UFC on ESPN 28 Bonuses: Cheyanne Buys Pockets $50K for Knockout Victory

It was a night to remember for Cheyanne Buys at UFC on ESPN 28.

The Dana White’s Contender Series alum received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for her technical knockout victory against Gloria de Paula in the evening’s co-main event. Buys landed a perfectly-timed head kick when her foe attempted to return to her feet, and despite her best efforts, De Paula was unable to remain upright after absorbing that blow. Buys followed up with ground-and-pound from mount to force the stoppage 60 seconds into the strawweight bout.

Elsewhere, Melsik Baghdasaryan garnered the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award thanks to a stoppage of fellow Contender Series alum Collin Anglin in a featured featherweight matchup. In the second round, Baghdasaryan connected shin-to-skull with a head kick and finshed the fight with follow-up punches at the 1:50 mark of the period.

Finally, Jason Witt and Bryan Barberena earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their featured welterweight showdown. While Witt appeared to rack up an early lead on the scorecards through two rounds, Barberena nearly rallied to finish his foe in a wild final frame. Ultimately, Witt survived to claim a majority decision triumph.