Imanol Rodriguez enjoyed a memorable UFC debut in Mexico City. |
Getty/UFC
It was a night for new blood when it came to post-fight bonuses at
UFC Mexico .
Octagon newcomer Imanol
Rodriguez earned a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus
for his stoppage of Kevin
Borjas in a flyweight tilt. Rodriguez survived being floored
twice in the opening stanza before dropping his foe with an
overhand right near the fence in Round 2. A barrage of follow-up
shots sealed his victory at the 4:21 mark of the period.
An Upset and a Short-Notice Slugfest
Elsewhere, British prospect Lone’er
Kavanagh garnered a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus
for his upset of Brandon
Moreno in the main event. Kavanagh relied on his jab, leg kicks
and solid takedown defense to earn a unanimous decision triumph
over the two-time flyweight champion.
Finally, Regina
Tarin and Ernesta
Kareckaite received “Fight of the Night” honors and $100,000
apiece for their three-round battle at a 130-pound catchweight.
Tarin, who accepted the bout on just a few days’ notice, emerged
with a unanimous decision triumph.