UFC 185 post-fight bonuses: New champions earn $50,000 each with upset wins

Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

UFC 185 produced a night full of magnificent upsets as well as the crowning of two new UFC champions. Rafael dos Anjos and Joanna Jedrzejczyk usurped title from their formidable foes, while several other notable fighters earned significant victories that warranted a post-fight bonus.

Under the tutelage of Kings MMA’s Rafael Cordeiro, Rafael dos Anjos put a beating on Anthony Pettis en route to becoming the UFC lightweight champion. It was an inspired performance from the Brazilian, as he dominated the lightweight kingpin and made it look easy in the process. He is undoubtedly one of the most improved fighters of recent memory.

Undefeated Polish sensation Joanna Jedrzejczyk produced a remarkable showing in the co-main event of the evening, as she demolished reigning champion Carla Easparza en route to a second round TKO stoppage. It was a near-flawless performance, as the Pole defended well over a dozen takedown attempts and bombarded the champion with strikes before the merciful stoppage.

Ross Pearson traded shots with Canada’s Sam Stout in an entertaining scrap before putting the finishing touches with a fight-ending blow. Overall, it was an impressive showing from the Brit, who continues to improve as a ilghtweight fighter.

Lightweight talent Beneil Dariush outstruck striking specialist Daron Cruickshank and then dominated him on the ground. After several failed attempts, he finally sunk in a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Performance of the Night: Rafael dos Anjos, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Ross Pearson, Beneil Dariush

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About the author

Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.