UFC Vegas 71 wasn’t the most hotly anticipated card on the UFC’s schedule, with the return to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas met with groans from fans.
Matters were certainly not helped by the loss of Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon, the card’s original co-main event, just a week or so out from the fight. That bout was pushed back a week, as an emergency main event for the promotion’s April 29 Apex show.
There were still some diamonds in the rough come Saturday, however, and four finishers have now come away with $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses following the Fight Night card.
Among them, main event heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich, who extended his finishing streak to six straight fights when he knocked out Curtis Blaydes to close out the night. Blaydes did himself no favors by attempting to stand and trade with Pavlovich; a takedown attempt came too late, and was easily stuffed by the Russian, who finished off “Razor” Blaydes moments later.
Impressively, all six of Pavlovich’s wins on his current streak have been via KO/TKO inside of a round.
Bruno Silva was also rewarded for putting Brad Tavares away in the co-main event, a stoppage the Hawaiian protested to no avail. Christos Giagos, who became the first to stop Rick Glenn at UFC Vegas 71, and Montel Jackson rounded out the bonus winners.
No Fight of the Night was awarded on Saturday.
