Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 264
live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device
via the ESPN app. Perhaps surprisingly, given the number of
finishes and tremendous back-and-forth battles,
UFC on ESPN 27 saw just four bonuses. Winning out for fight of
the night in the hotly-contested field was Kyler
Phillips against Raulian
Paiva, a majority decision that saw an incredible comeback by
the Brazilian. In Round 1, Phillips battered Paiva from pillar to post, visibly
hurting him again and again with a deadly cross and coming very
close to a stoppage on several occasions. Despite the dominance and
damage of the stanza, only one judge gave Phillips the 10-8 round.
This opened the door for Paiva, who, after Phillips gassed himself
going so hard for the finish, came back to win Round 2 and then
barely edged out his rival in Round 3. While most media members and
fans alike saw it as a 28-28 draw, two of the three judges had it
29-28 Paiva, garnering him the victory. Both fighters, however,
received $50,000 for their heroics in the co-main event.
A stingy two performance bonuses were given, as Adrian
Yanez and Darren
Elkins also pocketed their own checks.
Yanez was involved in his own barnburner of a contest. In the
opening round, Randy Costa
looked fantastic, repeatedly stunning and bloodying his opponent,
and appearing to have him in trouble at one point. However, Yanez
weathered the storm, and in the following round, as Costa tired,
the tough Texan took over with a series of gorgeous,
textbook-perfect punches, punctuated by one of the prettiest
uppercuts you will see in mixed martial arts, gaining him his third
straight Performance of the Night bonus.
Gritty 37 year-old veteran Darren
Elkins authored his own Round 2 comeback against Darrick
Minner. After being thoroughly out-grappled, hurt, and bloodied
in the first 5 minutes, and with Round 2 starting out with more of
the same, the grizzled veteran suddenly discovered his opponent was
badly gassed. Seizing the opportunity, Elkins gained top position
and from there, had his way with Minner, going through
side-control, mount, and a crucifix, but continually pummeling his
opponent with short shots that Minner was entirely incapable of
stopping. After Elkins landed almost 100 strikes in the period,
referee Mark Smith stepped in, calling a halt to the action at 3:48
of Round 2.
In terms of snubs, Julio Arce
didn’t receive a performance bonus for a fine knockout in his
bantamweight debut against skilled striker Andre
Ewell. Nor did Nassourdine
Imavov get one for a sensational stoppage over favored Ian
Heinisch, who was finished for the first time in his UFC
career, and the first in his entire career from strikes.
