UFC 322 Bonuses: Four Violent Finishes Cash $50K at Madison Square Garden

Performance of the Night: Bo Nickal

Bo Nickal (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was originally slated for a main card middleweight showcase against Rodolfo Vieira (11-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) before their fight was bumped to the prelims. For two rounds, it looked like a routine grappling-heavy domination from Nickal.

Then came the exclamation point.

In the final frame, Nickal uncorked a vicious head kick that sent Vieira into the proverbial shadow realm, ending the fight in brutal fashion and closing out the prelims with a bang.

Performance of the Night: Benoit Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) didn’t waste anyone’s time.

Opening the main card, he needed just 16 seconds to knock out Beneil Dariush (23-7-1 MMA, 17-7-1 UFC). To make matters worse for Dariush, he missed weight, which meant Saint Denis also collected an extra 20 percent of his show money on top of the $50K bonus.

The knockout was the fastest finish of Saint Denis’ career and the quickest loss of Dariush’s, who has now dropped three of his last four, all by first-round stoppage.

Performance of the Night: Carlos Prates

Carlos Prates (23-7 MMA, 6-1 UFC) had a slow, almost sluggish first round that had some wondering if he’d left his best stuff in the locker room.

Then Round 2 happened.

Prates detonated on former welterweight champion Leon Edwards (22-6 MMA, 14-5 UFC), becoming the first man ever to knock Edwards out. The stoppage handed Edwards his third straight defeat and launched Prates directly into the title conversation.

After the fight, Prates called for a shot at the welterweight crown — and the bonus checks keep coming. He’s now earned a bonus in all six of his UFC victories.

Performance of the Night: Michael Morales

If Carlos Prates made noise, Michael Morales (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) turned up the volume.

Watching Prates score a massive win and call for a title shot, Morales answered with a statement of his own, stopping Sean Brady (18-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in the first round to remain undefeated.

At 19-0 and 7-0 in the UFC, Morales now has a serious claim as the hottest rising threat at 170 pounds. And with new welterweight champ Islam Makhachev sitting atop the division, it might be Morales not just Prates who has the most momentum in the race toward a title opportunity.