The UFC rolled into Rogers Arena with serious intent. Only four of the 12 bouts ended with decisions, meaning fighters came to finish. When the dust settled, four warriors walked away with fat UFC Vancouver bonus checks. Let’s break down who got paid and why they earned every penny.
Charles Jourdain brought hometown energy with a devastating guillotine choke. The lightweight submitted Davey Grant in just over three minutes, sending the Canadian crowd jumping out of their seats. But he wasn’t alone in earning that extra bread. Three other fighters put on clinic performances that had Dana White reaching for his checkbook.
Charles Jourdain and Three Others Take Home $50K UFC Vancouver Bonuses
Drew Dober, Jourdain, Aoriqileng, and Kyle Prepolec all earned $50,000 extra paycheck. According to the report, one Fight of the Night award and two Performance of the Night bonuses were handed out, besides their original payout. The organization chose to reward the most violent finishes and absolute wars.
Dober faced Prepolec in the featured prelim bout. From the opening bell, both competitors engaged in a high-volume exchange. They traded heavy combinations throughout all three rounds. An accidental low blow from Dober briefly halted the action. But Prepolec showed true warrior spirit, continuing despite the foul. Dober ultimately secured a TKO victory in the third round. Both men earned Fight of the Night honors for their barn burner.
Jourdain earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his submission of English bantamweight Grant. The bout was promoted to the main card late in fight week. Jourdain responded with a first-round guillotine finish. This marked his fourth career UFC bonus, adding another $50K to his account.
Aoriqileng’s fight against Gibson was moved from the main card down to the prelims Friday. Those who missed his empathic response literally missed the fun of the entire Vancouver event. He knocked out Gibson in just 21 seconds with a brilliant knockout. For the unversed, it was the fastest win of his career. The brilliant finishing earned him Performance of the Night. This was Aoriqileng’s second UFC bonus.
Dober extended his bonus record to nine total UFC bonuses. The lightweight veteran continues proving he’s always entertaining. Prepolec earned his first-ever UFC bonus despite losing the fight. The Canadian crowd showed massive respect for his toughness and willingness to brawl.
Each bonus was well-deserved and the finishes spoke for themselves.
Brendan Allen Gets $130K Rolex Instead of UFC Bonus
Surprisingly, the main event winner, Brendan Allen, was snubbed from the extra UFC Vancouver bonus. But he did walk away with something far more valuable. After his fourth-round TKO win over Reinier de Ridder in the UFC Vancouver main event, Brendan Allen received a 2023 Rolex Daytona Platinum worth over $130,000 from a close friend.
“I’ve never been gifted something like this. I’m not a big watch guy. Like, I don’t know much about them… A 2023 Platinum Daytona… They didn’t give me the bonus, but I got one from my brother, Maj. He came all the way here,” Allen told Full Send MMA.
The middleweight contender was visibly emotional receiving the gift. “Bro, I’m speechless, to be honest with you. I have never been gifted something like this. I work my ass off for everything I have, and I’m the guy that tries to give back to all my family and friends,” Allen added.
The watch can go up to $130,000 on the secondary market, which is more than what most UFC fighters make. Allen’s friend Maj flew to Vancouver specifically to witness the fight and present the timepiece.
After defeating the No. 4-ranked opponent, he called out middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and mentioned former champion Dricus du Plessis, who lost to Chimaev, as another possible bout. Safe to say, he left Vancouver with a great momentum, a luxury Rolex, and his sights set on the middleweight title.
Main Photo Credit: IMAGO / PxImages
