Fighters who miss weight are not eligible for post-fight performance bonuses, but UFC President Dana White made an exception for Geoff Neal at UFC 285.
Neal missed weight for his pay-per-view fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov and lost via third-round submission at Saturday’s event. Rakhmonov was a frontrunner for a $50,000 bonus, but White announced afterward that Neal would also receive his share of a “Fight of the Night” nod.
“I dont’ give a s***, I’m paying him anyway,” White said at the post-fight press conference at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
There were three “Performance of the Night” bonuses handed out for $50,000 each. They included:
- Jon Jones’s stunning first round submission of Ciryl Ganes in the heavyweight title fight at the main event.
- Alexa Grasso for her fourth-round submission of longtime champ Valentina Shevchenko.
- Bo Nickal for his lightning-quick submission of Jamie Pickett in the PPV opener.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/3/5/23625826/ufc-285-post-fight-bonuses-geoff-neal-gets-special-exception-from-dana-white?rand=96749
