UFC 179 Bonus Report: Aldo and Mendes Receive FOTN and Earn Extra $50K

Fight of the Night: Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes
The rematch exceeded expectations and we are hoping for a third bout between the two. Mendes looked to be in the best shape of his career and his hands were impressive in the opening rounds of the fight. Aldo was quick to check any leg kick that Mendes threw and his counters were lighting fast. Aldo took the fight four rounds to one, but the scorecard does not tell the story that played out on the canvas tonight.

Performance of the Night: Gilbert Burns
Christos Giagos stood no chance against Burns tonight as the majority of the fight took place on the canvas. Burns almost locked up a choke and transitioned to an armbar when the opportunity presented itself. With both of their bellies down, Giagos was unable to spin out of the hold and he was forced to submit. Burns picked up a first round win and kicked off the fights tonight with a bang.

Performance of the Night: Fabio Maldonado
Maldonado displayed a ton of heart and determination tonight after his second round victory against Hans Stringer. It seemed like Maldonado was going to get smothered the entire fight by Stringer’s grappling skills, but he made it back to his feet and cracked him with a series of shots. Maldonado took him down and fired off with a series of shots that did not lead to an intelligent defense from Stringer. Stringer did not improve his position and the referee was forced to step in.