The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday's card in Qatar, including one to a fighter who made a remarkable turnaround.

After UFC Fight Night 265, four fighters picked up an extra $ 50,000 for their performances at ABHA Arena in Doha. Check out the winners below. 

Performance of the Night: Luke Riley

Luke Riley (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had, by his own admission, a horrible first round against Bogdan Grad (15-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC). But early in the second, he clipped him with a left hand that spun Grad’s head around and sent him to the canvas. There, Riley, a teammate of lightweight title hopeful Paddy Pimblett in Liverpool, England, put Grad away with vicious finishing punches for a debut win. 

Performance of the Night: Kyoji Horiguchi

Kyoji Horiguchi (35-5 MMA, 8-1 UFC) started his second stint in the UFC with a bang. The flyweight returned to the promotion nine years after he left – with a 7-1 record and a failed title shot – and submitted Tagir Ulanbekov (17-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the third round after two dominant frames, including a 10-8 from one judge. The former Bellator and Rizin flyweight champion made an immediate case for a shot at UFC champ Alexandre Pantoja.

Performance of the Night: Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Waldo Cortes-Acosta (16-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) fought three weeks ago and picked up a win over Ante Delija after an eye poke had him in trouble. He took his fight with Shamil Gaziev (14-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) on just two days’ notice, flew to the Middle East, got on the scale and delivered an 82-second knockout.

Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) was under plenty of pressure to performa against Dan Hooker (24-13 MMA, 14-9 UFC) in the main event, and he came through with flying colors. Tsarukyan hadn’t fought since a split decision win over former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira in April 2024. That got him a title shot, but he had to pull out of it during his weight cut for Islam Makhachev in January. Although new champ Ilia Topuria said he’s not interested in a fight with him, Tsarukyan made himself likely undeniable with a second-round submission.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Qatar bonuses: Waldo Cortes-Acosta’s legendary turnaround pays off