Four “Performance of the Night” checks were awarded at UFC on ESPN 3 on Saturday, as Francis Ngannou, Joseph Benavidez, Alonzo Menifield and Eryk Anders all received $50,000 for their efforts in Minneapolis.
Ngannou capitalized on Junior dos Santos’ aggression in the heavyweight headliner, as he rocked “Cigano” with several heavy shots and finished him with follow-up shots on the mat 71 seconds into the first frame to pad his bank account. It was the third consecutive first-round finish for “The Predator,” who once again looks like a top contender in the division
Meanwhile, Benavidez garnered a performance award thanks to a second-round TKO of Jussier Formiga in the flyweight co-main event.