Sam Stout (left) exchanging with Paul Taylor (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

MMA fans have grown accustomed to hearing about who won “Knockout” or “Submission of the Night” following a UFC, but on Tuesday, the promotion announced significant changes to its post-fight bonus structure.

While the UFC will continue to award “Fight of the Night” after every event,  the additional awards will not necessarily be determined by whether a fighter scored a memorable stoppage or submission. The UFC has posted the following statement regarding fight night bonuses:

The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced today a modification to its live event bonuses. Effective immediately, UFC will award Fight of the Night bonuses to each of the fighters in the best fight of the night, as well as additional Performance of the Night bonuses to the two best individual performances on the card. The bonus amounts will remain $50,000. The Performance of the Night bonuses will reward the athletes who put on the best and most exciting individual performances.

While the statement doesn’t offer any specific details as to why the UFC has decided to go this route, by doing so, clearly the promotion will have more ways to determine who should receive an extra $50,000. Not every card features a highlight reel knockout or submission, or further, sometimes an event will include several thrilling finishing techniques or performances.

The UFC’s next event goes this Saturday night in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil and will feature Lyoto Machida taking on Gegard Mousasi in the main event.