UFC Fight Night 252: Bonus Winners and Highlights

Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez (Middleweight Co-Main Event) 

A scrap that delivered on all fronts. Allen opened with a crisp leg kick, but Hernandez wasted no time securing a takedown. Both men scrambled in a wild exchange, but Allen landed a big elbow to punctuate the first round. Hernandez flipped the script in Round 2, dominating with ground-and-pound and closing strong with elbows. Round 3 brought controversy—a supposed eye poke that was actually a clean punch briefly paused the action. Allen landed a left hook that rocked Hernandez, but the clock was against him. Hernandez secured the win via majority decision. 

Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto (Catchweight Bout) 

Font came out pumping the jab like a seasoned vet, following up with clean right hands. Matsumoto answered back with a slick left hook and some well-timed takedowns, hunting for a guillotine in Round 1. By Round 2, both men were mixing it up—Matsumoto’s leg kicks were money, and he kept piling up takedowns. Round 3 saw Font go into bully mode, cutting Matsumoto with an elbow and upping the aggression. Matsumoto stayed in the fight, firing sneaky uppercuts and working the legs, but in the final minute, both men went to war. Font took it via split decision. 

Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (Featherweight Bout) 

Silva was feeling out his range early, launching heavy kicks, while Baghdasaryan fired back with sharp counters. But just as Baghdasaryan looked comfortable, Silva landed a clean right hand that crumpled him like a folding chair. A few follow-up shots sealed the deal—KO victory for Silva. That’s four straight stoppages for the featherweight prospect. 

Alonzo Menifield vs. Julius Walker (Light Heavyweight Bout)

Walker came out like a man possessed, rushing Menifield and landing solid knees to the body. Then, disaster—he threw a kick, missed badly, and lost his balance. Menifield made him pay with a counter that stunned him. By Round 2, both fighters were trading shots at a slower pace, looking gassed. Walker secured a takedown late to keep it competitive. Round 3 had everything—an eye poke, a low blow, and Walker running on fumes. Menifield closed the show strong, landing clean shots to secure a split decision win. 

Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan (Light Heavyweight Bout)

Cutelaba doesn’t do slow starts. Both men came out swinging like they were in a bar fight, but Cutelaba landed the first takedown. Then, boom—a straight right sent Aslan to the mat, and Cutelaba locked in a triangle arm choke. First submission win in 10 years for Cutelaba. 

Andre Fili vs. Melquizael Costa (Featherweight Bout)

Costa started strong with leg kicks and front kicks, keeping Fili at bay. But one mistake cost him—Fili secured a takedown, and Costa immediately locked in a guillotine, forcing the tap. First-round submission for Costa. 

Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Nick Klein (Middleweight Bout)

Klein looked sharp early, landing a spinning backfist that had Malik wobbling like a newborn giraffe. But in Round 2, Malik turned the tables—securing a takedown and unleashing a barrage of strikes before finishing Klein with a brutal knee. KO victory for Malik. 

Ricky Simón vs. Javid Basharat (Bantamweight Bout)

Basharat was dialed in early, countering well and stuffing takedown attempts. But then, boom—Simón detonated a left hook followed by a straight right that sent Basharat straight to the shadow realm. One-punch KO for Simón. 

Austin Vanderford vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (Catchweight Bout)

Vanderford—aka Paige VanZant’s husband—put on a clinic. He rag-dolled Veretennikov with takedowns and cut him open with nasty elbows. Round 2 was more of the same—dominant ground-and-pound forced the ref to step in. Vanderford via TKO. Veretennikov wasn’t happy post-fight and shoved Vanderford, but hey, frustration’s part of the game. 

Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Eric McConico (Middleweight Bout)

At 6’5”, Ruziboev had a clear size advantage, and he used it well. McConico fought cautiously, but in Round 2, a lunging right hand from Ruziboev sent him crashing down. A few follow-ups later, and the ref had seen enough. TKO win—33 finishes in 35 pro wins. That’s a problem. 

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira (Light Heavyweight Bout)

Bukauskas came in aggressive, but Cerqueira clipped him early with a couple of solid right hands. That was short-lived, though—Bukauskas landed a mean left hook, followed by a flurry of strikes for the first-round KO. That’s two straight wins for Bukauskas, one by submission, one by KO. 

Bonus Winners

Fight of the Night: Alonzo Menifield vs. Julius Walker. This back-and-forth war had everything—explosive starts, momentum swings, and a dramatic finish. Walker came out guns blazing, pushing the pace early with aggressive knees and body shots, but Menifield weathered the storm, landing sharp counters and closing strong. By the final round, both men were exhausted, but Menifield's late surge secured the split decision victory, capping off an intense battle that kept the fans on edge. 

Performance of the Night: Jean Silva & Ricky SimónJean Silva showed why he’s a knockout machine, delivering a one-punch finish that left the crowd in awe. Just as Baghdasaryan looked comfortable, Silva detonated a right hand that folded him on the spot, marking his fourth consecutive stoppage win and solidifying his reputation as a dangerous finisher. Meanwhile, Ricky Simón reminded everyone of his power, landing a picture-perfect left hook-straight right combo that sent Javid Basharat crashing to the canvas before he even knew what hit him. Both fighters take home well-earned bonuses for their show-stopping performances.