UFC On ESPN+ 31: Fight Night Bonuses
There were no fans in Las Vegas on August 1 for UFC on ESPN+ 31. As a result, there was no gate for the event inside the UFC APEX Center.
Returning to Las Vegas, the main event, which had Derek Brunson as the underdog but still earned a win, did not earn a bonus. According to UFC President Dana White, fighters who did not get a chance to fight tonight did not earn show money, but got some form of compensation.
No POTN BONUS . Somebody big mad 😬😬😬
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) August 2, 2020
Part of the “Performance of the Night” bonus went to Jennifer Maia, who took down flyweight contender Joanne Calderwood via submission. “Jo Jo”, who was ready to face UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko, took the fight at the last minute. Maia (18-6-1) would control Calderwood, landing the armbar towards the end of round one. She is now 3-1 in her last four fights.
In the biggest fight of her career, @jennimaiaufc scored a first-round submission against Joanne Calderwood 😱 #UFCVegas5 pic.twitter.com/RVGnDIVZvq
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 2, 2020
The other “Performance of the Night” went to Vincente Luque for his knockout win over Randy Brown. Earning his sixth career bonus. Luque was able to land several knees and punches to Brown. He has now won two in a row.
“Fight of the Night” went to Bobby Green v. Lando Vannata. The two fighters faced off in the octagon for the second time; the fought one another to a split decision draw at UFC 216 in 2017. A back and forth affair, Green (26-10-1) would land vicious shots to combat Vannata’s power. He is now 2-2 in his last four fights and is on a two-fight win streak. Vannata is now 2-2-1 in his last five.
Relentless pace through one! 👏 #UFCVegas5 pic.twitter.com/PD8l0jh9mW
— UFC (@ufc) August 2, 2020