Following Saturday’s UFC Vegas 49 fight card at the UFC Apex, UFC officials announced the recipients of the performance-based fighter bonuses.
Fight of the Night: Ji Yeon Kim vs Priscila Cachoeira
Flyweight fireworks went off inside the UFC APEX at UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs Green. Both Ji Yeon “Firefist” Kim and Priscila “Zombie Girl” Cachoeira lived up to their nicknames, putting on a three-round stand-up showcase.
Each woman had their moments in the fight, with Kim connecting early and often with her crisp combos and counterstrikes. Cachoeira relied on her powerful strikes to hurt Kim and while some of her shots missed the mark, the ones that found home made a big impact.
Heading into the third frame it was anyone’s fight, and as they approached the mid-way of the round it seemed like Kim had things under control. That’s when Cachoeira hit her third maybe fourth wind and started throwing elbow after elbow after elbow, busting Kim open and ending the final round in an intense flurry.
The judges saw the spectacular fight as a Unanimous Decision for Cachoeira, giving her three wins in her last four UFC bouts.
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Performance of the Night: Wellington Turman
Just a few weeks after his bout with Rodolfo Viera was cancelled, Wellington Turman made the most of his opportunity to face Misha Cirkunov at UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs Green. The Brazilian middleweight bounced back from a tough first round in which he absorbed a handful of ground and pound strikes with a stunning armbar win in the second round. Turman threw up the armbar in what felt like an instance, forcing Cirkuno to tap immediately. It was a big win and a definite step in the right direction for Turman.
Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan
Islam Makhachev wasn’t the only ranked lightweight to get a dominate TKO victory at UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs Green. Arman Tsarukyan dominated Joel Álvarez from start to finish, utilizing his grappling to hold the Spaniard to the canvas and drop devastating elbows on his opponent. One of which, caused a terrible gash on Álvarez’s nose that made it difficult for Álvarez to see. It also marked the beginning of the end for Álvarez, as Tsarukyan went directly back to the gameplan in the second round.
Tsarukyan pressured Álvarez right off the bat, was able to get him briefly into a crucifix position and then pour on shots that the referee couldn’t ignore. It was a picture perfect performance and proved that Tsarukyan is more than a prospect, he’s a contender.
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