NEWARK, N.J. – Shane Carwin, Kurt Pellegrino, Jared Hamman and Rodney Wallace each earned $65k fight-night bonuses for their performances at Saturday’s “UFC 111: St. Pierre vs. Hardy” event.
Jared Hamman and Rodney Wallace both took home “Fight of the Night” honors, while Pellegrino ended the night of Canoes with a rear naked choke earning him the “Submission of the Night”, and Shane Carwin not only took home the interim heavyweight title, but also put Mir on ice with a barrage of strikes, collecting his “Knockout of the Night” award.
Shane Carwin extended his record to 12-0, with all of his wins in the first round, by landing some brutal uppercuts through the defense of Frank Mir from the clinch, dropping the former heavyweight champion to the mat, then continuing to bombard the prone Mir into unconsciousness. The performance sets him up for a date with Brock Lesnar, and pads his additional income by a cool $65k.
In an exciting clash of lightweights, Kurt Pellegrino battled back from an early scare, fighting off a standing rear naked choke attempt from Fabricio Canoes early in the first round, as both guys swept and reversed each other in the action packed first round.
In the second stanza, Pellegrino began to dominate the action, working for submissions and dominating position for much of the round, before taking the back of Canoes and looking for the finish. “Batman” cinched up a tight rear naked choke, forcing Canoes to tap within seconds, earning him $65k and the “Submission of the Night” honors.
The “Fight of the Night” came from the preliminary card, which was also shown on the PPV following the main event of St. Pierre vs. Hardy. Jared Hamman and Rodney Wallace engaged in a back and forth affair that saw both fighters take control of the action during the fight, with momentum seeming to swing constantly.
Wallace was well on his way to an early victory with multiple takdowns and big punches form the top, but nearly saw it all slip away as Hamman came back with a big kick to the head. The two remaining rounds would prove just as exciting, and the powers that be at the UFC declared their bout “Fight of the Night,” giving both fighters a $65k raise to their fight salaries.