The UFC 234 main event bout between Israel Adesanya and Anderson Silva was more competitive than expected, and for their quality work, the middleweights received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece.
Adesanya earned a unanimous decision over Silva at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday night, but “The Spider” was competitive for stretches of the fight. After Adesanya got off to a quick start, rocking the Brazilian with a short right to the jaw in the opening stanza, Silva rallied to connect with some combinations in round two. “The Last Stylebender” pulled away down the stretch, however, outlanding the former champion in the final stanza to earn the nod on the scorecards.