With the dust cleared at UFC 258, at least one of the bonus-worthy performances was an easy one to pick.
Anthony Hernandez became the first man to submit an ADCC champ inside the octagon in two decades when he forced BJJ ace Rodolfo Vieira to tap to an arm-in guillotine choke. The preliminary card featured bout, a middleweight showdown, saw Vieira empty his gas tank early, then withstand an onslaught from “Fluffy” Hernandez.
Eventually, bruised and bloodied, Vieira could take no more. Once the choke was locked on in the second round, the Brazilian had nothing left to do but bow out.
Vieiera’s collection of gold medals make the win all the more impressive. The last fighter to submit an ADCC champ was Frank Mir in 2001.
Hernandez will take home one of four Performance of the Night bonuses. The other three went to Kamaru Usman, Julian Marquez, and Polyana Viana, all for their own big finishes. Usman, in the main event, ate some heavy shots and was rocked early, and more than once, by Gilbert Burns. But the welterweight champ regrouped and leaned on his jab to hurt Burns, battle back, and finish the fight in the third.
Viana and Marquez both secured impressive submission wins of their own against Mallory Martin and Maki Pitolo, respectively.
No Fight of the Night was awarded at UFC 258. Each bonus winner will take home an additional $50,000 for their efforts.
