Following Saturday’s event in New Jersey, the UFC awarded four performance bonuses, with two going to competitors in the flyweight title bout.
At UFC 328, four fighters each received an additional $100,000 for their standout performances at the Prudential Center in Newark. Additionally, four athletes earned $25,000 bonuses for submitting their opponents, though these finishes did not qualify for the main awards.
Fight of the Night:
Joshua Van, Tatsuro Taira ($100,000 each)
Few doubted that Joshua Van (17-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and Tatsuro Taira (18-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) had produced a legendary title clash by the time Van raised his hand. Overcoming early adversity from Taira, Van scored a knockout in the fifth round to retain the flyweight belt. Van was one of the rare UFC champions to enter a title fight as an underdog, but after a back-and-forth war in the co-main event, he ultimately stopped Taira.
Performance of the Night: Jim Miller ($100,000)
After the longest layoff of his career—which included surgery and a challenging time with his son’s cancer treatment—Jim Miller (39-19 MMA, 28-18 UFC) overwhelmed Jared Gordon (21-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) with a first-round arm-triangle choke.
Performance of the Night: Yaroslav Amosov ($100,000)
Yaroslav Amosov (30-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) accomplished something few former Bellator standouts have done recently: winning in the UFC. The ex-Bellator welterweight champion submitted Joel Alvarez (23-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in the second round.
Finish Bonus: Baisangur Susurkaev ($25,000)
Baisangur Susurkaev (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) didn’t get a tap from Djorden Santos (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with his rear-naked choke—Santos went to sleep and had no choice. Susurkaev remained undefeated.
Finish Bonus: Grant Dawson ($25,000)
Grant Dawson (24-3-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) rallied for a comeback rear-naked choke over Mateusz Rebecki (20-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) with just 18 seconds left in the third round. After suffering a knockdown in the second round, Dawson dominated the final frame to earn his 14th career submission victory.
Finish Bonus: Ateba Gautier ($25,000)
Ateba Gautier (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was a heavy betting favorite but didn’t look like one in the first round. After a patient opening five minutes, he knocked out Ozzy Diaz (10-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with a big overhand right in the second round, extending his winning streak to five. In his post-fight interview, Gautier made a bold callout of former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Finish Bonus: King Green ($25,000)
King Green (35-17-1 MMA, 16-12-1 UFC) served Jeremy Stephens (29-23 MMA, 15-20 UFC) his just deserts with a dominant win, locking in a rear-naked choke with 40 seconds left in the opening round. Green hit a takedown, then punished Stephens with heavy ground-and-pound before securing the choke to open the main card. It was Green’s third consecutive win—and made Stephens the first fighter in UFC history to reach 20 losses in the promotion. Adding insult to injury, Stephens missed weight by 4 pounds, meaning 30 percent of his purse goes to Green on top of Green’s $25K finish bonus.