Vinicius Oliveira just threw his hat in the ring for “Knockout of the Year.” And guess what? That move lined his pockets with some extra cash.
He snagged a cool $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. Why? Because of his jaw-dropping finish against Bernardo Sopai. They clashed in a bantamweight prelim at UFC Fight Night 238 in Vegas. Early on, Oliveira found himself in a few tight spots. But as the fight wore on, he turned up the heat. Then, bam! A flying knee at 4:41 in the third round knocked Sopai out cold.
But don’t feel too bad for Sopai. He didn’t walk away empty-handed. Both warriors pocketed $50,000 each. Plus, they earned “Fight of the Night” honors for their see-saw battle.
Switching gears, Steve Erceg also had a night to remember. He pocketed his own $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. His victory came with a stunning second-round KO of Matt Schnell in a flyweight bout. The first round? Pretty even. But then, 26 seconds into Round 2, Erceg’s left hook sent Schnell tumbling down. Talk about a showstopper.