UFC president Dana White shocks newcomer with double pay and bonus following debut loss on five days’ notice

Dana White was feeling generous after watching a three-round featherweight fight at UFC 288.

Tenth-ranked contender Movsar Evloev had a tougher night than expected against late-replacement opponent Diego Lopes at the Prudential Center New Jersey on Saturday night.

Getty

The undefeated Russian dominated large parts of the 15-minute affair but was forced to fight off a series of submission attempts to claim a unanimous decision victory in his seventh UFC bout.

Lopes threatened with an armbar in round one but Evloev managed to work his way out of the submission and go on to enjoy a dominant five minutes in the second frame.

After taking his UFC debut fight on five days’ notice, Lopes appeared to be spent at the start of round three, but it ended up being his best of the fight.

The 29-year-old locked up kimura submission and found himself in the top position, but Evloev again showed great defence to survive the late attack on his perfect record.

Lopes wasn’t done, though. As the clock ticked down, the Brazilian grabbed a hold of his opponent’s leg and began working for a kneebar submission.

Evolev was initially unfazed. However, his comfort soon turned to concern as the submission became painful and he was forced to tough out the final moments of his 17^th career win.

Getty

Getty

Lopes didn’t get the win but will walk away from UFC 288 with his win money after a conversation with White which was caught on camera and shared on social media by ESPN.

Through a translator, the UFC boss can be heard – barely over the crowd – telling Lopes how impressed he was with his performance and promising to double his purse.

During his post-fight press conference, White revealed that not only will Lopes go home with double money, but he’ll also walk away with a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.

“Awesome. Incredible performance. The kid has got a ton of heart, he’s an absolute dog [and] I loved every minute of it,” the 53-year-old raved when asked about Lopes’ short-notice UFC debut.

While Lopes has earned a full camp and an easier opponent for his next fight, Evolev cemented himself as a top featherweight contender and impressed his boss in the process.

White added: “He’s a stud, man. Let me tell you, that armbar was deep and that knee bar was deep, and he fought out of both of those.

“You know, he’s 17-0 now, top 10. We’ll see where he ends up on Tuesday after the media does its thing.”