Tony Ferguson’s Bloody Return Earns UFC 229 Bonus

UFC president Dana White revealed the recipients of the $50,000 bonuses stemming from Saturday’s UFC 229 fight card during the event’s post-fight press conference. Aspen Ladd, Derrick Lewis, Tony Ferguson, and Antony Pettis took home the performance-based incentives.

Fight of the Night honors went to the co-main event fighters: Tony Ferguson and Anthony Pettis. Ferguson, the former interim lightweight champion, had been sidelined for six months after a freak knee injury that forced him out of the UFC 223 main event in April. He returned to take on former champion Anthony Pettis, and the two went to war.

Ferguson kept a high pace and pressured Pettis throughout the opening frame. Pettis was forced to fight moving backwards looking to counter strike. Early in the second round, Pettis dropped Ferguson with a right hand. Ferguson quickly got back to his feet but was put back down with another right hand. Pettis looked for the finish but Ferguson held on and recovered. While on is back, Ferguson opened up a nasty cut on Pettis’ hair line.  He got back to his feet and went on the offense. He unloaded combinations as Pettis covered up along the cage. He opened up a cut over Pettis’ left eye with an elbow.  At the conclusion of the second round, Pettis revealed that he had broken his hand and his corner opted to call off the fight.

Heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis banked a Performance of the Night bonus for his third-round knockout of Alexander Volkov. Lewis landed a counter right hand that dropped Volkov late in the final frame. He followed the Russian to the canvas and finished with a series of punches.

Women’s bantamweight Aspen Ladd earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his first-round destruction of veteran Tonya Evinger on the preliminary fight card. Ladd mounted Evinger and unleashed a beating on the former Invicta FC champion. Ladd put on a ground and pound clinic on he way to a TKO finish.

UFC 229 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight card featured 12 bouts. Seven fights ended in knockouts, two went the distance and one resulted in a submission finish.