UFC 187 Results: Winners Who Put on Most Impressive Performances

Dana White had a bevy of options when choosing who would receive performance bonuses at UFC 187. In all, there were six finishes including four in the five-fight pay-per-view card on Saturday. 

The event was the perfect blend of fights that had meaning in the overall landscape of the organization and provided excitement. One title changed hands, one title was defended, and more than one fighter showed they belong in the title hunt in their respective divisions. 

UFC on Fox tweeted out the recipients of the performance bonuses:

Here's a look at the complete results followed by a breakdown of some of the best performances from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 

UFC 187 Main Card

• Daniel Cormier def. Anthony Johnson, submission (Round 3, 2:39)
• Chris Weidman def. Vitor Belfort, TKO (Round 1, 2:53)
• Donald Cerrone def. John Makdessi, TKO (Round 2, 4:44)
• Andrei Arlovski def. Travis Browne, TKO (Round 1, 4:41)
• Joseph Benavidez def. John Moraga, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Prelims on Fox Sports 1

• John Dodson def. Zach Makovsky, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) 
• Dong Hyun Kim def. Josh Burkman, submission (Round 3, 2:13)
• Rafael Natal def. Uriah Hall, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Rose Namajunas vs. Nina Ansaroff—cancelled

Prelims on UFC Fight Pass

• Colby Covington def. Mike Pyle, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Islam Makhachev def. Leo Kuntz, submission (Round 2, 2:38)
• Justin Scoggins def. Josh Sampo, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Andrei Arlovski Turns Back the Clock

With both Vitor Belfort and Andrei Arlovski fighting on the card, there was a certain retro feel to the event. The Pit Bull was the only one who actually looked like his old self, though. He showcased the power that made him a UFC heavyweight champion a decade ago. 

Perhaps more important than Arlovski's power was his chin in this bout, though. For a fighter who has been dismissed for having a weak chin in the past, he absorbed plenty of punishment from Browne and even rallied from a knockdown. 

MMAFighting.com noted the perception of the 36-year-old's chin versus the reality:

With a win over Browne, Arlovski has taken a step toward being a contender. In the thin heavyweight division, a win over the No. 3 heavyweight (at the time of the fight) should launch him up the rankings.

A matchup against someone like Stipe Miocic might be all that stands in the way between him and another title shot. 

Chris Weidman Conquers Another Challenge

Those who don't want to consider Chris Weidman as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world are running out of reasons. The middleweight champion took care of another legend in his weight class and made it look easy in the process. 

Well, not completely easy. There was the matter of Belfort's early onslaught. The challenger came out aggressive and unleashed a furious combination that cut open Weidman's eye. That's where the highlights ended for The Phenom, though. 

Weidman showed the wherewithal of a champion as he persevered and took the fight to the ground. From there he went about demolishing the Brazilian and claiming yet another impressive victory. 

After the bout, Weidman pleaded with fans to stop doubting him, per The MMA Hour's Ariel Helwani:

The champion has a point. With wins over three former champions, there's a valid argument that he's the top pound-for-pound fighter in a post-Jon Jones UFC landscape. Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting sees Weidman only going up from here:

Challenges still exist for him, though. Luke Rockhold stands out as a true test for Weidman because his ability to finish fights via submissions is an interesting answer to the All-American's formidable wrestling. 

Daniel Cormier Takes 205-Pound Title

The UFC sold the light heavyweight title fight between Daniel Cormier and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson as Cormier's wrestling against Johnson's jaw-dropping power. 

It turned out to be just that. Rumble showed off that power in the first 20 seconds of the fight, dropping Cormier with an overhand right. DC answered by showing his wrestling chops and intense desire to win the championship. 

The former heavyweight proceeded to wear down Johnson in the clinch and on the mat. He even responded to a 10-9 round for Johnson with a 10-8 round of his own on two cards, according to Nancy Gay of UFC.com:

DC finished off his masterful performance by showcasing one of his underrated skills: submissions. He seized the opportunity to take Johnson's back and finished the night with a rear-naked choke. 

Looking ahead, Cormier made it clear who he would like to see next, per UFC on Fox:

The only problem with that is there's no way to tell when Jones will return to the Octagon. For now, Cormier is the champion. Other contenders are on the horizon for the newly crowned titleholder, but at UFC 187, he proved that he's the current man to beat at light heavyweight.