Paulo Thiago and his $60,000 submission hold. Photo: Josh Hedges
As is the tradition, the Ultimate Fighting Championship rewards the standouts from each event with bonuses. This Saturday’s event in Las Vegas, UFC 109, was no different. The best of the night Chael Sonnen, Nate Marquardt, Paulo Thiago and Matt Serra earned more than 60 thousand dollars in reward money.
The fight deemed best was between Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt, which the former won by unanimous decision. But in this case, both receive the award. Moreover, according to information released pre-fight, Sonnen awaits the winner of the match between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort, as his win qualifies him as the next challenger for the organization’s middleweight belt.
The best submission of the night went to Jiu-Jitsu black belt Paulo Thiago, for a snug arm triangle that put Mike Swick to sleep. The police officer from Brazil’s elite force had not landed a submission in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and got his first with the best-of-the-night bonus.
The best knockout also went to a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Matt Serra, of Renzo Gracie’s brood. After a strong counter punch, Serra landed a few more strikes to put an end to the chances of fellow veteran Frank Trigg.