UFC 118 Bonuses: Lauzon, Diaz, Davis Pocket $60K

Nate Diaz file photo : Sherdog.com

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 semi-finalist Joe Lauzon turned his homecoming into a nice little moneymaker.

Lauzon earned a $60,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus after he coaxed a tapout from Gabe Ruediger with a first-round armbar at UFC 118 “Edgar vs. Penn 2” on Saturday at the TD Garden in Boston. The event drew a crowd of 15,575, according to UFC President Dana White, resulting in a $3 million gate.

An East Bridgewater, Mass., native, Lauzon soared on the strength of the home crowd. The 26-year-old battered Ruediger throughout their brief encounter and secured the submission 2:01 into round one. Lauzon -- who looked fully recovered from a knee injury that kept him out of the Octagon for nearly a year -- had not won a fight since he submitted Jeremy Stephens in February 2009.

Meanwhile, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis banked matching $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses after their bloody three-round duel. Diaz choked Davis into unconsciousness with a guillotine 4:02 into the final period. The Cesar Gracie disciple has won back-to-back fight since moving to welterweight.

None of the 10 matches at UFC 118 ended in a knockout or technical knockout, hence the absence of a “Knockout of the Night” bonus.