UFC Vegas 43 Bonuses: Only three bonuses awarded

UFC officials revealed the recipients of the performance-based bonuses following Saturday’s UFC Vegas 43 fight card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The 11-fight card saw 10 bouts go the distance. The only finish Saturday was by women’s flyweight Taila Santos, and she was one of only three fighters that were awarded the extra $50,000 incentives.

Fight of the Night: Davey Grant vs Adrian Yanez

After some decision-heavy prelims that had audiences thirsty for a finish, Adrian Yanez and Davey Grant instead treated fight fans to fifteen minutes of glorious, back-and-forth brutality. Although the 30-27 scorecard for Grant puzzled some, it was little surprise that the bout ended in a split decision as both men emptied their respective tanks with every move they had in their MMA arsenal.

Sean Brady confronts Daniel Cormier at UFC Vegas 43 Post-fight Press Conference | Video

Performance of the Night: Taila Santos

It took nine fights tonight to find one that ended in a finish, and it ended up being the only one.  By virtue of that alone Taila Santos might have won the bonus. But it was so much more than that.

A short-notice replacement for Alexa Grasso in this bout, Santos entered UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs Tate as the biggest betting favorite on the card, and she reminded everyone why. Far from being simply a finish victory, it was instead one Santos’ finest, most fully-realized performances to date. Her dominance in the speed department was evident from the jump, and her striking eventually dropped Wood with 90 seconds to go. Once on the ground, Santos swarmed and methodically worked her way onto Wood’s back.

It was only the third submission victory of her 19-1 professional career, and her first since 2015. With the win, expect to see Santos in the top five of women’s flyweight on the strength of her stellar four-fight win streak, the second-longest in the division.