Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit each collected an extra $100,000 for Fight of the Night after their heavyweight title fight headlined UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Stephen Thompson, known to everyone as Wonderboy, took home a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus in his retirement fight, and Kayla Harrison earned the other one for submitting Amanda Nunes.
The UFC announced the main event award on X with a post asking if there was ever any doubt, plus an emoji. For once the emoji was earned. Nobody in that building doubted it.
Gane (15-2) retained the belt in his first successful defense on three 48-47 cards, and Hokit (10-1) made him work for every one of those points. MMA Junkie reported the pair set the record for most strikes in a heavyweight bout. Cageside Press described Hokit getting in Gane’s face from the opening minute, mixing in a slam takedown and possibly winning one or two of the early rounds while the champ was wobbled more than once. Gane found a second wind, went to work on the body with knees and closed the gap late. Cageside called it Hokit’s second Fight of the Year candidate of 2026, which is a ridiculous amount of action for a guy with 11 pro fights.
View post on X
Wonderboy’s exit
Thompson (18-9-1) knocked out Charles Radtke (12-6) with a spinning wheel kick in Round 3, according to MMA Junkie, snapping a three-fight skid at 43. He started his UFC run with a spinning hook kick finish, so the bookends line up perfectly. MMA Junkie also noted it was his first finish in nearly 11 years that wasn’t a corner stoppage. MMA Mania reported the knockout left Joe Rogan in tears.
The karate stylist leaves after 14 years with the promotion, per MMA Weekly. He fought Tyron Woodley to a draw for the welterweight title at UFC 205 in 2016 and lost a majority decision in the rematch the next year. His resume includes wins over Robert Whittaker, Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks, Jorge Masvidal, Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland. With Thompson gone, Heavy noted, Jan Blachowicz becomes the oldest fighter on the UFC roster.
View post on X
Harrison and the finish bonuses
Harrison (20-1) kept the women’s bantamweight title with a fourth-round rear-naked choke on Nunes (23-6), who was returning from retirement. MMA Junkie reported Harrison caught a kick, knocked Nunes off balance, took the back and had the choke locked within a couple of seconds.
Bia Mesquita (9-0) picked up a $25,000 finish bonus for a first-round rear-naked choke on Macy Chiasson. That’s four submissions in four UFC fights, which MMA Junkie said breaks Ronda Rousey’s company record of three.
The rest of the $25,000 checks are murky. Heavy reported that Terrance McKinney (first-round KO of Jim Miller) and Cesar Almeida (first-round TKO of the previously unbeaten Donte Johnson at 190 pounds) were ineligible because of weight issues, adding that Almeida requested the catchweight and was fined 30% of his purse. MMA Junkie listed Almeida as a finish bonus winner. Cageside Press listed both men.
View post on X
The UFC paid the right four people. Hokit lost and still left New York with a bigger name than he walked in with, and Thompson got the exit almost nobody in this sport gets: a spinning kick, a sleeping opponent and Rogan crying at cageside. If you’re going to retire, that’s the way to do it.
