UFC Baku bonuses and aftermath: Rafael Fiziev’s gritty comeback, Jamahal Hill–Khalil Rountree Jr. payouts and illegal move affects judges scorecard

The promotion recently concluded UFC Baku which took place this past Saturday at Crystal Palace Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. It included a number of intriguing bouts between a variety of well-established competitors. However, out of 12 bouts that took place during the Fight Night event, only two ended in finishes and the remaining 10 matchups went to distance.

In the main event, former champion Jamahal Hill made his octagon comeback against Khalil Rountree Jr. in a light heavyweight contest. The co-main event saw Rafael Fiziev testing himself against emerging contender Ignacio Bahamondes in a lightweight bout.

UFC Baku bonuses and aftermath

According to Dana White's announcement in the post-fight press conference, main card fighters Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta secured both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards, taking home $100,000 each.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

It was an impressive display by both lightweights with Motta having his moments in the opening round, landing more than 70 punches on his opponent. However, Sadykhov showed his grittiness and secured a second-round TKO victory, which saw him remain unbeaten in the promotion. This was 'Black Wolf's' third Fight of the Night honor in just five octagon appearances.

In the co-main event Rafael Fiziev broke his three-fight losing streak in front of his home crowd by putting on an all-round performance against Ignacio Bahamondes, securing an unanimous decision ufc-baku-rafael-fiziev-vs-ignacio-bahamondes-live-round-by-round-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">victory. All three judges scored the contest (30-27) in favor of the 'Ataman'.

The headliner between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. ended in a unanimous decision win for 'The War Horse', who displayed his striking prowess by dropping Hill multiple times in their 25 minute light heavyweight affair. According to their payouts in the past, Hill and Rountree Jr. are reported to earn around $200,000 and $100,000 respectively.

Notably, UFC Baku witnessed a controversial moment in the prelims during a middleweight bout between Ismail Naurdiev and JunYong Park. Naurdiev landed an illegal knee in the second round which downed his opponent, forcing referee Lukasz Bosacki to intervene.

The Chechen fighter misunderstood it for a TKO victory, and he celebrated by climbing onto the fence. However, he received a two-point deduction and lost the fight by unanimous decision after the cageside doctor declared Park fit to continue.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena