Rhys McKee waited a long time for his first UFC win, and it became even better when he received a $50,000 bonus.
In his fifth fight with the UFC, across two stints with the promotion, McKee finally got a win. He defeated Daniel Frunza by TKO after the doctor stopped the fight in the first round at UFC Vegas 105. This was a relieving moment for McKee, who had lost his first two UFC fights in 2020 and was then released. He returned in 2023, lost two more fights, before finally winning against Frunza on Saturday.
McKee`s performance earned him his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus. Dione Barbosa and Chang Ho Lee also received Performance of the Night bonuses.
Barbosa earned an extra $50,000 for her dominant grappling performance against Diana Belbita. She made Belbita submit to an arm-triangle choke. This win improves Barbosa`s UFC record to 2-1.
Lee was making his official UFC debut after winning a Road to UFC tournament. He also used grappling to dominate Cortavious Romious. Lee controlled the fight for over eight minutes and then finished Romious with a TKO in the second round.
Since there was no Fight of the Night bonus awarded, four Performance of the Night bonuses were given out. The last one went to veteran flyweight Ode Osbourne.
Osbourne defeated Luis Gurule, a recent Contender Series signee, with strikes in the second round. This was Osbourne`s first bonus since June 2022.
Wesley Dunham