UFC Vegas 87 bonuses: Only two fighters take home the $50,000 for POTN, Vinicius Oliveira vs. Bernardo Sopaj KO wins FOTN
UFC Vegas 87 created numerous headlines and highlight-reel moments, but only four fighters took home an extra paycheck at the end of the night.
Out of the 11 fights on the Fight Night event, six fighters were able to find a finish, including Jairzinho Rozenstruik's dominance of Shamil Gaziev, leading to a referee stoppage in between the fourth and fifth rounds of the main event. Of the six finishes, two were achieved by fighters who closed the night as betting underdogs, including Rozenstruik.
As the largest favorite of the night, Umar Nurmagomedov was unable to find a finish against Bekzat Almakhan but gutted out a decision win after being dropped in round one. As the second biggest favorite of the night, Ľudovit Klein dismantled AJ Cunningham with a body shot TKO.
UFC Vegas 87 post-fight bonuses
Fight of the Night: Vinicius Oliveira vs. Bernardo Sopaj
Bernardo Sopaj may have suffered a potentially career-altering knockout but earned a $50,000 bonus for his effort against Vinicius Oliveira.
Oliveira had high expectations after scoring a viral knockout on Dana White's Contender Series but lost a majority of the beginning of the fight as Sopaj established control. As the tide began to turn, largely due to Sopaj's fatigue, Oliveira began to find his rhythm, landing consistently.
Without the Fight of the Night accolade, the bout's competitiveness would likely have been overshadowed by Oliveira's knockout. Instead, Sopaj will rightfully take home an additional paycheck after stepping in on short notice.
Performance of the Night: Vinicius Oliveira
Vinicius Oliveira's flying knee knockout of Bernardo Sopaj in the third round of their prelim fight was enough to earn the Brazilian two post-fight bonuses.
Though it may only be March, Oliveira may have already solidified a top-five candidate for the 2024 Knockout of the Year. The event in total featured six finishes — all knockouts — but Oliveira's stood out above the rest as the most obvious choice for the additional bonus.
Oliveira struggled early but took advantage of a gassed-out Sopaj, who lost all defensive mechanics in round three. After absorbing a leg kick, Sopaj found himself backed against the fence, where Oliveira landed one of the most violent flying knees in MMA history.
Performance of the Night: Steve Erceg
Many expected fireworks with Steve Erceg and Matt Schnell being paired together, and the flyweights did not disappoint. The first round was fairly competitive, but it would ultimately be Erceg who found the knockout blow to place himself into the top 10.
Both fighters hurt their opponent in round one, but less than a minute into the second frame, Erceg landed a flush left hook that left Schnell stiff on the canvas. The Australian did not follow up, walking off with his first knockout win in the UFC.
To back up his performance, 'Astro Boy' called for a fight with Brandon Moreno in his next outing.