UFC Vegas 58 is officially in the books with all of the highs and lows from the event. There was only one fight cancellation, a late scratch of the main card bout between Nina Nunes and Cynthia Calvillo, with the former dealing with a stomach bug. That meant that for the night, only one contest would feature ranked fighters, as the bulk of the card is still trying to earn their way into consideration for the top 15 of their division. In total, 10 of the 11 fights on the card went into the final round, six of which went the distance to a decision.
In June, the UFC was paying out Performance of the Night bonuses left and right, seemingly rewarding anyone who scored a KO or TKO. That policy has been scaled back considerably in recent weeks, however, and it appears that getting a finish on the main card may be the new requirement. Check out below to see received the $50,000 bonuses, as well as payouts from the UFC’s Venum sponsorship.
Performance of the Night – Rafael Fiziev & Chase Sherman
Of the five early finishes on at UFC Vegas 58, two of them were on the main card, and both were ended with strikes. First, Chase Sherman earned a much-needed victory as he battled back against Jared Vanderra. In a bout looking to go to the scorecards that may have seen him lose the fight, Sherman took control of his fate, stunning Vanderra late in the final round, and then pouring on the aggression until the official had to step in and end the fight.
The POTN honors belong to @RafaelFiziev and @ChaseShermanUFC tonight! 💸 #UFCVegas58 pic.twitter.com/VWRgRlZc5o
— UFC (@ufc) July 10, 2022
The main event between Rafael Dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev was playing out in a similar fashion entering the final round, as point tallies through the rounds were being watched. An ending by decision was a consideration for only a brief moment, however, as Fiziev caught a tired Dos Anjos just 18 seconds into the last frame, knocking him out for the win. Both Sherman and Fiziev were awarded $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses for their outstanding finishes.
Fight of the Night – Michael Johnson vs Jamie Mullarkey
When two opponents are as evenly matched as Michael Johnson and Jamie Mullarkey were, fans should be on alert for Fight of the Night potential, as middleweight fighter Ian Heinisch pointed out on Twitter ahead of the bout. The matchup didn’t disappoint, as fans could see glimpses of the Michael Johnson that was once a heavy contender in the division, and the Mullarkey that may yet be throughout the fight. After 15 minutes of outstanding action, the outcome of the fight was put in the hands of the judges who scored in favor of Mullarkey by a split decision. Both fighters were awarded an additional $50,000 each for their part in the Fight of the Night.
This fight is 🍌🍌🍌#UFCVegas58 is LIVE on @ESPN! pic.twitter.com/zqETcjQvvT
— UFC (@ufc) July 10, 2022
Main Card and Preliminaries Payouts*
While the UFC doesn’t share how much it pays the athletes for taking fights, we do know how much each fighter takes home from the organization’s sponsorship with Venum. UFC Vegas 58 saw a number of young fighters get one step closer to the next tier in the sponsorship payout bracket, many within one fight of receiving a raise in their next contest.
Five fighters experienced just that on Saturday, with Mullarkey, Vannderaa, and Said Nurmagomedov appearing in their sixth fights in the Octagon, and Karl Roberson and Douglas Silva de Andrade each in their 11th UFC fights. The big earners from Venum were Johnson and Dos Anjos who breached the 21 fight threshold for the maximum payout of $21,000 long ago.
Venum Sponsorship Payouts (based on number of fights in the UFC)
Per the UFC Promotional Guidelines
- $4,000 (1-3 fights): Ronnie Lawrence (3), Saidyokub Kakhramonov (2), David Onama (3), Garrett Armfield (debut), Cody Brundage (3), Tresean Gore (2), Ricky Turcios (3), Caio Borralho (2), Armen Petrosyan (2)
- $4,500 (4-5 fights): Aiemann Zahabi (5)
- $6,000 (6-10 fights): Kennedy Nzechukwu (8), Antonina Shevchenko (8), Jamie Mullarkey (6), Jared Vanderaa (6), Said Nurmagomedov (6), Rafael Fiziev (7)
- $11,000 (11-15 fights): Karl Roberson (11), Cortney Casey (15), Chase Sherman (13), Douglas Silva de Andrade (11)
- $21,000 (21+ fights): Michael Johnson (25), Rafael Dos Anjos (32)
UFC Vegas 58 Results
Main Card
- Rafael Fiziev KO’d Rafael Dos Anjos – Round 5
- Caio Borralho defeated Armen Petrosyan – Unanimous Decision
- Said Nurmagomedov defeated Douglas Silva de Andrade – Unanimous Decision
- Chase Sherman TKO’d Jared Vanderaa – Round 3
- Aiemann Zahabi defeated Ricky Turcios – Unanimous Decision
- Jamie Mullarkey defeated Michael Johnson – Split Decision
Preliminary Card
- Cody Brundage KO’d Tresean Gore via KO – Round 1
- Antonina Shevchenko defeated Cortney Casey – Split Decision
- David Onama submitted Garrett Armfield by arm triangle – Round 3
- Kennedy Nzechukwu TKO’d Karl Roberson – Round 3
- Saidyokub Kakhramonov defeated Ronnie Lawrence – Unanimous Decision
