UFC Vegas 89 bonuses: Andre Lima bags never-seen-before "BOTN," prelims fight wins $50K for Fight of the NightÂ
UFC Vegas 89 concluded with a unique set of post-fight bonus awards, including a first-ever 'Bite of the Night' bonus.
The fight event saw a 13-bout fight card with a thrilling women's flyweight main event and a slate of fighters rewarded for their performances.
Rose Namajunas secured a hard-fought decision victory over Amanda Ribas in the flyweight headliner. After dominating the first two rounds, Namajunas faced a resurgent Ribas in the third. Despite a close fourth and fifth round, Namajunas prevailed on all three scorecards, earning her first professional win at flyweight.
The heavyweight co-main event saw Karl Williams outpoint Justin Tafa via unanimous decision. While wobbled by Tafa's punches on a couple of occasions, Williams controlled the wrestling throughout, securing a clear victory.
However, the night's most unconventional story belonged to Andre Lima. Lima's opponent, Igor Severino committed a foul by biting him in the second round. This resulted in Severino's disqualification and a history-making first-ever "Bite of the Night" bonus of $50,000 for Lima.
Beyond the bite, several fighters impressed throughout the evening, earning themselves a share of the more traditional performance-based bonuses.
Four fighters walked away with an additional $50,000 for their victories:
UFC Vegas 89 Fight of the Night: Jarno Errens vs. Steven Nguyen (featherweight)
Jarno Errens defeated Steven Nguyen in a thrilling three-round war. Errens dominated the striking exchanges and secured a key second-round knockdown en route to a unanimous decision victory.
UFC Vegas 89 Performance of the Night: Payton Talbott
Talbott delivered a dominant performance, securing a second-round knockout victory over Cameron Saaiman. Talbott controlled the fight from the opening bell, ultimately finishing the fight with a clean left hook.
UFC Vegas 89 Performance of the Night: Fernando Padilla
Padillia wasted no time, earning a first-round submission victory over Luis Pajuelo. Padilla landed a powerful left hand early, transitioned to ground control, and secured a standing D'arce choke for the win.