Underdog Jonathan Gonzalez earns five-figure bonus fee from Jake Paul

Jonathan Gonzalez earns five-figure ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus fee from MVP

Former WBO world light-flyweight champion Jonathan Gonzalez (29-4-1, 14 KOs) resurrected his career and also pocketed an additional five figures on top of his paycheck in the process.

The former WBO 108lbs titlist was initially at a loss for words when informed by DAZN’s Claudia Trejos that he had earned an additional $25,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus on Saturday’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) show, topped by Serrano-Tellez.

The 34-year-old Puerto Rican Gonzalez handily outpointed unbeaten Yankiel Rivera Figueroa (7-1-1, 3 KOs) in their WBA Interim flyweight title clash at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 3, 2026.

“Whoooooaaa!” 'Bomba' Gonzalez exclaimed as he was embraced by manager and reigning unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano, who headlined Saturday’s DAZN show. “I’m too happy. I’m glad. I want to come back to MVP and win a legit world championship one more time; I want to become a real two-division world champion.

The all-Puerto Rico showdown saw Caguas’ Gonzalez prevail by scores of 114-113, 116-111 and 117-110. The 5'2" southpaw set the tone early when he dropped Bayamon’s Rivera – six years his junior at 28 – with a left hand in the second round.

From there, Gonzalez remained in control in a fight where he was a considered the underdog. Rivera – who represented Puerto Rico in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – was being groomed as a future flyweight titlist and largely expected to prevail.

'Bomba' took the fight as an opportunity to climb back into contention, more than a year removed from a first-round stoppage defeat against Anthony Olascuaga. Their October 2024 WBO 112lbs title fight originally ended in a no-contest, only for Olascuaga and head trainer Rudy Hernandez to successfully appeal the outcome to overturn it to a knockout win.

Gonzalez hadn’t won since a March 2024 decision over fellow islander Rene Santiago, who is now the unified WBA and WBO 108lbs titlist. Saturday’s upset win breathed fresh new life into his 15-year pro career.

“I was the underdog and I thrive on being the underdog,” roared Gonzalez. “You can’t tell me that I can’t win the fight.

“I trained hard and I came out with the victory. You can’t underestimate ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez!”

Gonzalez-Rivera headlined a prelim card on MVP’s YouTube channel preceding the main DAZN broadcast, topped by Serrano’s 10-round unanimous decision win over unbeaten challenger Reina Tellez to retain her WBA and WBO 126lbs titles in her first fight back in Puerto Rico in nearly five years.