Ezekiel Choke in UFC history, and did it from bottom mount. The choke is common with the gi, and incredibly difficult to pull off in MMA. It’s incredibly difficult for anyone not named Oleksiy – the 39-year-old Sambo specialist has used one to win ten times among his 62 fights.

Performance of the Night $50,000 bonus
Oleksiy Oliynyk defeated Viktor Pesta by Submission (Ezekiel choke) at 2:57 of Round 1

https://twitter.com/UFCONFOX/status/820810375977308160

“>January 16, 2017

Although this was likely BJ Penn’s final fight, it was the first time he ever suffered a knockdown in his career, after receiving 1,034 total strikes. While Rodriguez has the makings of a star, BJ Penn is a legend, and his latest losses cannot diminish that.

Performance of the Night $50,000 bonus
Yair Rodriguez defeated BJ Penn via TKO at 0:24 of Round 2

Fight of the Night $50,000 bonus
Augusto Mendes defeated Frankie Saenz by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/820816388537204738

“>@FrankieSaenz!!!! WOW! #UFCPhoenixpic.twitter.com/jNngxfzSiz

— UFC (@ufc)

Look how stealth this elbow is by @FrankieSaenz!!!! WOW! #UFCPhoenixpic.twitter.com/jNngxfzSiz

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2017

“>January 16, 2017

Next UFC event is UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña on Jan 28, 2017, at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.