Four fighters left UFC Vegas 124 with an extra $100,000 after delivering some of the night’s most memorable performances at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 7.
Following the event, the UFC announced that Johnny Walker and Waldo Cortes-Acosta had earned Fight of the Night honours for their heavyweight main event, while Elijah Smith and Thomas Petersen received Performance of the Night bonuses. The awards brought the total bonus payout to $400,000, with each recipient taking home an additional $100,000.
The main event between Walker and Cortes-Acosta proved to be the standout contest of the evening.
Despite coming up short, Cortes-Acosta received recognition for his performance alongside Walker, who secured a third-round TKO victory at 2:27.
Walker started strongly with low kicks, but Cortes-Acosta gradually found his rhythm and put the Brazilian under pressure. The Dominican heavyweight also scored a knockdown in the opening round.
Cortes-Acosta continued to have success in the second round, but Walker found another gear in the final five minutes. A perfectly timed question-mark kick hurt Cortes-Acosta, allowing Walker to follow up with punches and secure the stoppage.The victory marked Walker’s second consecutive finish since moving up to heavyweight, while both fighters received $100,000 for their efforts.
Elijah Smith Earns Performance Bonus After 60-Second Knockout
Elijah Smith also walked away with an additional $100,000 after producing one of the fastest finishes of the night. The bantamweight prospect needed just 60 seconds to stop veteran Davey Grant in their main-card contest. Smith immediately engaged Grant in a striking exchange before connecting with a series of powerful punches that forced his opponent backwards. He continued pressing forward and landed the finishing blow, securing a first-round knockout. The victory improved Smith’s UFC record to 4-0 and extended his overall winning streak to nine fights.
Thomas Petersen Gets Rewarded for Late Comeback
Thomas Petersen completed the list of Performance of the Night winners after producing an impressive comeback against Gabriel Lorenco. Petersen endured a difficult opening round, with Lorenco landing several damaging shots and putting Petersen under pressure. However, Petersen found his way back into the contest in the second round and carried that momentum into the final frame.
He continued working on the ground in the third round, increasing his pressure as the fight approached its conclusion. With just 13 seconds remaining, Petersen forced the referee to stop the contest after unleashing a series of ground-and-pound strikes. The third-round TKO victory earned him an additional $100,000.
UFC Vegas 124 Bonus Winners
Fight of the Night: Johnny Walker – $100,000
Fight of the Night: Waldo Cortes-Acosta – $100,000
Performance of the Night: Elijah Smith – $100,000
Performance of the Night: Thomas Petersen – $100,000
With four fighters receiving additional rewards, UFC Vegas 124 delivered a combined $400,000 in post-fight bonuses. Walker and Cortes-Acosta were recognised for their entertaining heavyweight battle, while Smith and Petersen earned individual awards for their stoppage victories.
