Brian Ortega made a triumphant return at UFC Mexico City, scoring a come-from-behind win over Yair Rodriguez and earning an extra $50,000 in Performance of the Night bonus money.
Brian Ortega’s comeback at UFC Mexico City? Yeah, it was one for the books.
First time back in the ring since July 2022, right? And boy, did he make it count. Ortega, the two-time title contender, pulled off a wild win over Yair Rodriguez. The start was a bit rocky, but he turned it around, submitting Rodriguez with a third-round arm-triangle choke. This was the co-main event, mind you. And for his efforts? An extra $50,000 in Performance of the Night bonus money. That’s his eighth post-fight bonus, by the way.
Ortega’s victory was the highlight of the post-fight bonuses at UFC Mexico City. There were others, of course. Lightweight hopeful Manuel Torres snagged the other Performance of the Night bonus. He submitted Chris Duncan in the first round, kicking off the main card. Then there were lightweights Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado. They got Fight of the Night for their three-round brawl. Zellhuber came out on top with a unanimous decision.
Where did all this go down? At the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Feb. 24.
And let’s not forget the main event. One-time UFC title contender Brandon Royval went up against former two-time UFC flyweight champ Brandon Moreno. It was a close one, but Royval pulled off a split decision win.