Jim Miller, he’s like a fine wine, just gets better with age. This New Jersey native recently made his 43rd appearance in the Octagon.
He didn’t just show up, he walked away with a cool $50,000. That’s right, he bagged the “Performance of the Night” award for his submission of Gabriel Benitez. The event? UFC Fight Night 234’s co-main event.
Miller ended the lightweight contest with a face crank. And when did he pull off this move? At the 3:25 mark of Round 3. Talk about suspense!
But Miller wasn’t the only one raking in the dough that night. The promotion handed out four “Performance of the Night” bonuses in total.
Magomed Ankalaev was another lucky recipient. He got a $50,000 check for knocking out Johnny Walker. This was during the evening’s headliner. Ankalaev, hailing from Dagestan, didn’t leave anything to chance this time around. Their first meeting had ended in a no contest, but this time, Ankalaev dropped Walker with a right hook and sealed his victory with an uppercut against the fence. And when did this happen? Just 2:42 into the second period.
Brunno Ferreira also had a good night. He pocketed $50,000 of his own with a first-round finish of Phil Hawes. This was during a featured middleweight affair. Ferreira, the Brazilian powerhouse, dropped Hawes with a straight left and finished him off with punches and hammerfists on the canvas. All this, at the 4:55 mark of Round 1.
Finally, Marcus McGhee also had a night to remember. He secured his third finish in as many UFC appearances, earning the night’s final $50,000 bonus. McGhee’s spinning wheel kick had opponent Gaston Bolanos reeling. A follow-up left hand led to a stoppage at the 3:29 mark of Round 2.