Rizvan Kuniev won a UFC Fight of the Night bonus; he still wasn’t happy

Rizvan Kuniev captured Fight of the Night honors at UFC Abu Dhabi after a hard-fought three-round battle with Tyrell Fortune at Etihad Arena, yet the Russian heavyweight expressed frustration with his own performance despite the finish and bonus award.

Kuniev (14–3) controlled the momentum in the final round, landing consecutive knees that prompted the referee to halt the contest. While the back-and-forth affair between the two heavyweights earned the night's bonus, Kuniev acknowledged tactical mistakes in his approach, citing rushed entries and lapses in fundamental execution.

"Of course I made some mistakes," Kuniev said post-fight. "Because I rushed sometimes too fast into the fight, but we will work it out and as my coach said, I'm on top now. Top 15, you know. And you cannot make mistakes at this level if you want to be a champion."

Now sitting at 2–1 in the UFC after earning his contract via Dana White's Contender Series, Kuniev has rebounded from an Octagon debut loss to former title challenger Curtis Blaydes with consecutive victories. Fortune (18–4) proved to be the toughest test of his current run, yet Kuniev's self-critical mindset reflects the demands of the heavyweight title picture. As he climbs the rankings, he is acutely aware that championship-level aspirations require clean execution and fewer mistakes at this stage of competition.