Bonus coverage | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Borralho

Fight of the Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Benoît Saint Denis

Fans had this fight marked on their calendars from the moment it was announced, and for good reason. Benoît Saint Denis came into the fight on a five-fight winning streak and started the first round strong, putting pressure on Poirier and using his ring skills and power throughout.

Poirier almost showed off his jiu-jitsu skills again when he attempted several guillotines, but in the second round, “The Diamond” was increasingly successful standing up, dropping Saint Denis and following up with a few punches to the mat, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.

It was high risk but high reward for Poirier, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the lightweight division (compared to Saint Denis' No. 12), but “The Diamond” returned to the winner's list in massive fashion at the Kaseya Center.

Performance of the night bonuses

Performance of the evening: Sean O'Malley

It was really the “Suga” show at 305.

Bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley defended his title in style, defeating Marlon “Chito” Vera over the course of five rounds. O'Malley landed punches from all angles for 25 minutes, with a knee to the midsection in the second round standing out as the hardest blow of the fight. Vera never gave up, fighting through the damage and through O'Malley's varied attacks.

This was the kind of performance that fight fans needed to see from O'Malley. He was in control from start to finish, but also showed how the champion can handle someone as tough and resilient as Vera. The “Suga” era is just beginning.

Performance of the evening: Jack Della Maddalena

Jack Della Maddalena with another finish for the highlight reel.

It was a back and forth battle between Della Maddalena and Gilbert Burns, with the Brazilian leading in the second round. In the third round, the Australian escaped a grappling match and as the two stood up, he landed a knee strike to Burns that badly injured him and sent him back to the mat. With just over a minute to go in the fight, he followed up with several elbow strikes to take the win.

This is a big win for Della Maddalena as he looks to continue his climb in the welterweight division.

Performance of the evening: Curtis Blaydes

The heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida was the ultimate test to find out which of the top 10 heavyweights has the better grappling – and Almeida was ahead in the first round.

And when Almeida went back into the well early in the first round, Blaydes made him pay for it. Blaydes landed a short uppercut as Almeida ducked in, then followed it up with a series of furious hammerfists that sent Almeida to the mat and abruptly ended the fight.

For Blaydes, it was an important comeback victory, with which he once again proved that he is not one of the best heavyweights in the world for no reason.

Performance of the evening: Michel Pereira

Michel Pereira continues to shine in the middleweight division after extending his winning streak to seven in a row with his performance at UFC 299.

Before we talk about Pereira's win, we need to talk about the finish. It was a coordinated effort that saw Pereira make a move before delivering one of his best performances yet. Pereira hit Michal Oleksiejczuk's body and forced him to retreat, and then Pereira put his foot down and went for Oleksiejczuk's neck. Pereira finished the rear naked choke submission in 61 seconds.

Big things are ahead for Pereira, but “Demolidor” wants to fight in his next appearance in Brazil – perhaps at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.

Performance of the evening: Robelis Despaigne

What a debut for Robelis Despaigne.

The heavyweight rookie had a reputation for finishing his fights quickly, and he lived up to that reputation against Josh Parisian. “The Big Boy” thrashed wildly and backed away after a slip, catching Parisian with a punch that knocked him to the floor. He added another punch before the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. 19 seconds.

Because of his performance, Robelis immediately becomes a must-see on television in the heavyweight division.

Number of visitors: 19,165 (Sold out)

Total Gross Revenue: $14,142,904 (Live Gate Announced)

*The highest grossing event ever at the Kaseya Center

**4th highest-grossing UFC event of all time