UFC Vegas 116 Results: Bonus Winners, Highlights And Reaction

Preliminary Card

• Eric McConico def. Rodolfo Vieira — UD (29-28 x3)
• Jackson McVey def. Sedriques Dumas — submission, D'Arce choke (R1, 2:14)
• Michelle Montague def. Mayra Bueno Silva — UD (30-27, 29-28 x2)
• Cody Durden def. Jafel Filho — UD (30-27 x2, 29-28)
• Francis Marshall def. Lucas Brennan — UD (30-27 x3)
• Victor Valenzuela def. Max Griffin — UD (29-28 x3)
• Talita Alencar def. Julia Polastri — UD (29-28 x3)

Going into the night, the contender stakes were straightforward, and Sterling delivered exactly the kind of statement performance the booking demanded.

What Were The Highlights Of UFC Vegas 116?

Easily, the most memorable moment of the event was Spann's savage KO of Marcus Buchecha. Take a look at this finish. Unfortunately for finish-hungry MMA fans, this was the only KO of the night.

Sterling’s grappling clinic over five rounds was the technical showcase, with the back takes and clinch rides eventually breaking Zalal down completely by the championship rounds. McVey's first-round D'Arce on Dumas was the other clean finish, and the Edwards upset of the higher-ranked Dumont was the night's biggest stylistic surprise.

Who Won The UFC Vegas 116 Bonuses?

Spann was a clear choice for one of the bonuses. With McVey getting the other stoppage on the card, he was the natural choice for the other $100K bonus. The Fight of the Night was a tough choice, but Davey Grant’s decision win over Adrian Luna Martinetti gets the nod.

UFC doubled the standard post-fight bonuses earlier this year, taking each award from $50,000 to $100,000 and adding a separate finish bonus on top. That makes a night like this one — where Spann and McVey were the only finishers — significantly more lucrative than it would have been six months ago.

What Was The Reaction To UFC Vegas 116?

Several fighters took to X to pay respect to Sterling and his dominant performance in the main event.

The Buchecha KO clip went viral within minutes of the broadcast cutting away, and Edwards' upset of Dumont reshaped the women's bantamweight contender picture. The biggest forward question is where Sterling fits in the 145-pound title chase, with names like Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes already ahead of him in line.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com