UFC Fight Night 219 experienced a few significant changes leading up to the event, and most fans seemed to agree that on paper the card looked to be one of the UFC’s weaker offerings. Even if the event lacked a bit of name value, a number of bouts provided action worthy of Fight of the Night consideration and several individual fighters had an argument for winning a Performance of the Night Bonus.
Performance Of The Night Bonuses
Mayra Bueno Silva entered her matchup with Lina Länsberg on a two-fight winning streak, and the Brazilian added to that run with the most impressive victory of her UFC career.
“Sheetara” quickly found out in the first round that she held an advantage over Länsberg on the mat, but the Swede was able to stifle any real offense in order to make it into the second round. Things didn’t go as well for Länsberg the next time she hit the canvas, as Silva caught her in a kneebar that resulted in a quick tap.
The win over Länsberg marks Silva’s fourth submission victory since joining the UFC, and the 31-year-old was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus for the win.
Erin Blanchfield was handed an entirely new challenge when Jéssica Andrade stepped in on short notice to face her in the main event of UFC Fight Night 219, but the 29-year-old had no trouble rising to the occasion.
“Cold Blooded” met Andrade head on in the striking exchanges in the first round, which surprised many fans considering she’d previously done most of her best work on the mat. Blanchfield did eventually take things to the canvas in the second round, and it didn’t take long for her to secure a rear naked choke to finish the former strawweight champion.
The 29-year-old is now a perfect 5-0 to start her UFC career, and she also took home an extra $50K to celebrate her third-straight submission victory.
Fight Of The Night
There were a couple fights that stood out as being potential Fight of the Night winners at UFC Fight Night 219, but few fans would argue that any bout on the card stood out as much as Nazim Sadykov vs. Evan Elder.
The matchup already held intrigue with the undefeated Sadykhov joining the UFC while Elder was looking to rebound from his first career loss in his own promotional debut last year, and the pair ended up combining for a fantastic fight to close out the UFC Fight Night 219 prelims.
The bout ended somewhat disappointingly when Elder suffered a nasty cut early in the final round, but both men took home an extra $50K for their work and fans can look back on their matchup as one of the highlights of UFC Fight Night 219.
What are your thoughts on the bonus winners from UFC Fight Night 219?