UFC 317 delivered fireworks from top to bottom, and four fighters walked away with extra cash to show for it. The event went down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and once the dust settled, UFC officials handed out UFC 317 bonuses to some standout performances.
Ilia Topuria headlined the card with a statement. The former featherweight champ made short work of Charles Oliveira, knocking out the future Hall of Famer in brutal fashion to claim the vacant lightweight title. Topuria opened the fight with sharp combinations that split Oliveira open early. Moments later, he detonated a clean 1-2 combo that sent ‘Do Bronx’ crashing to the canvas. He followed up with hammer fists that weren’t necessary—but the message was loud and clear.
“Topuria’s KO will go down in history. He needed less than half a round to finish Oliveira and walk away with the belt. That’s now three straight knockouts in title fights for ‘El Matador,’ who’s also stopped Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. A perfect 9-0 UFC record, and now he’s calling for Paddy Pimblett.”
That kind of finish earned him a Performance of the Night bonus and an extra $50,000.
Gregory Rodrigues also cashed in with one of the most vicious knockouts of the night. The middleweight veteran faced Jack Hermansson on the prelims and left no doubt. Rodrigues, also known as “Robocop,” landed a powerful shot that shut Hermansson’s lights off instantly.
“Rodrigues sent a chill through the T-Mobile Arena with that punch. Hermansson dropped stiff, and Robocop walked away with his fifth UFC post-fight bonus.”
The Fight of the Night honors went to flyweights Joshua Van and Brandon Royval, who left it all in the cage over three high-paced rounds. Van edged out a unanimous decision, but both fighters walked away with $50,000 for their gutsy performance.
“Joshua Van and Brandon Royval tore the house down. For three full rounds, they went toe-to-toe in a nonstop war. The crowd ate it up. Van may have won the decision, but both men earned that bonus the hard way.”
