With his first finish since last December, Francis Ngannou found himself back in the money.
The one-time heavyweight title contender stopped a two-fight skid and picked up an extra $50,000 for his 44-second finish of Curtis Blaydes in their rematch that headlined UFC Beijing on Saturday. After landing an overhand right that nearly caused Blaydes to faceplant, Ngannou didn’t let up and he continued to unload with powerful hooks and short punches until referee Marc Goddard had to step in. It was the second time that Ngannou has beaten Blaydes and he now has three career fight night bonuses.
The other Performance of the Night award went to Li Jingliang for his late stoppage of David Zawada. After engaging in a back-and-forth battle, something both fighters are well known for, Jingliang made sure that the judges wouldn’t be necessary, cracking Zawada with a kick to the body in the closing moments of round three and finishing with strikes from there. Jingliang has now won four UFC fight night bonuses in his last five appearances.
Fight of the Night went to Alex Morono and Kenan Song. The two welterweights traded hard shots for three rounds, with Morono taking the unanimous decision win. Both men will be walking out with $50,000 bonus checks for their efforts.
More News
Quiñonero fights Verdadero in Resbak 2
Resbak 2 at Malungon, Sarangani Province on July 12
Garde stops Baliente in 1st round in “Resbak”