A historic night at the White House’s South Lawn produced a historic bonus sheet. Every single fight on the UFC Freedom 250 card ended by knockout, which made the judges irrelevant and the bonus committee’s job genuinely difficult.
When the dust settled, the two men who won championship gold also walked away with the fattest checks.
Justin Gaethje Gets His Moment and His Money at UFC Freedom 250
Justin Gaethje earned Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses on June 14, walking away with $425,000 and $400,000, respectively.
He deserved every penny. Ilia Topuria came in undefeated and hit like a truck through two rounds, dropping Gaethje and threatening submissions on the ground.
Most fighters fold in that situation. Gaethje didn’t. “The Highlight” turned the tide in round three, steadily broke Topuria down with his jab and right hand, and delivered a brutal knee in Round 4 that effectively ended it before Topuria’s corner threw in the towel before round five.
That is called heart, and Gaethje has more of it than almost anyone in this sport.
Ciryl Gane Reminds Everyone He Exists
Ciryl Gane has spent years being underestimated, and he is frankly tired of it. He dismantled Alex Pereira in two rounds for the interim heavyweight title, calm and methodical as ever, while the entire MMA world had written him off going in.
Gane pocketed $425,000 as he halted Alex Pereira’s dream of achieving three-division glory in the UFC.
UFC Freedom 250: Full Bonus Breakdown
Justin Gaethje: $425,000 (Performance of the Night) + $400,000 (Fight of the Night)
Ilia Topuria: $400,000 (Fight of the Night)
Ciryl Gane: $425,000 (Performance of the Night)
All other finishers: $25,000 (UFC finish bonus)
The Card That Made History
Every fight ending by knockout at a single UFC event has never happened before. The White House setting was surreal enough, but the actual fighting backed it up. The South Lawn of the White House will never look the same, and neither will the lightweight and heavyweight divisions.
About The Author
