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Despite a razor-close back-and-forth affair for five rounds, the main event title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo failed to secure the Fight of the Night bonus at UFC 288.
Instead, Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes was awarded the Fight of the Night honors for their thrilling three-round featherweight clash on the main card of UFC 288. The two fighters received a bonus cheque of $50,000 each for putting on an exciting scrap.
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Matt Frevola and Yan Xiaonan were declared as the winners of the Performance of the Night bonus for their spectacular finishes on April 6. They also took home an additional sum of $50,000 each.
Matt Frevola went up against Drew Dober in the prelims of the event. The lightweight clash was expected to be fireworks and it delivered on its promise. 'The Steamrolla' delivered a spectacular knockout in the opening round of the fight. By doing so, Frevola became the first fighter to knock Dober out in the UFC.
With the victory, the 32-year-old extended his winning streak to 3-0.
Yan Xiaonan locked horns against former UFC champion Jessica Andrade in a strawweight clash on the main card of UFC 288. 'Fury' earned arguably the biggest win of her MMA career by knocking Andrade out in the opening minutes of the fight. With an impressive knockout win against a former champion, Xiaonan now has a good argument for a shot at UFC gold.
UFC 288 Bonuses: UFC debutant wins $50,000 bonus
Despite losing his UFC debut, Diego Lopes earned a $50,000 bonus as his scrap with Movsar Evloev was declared the Fight of the Night.
A featherweight clash between Bryce Mitchell and Movsar Elvoev was scheduled to take place on the main card of UFC 288. But unfortunately, Mitchell had to pull out of the fight. Diego Lopes, who had not competed in the UFC before, was brought in as a replacement on five- days notice.
Lopes gave a good account of himself against Evloev and also attempted multiple submissions during the three-round fight.
In the end, it was Evloev who emerged as the better fighter and took home a unanimous decision victory. The three judges scored the contest 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27 in favor of the 29-year-old.
Despite the loss, Lopes garnered praise from the MMA community for putting on an incredible performance on short notice. UFC president Dana White also shared words of encouragement with the Brazilian after the fight.
