Khalil Rountree had a good day. He got a bit more cash for the most significant win of his UFC career so far.
Guess what? “The War Horse” bagged a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. This was for his fifth consecutive win, a third-round technical knockout of Anthony Smith. The fight was the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 233, held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Rountree ended the match 56 seconds into the final round. He dropped Smith with a right uppercut and a left hook.
In other news, Nasrat Haqparast also had a good night. He pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check. This was thanks to a quick finish of Jamie Mullarkey in a featured middleweight affair. The Tristar Gym representative sat Mullarkey down with a straight left, then finished him off with a volley of uppercuts at the 1:44 mark of Round 1.
Tim Elliott had a surprise for Su Mudaerji. He stepped in on short notice and was compensated an extra $50,000 for his efforts in a bantamweight scrap. After grounding Mudaerji, Elliott landed elbows from top position before securing an arm-triangle choke. This forced a tapout 4:02 into the opening round.
Finally, there’s Hyun Sung Park. The “Road to UFC” tournament winner garnered the evening’s final $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award. This was due to a stoppage of Shannon Ross in a preliminary flyweight encounter. Park put Ross on the defensive with a kick to the liver and then teed off with punches until the bout was halted at the 3:59 mark of Round 2.