It was never going to be an easy call for the UFC decision makers when it came to the bonus money at UFC 322.
There were plenty of big finishes, plenty of deserving fighters. Newcomer Ethyn Ewing shocked many with an upset of Malcolm Wellmaker. Erin Blanchfield submitted Tracy Cortez in a rematch from their Invicta days, back in 2019.
Four other fighters, however, took home the bonus money at UFC 322. Each was awarded a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus; no Fight of the Night was announced for the New York card, a common theme of late.
Leading the pack Bo Nickal, the only one of the four winners the appear on the preliminary card. Nickal put away BJJ star Rodolfo Vieira with a head kick in the night’s featured prelim, and in doing so bounced back from his first career loss, against Reinier de Ridder. If there was any question as to whether the loss to RDR had shaken the decorated collegiate wrestler, he most certainly answered it.
Kicking off the main card, lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis floored Beneil Dariush in just sixteen seconds. Then, in sequence in the follow two fights, Carlos Prates became the first man to knock out former welterweight champ Leon Edwards, while Michael Morales scored a TKO finish of Sean Brady.
Morales extended his winning streak and overall record to 19-0 with that performance, and cemented himself as the frontrunner for a title shot at 170lbs.
20,464 was the announced attendance, per UFC CEO and President Dana White.
