Most critics believe the newsworthy final two fights were responsible for “saving” the uneventful UFC 101 card. UFC officials agreed, as company president Dana White confirmed all the “fight night” bonuses were given to the marquee competitors.
As was announced on the pay-per-view, BJ Penn received the “submission of the night” for his rear naked choke victory over Kenny Florian. White further confirmed that knockout of the night belonged to Anderson Silva, while Silva and Griffin shared “fight of the night” honors.
Each bonus carried a $60,000 prize, meaning that Silva earned an additional $120,000 while Penn and Griffin left with $60,000 bonuses in their pockets.