UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Brunson 2 Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2
United States
Main Card • Final
Brazil
R1, 3:50
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
R1, 4:46
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
Guam
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
R1, 2:47
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
Italy
Canada
R3, 5:00
South Korea
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Early Prelims • Final
R2, 4:21
R2, 3:48
Official Event Results
$50k FOTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Drew Dober and Frank Camacho each earned $50,000 for their high-paced welterweight battle that featured 251 combined significant strikes.
Performance of the Night: Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza received $50,000 for his precision first-round head-kick knockout of Derek Brunson in their rematch.
Performance of the Night: Mirsad Bektić took home $50,000 for his brutal first-round body-punch knockout over Godofredo Pepey.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $125,000 | $125,000 | $50,000 | $310,000 | |
| LOSS | $70,000 | — | — | $85,000 | |
| WIN | $34,000 | $34,000 | — | $73,000 | |
| LOSS | $53,000 | — | — | $68,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $51,500 | |
| LOSS | $12,000 | — | — | $15,500 | |
| WIN | $29,000 | $29,000 | $50,000 | $118,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | $50,000 | $67,500 | |
| WIN | $23,000 | $23,000 | — | $56,000 | |
| LOSS | $24,000 | — | — | $34,000 | |
| WIN | $21,000 | $21,000 | $50,000 | $96,000 | |
| LOSS | $24,000 | — | — | $29,000 | |
| WIN | $20,000 | $20,000 | — | $44,000 | |
| LOSS | $12,000 | — | — | $15,500 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $53,000 | |
| LOSS | $17,000 | — | — | $22,000 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | — | $27,500 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $17,500 | |
| WIN | $14,000 | $14,000 | — | $33,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $17,500 | |
| WIN | $18,000 | $18,000 | — | $39,500 | |
| LOSS | $17,000 | — | — | $22,000 | |
| WIN | $10,000 | $10,000 | — | $23,500 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $13,500 |
*Because the North Carolina Boxing and Combat Sports Commission does not publicly disclose purse figures, salaries listed are estimated based on previous athletic commission filings, reported contract values, Reebok athlete outfitting payments, and confirmed official performance bonuses ($50,000 each).
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2
Future bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen made his official UFC debut on eight days’ notice, kicking off his rise with a second-round TKO over Austin Arnett.
Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza secured the first head-kick knockout of his UFC career, stopping Derek Brunson in the opening round of their anticipated rematch.
NCAA Division I national champion Gregor Gillespie improved to 11-0 overall and 4-0 in the UFC with his third consecutive promotional stoppage win.
Drew Dober and Frank Camacho combined for 251 significant strikes over three frantic rounds, earning Fight of the Night honors in an all-out welterweight battle.
Mirsad Bektić produced one of the few single-punch body-shot stoppage finishes in modern UFC featherweight history, downing Godofredo Pepey at 2:47 of Round 1.
Katlyn Chookagian made her debut in the UFC’s newly created women’s flyweight division, defeating former top-10 contender Mara Romero Borella via unanimous decision.
Niko Price secured his fourth stoppage win in four UFC victories, submitting George Sullivan via rear-naked choke at 4:21 of Round 2.
Bobby Green earned his first UFC victory in over three years, utilizing his signature shoulder roll defense to outstrike Erik Koch across 15 minutes.
South Korea’s “Firefist” Ji Yeon Kim dropped down to flyweight and claimed her first UFC victory by edging out The Ultimate Fighter veteran Justine Kish via split decision.
The event marked the UFC’s fourth trip to Charlotte and attracted 10,249 spectators for an official live gate of $944,202 at the Spectrum Center.
Andre Fili scored one of the biggest wins of his career, upsetting former title challenger Dennis Bermudez via split decision in the co-main event.
TUF 15 veteran Vinc Pichel handed Joaquim Silva his first promotional defeat, grinding out a unanimous decision to win his third consecutive UFC bout.
When and where did UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 take place?
UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 took place on Saturday, January 27, 2018, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Who won the main event between Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza and Derek Brunson?
Ronaldo Souza defeated Derek Brunson via KO (head kick and punches) at 3:50 of Round 1, repeating his victory from their initial Strikeforce meeting in 2012.
Who won the co-main event between Andre Fili and Dennis Bermudez?
Andre Fili defeated Dennis Bermudez via split decision (29–28, 27–30, 29–28) in a competitive three-round featherweight contest.
Who won the official post-fight bonuses at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2?
Four fighters received $50,000 performance bonuses: Drew Dober vs. Frank Camacho earned Fight of the Night, while Ronaldo Souza and Mirsad Bektić earned Performance of the Night honors.
Did Cory Sandhagen make his UFC debut at this event?
Yes. Future interim bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen made his UFC debut on short notice, defeating Austin Arnett via TKO (punches) at 3:48 of Round 2.
How did Mirsad Bektić finish Godofredo Pepey?
Bektić landed a thunderous straight punch to the body that dropped Pepey instantly, earning a referee stoppage at 2:47 of Round 1 and a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
How did Gregor Gillespie win his bout against Jordan Rinaldi?
Gregor Gillespie utilized his relentless wrestling and ground-and-pound to defeat Jordan Rinaldi via TKO (punches) at 4:46 of Round 1, keeping his record undefeated at 11-0.
Why did Drew Dober vs. Frank Camacho win Fight of the Night?
Dober and Camacho engaged in a fan-favorite, toe-to-toe striking brawl that saw a total of 251 significant strikes landed before Dober took a unanimous decision victory.
What was the live gate and attendance at the Spectrum Center?
The event drew an official crowd of 10,249 spectators and produced a live gate of $944,202 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Which high-profile fight was cancelled from UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2?
A light heavyweight bout between former title challenger Ovince Saint Preux and Ilir Latifi was originally slated as the co-main event, but was scrapped when Latifi suffered an injury during fight preparations.
Who called the action from cage-side for UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2?
The cage-side commentary team featured lead play-by-play announcer Jon Anik alongside former two-time UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, with Bruce Buffer serving as Octagon announcer.
Did Katlyn Chookagian win her flyweight debut?
Yes. Chookagian moved down to 125 pounds and outworked former judoka Mara Romero Borella to earn a unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27).
What happened in the Bobby Green vs. Erik Koch fight?
Bobby Green snapped a four-fight winless streak by defeating Erik Koch via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) in the featured preliminary bout on FS1.
How did Niko Price defeat George Sullivan?
Niko Price secured his first UFC submission win, taking George Sullivan’s back in a ground scramble to lock in a rear-naked choke at 4:21 of Round 2.
How many fights went to a decision at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2?
Of the 12 bouts on the card, 7 went to the judges’ scorecards (5 unanimous decisions and 2 split decisions), while 5 ended via stoppage (4 knockouts/TKOs and 1 submission).
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