Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taiya delivered an instant classic at UFC 328, earning “Fight of the Night” honors and $100,000 apiece for their thrilling co-main event battle on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. After struggling early to defend against his opponent’s takedowns, Van took control on the feet and secured a technical knockout victory over Taira at 1:32 of Round 5, successfully retaining the 125-pound belt.
Elsewhere on the card, former Bellator MMA champion Yaroslav Amosov claimed a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his submission victory over Joel Alvarez in a preliminary welterweight bout. Amosov took his opponent to the canvas in the second round, quickly transitioned to an arm-triangle choke, and forced the tap at 1:13 of the period.
Veteran fan favorite Jim Miller also earned a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his first-round submission of Jared Gordon in a preliminary lightweight contest. When Gordon left his neck exposed during a takedown attempt, Miller capitalized by locking in a guillotine choke, ending the fight at 3:29 of Round 1.