UFC Rio Bonuses: The Lucky Four Fighters Who Pocketed $50K Extra

He has consistently been one of the UFC’s top earners in recent years. With bonuses, he took him over millions after most of his fights. Even when he lost to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, he still made $1.3 million.

At UFC Rio, the former champ pocketed an estimated base purse between $750,000 and $800,000 for the main event. With the extra UFC Rio paycheck, his total haul for the night should touch around $850K.

Mesquita showed elite grappling in her UFC debut, submitting Irina Alekseeva with a textbook rear-naked choke in the second round. The 10-time IBJJF world champion’s move from jiu-jitsu to MMA looks seamless, and her $50K bonus paycheck was well earned.

Polastri picked up her bonus with a violent finish, while Petrino wrapped up the night’s awards by knocking out Thomas Petersen just 26 seconds into round three. A pair of uppercuts ended it fast, leaving Petersen face down on the canvas.

The Brazilian crowd went absolutely nuclear for these finishes. Home soil performances always hit different, and these four fighters gave the Rio faithful something to remember. Each bonus was well-deserved and the finishes spoke for themselves.

Max Holloway Answers Charles Oliveira’s BMF Callout

After choking out Gamrot, Oliveira didn’t waste time calling his shot.

“Hey [UFC executive] Hunter [Campbell], Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, BMF – let’s make that happen,” Oliveira declared.

The “Blessed” heard the challenge loud and clear. The former UFC featherweight champion went live on streaming platform Kick and accepted Oliveira’s offer.

“I’m interested,” Holloway said. “Why wouldn’t I be? We’ve been talking about this fight. Me and him have a history. He’s blaming it on some type of injury. I guess we get to figure it out now.”

The history runs deep between these killers. For the unversed, they first met in August 2015 at a UFC Fight Night event, when both were rising featherweight contenders. Holloway won the bout in just 99 seconds via TKO after Oliveira suffered an esophagus injury.

Not to mention, both fighters have evolved into absolute savages since that bizarre first meeting. Holloway said Saturday night that he’s currently recovering from a hand injury and is still waiting to get medically cleared. A March 2026 comeback could be “very possible”, though the UFC’s White House event in June also remains on the table.