It was a card heavily derided ahead of Fight Night, and UFC Vegas 116 was slow to get going, but it did feature some bright spots.
Back at the Meta Apex on Saturday, the UFC’s latest hometown show featured Aljamain Sterling earning a clear cut decision victory in the night’s main event. It was a handful of earlier fights that cleaned up come bonus time, however.
Among them, the main card opener between Ryan Spann, a recent transplant to the heavyweight division who previously fought at 205lbs, and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, a decorated BJJ star and former ONE Championship athlete.
Spann landed a two-punch combo in the second round of a fight that had, to that point, been more of a grappling affair to topple Buchecha, who hit the canvas like a fallen tree. It was a walk-off KO moment and one that saw Spann earn his second straight victory at heavyweight.
The night’s other Performance of the Night bonus went to Jackson McVey, who submitted troubled middleweight Sedriques Dumas to claim his first victory under the UFC banner.
Fight of the Night at UFC Vegas 116 went to a thriller between Davey Grant and newcomer Adrian Luna Martinelli. At 40, Grant still had enough in the tank to turn back the 2025 Contender Series winner.
All four bonus winners pocket $100,000 for their efforts. $25,000 finishing bonuses were nary to be found as Spann and McVey had the only stoppages on the night.
