UFC 276 bonuses: Alex Pereira gets $50,000 ahead of potential title shot with Israel Adesanya
The UFC handed out five post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s card, including one to perhaps the next middleweight title challenger.
After UFC 276, five fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.
Performance of the Night: Julija Stoliarenko
Julija Stoliarenko (10-6-1 MMA, 1-4 UFC) got her first win in the UFC, and it came by way of the move she loves the most. Stoliarenko took Jessica-Rose Clark (11-8 MMA, 4-4 UFC) down quickly into their fight, which opened the preliminary card. She quickly passed, got Clark’s arm, and torqued on an armbar. Clark quickly tapped, but her left arm already was either dislocated or broken. Stoliarenko’s submission was the second fastest in UFC women’s bantamweight history behind Ronda Rousey’s 14-second armbar of Cat Zingano in 2015.
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Performance of the Night: Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) left no doubt when he put Sean Strickland (25-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) out cold in the first round. The former kickboxing standout, who has two wins in that sport over UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, put Strickland down in a little more than half a round with a trio of perfectly placed punches. The win very well may set up a title shot for him just three fights into his UFC career after Adesanya had little issue defending his title against Jared Cannonier.
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Performance of the Night: Jalin Turner
Jalin Turner (13-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) kept on rolling with a quick dismantling of Brad Riddell (10-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC). Turner put it on Riddell in a hurry, got the fight to the canvas, then choked Riddell out with a guillotine in just 45 seconds. It was the quickest loss of Riddell’s career, but the fifth straight win for Turner – all by finish.
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Fight of the Night: Bryan Barberena vs. Robbie Lawler
Bryan Barberena (18-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) and Robbie Lawler (29-16 MMA, 14-10 UFC) put on a barnburner on the main card for as long as things lasted. Given Lawler was upset ahead of fight week that he initially wasn’t on the main card for the first time in his career, he showed why it was wise for the UFC to move him up there. He got plenty of shots off on Barberena. But late in the second round, Barberena landed enough shots to stun Lawler, then put a barrage on him to take him out with a standing TKO.
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