The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) went back to Portland, OR for the second time in promotional history with UFC Fight Night 96: Lineker vs. Dodson. The solid night of action saw five of 12 bouts end inside the distance. After the event concluded, the UFC awarded $50,000 to four fighters for ‘Performance of the Night’ honors. The lines to wager on these props were available at Several Bookmakers. And without further ado, UFC Fight Night 96’s bonus winners were… Brandon Moreno earns Performance of the Night honors for his first-round submission of Louis Smolka in his promotional debut. It was a picture perfect UFC debut for the Mexican flyweight, and fight fans look forward to seeing him back inside the Octagon. My guess is he will be booked for the upcoming card in his native Mexico, which will be headlined by a five-round lightweight tilt between Rafael dos Anjos and Tony Ferguson. Luis Henrique Da Silva earns Performance of the Night honors for his second-round armbar submission of Joachuim Christensen. It was an entertaiing battle that saw both 205-pounders have their moments until the Brazilian secured the submission finish. He improves to 2-0 inside the Octagon and remains undefeated as a pro. Nate Marquardt earns Performance of the Night honors for his second-round knockout of Tamdam McCrory, putting him back in the win column in the UFC’s 185-pound division. Just when you count Nate “The Great” out and think he may be done, he lives up to his moniker and adds another highlight to his extended reel. He controlled McCrory with his grappling for the majority of this contest until clipping him with a punch and following up with a headkick to put him out cold in the second round. That would be a great victory to retire off of, but it is doubtful Marquardt will hang up the gloves just yet. Curtis Blaydes earns Performance of the Night honors for his second-round TKO of Cody East, picking up his first victory inside the Octagon. It was an excellent outing by Blaydes, who shows great promise as a heavyweight in the UFC’s razor-thin division. Fight fans are certainly looking forward to seeing him back inside the Octagon. Other noteworthy performances: – Andre Fili defeated Hacran Dias via unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards in what was arguably the most impressive performance of his career. – Ion Cutelaba defeated Jonathan Wilson via unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards following three entertaining rounds of action.
