Penn, Davis, Lauzon and Sotiropoulos earn $80k in Bonuses following UFC 123: “Rampage vs Machida”

Following last nights return to the state of Michigan, 4 fighters were awarded additional bonuses for their efforts.

UFC 123 took place in the suburbs of Detroit, at the Palace of Auburn Hills before a stellar crowd. The main event of the evening was billed as a battle between two former light heavyweight champions in Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida.

While the 205-pound match up was the main affair, a few men shined a little bit brighter then the rest, and have since been the hot topic of discussion, and deservedly so.

BJ Penn completed a trilogy with rival Matt Hughes, serving as the co-main event of the evening during lat nights festivities. Penn struck hard early when he dropped the UFC Hall of Famer in just a few seconds inside of the first round. The former welterweight champion in BJ capitalized on the opportunity to finish Hughes on the ground, where a few additional punches sealed the deal. And at just 21 seconds inside of the very first round, Penn was declared the winner. For his efforts, “The Prodigy” picked up the nights “Knockout of the Night” award, and has now snapped a two-fight losing streak.

Phil Davis, one of the budding contenders in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, did not disappoint those in attendance when he was able to finish Tim Boetsch inside the second round. The NCAA Div. 1 wrestling champion was able to take down the savvy UFC veteran early and often, and in the second round was able to control “The Barbarian” with his budding Jiu-Jitsu skills, eventually looking up a modified kimura lock, and forced the tap out not once..but twice. The referee did not see the initial tap, but caught the second, which is unfortunate for Boetsch, but he appeared fine following the bouts conclusion. For his efforts, Davis picked up “Submission of the Night” and also pocketed a cool $80k. He is now 4-0 in the UFC and remains undefeated as a professional.

Joe Lauzon and George Sotiropoulos had some bad blood heading into the cage, and it showed in the first round. Heading into the bout, Lauzon complained of George’s fighting attire, which consisted of several applications on his legs, including the traditional shorts, knee pads, ankle supporters, and additional garments. But, cooler heads prevailed and the bout went on as scheduled. Lauzon was sharp in the opening round, stuffing takedowns and working well inside the clinch with short strikes, and clipped George on a few occasions. The second round though was a different story, and the Aussie native was able to work his strong Jiu-Jitsu game, eventually submitting “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran with a kimura. Both men picked up the nights “Fight of the Night” award for their strong performances.

So, MMA peeps, do you agree with the winners? Do you think anyone else was more deserving of said honors? If so, speak up. Sound off in the comment section below.