LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 11: (L-R) Chris Curtis punches Roman Kopylov of Russia in a middleweight struggle throughout the UFC Battle Evening occasion at UFC APEX on January 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photos)
The primary UFC occasion of 2025, UFC Vegas 101 produced a full 9 finishes, with 5 of six primary card fights ending inside the space.
That left loads of choices for Efficiency of the Evening bonuses, from Punahele Soriano’s 31-second knockout of Uros Medic, to Fatima Kline choosing up the primary stoppage win of 2025 with a TKO battering of Victoria Dudakova.
Deserving as these performances could be, nevertheless, it was two different standouts taking the $50,000 in bonus cash. Mackenzie Dern, who obtained her revenge on Amanda Ribas within the night time’s primary occasion, was one. After dropping to Ribas by choice again in 2019, Dern got here out on high in a rematch that performed out nearly fully on the bottom, enjoying proper into her wheelhouse. And whereas Ribas had her moments, Dern caught her in an arm-bar late within the third, forcing a faucet.
Cesar Almeida, who survived an absolute onslaught from Abdul Razak Alhassan in a middleweight struggle, earned the opposite Efficiency of the Evening bonus at UFC Vegas 101. Almeida, returning to his toes after a knockdown, ate a number of extra blows earlier than he related with a left hook that ended Alhassan’s night time in a heartbeat.
Battle of the Evening at UFC Vegas 101 went to Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis, which can be of little solace to the latter. Tied one spherical a bit heading into the third, Curtis was doubtless set to lose a call, however no less than go the space, till a head kick related that left him wobbled. Regardless of Kopylov backing off and Curtis solely going to 1 knee, the ref waved the affair off, leaving “The Action Man” incensed.
Perhaps the additional spending money will assist take the sting off.
