The unfortunate scene after UFC on ESPN+ 17’s main event overshadowed the spectacular performances that came beforehand.
But fortunately, those who put on commendable displays still will leave Mexico City with $50,000 bonuses, regardless of what happened after the 15-second no contest between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens resulted in fans throwing debris into the cage and at Stephens as he exited the arena.
Front and center were those involved in the evening’s strawweight co-main event, Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso. A thrilling third round, in which Esparza somehow escaped a deep armbar, led to a majority-decision victory for the former champion.
And while the decision was highly debated online, at least Grasso comes away with the consolation prize of earning extra money for “Fight of the Night.”
Meanwhile, Paul Craig and Steven Peterson also scored an additional $50,000 for their “Performance of the Night” efforts. Craig earned his bonus with a nifty rear-naked choke submission of Vinicius Moreira in the opening round of their light heavyweight undercard bout.
Peterson, meanwhile, had a wild finish in the second round of his featherweight main-card opener with Martin Bravo, landing a knockout spinning backfist a split second after Bravo missed an attempt of his own.
UFC on ESPN+ 17 took place Saturday at Mexico City Arena. The card streamed on ESPN+.
