Following last night’s UFC 207 event the recipients of the evening’s $50,000 bonus awards were announced.
Earning ‘Fight Of The Night’ honors was the co-main event clash between Cody Garbrandt and Dominick Cruz, a five round technical battle in which the challenger largely had the upper-hand.
Cruz is known for his hard to deal with, elusive style, but Garbrandt regularly found a way to his chin, while also frustrating the title holder by making him miss with his offense.
Garbrandt also showcased his power by dropping Cruz several times, including on no less than three occasions in the fourth round, though to his credit the champion always bounced back to his feet and continued fighting.
That helped keep the fight competitive, but Garbrandt was always in control and even showboated at times on his way to a unanimous decision victory that would crown him the UFC’s new bantamweight champion.
UFC woman’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes earned a richly deserved ‘Performance Of The Night’ bonus for her stunning 48 second destruction of Ronda Rousey in the main event of the evening.
Nunes found her range quickly with long and straight punches down the pipe that appeared to stun Rousey and left her almost frozen as the champion ruthlessly put her to the sword with more powerful, precision punches.
Mercifully, the referee ended the fight soon afterwards as the jelly-legged Rousey began reeling across the Octagon, hanging Nunes a massive TKO win that will be heard around the world.
Preliminary fighter Alex Garcia also took home a ‘Performance Of The Night’ bonus courtesy of a brutal KO finish against veteran campaigner Mike Pyle in the first round, connecting hard with an overhand right that renendered the 41 year-old unconscious.
