UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson
United States
Main Card • Final
Brazil
R5, 5:00
R1, 4:40
Performance of the Night
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
R2, 4:51
Fight of the Night
R3, 5:00
Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
Slovakia
South Korea
R3, 5:00
Cameroon
Guyana
R1, 2:52
Performance of the Night
Official Event Results
$100k FOTN
$50k Bonus
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Gregor Gillespie and Carlos Diego Ferreira were originally awarded Fight of the Night. Because Ferreira missed weight by 4.5 lbs (weighing in at 160.5 lbs), he was ruled ineligible for bonuses, resulting in Gillespie receiving a full $100,000 bonus payout.
Performance of the Night: Alex Morono collected $50,000 for a shocking first-round standing TKO stoppage of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone on short notice.
Performance of the Night: Promotional debutant Carlston Harris earned $50,000 by locking in a technical anaconda choke that put Christian Aguilera to sleep in Round 1.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $60,000 | $60,000 | — | $120,000 | |
| LOSS | $70,000 | — | — | $70,000 | |
| WIN | $45,000 | $45,000 | $50,000 | $140,000 | |
| LOSS | $200,000 | — | — | $200,000 | |
| WIN | $85,000 | $85,000 | — | $170,000 | |
| LOSS | $36,000 | — | — | $36,000 | |
| WIN | $45,000 | $45,000 | — | $90,000 | |
| LOSS | $30,000 | — | — | $30,000 | |
| WIN | $40,000 | $40,000 | $100,000 | $195,000 | |
| LOSS | $50,000 | — | — | $35,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $48,000 | |
| LOSS | $20,000 | — | — | $20,000 | |
| WIN | $28,000 | $28,000 | — | $56,000 | |
| LOSS | $18,000 | — | — | $18,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $48,000 | |
| LOSS | $14,000 | — | — | $14,000 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | $50,000 | $74,000 | |
| LOSS | $16,000 | — | — | $16,000 |
*Purses and estimated earnings are derived from commission contract structures, reliable specialist reporting, and official UFC bonus awards ($50,000 each). Carlos Diego Ferreira missed weight at 160.5 lbs and was fined 30% of his purse ($15,000), which was directly forfeited to Gregor Gillespie. Ferreira was also disqualified from receiving his $50,000 portion of Fight of the Night, which was subsequently awarded in full to Gillespie ($100,000 total bonus).
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson
Gregor Gillespie took home both sides of the Fight of the Night award for a total of $100,000 after opponent Carlos Diego Ferreira missed weight by 4.5 lbs and forfeited bonus eligibility.
Neil Magny secured his 18th career UFC welterweight victory with a decision win over Geoff Neal, moving to within one win of Georges St-Pierre’s all-time divisional record of 19.
Carlston Harris became the first fighter representing Guyana to compete and win inside the Octagon, putting Christian Aguilera to sleep with an anaconda choke in Round 1.
Stepping in on just 11 days’ notice to replace Diego Sanchez, Alex Morono finished veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone via standing TKO at 4:40 of Round 1.
Marcos Rogério de Lima logged an overwhelming 14 minutes and 6 seconds of ground control across three rounds, controlling Maurice Greene for 94% of the 15-minute contest.
Marina Rodriguez set a personal five-round career high by connecting with 125 significant strikes, outlanding Michelle Waterson across all five frames of their flyweight main event.
After a point deduction against Tafon Nchukwi for repeated groin strikes in Round 2, judge Sal D’Amato turned in a rare 30-25 scorecard in favor of JunYong Park.
Rodriguez and Waterson agreed to headline the card on less than two weeks’ notice at a flyweight catchweight after T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen was rescheduled.
Returning from an 18-month hiatus, Gregor Gillespie survived a grueling first frame to land 4 takedowns and stop Carlos Diego Ferreira via ground strikes at 4:51 of Round 2.
TUF 27 winner Michael Trizano returned from a two-year layoff to snap Ľudovít Klein’s 8-fight professional win streak via clean unanimous decision.
The event saw four major bouts cancelled during fight week (Dillashaw-Sandhagen, Holm-Peña, Rothwell-Lins, and Ribas-Hill), condensing the final card to nine official bouts.
Three betting underdogs on the main card (Alex Morono +180, Neil Magny +165, and Michael Trizano +210) pulled off decisive victories.
When and where did UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson take place?
UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson (also known as UFC on ESPN 24 / UFC Vegas 26) took place on Saturday, May 8, 2021, at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Who won the main event between Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson?
Marina Rodriguez defeated Michelle Waterson-Gomez via unanimous decision (48–47, 49–46, 49–46) over five rounds in a flyweight headliner.
Why did Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson fight at flyweight on short notice?
The original headliner between T.J. Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen was postponed after Dillashaw suffered a cut in training. Strawweights Rodriguez and Waterson agreed to step in on 11 days’ notice and compete up a division at flyweight (125 lbs) to avoid a drastic weight cut.
Who won the official post-fight performance bonuses?
Gregor Gillespie won Fight of the Night ($100,000 total), while Alex Morono and Carlston Harris took home Performance of the Night ($50,000 each).
Why did Gregor Gillespie receive a $100,000 bonus instead of $50,000?
Gillespie’s opponent, Carlos Diego Ferreira, missed weight by 4.5 lbs (160.5 lbs) and was disqualified from bonus eligibility under UFC rules. UFC President Dana White subsequently awarded Gillespie both halves of the Fight of the Night bonus ($100,000).
How did Alex Morono defeat Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone?
Alex Morono stepped in on 11 days’ notice for the released Diego Sanchez and finished Donald Cerrone via TKO (punches) at 4:40 of Round 1 after staggering him with clean overhand rights.
What happened in Carlston Harris’ UFC debut against Christian Aguilera?
Guyana’s Carlston Harris made history by submitting Christian Aguilera with a tight anaconda choke at 2:52 of Round 1, putting Aguilera unconscious and earning a $50,000 bonus.
What milestone did Neil Magny reach against Geoff Neal?
Neil Magny defeated Geoff Neal via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27), earning his 18th UFC welterweight victory to pull within one win of Georges St-Pierre’s all-time division record.
How dominant was Marcos Rogério de Lima against Maurice Greene?
De Lima put on a positional grappling masterclass, controlling Maurice Greene on the ground for 14 minutes and 6 seconds out of the total 15-minute fight time, taking home a 30–26, 30–26, 30–27 unanimous decision.
Why was a point deducted in the JunYong Park vs. Tafon Nchukwi bout?
Referee Mark Smith deducted a point from Tafon Nchukwi in Round 2 for repeated accidental low blows, leading to a majority decision win for JunYong Park with scores of 30–25, 29–26, and 28–28.
Who called the fights on the broadcast commentary team?
The broadcast featured play-by-play caller Brendan Fitzgerald alongside color commentators and former champions Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz, with Joe Martinez as Octagon announcer.
Did Carlos Diego Ferreira miss weight for his bout with Gregor Gillespie?
Yes. Ferreira weighed in at 160.5 pounds, 4.5 pounds over the lightweight non-title limit. He surrendered 30% of his purse to Gillespie, and the bout proceeded at catchweight.
Which bouts were cancelled from this card during fight week?
Four scheduled fights were scratched during fight week: Amanda Ribas tested positive for COVID-19 (scrapping her bout with Angela Hill), Ryan Benoit suffered medical issues during weight cutting (vs. Zarrukh Adashev), Philipe Lins fell ill (vs. Ben Rothwell), and Diego Sanchez was released from the UFC (replaced by Alex Morono).
Where was UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson broadcast?
In the United States, the main card aired live on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+, with preliminary bouts streaming live on ESPN+.
How many fights took place on the card?
After multiple fight-week cancellations, the event featured a total of 9 professional bouts (6 main card bouts and 3 preliminary bouts).
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