Awkward Ronda Rousey - Tate Interview, Missing Weight Costs Fighter 50K, TUF Finale Bonuses
- At last night's TUF 18 Finale, women's bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey and her impending opponent Miesha Tate went head-to-head in an interview with Jon Anik. The interview was a bit awkward, with Rousey looking at the other side of the arena and even yawning whenever Tate would speak. You can check out footage of what transpired above.
- Joshua Sampo may have defeated Ryan Benoit by submission last night, but it's Benoit who will be enjoying, not one, but two portions worth of the Fight of the Night bonus.
Sampo submitted Benoit in the second round of their back-and-forth fight and certainly contributed to their Fight of the Night-winning performance. However, since he missed weight for the fight, both of the $50,000 awards were given to Benoit.
Benoit fell to 7-3 as a pro in defeat, but certainly had the blow softened by earning $100,000 in performance bonus money. Sampo improved to 11-2 and learned an important lesson about making weight.
- Of course, Benoit and Sampo weren't the only ones to take home bonuses last night.
Main event fighter Nate Diaz was awarded the Knockout of the Night award for his first-round dismantling of Gray Maynard. Squaring off in a rubber match, Diaz hurt Maynard early and never gave him a chance to recover. In true Diaz fashion, he piled on punches in bunches until Maynard wilted and staggered to the mat.
TUF 18 winner Chris Holdsworth earned more than a Harley and a UFC contract in victory, as his second-round rear naked choke win over fellow finalist David Grant saw him win an extra $50,000 for the Submission of the Night.