UFC 182 Results: Recapping Fight Night Bonuses from Jones vs. Cormier Fight Card
What a way to kick off 2015.
On a card headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship grudge match between pound-for-pound best Jon Jones and undefeated Daniel Cormier, the Octagon action was relentless.
Despite having only three finishes, UFC 182 was a smashing success.
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From a five-round title fight to spinning backfists and heavyweight knockouts, Saturday night offered a little bit of everything.
But some performances stood out among the rest. Some deserve a little extra compensation.
Here are the Fight Night bonuses for UFC 182, per UFC's Twitter account:
Fight of the Night: Jones vs. Cormier
This one had Fight of the Night written all over it.
Serving as one of the sport's biggest rivalries in years, Jones vs. Cormier needed to deliver to not only appease the money-spending onlookers but to spark the UFC's encouraging 2015 campaign.
Well, the light heavyweight phenoms did just that by attacking each other for 25 straight minutes.
Whether it was the short elbows and body strikes by Jones in the clinch or Cormier's in-and-out success on the feet, both men left it all inside the Octagon.
But it was Jones' ability to defend the takedown and secure his own that ultimately allowed the king to retain his crown.
Performance of the Night: Paul Felder
The Irish Dragon made his presence felt in the lightweight division by dismissing a hard-nosed Danny Castillo early in the second round via spinning backfist.
It was one of the more vicious knockouts in recent memory and one that will surely put Felder on the map for 2015.
It looks like all of his training with a peaking Donald Cerrone leading up to this fight paid off in full.
If Felder can maintain the striking versatility and precision that he displayed Saturday night, then the 155-pound crop will have a new player.
Performance of the Night: Shawn Jordan
As one of the more underrated heavyweights in the UFC, Jordan continues to prove he deserves bigger obstacles to hurdle.
With his first-round knockout of UFC newcomer Jarred Cannonier at UFC 182 by way of a right hook to the temple, The Savage has now finished each of his five divisional victories by way of TKO or KO.
It was a reminder of how efficient and powerful the 30-year-old can be as he looks to ascend the heavyweight ladder over the next 12 months.
A shot at a ranked opponent is likely in Jordan's near future.
For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell
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