UFC Fight Night 93 $50,000 performance bonuses
Three fighters get four $50,000 bonuses at UFC Fight Night 93
UFC fighters are compensated by the league via several means including a contracted amount to show and to win, performance bonuses, informal “locker room bonuses” of varying amounts, Reebok money, and for the most elite fighters, a cut of the PPV.
Four $50,000 performance bonuses are given out at each UFC, traditionally one bonus each to the fighters in the Fight of the Night, and then one each to winners in two outstanding fights.
Very rarely the fight of the night is so extraordinary, and the undercard so less than extraordinary, a fighter is given both a $50,000 fight of the night bonus and an additional $50,000 performance.
That is what happened at UFC Fight Night 90.
The first eight fights on the card saw only one submission, when the women showed how it is done, as Ashlee Evans Smith def. Veronica Macedo via TKO (elbows) at 2:46 of round 3. Then Ryan Bader had an incredible knee KO over Ilir Latifi in the second. And in the co-main, Alexander Gustafsson looked like he was not impressed with his own performance, in taking a unanimous decision over Jan Blachowicz.
The main event fighters were old, 37 and 38. The heavyweight division is not known for turning out the most exciting rounds in the sport. And the fighters were just one win in their previous combined fights.
However, the old guys showed the entire sport how it is done with high-level striking, high-level wrestling, and high-level submissions. It was incredible. Quite rightly, Josh Barnett won a rare double bonus.
$50,000 Fight of the Night
Josh Barnett def. Andrei Arlovski via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:53 of round 3
$50,000 Performance Bonus
Josh Barnett def. Andrei Arlovski via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:53 of round 3
$50,000 Performance Bonus
Ryan Bader def. Ilir Latifi via KO (knee) at 2:06 of round 2