The calendar just turned to March, but the best event of 2023 may have already happened this last weekend. From top to bottom, the whole card was stacked. As the UFC 285 payouts reflect, however, the main card was really where it was at. In total, four athletes made their Octagon debuts on a night that saw three knockouts, five submissions, and two titles change hands. Saturday was truly a night we won’t soon forget.
Performance of the Night: Jon Jones, Alexa Grasso, and Bo Nickal
Four of the five bouts on the main card ended in submission, and all four winners were awarded fight bonuses. Three of them, however, earned a Performance of the Night designation, and the $50,000 bonus to each of their UFC 285 payouts that comes with it. Poetically, the winners of the Performance of the Night bonuses also represent three key levels of a fighter’s journey – the debut, the first title fight, and the achievement of “Greatest of All-Time” status.
In the first contest of the main card, Bo Nickal made his UFC debut after earning his opportunity on the last season of Dana White’s Contender Series, and he certainly made the most of it. It took just half of the first round for him to secure an arm-triangle choke against fellow DWCS alum Jamie Pickett, and lock down his first win.
Given the feats that they accomplished, it would be hard not to reward Alexa Grasso and Jon Jones for winning their championships, and the UFC did just that. Entering the fourth round, Grasso was trailing on all three officials’ scorecards by just one point and unofficially appeared to be behind in Round 4 as well. In a singular moment, however, she saw her opportunity open when Valentina Shevchenko attempted a spinning kick. Grasso quickly mounted Shevchenko’s back and locked in a rear naked choke for the tap. Jones too saw his moment of fortune in the main event, quickly finishing Ciryl Gane in the first round. Absolutely stunning.
Fight of the Night: Geoff Neal vs Shavkat Rakhmonov
In the featured bout of the evening, Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov were tasked with setting the stage for the title fights that followed. Together, they did that and more, delivering the Fight of the Night, and earning the $50,000 bonus for each of them in their UFC 285 payout that came with it.
Rakhmonov is undefeated in his professional career and was already on his way to another victory after leading through two rounds. With less than a minute in the contest, however, he removed any doubt the officials may have had in the close affair, securing a rear naked choke on Neal for the win. While other fights on the card may have been equally as close, it is hard to fault the promotion for its selection of Neal vs Rakhmonov as the fight of the night.
UFC 285 Payouts – Venum Sponsorship Bonuses (based on number of fights in the UFC)
*Per the UFC Promotional Guidelines
- $4,000 (1-3 fights): Esteban Ribovics (debut), Loik Radzhabov (debut), Da’Mon Blackshear (2), Farid Basharat (debut), Cameron Saaimon (2), Bo Nickal (debut)
- $4,500 (4-5 fights): Tabatha Ricci (4), Mana Martinez (4), Ian Machado Garry (4), Dricus du Plessis (5), Shavkat Rakhmonov (5)
- $6,000 (6-10 fights): Jesica Penne (8), Song Kenan (7), Julian Marquez (6), Marc-Andre Barriault (10), Viviane Araujo (9), Amanda Ribas (8), Trevin Jones (6), Jamie Pickett (7), Mateusz Gamrot (7), Jalin Turner (9), Geoff Neal (10)
- $11,000 (11-15 fights): Cody Garbrandt (13)
- $16,000 (16-20 fights): N/A
- $21,000 (21+ fights): Derek Brunson (21)
- $32,000 (Title Challenger): Jon Jones, Cyril Gane, Alexa Grasso
- $42,000 (Champion): Valentina Shevchenko
UFC 285 Results
Main Card
- Jon Jones submitted Ciryl Gane by guillotine choke at 2:04 of Round 1.
- Alexa Grasso submitted Valentina Shevchenko by rear naked choke at 4:34 of Round 4.
- Shavkat Rakhmonov submitted Geoff Neal by rear naked choke at 4:17 of Round 3.
- Mateusz Gamrot defeated Jalin Turner by split decision.
- Bo Nickal submitted Jamie Pickett by arm-triangle choke at 2:54 of Round 1.
Preliminary Card
- Cody Garbrandt defeated Trevin Jones by unanimous decision.
- Dricus du Plessis TKO’d Derek Brunson at 4:59 of Round 2.
- Amanda Ribas defeated Viviane Araujo by unanimous decision.
- Marc-Andre Barriault TKO’d Julian Marquez at 4:12 of Round 2.
Early Prelims
- Ian Machado Garry TKO’d Song Kenan at 4:22 of Round 3.
- Cameron Saaiman defeated Mana Martinez by majority decision.
- Tabatha Ricci submitted Jessica Penne by armbar at 2:14 of Round 2.
- Farid Basharat defeated Da’Mon Blackshear by unanimous decision.
- Loik Radzhabov defeated Esteban Ribovics by unanimous decision.
