UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn
United States
Main Card • Final
Mexico
R2, 0:24
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
Poland
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
Brazil
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
Russia
R1, 2:57
Performance of the Night
Czechia
R3, 5:00
Early Prelims • Final
R3, 3:39
R2, 2:41
Denmark
R3, 2:05
Serbia
France
R1, 2:41
Official Event Results
$50k FOTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Augusto Mendes and Frankie Saenz each took home $50,000 for their back-and-forth three-round bantamweight war.
Performance of the Night: Yair Rodríguez earned $50,000 for his creative and dominant striking showcase that ended in a second-round TKO over B.J. Penn.
Performance of the Night: Aleksei Oleinik pocketed $50,000 for making history with the first Ezekiel choke submission victory ever recorded in the UFC.
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 | $50,000 | $150,000 | |
| LOSS | $150,000 | — | — | $150,000 | |
| WIN | $58,000 | $58,000 | — | $116,000 | |
| LOSS | $20,000 | — | — | $20,000 | |
| WIN | $20,000 | $20,000 | — | $40,000 | |
| LOSS | $35,000 | — | — | $35,000 | |
| WIN | $27,000 | $27,000 | — | $54,000 | |
| LOSS | $28,000 | — | — | $28,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $20,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | $50,000 | $70,000 | |
| LOSS | $20,000 | — | $50,000 | $70,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | $50,000 | $98,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $16,000 | $16,000 | — | $32,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $14,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $20,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | — | $24,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $20,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $20,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 |
*Official fighter purses disclosed by the Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission. Figures reflect contractual show and win compensation along with official $50,000 post-fight performance bonus awards. Amounts do not include Reebok outfitting payouts, discretionary bonuses, or pay-per-view dividends.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn
Aleksei Oleinik made promotional history by securing the first Ezekiel choke in UFC history against Viktor Pešta at 2:57 of round 1.
Oleksiy Oliynyk’s finish became one of the exceptionally rare submissions in Octagon history to be locked and finished while mounted from the bottom position.
The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America winner Yair Rodríguez scored the fastest headlining stoppage of his career, needing just 24 seconds of round two to finish Hall of Famer B.J. Penn.
Rodríguez landed 55 of 101 significant strikes (54.4% accuracy) across just over one round, completely shutting out Penn who landed only 4 significant strikes.
The card registered the UFC’s second-highest recorded attendance in Phoenix at the time, generating a $913,372.75 live gate.
Yair Rodríguez joined a very select group of fighters to drop an opponent with a clean switch front kick to the face before finishing the fight with punches.
Michigan newcomer Drakkar Klose earned a sweep of the scorecards (30-27 across all judges) over Devin Powell, landing 68 significant strikes and two takedowns.
BJJ multi-time world champion Augusto Mendes scored his first UFC victory in a high-octane brawl against Frankie Saenz that earned Fight of the Night honors.
Nina Nunes picked up her first UFC victory with a dominant third-round rear-naked choke over Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger after logging 8:31 of control time.
Walt Harris notched his third knockout finish inside the Octagon, overwhelming Chase Sherman with a flurry of knees and punches at 2:41 of round two.
French heavyweight Cyril Asker picked up his first UFC promotional victory in rapid fashion, stopping Dmitrii Smoliakov with strikes and elbows in round one.
Denmark’s Joachim Christensen broke through for his first UFC victory by outlanding Bojan Mihajlović 139 to 31 before finishing the bout via third-round TKO.
When and where did UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn take place?
UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn (also known as UFC Fight Night 103) took place on Sunday, January 15, 2017, at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
Who won the main event between Yair Rodríguez and B.J. Penn?
Yair Rodríguez defeated former two-division champion B.J. Penn via TKO (front kick and punches) at 0:24 of Round 2 after dominating the opening five minutes of the contest.
What was historic about Aleksei Oleinik’s submission at this event?
Heavyweight veteran Aleksei Oleinik executed the first Ezekiel choke submission in UFC history, submitting Viktor Pešta at 2:57 of Round 1 from the bottom mount position.
Who won the co-main event between Joe Lauzon and Marcin Held?
Joe Lauzon defeated Marcin Held via split decision (27–30, 29–28, 29–28). In a rare post-fight interview moment, Lauzon himself stated he believed Held deserved the victory.
Who won the $50,000 post-fight bonus awards?
Four fighters received $50,000 bonuses: Augusto Mendes vs. Frankie Saenz earned Fight of the Night, while Yair Rodríguez and Aleksei Oleinik were awarded Performance of the Night.
Was this B.J. Penn’s first UFC fight after his retirement?
Yes. This bout marked B.J. Penn’s first appearance in the Octagon in over two-and-a-half years, following his July 2014 stoppage loss to Frankie Edgar.
Who won the welterweight fight between Ben Saunders and Court McGee?
Ben Saunders defeated Court McGee via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) in a grueling striking battle.
How did Sergio Pettis defeat John Moraga?
Sergio Pettis defeated former flyweight title challenger John Moraga via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27), scoring a first-round knockdown and outstriking Moraga throughout.
Did Drakkar Klose make his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn?
Yes. Drakkar Klose made his promotional debut on short notice, defeating fellow debutant Devin Powell via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
How did Nina Nunes win her strawweight bout?
Nina Nunes (then competing as Nina Ansaroff) earned her first UFC victory by submitting local Phoenix favorite Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger via rear-naked choke at 3:39 of Round 3.
How did Walt Harris defeat Chase Sherman?
Walt Harris stopped Chase Sherman via KO (knee and punches) at 2:41 of Round 2 after landing a brutal knee followed by heavy punches along the cage.
What was the official attendance and gate for the event?
The event drew an official crowd of 11,589 spectators with a live gate revenue of $913,372.75 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.
Who called the fights for UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Penn?
The event was called by lead commentator Jon Anik alongside color analyst Brian Stann, with Bruce Buffer introducing the fighters inside the Octagon.
How did Joachim Christensen defeat Bojan Mihajlović?
Denmark’s Joachim Christensen claimed his first UFC victory with a third-round TKO (punches) at 2:05 of Round 3, dropping Mihajlović with a clean right uppercut.
How did Cyril Asker defeat Dmitrii Smoliakov?
French heavyweight Cyril Asker secured a dominant TKO (punches and elbows) victory at 2:41 of Round 1 after taking down Smoliakov and unleashing heavy ground strikes.
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