Advertisement

UFC 263 bonuses: That wicked arm injury Paul Craig delivered was worth an extra $50,000

The UFC handed out four post-fight bonuses after Saturday’s event, including one handing out a gnarly arm injury.

The promotion gave out four $50,000 bonuses for two “Performance of the Night” awards, plus “Fight of the Night” at UFC 263 in front of a packed house of fans.

UFC 263 took place Saturday at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.

Check out the four post-fight bonus winners below.

Performance of the Night: Paul Craig

Jun 12, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Paul Craig defends against Jamahal Hill during UFC 263 at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Craig (15-4-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) looked brilliant on the canvas against Jamahal Hill (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). When he locked up an armbar, he torqued it so hard it appeared he broke Hill's arm in half. With a triangle choke on, to boot, it appeared Hill was trying to tap – but not able to give up convincingly enough for the referee, in part because his arm was flopping around. Eventually, Craig got a TKO stoppage after pounding Hill's head enough. Hill's left arm dangled in a bad way after the fight was over, but it was announced on the broadcast that the arm was out of socket, not broken – and it was popped back in place after the fight. [vertical-gallery id=616748]

Performance of the Night: Brandon Moreno

Jun 12, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Brandon Moreno applies a choke hold for the victory against Deiveson Figueiredo during UFC 263 at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Moreno (19-5-2 MMA, 7-2-2 UFC) was an underdog against flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (20-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) in their co-main event rematch, but he looked dominant. It took him a couple tries in the third round, but Moreno eventually got under Figueiredo’s chin with a rear-naked choke and forced the tap to win the 125-pound title. It took Moreno a few moments for what he had done to sink in, and then he broke down in tears. His win made him the first Mexico-born champion in UFC history. [listicle id=616127] [vertical-gallery id=616876]

Fight of the Night: Brad Riddell vs. Drew Dober

Jun 12, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Brad Riddell lands a hit against Drew Dober during UFC 263 at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The fans in Arizona were on their feet saluting the performance put on by Brad Riddell (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Drew Dober (23-11 MMA, 9-7 UFC) (UD). The lightweights battled back and forth for 15 minutes of momentum changes. Both fighters landed tons of power punches, tons of kicks, position changes on the canvas. It had a little bit of everything, and ultimately Riddell got by with a trio of 29-28 scores. [vertical-gallery id=616706]

1

1