Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov earned Fight of the Night for their thrilling five-round bout at UFC 311, while Jiri Prochazka and Jailton Almeida received Performance of the Night bonuses, with all four fighters awarded an additional $50,000.
Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov might’ve already delivered the year’s most electrifying fight. Fans were buzzing, and rightfully so—they’ve been rewarded for their efforts.
At the UFC 311 post-fight press conference, Dana White, the UFC CEO, dished out the bonuses. Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov snagged Fight of the Night honors for their epic five-round war. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka and Jailton Almeida clinched Performance of the Night bonuses.
Each fighter pockets an extra $50,000. Not too shabby, huh?
Dvalishvili’s win wasn’t a shocker; he went the distance in his first bantamweight title defense, outlasting Nurmagomedov in a nail-biter. This marks his 12th consecutive win and his first Fight of the Night since April 2018, when he faced Ricky Simon.
Prochazka and Almeida aren’t new to spectacular finishes. Between them? A whopping 51 wins by knockout or submission.
In a pivotal light heavyweight clash, Prochazka delivered a jaw-dropping third-round knockout against Jamahal Hill. It was a back-and-forth brawl that seemed up for grabs until Prochazka unleashed a final offensive surge.
Almeida didn’t waste time either. He secured his seventh finish in eight UFC fights, taking Serghei Spivac’s back and ending it with relentless ground-and-pound—just under a round.