UFC 238 bonuses: Henry Cejudo, Valentina Shevchenko score awards, ‘Cowboy’ adds to record

MMAfighting.com

An abrupt end to an exciting fight didn’t stop Donald Cerrone from extending a UFC record.

“Cowboy” picked up his 18th UFC performance bonus (the most in company history) for his brief, albeit thrilling lightweight bout opposite Tony Ferguson at UFC 238 on Saturday at United Center in Chicago. Both men will received an extra $50,000 for winning the evening’s Fight of the Night award.

It will provide some consolation to the fan favorite fighters who saw their heated contest stopped by the ringside doctor at the end of round two when Cerrone’s right eye completely swelled up after he blew what appeared to be a broken nose.

For Ferguson, this is his ninth post-event bonus. He has won Fight of the Night in five of his last six outings.

The two Performance of the Night bonuses went to a pair of UFC champions, new bantamweight titleholder and reigning flyweight king Henry Cejudo, and women’s flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko.

Cejudo was victorious in the main event, battling back from a slow first round to defeat Marlon Moraes by third-round TKO. With the win, Cejudo earned a vacant bantamweight belt, joining Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes as only the fourth fighter ever to hold UFC championships in two divisions simultaneously.

In her first title defense, Shevchenko was dominant. After out-wrestling Jessica Eye in round one, she unloaded a head kick early in round two that left Eye flat on the mat.

Cejudo earned his fourth UFC post-fight bonus, while Shevchenko has now won three.