The UFC Fight Night 88: Almeida vs. Garbrandt fight card might have flown under the radar for mainstream fans, but the fighters at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Sunday delivered in spades for the hardcore audience that turned out on Memorial Day Weekend.
Two performances and one fight rose above the rest on the fight card with Cody Garbrandt, Jake Collier, Jeremy Stephens, and Renan Barao earning the $50,000 performance-based incentives.
The Fight of the Night honors went to the co-main event between former bantamweight champion Barao and Stephens. It was Barao’s UFC debut in the featherweight division and he looked good in the opening round. Stephens made adjustments heading in the second frame and began landing power shots. An uppercut staggered the Brazilian, but Barao battled back. The final round was close, but Stephens landed the cleaner shots and took home a unanimous decision. 
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Garbrandt earned a Performance of the Night award for his knockout of previously unbeaten Thomas Almeida in the fight card’s main event. “No Love” took the fight to Almeida and staggered him in the early going. Almeida responded with aggression and ended up eating a right hand that rendered him unable to continue. He was 21-0 heading into the fight.
Collier took home the second Performance of the Night bonus for his second-round TKO of Alberto Uda on the preliminary fight card. He overcame being hurt in the first round after absorbing a knee to the face that likely broke his nose. Early in the second frame, Collier landed a knee of his own and then unleashed a flurry of punches. A moment later, he delivered a spinning back kick that finished the fight.
UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt featured three knockouts, eight decisions, and one submission finish.
