UFC Fight Night 253: Bonus Winners and Results

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Prince Horton | Last updated Mar 2, 2025 1:00 AM ET

Another night at the UFC Apex has wrapped up, and UFC Fight Night 253 delivered high-energy action from start to finish. With dominant performances, shocking knockouts, and tightly contested battles, the event kept fans on the edge of their seats. From Kape's relentless pressure in the main event to Brundage's explosive finish, the night showcased rising contenders making big statements.

Main Event: Manel Kape Overwhelms Asu Almabayev with Relentless Pressure

Kape dominated early, landing clean shots and keeping Almabayev on the back foot. Almabayev struggled to find his rhythm as Kape pressed forward, picking him apart. In the third round, Kape’s relentless pressure was too much—he landed a barrage of strikes, forcing the referee to step in and call it off.

Co-Main Event: Brundage and Marquez Go to War

Absolute chaos. Brundage came out swinging and rocked Marquez early with a massive right hand, setting the tone for an all-out brawl. Marquez fired back with a counter, then stunned Brundage so hard his mouthpiece went flying. The ref paused the action, but the moment it resumed, Brundage landed another bomb that sent Marquez crashing to the mat. Follow-up shots sealed the deal as Brundage secured a TKO victory in a wild, one-round slugfest.

Lightweight: Nasrat Haqparast def. Esteban Ribovics via split decision
Featherweight: Hyder Amil def. William Gomis via split decision
Welterweight: Sam Patterson def. Danny Barlow via KO

Preliminary Card Results

Heavyweight: Mario Pinto def. Austen Lane via KO
Featherweight: Chepe Mariscal def. Ricardo Ramos via unanimous decision
Featherweight: Danny Silva def. Lucas Almeida via split decision
Women’s Flyweight: JJ Aldrich def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision
Flyweight: Ramazan Temirov def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision

Bonus Winners:

Fight of the Night: Nasrat Haqparast and Esteban Ribovics went to war at UFC Fight Night 253, earning a $50K bonus each. Haqparast took the split decision, but both walked away with extra cash.

Performance of the Night: Mario Pinto made a statement with a brutal second-round KO of Austen Lane, pocketing an extra $50K.

Performance of the Night: Manel Kape’s third-round TKO over Asu Almabayev secured him $50K

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: