Though their fight ended with a less-than-desirable result, welterweight champion Rory MacDonald and challenger Jon Fitch, along with light heavyweight Phil Davis, towered over the remainder of the Bellator 220 roster when it came down to payroll.

MacDonald was paid $200,000 for fighting Fitch to draw. Fitch, meanwhile, made $140,000 for the fight. Neither was slated to earn a win bonus.

The two exchanged takedowns and battled back and forth over the course of their five-round main event, but neither could find a route to the significant damage necessary to earn a clear-cut victory. 

Though Fitch spent a large portion of the fight in top control, MacDonald landed many of the bigger shots that looked like might swing the fight to his favor.

At the end of 25 minutes of action, two of the judges scored the fight 47-47, while the other had it 48-46 in favor of Fitch. With two judges scoring it a draw, the overall result is scored a majority draw. As such, MacDonald keeps his belt and moves on in the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix, where he will next face Neiman Gracie.

Davis broke Liam McGeary’s jaw in their rematch, leading to his $160,000 payday, which included an $80,000 win bonus.

Women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, despite bloodying and defeating Veta Arteaga in the Bellator 220 co-main event, wasn’t all that close to the top of the payroll. She was paid $75,000 with no win bonus for her third successful title defense.

TRENDING Darrion Caldwell vs. Kyoji Horiguchi 2 set for Bellator 222 in New York City

Bellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch Fighter Salaries

• Rory MacDonald: $200,000 (no win bonus) vs. Jon Fitch: $140,000 (no win bonus)
• Ilima-Lei Macfarlane: $75,000 (no win bonus) def. Veta Arteaga: $40,000
• Benson Henderson: $100,000 (no win bonus) def. Adam Piccolotti: $22,000
• Phil Davis: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus) def. Liam McGeary: $75,000
• Gaston Bolanos: $15,000 (no win bonus) def. Nathan Stolen: $10,000

Bellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch Fight Highlights

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/rory-macdonald-jon-fitch-and-phil-davis-tower-over-bellator-220-fighter-salaries

(Courtesy of UFC)

Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy picked up his first octagon win on Saturday in the UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson co-main event in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Hear what the controversial athlete had to say after his first-round win over Dmitrii Smoliakov.

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/greg-hardy-feels-like-hes-coming-into-his-own-after-first-ufc-win

(Video courtesy of ESPN MMA | Viewing may be limited by broadcast rights restrictions)

Jack Hermansson has been rocketing up the UFC middleweight rankings over the past year, but he got the biggest victory of his career on Saturday night when he defeated Jacare Souza at UFC on ESPN+ 8 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Hermansson fought a strategic game, overwhelming Jacare with his volume of strikes, which included setting a UFC middleweight record. He landed 148 significant strikes; the most ever for a middleweight in a five-round fight. He also took Jacare down three times during the fight, which is the most times anyone has managed that feat.

Proving not only his mettle, but his versatility, Hermansson’s stock rose tremendously in everyone’s eyes, making him a legitimate contender at the top of the division.

TRENDING UFC Ft. Lauderdale Bonuses: Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira cash in with back and forth war

Following the fight, UFC commentator Jon Anik and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz broke down the fight and discussed what would be a next likely step for Hermansson’s career after defeating Jacare.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/who-is-next-for-jack-hermansson-after-he-defeated-jacare-souza

Following UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday, UFC president Dana White announced the recipients of the $50,000 bonuses during the event’s post-fight press conference. Veterans Jim Miller and Glover Teixeira took home performance bonuses for their finishes the welterweight bout between Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira earned Fight of the Night honors.

Oliveira and Perry kept the crowd on their feet inside BBT Center in Sunrise, Fla. with their back and forth battle. Oliveira had Perry on his heels in opening round with his reach advantage and constant attack. Perry’s power punching and heart got him back into the fight in the last two rounds. Perry battled back to take the unanimous decision.

Miller earned his extra cash for his quick submission over Jason Gonzalez on the preliminary fight card. After taking Gonzalez’ back, Miller locked on a rear-naked choke forcing the tap out. After the win, the 35-year old admitted that he didn’t know how many more fights he has left in him.

RELATED  Jack Hermansson knocks Jacare Souza out of title contention at UFC Ft. Lauderdale

Teixeira’s second round finish of Ion Cuțelaba on the main card. Teixeira was staggered by a spinning back fist in the opening round. In the second frame, Teixeira landed big shots and sunk in a rear-naked choke after taking Cutelaba down.

UFC on ESPN+ 8 featured 13-fights. Eight of the bouts went the distance, Two ended in TKO stoppages, and three ended with submission finishes.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-ft-lauderdale-bonuses-mike-perry-and-alex-oliveira-cash-in-with-back-and-forth-war

Following UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday, UFC president Dana White revealed the gate and attendance numbers stemming from the event. 12,754 spectators attended the 13-fight card event at BBT Center in Sunrise, Fla. generating gate receipts totaling $1,209,654.09.

Those in attendance witnessed Jack Hermansson become a contender in the middleweight division with a unanimous decision win over the seasoned Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in the fight card’s main event. It was the biggest win in the Swede’s career.

In the co-main event, former NLF defensive end Greg Hardy picked up his first octagon win with a first-round TKO of Dmitrii Smoliakov. Hardy hurt Smoliakov with an uppercut and finished him on the ground with a series of hammer fists.

RELATED  UFC Ft. Lauderdale Bonuses: Mike Perry and Alex Oliveira cash in with back and forth war

Saturday was the second time the fight promotion has held an event at the venue with the first being UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall in June 2012. UFC on ESPN+ 8 nearly doubled the 2012 attendance at BBT Center.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-on-espn-8-attendance-and-gate-numbers-from-ft-lauderdale