UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar
Brazil
Main Card • Final
R1, 4:40
United States
R2, 4:31
Submission of the Night
R2, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
R2, 4:29
R1, 2:30
Prelims • Final
R2, 4:16
Knockout of the Night
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
R3, 3:10
Early Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Iran
Official Event Results
$70k FOTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$70,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Jon Fitch and Erick Silva were each awarded $70,000 for their back-and-forth, action-packed three-round welterweight war.
Knockout of the Night: Rony Jason earned $70,000 for his explosive second-round knockout victory against Sam Sicilia on the preliminary card.
Submission of the Night: Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira pocketed $70,000 for his vintage second-round armbar submission finish over Dave Herman.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $2,000,000 | — | — | $2,000,000 | |
| WIN | $250,000 | — | $70,000 | $320,000 | |
| WIN | $73,000 | $73,000 | $70,000 | $216,000 | |
| LOSS | $100,000 | — | — | $100,000 | |
| WIN | $48,000 | $48,000 | — | $96,000 | |
| WIN | $8,000 | $8,000 | $70,000 | $86,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | $70,000 | $80,000 | |
| WIN | $33,000 | $33,000 | — | $66,000 | |
| WIN | $30,000 | $30,000 | — | $60,000 | |
| WIN | $15,000 | $15,000 | — | $30,000 | |
| WIN | $15,000 | $15,000 | — | $30,000 | |
| WIN | $14,000 | $14,000 | — | $28,000 | |
| LOSS | $21,000 | — | — | $21,000 | |
| LOSS | $19,000 | — | — | $19,000 | |
| LOSS | $19,000 | — | — | $19,000 | |
| WIN | $8,000 | $8,000 | — | $16,000 | |
| WIN | $8,000 | $8,000 | — | $16,000 | |
| LOSS | $11,000 | — | — | $11,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 | |
| LOSS | $8,000 | — | — | $8,000 |
*Disclosed and reported purses for UFC 153. Because athletic commission guidelines in Brazil do not mandate public salary releases, compensation details are compiled from verified judicial disclosures (such as unsealed UFC antitrust lawsuit filings revealing Anderson Silva’s $2,000,000 compensation), contractual estimates, and official UFC $70,000 post-fight performance bonuses.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 153
Anderson Silva defeated Stephan Bonnar to extend his promotional win streak to 16 straight fights, a benchmark that remains the longest consecutive winning streak in UFC history.
Silva secured his 14th stoppage inside the Octagon with a first-round knee to the body, tying Vitor Belfort for the most stoppage victories in UFC history at that time.
Closing as high as a -1300 to -1400 favorite, Anderson Silva entered UFC 153 as one of the most lopsided betting favorites in modern UFC pay-per-view main event history.
Across 24 professional bouts and a decade inside the cage, TUF pioneer Stephan Bonnar had never been finished via strikes until Anderson Silva stopped him at 4:40 of round 1.
Glover Teixeira landed 66 significant ground strikes en route to his TKO over Fabio Maldonado, ranking as the third-most ground strikes landed in a UFC light heavyweight bout.
Jon Fitch landed 176 total strikes and converted 6 takedowns over Erick Silva, adding to his status as the division’s all-time leader in control time and decision victories.
Demian Maia forced a brutal neck crank tap against Rick Story, making him one of the few fighters in UFC history to record multiple submission victories across both middleweight and welterweight.
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira secured his first UFC armbar finish against Dave Herman, capturing Submission of the Night honors before a roaring home crowd in Rio.
The UFC increased its traditional $50,000 / $60,000 post-fight awards to $70,000 per recipient, distributing $280,000 in official performance prize money across the card.
Brazilian competitors went 8-2 in head-to-head clashes against international fighters on the night, marking one of the most dominant performances by a host nation at a UFC event.
Inaugural TUF Brazil winner Rony Jason moved to 2-0 in the UFC with a blistering second-round finish of Sam Sicilia, becoming the first TUF Brazil alum to claim Knockout of the Night honors.
UFC 153 drew an officially announced sellout attendance of 16,844 spectators, producing a live gate of over $2.5 million in Rio de Janeiro.
When and where did UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar take place?
UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar took place on Saturday, October 13, 2012, at the HSBC Arena (currently known as Farmasi Arena) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Who won the main event between Anderson Silva and Stephan Bonnar?
Anderson Silva defeated Stephan Bonnar via TKO (knee to the body and punches) at 4:40 of Round 1 in their light heavyweight showdown.
Was Anderson Silva’s middleweight championship on the line at UFC 153?
No. While Silva held the UFC Middleweight Championship at the time, the bout with Bonnar was contested at light heavyweight (205 lbs) as a non-title superfight to rescue the event following multiple injury withdrawals.
How did Anderson Silva finish Stephan Bonnar?
After dodging punches against the fence, Silva landed a trip and waited for Bonnar to stand before unleashing a perfectly timed knee straight into Bonnar’s solar plexus, finishing the fight on the mat with follow-up punches.
Who earned the post-fight bonuses at UFC 153?
Four fighters earned elevated $70,000 post-fight bonuses: Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva (Fight of the Night), Rony Jason (Knockout of the Night), and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (Submission of the Night).
How did Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeat Dave Herman?
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira submitted Dave Herman with an armbar at 4:31 of Round 2, proving that Brazilian jiu-jitsu works after Herman made disparaging pre-fight comments about the martial art.
What happened in the bout between Glover Teixeira and Fabio Maldonado?
Glover Teixeira battered Fabio Maldonado on the ground across two dominant rounds until the ringside physician halted the contest between rounds due to severe facial damage and swelling, giving Teixeira a TKO (doctor stoppage) victory.
Who won the Fight of the Night clash between Jon Fitch and Erick Silva?
Jon Fitch defeated Erick Silva via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) after surviving a tight second-round rear-naked choke attempt and dominating with heavy wrestling and ground strikes.
How did Demian Maia defeat Rick Story?
Demian Maia quickly took Rick Story down, advanced to his back, and locked in a vicious neck crank submission that forced Story to tap out at 2:30 of Round 1.
Why was Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar assembled on short notice?
The original main event between José Aldo and Frankie Edgar fell apart after Aldo suffered a motorcycle accident injury. Anderson Silva volunteered to step in and save the card in his home country, with Stephan Bonnar accepting the challenge at 205 pounds.
Did any fighters fail post-fight drug tests at UFC 153?
Yes. Following the event, Stephan Bonnar tested positive for anabolic steroid drostanolone, while Dave Herman tested positive for marijuana metabolites.
What was the official attendance and live gate for UFC 153?
UFC 153 drew an announced crowd of 16,844 fans and generated an estimated live gate of $2,550,000 ($2.5–$2.6 million USD) at the HSBC Arena.
How was UFC 153 broadcast and what was its pay-per-view buyrate?
The main card was broadcast live on Pay-Per-View, generating approximately 410,000 buys, with preliminary bouts airing on FX and early prelims streaming on Facebook.
Who called the fights on the broadcast for UFC 153?
The English-language telecast was anchored by play-by-play voice Mike Goldberg and color commentator Joe Rogan, with Bruce Buffer announcing the fighters inside the Octagon.
How many Brazilian fighters won at UFC 153?
Brazilian fighters achieved a remarkable night in Rio, securing victories in 10 of the 12 bouts on the card (Anderson Silva, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Glover Teixeira, Demian Maia, Rony Jason, Gleison Tibau, Diego Brandao, Sergio Moraes, and Cristiano Marcello).
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