UFC Paris: Delphine Benouaichs Brutal Victory Over Montenegro Earns No Performance Bonus

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Despite delivering one of the most violent finishes at UFC Paris this past weekend on Sept. 5, French fighter Delphine Benouaich was notably absent from the UFC’s Performance Bonus list. Instead she was awarded the normal $25,000 finish bonus.

Benouaich’s strawweight victory over Sofia Montenegro was a one-sided demolition that left her opponent hospitalized. I had predicted this bout would be an underrated fight showcasing new blood in the strawweight division, and boy, was there blood.

Delphine Benouaich (red gloves) fighting Sofia Montenegro (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena.Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

The opening bout of the card saw Benouaich use sharp elbows to slice open Montenegro’s face, resulting in a gruesome scene that went viral across social media. 

After overwhelming her on the feet in the first round, the French phenom was able to secure a finish in the second round. First, Benouaich dropped Montenegro with a solid right hand and followed up with some vicious ground and pound.

The French fighter then moved to Montenegro’s back and locked in a rear-naked choke until her opponent lost consciousness.

Immediate Aftermath

The damage was so severe that Montenegro, 27, was transported to a local hospital via ambulance for precautionary CT scans of her head and face. 

In her own words, Benouaich showed respect to Montenegro via her Instagram for being a willing combatant.

In the caption, she wrote, “Last night, there were two warriors who were ready to lose everything to win.”

Montenegro was gracious in her defeat and seemed to take the loss well in her own Instagram post.

She shared a quote, which read, “I don’t take your burden to make you strong,
I give you my strength so you never let go.”

Bonus Snub

Despite securing a brutal finish that showcased her full MMA skill set, Benouaich earned no extra cash.

When the post-fight bonuses were announced, Benouaich’s name was notably missing, an exclusion that had some MMA fans and media questioning the decision on social media.

While Benouaich has remained gracious about her victory, the lack of a bonus is a significant oversight for a fighter on her debut. Extra cash would have been a perfect reward for a newcomer who won in spectacular fashion. 

Other Bonus Snubs

While the UFC has a history of contentious bonus decisions, the most recent and notable example comes from former bantamweight superstar champion Sean O’Malley.

O’Malley was not awarded a bonus after knocking out Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House back in June.

He aired out his grievances during an episode of the podcast “One Night With Steiny” alongside his coach, Tim Welch.

The feeling of being overlooked after such a performance is a familiar frustration for fighters. For now, Benouaich will have to settle for the memory of her violent debut and the admiration of the Paris crowd.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.