The UFC awarded four performance bonuses following Saturday night’s event in Las Vegas, highlighted by a stunning last-second finish that erased what was moments away from becoming a judges’ decision.
After UFC Fight Night 266 at the UFC Apex, four fighters each earned $100,000 bonuses for their standout performances. Two additional competitors also received $25,000 discretionary bonuses for finishes that did not fall under the standard award categories. Full details are below.
Fight of the Night: Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Marc-Andre Barriault ($100,000 each)
Polish warhorse Michal Oleksiejczuk (22-9 MMA, 10-7 UFC) secured Fight of the Night honors as he continued his resurgence since joining the Fighting Nerds camp in Brazil. Oleksiejczuk went toe-to-toe with Marc-Andre Barriault (17-11 MMA, 6-10 UFC) in a punishing 15-minute exchange, earning his third straight victory after previously dropping four of five.
Performance of the Night: Jakub Wiklacz ($100,000)
Jakub Wiklacz (18-3-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) appeared headed for a decision against Muin Gafurov (20-7 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in their preliminary catchweight bout. That changed in the final seconds when Gafurov shot for a takedown, giving Wiklacz the opening he needed to lock in a mounted guillotine. Gafurov tapped with just one second remaining, a finish that not only sealed the win, but also earned Wiklacz a bonus he would have missed had the clock expired.
Performance of the Night: Mario Bautista ($100,000)
Mario Bautista (17-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) weathered early offense from Vinicius Oliveira (23-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) before taking full control of the fight. Bautista methodically outworked the previously unbeaten-in-the-UFC bantamweight, using sharp grappling to establish dominance. Once on top, Bautista advanced smoothly and finished the bout with a rear-naked choke in the second round, reasserting himself in the bantamweight title picture.
Stoppage Bonuses: ($25,000)
Two fighters were awarded the UFC’s newly-introduced stoppage bonuses, pocketing an additional $25,000 for finishing their respective fights inside the distance.
Nikolay Vertennikov (14-7 MMA, 2-3 UFC) was rewarded for putting veteran Niko Price away in the opening round of their welterweight contest, while former GLORY Kickboxing standout Dustin Jacoby (22-9-1 MMA, 10-6-1 UFC) also collected a bonus after he finished Julius Walker in the second round of their light heavyweight matchup.
