UFC
UFC ON VERSUS 3 BONUSES: Diego Sanchez, Martin Kampmann receive $160K bonuses, Bowles and Roller earn $40K each
Mar 4, 2011 - 11:30:47 AM UFC ON VERSUS 3 BONUSES: Diego Sanchez, Martin Kampmann receive $160K bonuses, Bowles and Roller earn $40K each

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann turned in one hell of a fight on Thursday night in Louisville on Versus, and UFC President Dana White was so impressed with the two that he rewarded them both with hefty bonuses for a "Fight of the Night" performance.

White initially announced at the post-fight press conference that he was giving both fighters $60,000 for their three round war, but then later told Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole that he added an extra $100,000 to each fighter's take.

The two fought to a decision in a battle that saw both fighters get cut up and bloodied on the feet, along with Kampmann playing a very good defensive game as Sanchez continuously attempted takedowns to no avail. Ultimately, all three judges scored the second and third rounds for Sanchez, and he picked up his second straight win.

Additionally, two WEC imports picked up $40,000 bonuses each, as Brian Bowles and Shane Roller put in bonus-worthy efforts.

Bowles, the former Bantamweight Champion returning for the first time in a year, scored a guillotine choke win over Damacio Page 3:30 into the first round, the exact same method and time as he defeated Page with in 2008. The win gave him the "Submission of the Night."

Roller earned the night's "Knockout of the Night" with a vicious straight right to the jaw of Thiago Tavares that sent him crashing to the ground. That came after a first round in which Roller himself got rocked, but he survived and finished the bout early into the second frame.

The event, which took place from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville in front of a crowd of 8,319 and a live gate of $471,500.

Penick's Analysis: That's a great gesture on White's part for a great fight from both guys. Regardless of the thoughts about the decision, it was a hell of an entertaining fight, and extremely enjoyable, so it's nice to see them both get paid well for their efforts. It's also great to see Bowles and Roller enjoy the benefits of being in the UFC over the WEC, as they each earned about four times more than the average WEC bonus awards. All in all, it was a good night of fights on Thursday, and a good show on the Versus network.