Jared Cannonier’s middleweight move paid off, Jacare Souza and Chris Weidman put on a war, and Israel Adesanya dazzled again at UFC 230.
UFC 230 was nothing if not explosive. Weak on paper only in comparison to past New York City cards with multiple title fights, it delivered in the cage. From the moment Lando Vannata and Matt Frevola battled to a hard-fought draw, rocking each other time and again, you knew just what to expect. When Sheymon Moraes and Julio Arce repeated the feat, only adding a fountain of blood that painted the canvas red, there were instantly two Fight of the Night contenders. And then the co-main event featuring Chris Weidman and Jacare Souza happened.
It’s a pity all three fights couldn’t earn a bonus. Each of them resulted in a memorable affair. Yet Souza’s late finish of Weidman in a fight with real stakes — a spot in contention for the 185lb title — sealed the deal. The other two candidates went the distance. Jacare ensured his fight with Weidman did not.
💰 BONUS TIME 💰
POTN: @Stylebender & @KillaGorillaMMA
FOTN: @JacareMMA vs @ChrisWeidmanB2YB: @P3Protein pic.twitter.com/lkbNwmeKiT
— UFC (@ufc) November 4, 2018
There was little surprise when it came to the Performance of the Night bonuses, except, perhaps, that heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier did not win one for his submission of Derrick Lewis in the main event. With the finish, Cormier became the first man to hold two titles and defend them both (though, it should be noted, that he’s unlikely to ever defend the light heavyweight title again).
Instead, bonuses went to Jared Cannonier, for his thunderous finish of former multi-weight champ David Branch (back in the WSOF), and Israel Adesanya, who picked apart Derek Brunson in a striking clinic. All four fighters will receive an extra $50,000 U.S. for their efforts at UFC 230.
