There was actually another memorable fight besides what happened in the aftermath of the UFC 229 headliner.
Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their lightweight scrap in the evening’s co-main event. Pettis dropped Ferguson in the second frame, but ultimately it was Ferguson’s pressure and creative striking that won the day. The contest was halted when Pettis wasn’t able to continue for the third round after suffering a broken hand.
Elsewhere, Derrick Lewis’ come-from-behind victory over Alexander Volkov in a featured heavyweight tilt netted him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award. Likely way behind on the scorecards in the waning seconds, Lewis blasted Volkov with a right hand and sealed the victory with follow-up ground-and-pound at the 4:49 mark of round three.
Finally, bantamweight prospect Aspen Ladd garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for an emphatic stoppage of ex-Invicta FC champ Tonya Evinger in a preliminary contest. A vicious barrage of punches and hammerfists brought an end to the bout 3:26 into round one.