The thrills of UFC Vegas 103 had fans on the edge of their seats, with four fighters earning well-deserved bonuses for their electrifying performances.
Manel Kape (20-7) snagged a cool $50K Performance of the Night bonus after putting an explosive end to Asu Almabayev (21-3) in the flyweight showdown. From the get-go, Kape was relentless, keeping Almabayev on the back foot and unable to rely on his wrestling skills. Dubbed “Starboy,” Kape inflicted enough damage that the referee had no choice but to call the fight at 2:16 of the third round, thus halting Almabayev’s unbeaten run which had stretched back to 2017. Notably, Kape did manage to land a couple of contentious strikes near Almabayev’s left eye that went without a penalty, adding to the fight’s drama.
The second Performance of the Night bonus was scooped up by Mario Pinto (10-0), a heavyweight making waves with his debut knockout win against Austen Lane (13-6). Though Pinto faced adversity early on, courtesy of a knockdown by Lane, he clawed back with an explosive left hook-right hand combo in the second round, handing Lane a swift defeat.
On another note, a thrilling duel for the Fight of the Night accolade saw Morocco’s Nasrat Haqparast (18-5) and Argentina’s Esteban Ribovics (14-2) each pocketing an extra $50K. The pair delivered a technical showdown full of energy and skill, leaving the judges with a tough job in choosing a winner. Ultimately, Haqparast narrowly edged out Ribovics with a split decision, as two judges favored him in the opening rounds.
These captivating performances were yet another reminder of why UFC fights continue to captivate audiences around the world.
