UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cutelaba Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba
United States
Main Card • Final
Nigeria
R2, 1:02
Performance of the Night
Moldova
Dominican Republic
R3, 5:00
Russia
R3, 1:03
Performance of the Night
Portugal
Australia
R1, 3:24
Performance of the Night
England
R3, 5:00
Kazakhstan
Prelims • Final
Brazil
R3, 5:00
Ukraine
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
R3, 1:27
Performance of the Night
Czech Republic
Official Event Results
$50k POTN
$50k POTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded.
Performance of the Night: Kennedy Nzechukwu earned $50,000 for stepping into the impromptu main event on short notice and stopping Ion Cutelaba with a flying knee and punches in Round 2.
Performance of the Night: Muslim Salikhov collected $50,000 for his spectacular third-round technical knockout of Andre Fialho via spinning wheel kick and follow-up strikes.
Performance of the Night: Jack Della Maddalena received $50,000 for his explosive first-round blitz and knockout of Danny Roberts at 3:24 of Round 1.
Performance of the Night: Natalia Silva pocketed $50,000 for her highlight-reel third-round spinning back kick and punch finish over promotional newcomer Tereza Bleda.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — |
*Disclosed purses and contractual salaries were not publicly released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for this event. Listed performance bonuses ($50,000 each) were officially awarded by the UFC. Undisclosed contractual components are marked with dashes (—) to prevent speculation.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records & Milestones Established at UFC Fight Night 215
Muslim Salikhov’s Round 3 stoppage of André Fialho was just the 14th knockout stemming from a spinning wheel kick in Ultimate Fighting Championship history.
Jack Della Maddalena became one of the few welterweights in UFC history to open his promotional tenure with three consecutive first-round knockout victories.
Natalia Silva became only the fifth fighter in UFC history—and just the second female athlete—to earn a stoppage victory via a spinning back kick to the head.
André Fialho made his fifth Octagon appearance of 2022, tying the modern UFC record for the most promotional walks by a fighter within a single calendar year.
Following Derrick Lewis’s mid-event hospitalization, Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Ion Cutelaba was elevated to the headline slot roughly one hour before the main card began.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta connected with 147 significant strikes against Chase Sherman, ranking among the highest three-round heavyweight strike totals in modern UFC history.
Cortes-Acosta landed 124 significant strikes to Chase Sherman’s head across 15 minutes, outlanding Sherman’s total head output (25) by nearly 5 to 1.
Kennedy Nzechukwu notched his eighth career victory by knockout/technical knockout, closing out his first UFC main event appearance in just 62 seconds of Round 2.
Charles Johnson and Zhalgas Zhumagulov engaged in a three-round slugfest, combining for 234 landed significant strikes across a razor-thin split decision.
Brady Hiestand controlled Fernie Garcia for 9 minutes and 14 seconds of their 15-minute encounter, logging the highest control time of the entire 11-bout card.
With zero Fight of the Night honors awarded, the UFC issued all four $50,000 post-fight bonus checks exclusively as Performance of the Night distinctions.
Inside the UFC Apex’s smaller 25-foot cage, all four stoppage victories across the 11-fight slate were executed via knockout or technical knockout.
When and where did UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba take place?
UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba (also known as UFC Vegas 65) took place on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (Enterprise), Nevada.
Who won the main event between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cutelaba?
Kennedy Nzechukwu defeated Ion Cutelaba via TKO (knee and punches) at 1:02 of Round 2 in their light heavyweight headliner.
Why was the original main event between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac cancelled?
Derrick Lewis suffered a non-COVID, non-weight cutting medical issue during the event and was hospitalized mid-broadcast, prompting the UFC to elevate the co-main event between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cutelaba to the headlining slot.
Who won the co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba?
Dominican heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta defeated Chase Sherman via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) after a high-output 15-minute battle.
Who won the $50,000 post-fight bonuses?
Four fighters received $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses: Kennedy Nzechukwu, Muslim Salikhov, Jack Della Maddalena, and Natalia Silva. No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded.
How did Natalia Silva defeat Tereza Bleda?
Natalia Silva produced one of the most stunning knockouts of 2022 by landing a flush spinning back kick to the jaw followed by punches to defeat Tereza Bleda via TKO at 1:27 of Round 3.
How did Muslim Salikhov finish Andre Fialho?
The “King of Kung Fu” landed a spectacular spinning wheel kick followed by unanswered punches against the fence to stop Andre Fialho via TKO at 1:03 of Round 3.
What milestone did Jack Della Maddalena reach with his win over Danny Roberts?
Jack Della Maddalena secured his third consecutive first-round knockout victory to begin his UFC career, stopping veteran Danny Roberts in 3:24.
How many UFC fights did Andre Fialho compete in during 2022?
This event marked Andre Fialho’s fifth UFC walk of 2022, making him the most active fighter on the UFC roster that year and tying the modern promotional record.
Who were the commentators and cage announcer for the event?
The broadcast team featured play-by-play announcer Brendan Fitzgerald alongside color commentators Paul Felder and Michael Bisping. Joe Martinez served as the Octagon cage announcer.
Who won the bout between Charles Johnson and Zhalgas Zhumagulov?
Charles Johnson edged Zhalgas Zhumagulov via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) in a back-and-forth flyweight war to secure his first Octagon victory.
How was UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba broadcast?
The entire 11-bout card was streamed live across the United States exclusively on ESPN+, with the prelims starting at 1:00 PM EST and the main card kicking off at 4:00 PM EST.
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