UFC 292 Aftermath: $7M+ live gate crashes arena record, returning fighter bags bonus for TUF final performance, and more
UFC 292 proved to be quite an entertaining event as it involved upsets, dominant performances, record-breaking gate revenue, and the winners of both title fights winning UFC bonuses.
The event, which took place at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, had a sold-out crowd of 18,293 people. The gate revenue for the event was $7.25 million, which is the highest gate in the arena's history except for the NBA finals.
Sean O'Malley stole the show at UFC 292 by knocking Aljamain Sterling out in the second to become the new bantamweight champion. 'Suga' also won the Performance of the Night bonus worth $50,000 for his spectacular performance.
In his post-fight octagon interview with Joe Rogan, O'Malley called for a rematch against Marlon 'Chito' Vera.
In the co-main event, Zhang Weili took on Amanda Lemos for the strawweight title. 'Magnum' put on a dominant performance and cruised to a one-sided unanimous decision victory. The three judges scored the fight 50-43, 50-44, and 50-45 in favor of the 34-year-old.
UFC Bonuses: Brad Katona made a triumphant return at UFC 292
Taking part in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) finals, Brad Katona locked horns against Cody Gibson in a bantamweight clash in the prelims of UFC 292. The contest was a back-and-forth affair that ended with a unanimous decision win for 'Superman'. The bout was declared the Fight of the Night and both athletes took home an additional sum of $50,000 each for their efforts.
With the victory, Katona became the first fighter in UFC history to win the TUF tournament twice. After winning it for the first time in July 2018, Katona had three more fights in the UFC but lost two of them.
This resulted in the 31-year-old parting ways with the promotion. But with his recent victory, Katona has a second chance at making it big in the multi-billion dollar promotion.