UFC Fight Island 2 bonuses: Figueiredo chokes Benavidez unconscious

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Check out which fighters won performance bonuses from UFC Fight Island 2: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez

The Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE was home to a good night of fights at UFC Fight Island 2: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2. The card saw one (T)KO, five submissions and six decisions, including a majority decision.

Tonight’s card was a pretty entertaining show with several hard fought battles that went to decision (Diakiese-Fiziev was a banger), as well as some really gnarly submissions worth a second watch (main event). We did get to see a TKO when Roman Dolidze finished off Khadis Ibragimov with a nasty knee followed up with a barrage of punches. The real story of the night was how well the underdogs fared, particularly the ones making their UFC debut (Dolidze, Albazi). Whomever is scouting for the UFC is doing a great job.

We also got a retirement tonight, as Joe Duffy decided to call it quits on his career after Joel Alvarez submitted him in the first round. Duffy gained quite a name for himself as being the second man to defeat Conor McGregor. He joined the UFC’s lightweight ranks in 2015 and leaves with a 4-4 record inside the octagon.

The main event was quick and brutal. Figueiredo threatened with several rear-naked chokes, which Benavidez unsurprisingly fought off, but it was the power of Figs that was the beginning of the end for Joe. Every time Figs threw a clean shot, it dropped Benavidez, to the tune of three knockdowns. The final sequence started with the third knockdown, and Figs wasted no time getting mount and raining down punches and elbows. A quick adjustment for yet another RNC attempt, and the fifth time is the charm, as Benavidez went completely unconscious while the referee waited for an ambulance to arrive before stopping the fight.

Performance of the Night: Ariane Lipsky, Deveison Figueiredo

Amir Albazi (Triangle Choke, R1 4:42), Joel Álvarez (Guillotine, R1 2:25), Roman Dolidze (TKO (Knee and Punches) R1 4:15), Ariane Lipski (Kneebar, R1 1:28), Jack Hermansson (Heel Hook, R1 1:18), and Deiveson Figueiredo (rear-naked choke at 4:48 of round 1) all saw their fights to early finishes but it would be Ariane Lipski and Deveison Figueiredo would pocket the extra $50K bonuses tonight.

Fight of the Night: Diakiese-Fiziev

Sergey Spivak (28-28, 29-27, 29-27), Arman Tsarukyan (30-27, 30-27, 29-28), Brett Johns (29-28x3), Grant Dawson (30-26, 30-27, 29-27), Askar Askarov (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), and Rafael Fiziev (30-27, 29-28 x2) all went the distance in their respective fights but it would be the gut-wrenching battle between Marc Diakiese and Rafael Fiziev that would take FOTN honors.