UFC Fight Night 88 was primed to be one of the most exciting and action packed cards of the year. While a lot of fights ended in decision, there were a couple of bright spots that made the night worth the watch. Here are the bonus winners:
Fight of the Night: Jeremy Stephens def Renan Barao by unanimous decision
Performance of the Night: Cody Garbrandt and Jake Collier
Jeremy Stephens and Renan Barao put on a show in the co-main event of the evening. While Barao looked like he was on a different speed level than Stephens early in the fight, Stephens fought back, rocking Barao several times in the second round. In the third round, both fighters threw caution to the wind and traded big shots. Stephens ended up with the decision win, but both fighters walked away with Fight of the Night.
Garbrandt put on the most impressive performance of the night with a shocking first round KO of #7 ranked bantamweight Thomas Almeida. Garbrandt showed his crisp boxing skills early in the fight, hitting Almeida with hard shots each time they engaged. It didn’t take long after the start of the fight for Garbrandt to tee off, finishing the fight with a big right hand.
Collier had the most unique finish of the night, becoming the 4th person in UFC history to win a fight by spinning kick to the body. After weathering an early onslaught from Alberto Uda, Collier unleashed two spinning back kicks that sent Uda to the mat. The big underdog finished the fight in impressive fashion and earned an extra $50,000 for his performance.