UFC Abu Dhabi bonuses and aftermath: Reinier de Ridder survives Robert Whittaker onslaught, Sharabutdin Magomedov earn $50K and more

UFC Abu Dhabi took place this past Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event featured a variety of well-established competitors. Of the 12 bouts during the Fight Night, four ended in finishes, while the remaining eight went the distance.

In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker faced Reinier de Ridder, with the Dutch fighter winning by split decision. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Petr Yan secured a unanimous decision victory over rising prospect Marcus McGhee.

UFC Abu Dhabi bonuses and aftermath

After the event concluded, four fighters each received a bonus reward of $50,000. The recipients were Sharabutdin Magomedov, Marc-Andre Barriault, Muslim Salikhov, and Steven Nguyen.

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Ahead of the co-main event, Magomedov faced Barriault in a middleweight bout. The fight went the full three rounds and showcased the striking skills of both fighters. Because of the intense and competitive nature of their match, both Magomedov and Barriault were awarded the "Fight of the Night" bonus.

In the preliminary card, two fighters who stood out were Salikhov and Nguyen. In a welterweight bout, 41-year-old Salikhov faced Carlos Leal. Similar to his previous fight, the Russian knocked out Leal in the very first round, earning him the $50,000 "Performance of the Night" bonus.

Nguyen also received the "Performance of the Night" bonus, delivering a similarly dominating performance. In the second bout of the UFC Abu Dhabi card, the American fought Mohammad Yahya. From the start of the fight, Nguyen showcased impressive striking and outclassed his opponent.

At the end of round two, Nguyen was declared the winner by TKO (doctor stoppage).

UFC Abu Dhabi also witnessed Bryce Mitchell securing a unanimous decision victory in his bantamweight debut in the promotion. He outclassed and defeated Said Nurmagomedov through his grappling prowess.

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Edited by Nilaav Gogoi