Last Saturday is going to stick in the minds of UFC fans for quite a while. The second-to-last pay-per-view of the year, UFC 281 had a lot of build-up behind it. It delivered, and when it came time to deliver the UFC 281 payouts for bonuses, who the recipients would be could have been anyone’s guess. Of the 14 contests on the bill, seven were finished in the first round, and only three of the remaining seven went to decision. When all was said and done, the fighters on the main card really made out, sweeping the fight bonuses. Check out who won big below.
Performance of the Night – Alex Pereira and Zhang Weili
Two champions entered Saturday night looking to defend their belts, and both of them left without their hardware. Ending the reigns of Israel Adesanya and Carla Esparza were Alex Pereira and Zhang Weili respectively, shaking up the UFC rankings. Neither fight was easy and they each could’ve gone the other way, especially the main event that saw Pereira rally late. He was against the ropes in Round 5 and trailing on all three of the officials’ scorecards. One bettor even scored live odds on Pereira at +1500, further illustrating just how far away the fight had gotten.
In her own title bout, Weili was out to reclaim the belt that she lost, and Esparza just happened to be the person in her way. While the battle didn’t last as long as the main event, the co-headliner was nonetheless stunning as Weili secured a rear naked choke in Round 2. Such strong showings from both her and Pereira as challengers saw Dana White reward them with Performance of the Night bonuses in their UFC 281 payouts. That’s a cool $50,000 extra to each fighter, a solid addition to their new UFC belts.
Fight of the Night – Poirier vs Chandler
Dustin Poirier is known to put on a show whenever he steps in The Octagon, and much of the deserved credit also goes to opponents who bring it. The featured bout at UFC 281 between Poirier and Michael Chandler was no exception, delivering nearly three rounds of action and damage. “The Diamond” came out hot in the first round, out-striking his foe, but Chandler scored a pair of key takedowns. “Iron” Mike, trailing on the scorecard, flipped the script in the second round, setting up a crucial third and final frame. That’s when Poirier took the fight into his own hands, submitting Chandler by rear naked choke.
“Without fear there is no bravery.”
Nothing but respect between @DustinPoirier & @MikeChandlerMMA 🤝 #UFC281 pic.twitter.com/ZO80qyo6lX
— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2022
It was a thrilling bout, and the organization agreed. For putting on the Fight of the Night, both Poirier and Chandler earned an extra $50,000 each with their UFC 281 payouts.
UFC 281 Payouts – Venum Sponsorship Bonuses (based on number of fights in the UFC)
*Per the UFC Promotional Guidelines
- $4,000 (1-3 fights): N/A
- $4,500 (4-5 fights): Carlos Ulberg (4), Silvana Gomez Juarez (4), Ottman Azaitar (3), Andre Petroski (4), Erin Blanchfield (4), Michael Chandler (5)
- $6,000 (6-10 fights): Nicolae Negumereanu (6), Montel Jackson (8), Julio Arce (9), Michael Trizano (7), SeungWoo Choi (8), Matt Frevola (8), Wellington Turman (7), Molly McCann (10), Ryan Spann (9), Dominick Reyes (10), Brad Riddell (7), Claudio Puelles (7), Chris Gutierrez (9)
- $11,000 (11-15 fights): Karolina Kowalkiewicz (14), Renato Moicano (14)
- $16,000 (16-20 fights): Dan Hooker (20)
- $21,000 (21+ fights): Frankie Edgar (30), Dustin Poirier (28)
- $32,000 (Title Challenger): Zhang Weili and Alex Pereira
- $42,000 (Champion): Carla Esparza and Israel Adesanya
UFC 281 Results
Main Card
- Alex Pereira KO’d Israel Adesanya at 2:01 in Round 5.
- Zhang Weili submitted Carla Esparza by rear naked choke at 1:05 in Round 2.
- Dustin Poirier submitted Michael Chandler at 2:00 in Round 3.
- Chris Gutierrez KO’d Frankie Edgar at 2:01 in Round 1.
- Dan Hooker TKO’d Claudio Puelles by kicks at 4:06 in Round 2.
Preliminary Card
- Renato Moicano submitted Brad Riddell by rear naked choke at 3:20 in Round 1
- Ryan Spann KO’d Dominick Reyes at 1:20 in Round 1.
- Erin Blanchfield submitted Molly McCann by kimura choke at 3:37 in Round 1.
- Andre Petroski defeated Wellington Turman by unanimous decision.
Early Preliminary Card
- Matt Frevola KO’d Ottman Azaitar at 2:30 in Round 1.
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz defeated Silvana Gomez Juarez by unanimous decision.
- Michael Trizano TKO’d Seungwoo Choi at 4:51 in Round 1.
- Montel Jackson defeated Julio Arce by unanimous decision.
- Carlos Ulberg TKO’d Nicolae Negumereanu at 3:44 in Round 1.
