Joshua Van and Brandon Royval ensured their performances at UFC 317 would be memorable.
These two flyweight competitors delivered a thrilling three-round battle for the Las Vegas crowd at T-Mobile Arena, instantly becoming a strong contender for Fight of the Year. While Van secured the unanimous decision victory, both fighters earned $50,000 bonuses for taking home the coveted Fight of the Night award on Saturday.
Additional Performance of the Night bonuses, each worth $50,000, were awarded to Ilia Topuria and Gregory Rodrigues for their impressive knockout victories.
Topuria`s knockout was particularly significant, requiring less than half a round to finish future Hall of Famer Charles Oliveira and capture the vacant lightweight championship. This marks Topuria`s third consecutive title victory, following knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in featherweight title bouts, maintaining his perfect 9-0 record in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Gregory Rodrigues delivered a powerful knockout in the final preliminary fight, sending a jolt through the arena. His heavy punch rendered fellow middleweight veteran Jack Hermansson unconscious, earning “Robocop” his fifth post-fight bonus in the UFC.
