UFC Vegas 5 took quite a few late hits, but ended up being an entertaining eight-fight card. Here’s who took home an extra chunk of change from the UFC Apex.
UFC Vegas 5 lost fights at an alarming rate leading up to and on Fight Night. Gerald Meerschaert tested positive for COVID-19 the day of the fight and his bout with Ed Herman was scrapped. Then, moments before the main card, Trevin Giles fainted and his fight with Kevin Holland was no more. Regardless, there were entertaining options for post-fight bonus selections.
The UFC announced the bonuses on Twitter.
Very rarely do two fighters earn Fight of the Night bonuses on two separate occasions against each other. Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade did it, and now Bobby Green and Lando Vannata will join that list. Their first bout was a split draw after Vannata was deducted a point for an illegal knee. At UFC Vegas 5, it was much more conclusive as Green knocked down Vannata several times to earn the victory. That’s now two straight victories for Green. Not bad for a fighter who retired in 2018.
Vicente Luque earned his sixth career performance bonus for his second-round knockout of Randy Brown. It was a beautiful systematic decimation of Brown, leading to a knee in the waning seconds of the second round that stopped the fight. Luque now has 12 wins in the UFC and has stoppages in 11 of them. He’s consistently one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the promotion.
Rounding things out is Jennifer Maia, who earned a Performance of the Night after upsetting Joanne Calderwood with a first-round armbar. Calderwood had a title shot locked up, but took a risk by accepting a fight against Maia. Maia pulled off the armbar from her back, which always an impressive feat.
