VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Rich Franklin, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Carlos Condit and Rory MacDonald each earned $85,000 fight-night bonuses for their performances at tonight’s “UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin” event.
Franklin earned the “Knockout of the Night” award for his stunning KO of Liddell, “Cro Cop” earned the “Submission of the Night” award , while Condit and MacDonald both earned “Fight of the Night” honors.
Franklin used a counter punch to end the night, and possibly the career of Chuck Liddell late in the first round, with a crushing right hook that left “The Iceman” out cold on the mat. Before that point, Liddell had looked like his old self, mixing in a variety of kicks, and even a takedown to control much of the first round. In fact, a kick to the body delivered from Liddell, broke the arm of Rich Franklin as he looked to block the strike, and it seemed that Franklin was in trouble, before an overzealous Liddell threw a wild overhand punch that led to the right hook that put him to sleep on his feet at 4:55 of Round 1.
“Cro Cop” turned to his ground game to win a fight that most fans thought would never even hit the mat. Barry got the best of the striking early, dropping Filipovic twice in the first round, but “Cro Cop” was still standing in the third round despite the early punishment, and landed a big shot that dropped Barry, then locked up a fight ending rear naked choke, earning him the $85k award for “Submission of the Night.”
The “Fight of the Night” award went to Condit and MacDonald, for their epic battle that saw the 20-year-old up and coming MacDonald taking it to the former WEC champion through the first two rounds. MacDonald slowed in the final frame, and Condit kept his composure, and used his experience and gameness to finally work MacDonald to the mat, and execute some serious ground and pound forcing a referee stoppage just moments before the end of the fight.