UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen
United Arab Emirates
Main Card • Final
United States
R2, 1:03
Performance of the Night
Brazil
R3, 5:00
Finland
Poland
R3, 5:00
South Africa
R1, 3:22
England
R1, 1:35
France
Georgia
R3, 5:00
Morocco
Prelims • Final
R1, 1:42
Performance of the Night
Canada
R1, 0:45
Performance of the Night
R2, 2:03
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
Jordan
R3, 5:00
Venezuela
R3, 5:00
Switzerland
Russia
R3, 5:00
Official Event Results
$50k POTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Performance of the Night: Cory Sandhagen earned $50,000 for his highlight-reel spinning wheel kick and punch finish over top contender Marlon Moraes.
Performance of the Night: Joaquin Buckley received $50,000 for his historic, two-touch jumping spinning back kick knockout against Impa Kasanganay.
Performance of the Night: Chris Daukaus picked up $50,000 for a blistering 45-second first-round knockout over Rodrigo Nascimento.
Performance of the Night: Tom Breese claimed $50,000 for his precise 1:42 stoppage victory over previously unbeaten newcomer KB Bhullar.
Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000+ | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000+ | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000+ | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | $50,000+ | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — |
*Because this event was hosted internationally at Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, official fighter contract purses and appearance payments are not publicly disclosed by the local governing body. Figures above reflect official post-fight performance bonuses ($50,000 each) awarded by the UFC.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen
Joaquin Buckley’s jumping spinning back kick knockout over Impa Kasanganay quickly became the most shared, viewed, and liked video clip in UFC social media history, exceeding 60 million views across platforms within 48 hours.
Joaquin Buckley’s finish captured consensus Knockout of the Year honors across all major combat sports publications including the World MMA Awards, ESPN MMA, and MMAFighting.
Future undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria made his promotional debut on just eight days’ notice, putting his wrestling and ground control on display to defeat Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision.
Future UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis debuted in the Octagon on short notice, registering an explosive first-round knockout of Markus Perez in 3:22.
Future UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall collected his second straight first-round stoppage inside the Octagon, overwhelming Alan Baudot in only 95 seconds.
Cory Sandhagen delivered only the second spinning wheel kick finish in UFC bantamweight history, dropping former WSOF champion Marlon Moraes just 63 seconds into round two.
Heavyweight prospect Chris Daukaus recorded the second-fastest heavyweight knockout in the UFC in 2020, stopping previously undefeated Rodrigo Nascimento in only 45 seconds.
Edson Barboza scored two clean knockdowns against Makwan Amirkhani, advancing his total UFC career knockdown tally to 16 and maintaining a top-five position in modern promotional history.
Featherweight contender Giga Chikadze earned his fourth UFC victory of 2020 by defeating Omar Morales, becoming one of only two fighters on the roster to secure four Octagon wins during the pandemic calendar year.
The card concluded the fifth full international event on Yas Island under the Department of Culture and Tourism’s biosecure safety zone in Abu Dhabi, operating behind closed doors without live spectators.
British middleweight Tom Breese returned to form with a rapid 1:42 stoppage of undefeated newcomer KB Bhullar, securing his third UFC post-fight bonus award.
Khabib Nurmagomedov teammate and former GFC champion Tagir Ulanbekov made a triumphant UFC debut, outworking Brazil’s Bruno Silva via unanimous decision.
When and where did UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen take place?
UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen took place on Saturday, October 10, 2020, at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Who won the main event between Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Moraes?
Cory Sandhagen defeated Marlon Moraes via TKO (spinning wheel kick and punches) at 1:03 of Round 2 in their featured bantamweight main event.
What was the viral knockout that occurred at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen?
Joaquin Buckley landed an iconic jumping spinning back kick knockout on Impa Kasanganay after Kasanganay caught his initial kick. The sequence was awarded 2020 Knockout of the Year and set viewership records across UFC digital media.
Who won the official post-fight bonus awards?
Four fighters received $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses: Cory Sandhagen, Joaquin Buckley, Chris Daukaus, and Tom Breese. No Fight of the Night was awarded.
Which future UFC champions made their promotional debuts at this event?
Both future Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria (who defeated Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision) and future Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis (who knocked out Markus Perez in round 1) made their UFC debuts on this card.
Who won the co-main event between Edson Barboza and Makwan Amirkhani?
Edson Barboza defeated Makwan Amirkhani via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, 30–27), knocking Amirkhani down twice over the course of three rounds.
How did Tom Aspinall win his fight at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen?
Future UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall defeated promotional newcomer Alan Baudot via TKO (elbows and punches) at 1:35 of Round 1.
What was the live attendance and gate for the event?
Because the event took place inside the COVID-19 pandemic safety bubble on Yas Island, the card had 0 live attendance and generated a $0 live gate.
Who won the heavyweight fight between Marcin Tybura and Ben Rothwell?
Marcin Tybura defeated Ben Rothwell via unanimous decision (29–27, 29–27, 29–27) after dominating the third round with heavy ground-and-pound.
What was the fastest finish at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen?
Chris Daukaus scored the fastest finish of the night by knocking out Rodrigo Nascimento in just 45 seconds of Round 1.
Who won the featherweight clash between Giga Chikadze and Omar Morales?
Giga Chikadze handed Omar Morales his first career defeat, winning via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) after dropping Morales late in round three.
Who were the commentators and announcer for the event?
The broadcast commentary booth featured John Gooden, Dan Hardy, and active UFC lightweight Paul Felder. The cage announcer was Joe Martinez.
What was the outcome of Tracy Cortez vs. Stephanie Egger?
Tracy Cortez defeated promotional newcomer Stephanie Egger via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) behind nearly 10 minutes of positional control.
What were the other names for UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen?
The event was also officially branded as UFC Fight Island 5 and referred to as UFC Fight Night 179.
How did Tagir Ulanbekov perform in his UFC debut?
Khabib Nurmagomedov teammate Tagir Ulanbekov won his UFC debut by defeating Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) in the opening bout of the card.
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