UFC Fight Night: Luque vs Muhammad 2 is officially in the books, with 14 contract fighters adding another victory in the win column. Five fights were finished before their scheduled length, providing plenty of excitement for fans, with six underdogs providing upsets in their contests. The fighters don’t enter The Octagon for free, of course. Here is out the payouts and bonuses for UFC Fight Night Luque vs Muhammad 2 were distributed.
Performances of the Night – Fialho vs Baeza / Klose vs Jenkins
The UFC recognizes individual effort in the arena by awarding Performance of the Night bonuses in the amount of $50,000. Often given to victors, that was the case on Saturday, April 16, 2022, with Andre Fialho and Drakkar Klose receiving the extra cash. Fialho pulled off the main card upset of Miguel Baeza in the final seconds of the second round of their bout at 4:39 by TKO. The massive blast with the left hand from Fialho sent Baeza to the mat in arguably the shot of the night, if there was a category for it.
😳😳😳#UFCVegas51 pic.twitter.com/jMKiclNlNV
— UFC (@ufc) April 17, 2022
A heavy favorite in his own contest, Klose earned his victory over Brandon Jenkins in the second round as well on the preliminary card. Just 33 seconds into the round, Klose was bearing down on Jenkins and in a flurry of punches caught Jenkins with his right hand and finished him on the ground before the official quickly called the fight. It was Klose’s first appearance in The Octagon since he took on Beneil Dariush at UFC 248 in March of 2020.
Fight of the Night – Bueno Silva vs Wu
To be the Fight of the Night, both athletes usually have to bring it, providing an entertaining contest. While there were a number of great bouts throughout the evening, the battle between Mayra Bueno Silva and Wu Yanan was just that. Wu stood in The Octagon and took a beating from an aggressive Bueno Silva who was striking with absolute precision, landing 58-percent of her shots and 57-percent of her significant strikes. Bueno Silva, nearly a five-to-one favorite, had nothing but respect for her opponent afterward, embracing Wu immediately after the fight. It was hard not to have immense respect for both warriors, and the $50,000 check for each of them was accurately awarded for Fight of the Night.
What a 𝑭𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 👊
💰 @MayraSheetara & Wu Yanan earn your FOTN honors tonight!
[ B2YB @ToyoTires | #UFCVegas51 ] pic.twitter.com/6ktPLC2car
— UFC (@ufc) April 17, 2022
UFC Fight Night Luque vs Muhammad 2 Payouts
According to the UFC Promotional Guidelines published in USA Today last year, the UFC adjusted the payments for athletes to be determined by the number of fights they’ve had in The Octagon. At UFC Fight Night Luque vs Muhammad 2, the headliners were the most experienced on the card. As Muhammad recorded his 16th UFC fight with the bout, he now moves into the payout bracket with Luque for 16-20 fights. Luque now has 19 fights and thus, their payout for Saturday night’s fight is $16,000 each. With 13 fights in the UFC, Devin Clark collected the second-most guaranteed earnings for the evening at $11,000. The rest of the card paid out as follows:
With 6-10 career UFC fights under them, Baeza, Bueno Silva, William Knight, Lina Lansberg, Pannie Kianzad, and Klose all earned checks of $6,000 for their part in the night. Of course, Klose and Bueno Silva earned an extra $50,000 for providing some of the best performances, as noted above. Wu, Pat Sabatini, Rafa Garcia, Jesse Ronson, Jordan Leavitt, Sam Hughes, Heili Alateng, and Kevin Croom are quickly approaching a new payment threshold in the UFC. For fighting at UFC Fight Night: Luque vs Muhammad 2, they each earned $4,500, with Wu pocketing an additional $50,000 for her part in the Fight of the Night. Former Dana White’s Contender Series participants, Caio Borralho, Gadzhi Omargadzhiev, Ange Loosa, and Martin Buday made their UFC debuts at the event, earning $4,000. Andre Fialho, TJ Laramie, Mounir Lazzez, Brandon Jenkins, Chris Barnett, Trey Ogden, and Istela Nunes earned $4,000 as well, each with fewer than four career UFC contests.
