Cody
Durden’s latest
Ultimate Fighting Championship experience could not have been
more fulfilling—personally, professionally or financially.
The 33-year-old Covington, Georgia, native filled in for Alessandro
Costa on less than a week’s notice and put away Matt
Schnell with a ninja choke in the second round of their
UFC Fight Night 242 bantamweight showcase on Saturday at the
UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Durden drew the curtain 29 seconds into
Round 2, where he countered an ill-advised takedown attempt with
the fight-ending choke. The UFC awarded him a $50,000 “Performance
of the Night” bonus for his efforts.
Meanwhile, Natalia
Silva and Jessica
Andrade pocketed $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses in the
aftermath of their three-round women’s flyweight co-main event.
Silva outstruck the former 115-pound champion to a unanimous
decision, walking away with 30-27 marks from all three judges. She
now finds herself on a remarkable 12-fight winning streak.
Finally, Jackson-Wink MMA’s Steve
Garcia continued his climb on the featherweight ladder and
banked a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus by stopping an
overweight Kyle Nelson
with an elbow strike and follow-up punches in the first round of
their featured attraction at 145 pounds. Nelson met his end 3:59
into Round 1. The 32-year-old Garcia has rattled off five
consecutive victories, all of them finishes.