UFC
UFC 114 BONUSES: Russow, Jensen, Nogueira and Brilz each earn $65,000 "Fight Night" bonuses
May 30, 2010 - 9:54:59 AM UFC 114 BONUSES: Russow, Jensen, Nogueira and Brilz each earn $65,000 "Fight Night" bonuses

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Four fighters took home an extra $65,000 for their performances at Saturday's UFC 114 event in Las Vegas, with Mike Russow, Ryan Jensen, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Jason Brilz earning the bonus money for their efforts.

Russow took home the night's "Knockout of the Night" in highly unexpected fashion. After an extremely one-sided fight heading into the third round, where Todd Duffee had controlled the action and effectively popped in and out of range with combinations and short punches, Russow caught him on a the temple with a right that sent him crashing to the canvas. Duffee's head bounced off the mat and he was out cold.

Ryan Jensen earned the night's "Submission of the Night" award by default, as his first round submission over Jesse Forbes was the only submission on the card.

The "Fight of the Night" went to the entertaining back and forth split decision fight between Nogueira and Brilz. The fight came down to how an extremely close first round was scored, with many giving Brilz the nod for the fight as a whole, leaving a very unhappy crowd when Nogueira was announced as the victor. Brilz still impressed throughout the fight, however, and with both fighers sweeping and countering submissions for the duration of the fight it earned them both the bonus.

Penick's Analysis: I can see an argument for giving the Diego Sanchez-John Hathaway bout the "Fight of the Night," but Brilz-Nogueira was a closer back and forth fight with both fighters having success. Sanchez really wasn't able to find any in the fight with Hathaway, but the Brit's performance may have been the most impressive of the night. As for Russow's KO, he's a fighter that finds ways to win, and even though he looked terrible through two and a half rounds it just goes to show you cannot let up even for a second in a fight. Duffee gassed himself with the punches he was throwing in the first round and a half, and when Russow was able to take the punches and continue he quickly began to fade, leaving him open for that punch to the temple. Russow's little tap hammerfist on the ground is going to be something people are talking and laughing about for ages, though, as that was one of the funnier things seen in the cage in a long time.