Taleb def. Grujic, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
There will be no Canadian vs. Australian final at the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Nations, but Nordine Taleb and Vik Grujic squared off in a preliminary bout to keep the feud alive.
Though Canada hosted the entirety of TUF: Nations, Wednesday was the first time members of opposing teams faced off in front of an audience. Predictably, wholesale support went to the Canuck with the bipartisan crowd vocally backing their own.
Taleb rewarded his supporters by cinching a convincing victory, making use of superior wrestling to determine the outcome.
After some tense exchanges in the opening moments of the match, Taleb found a home for his takedowns and continued to go to that well throughout the battle.
For the most part, Grujic was able to avoid any serious damage on the bottom, but his inability to escape the disadvantageous position snuffed out his hopes of getting a win.
The direction of the fight made for a less than mind-blowing 15 minutes, but it’s unlikely that Taleb—or the arena full of men and women cheering him on—felt too disappointed.
I wish fighters would stop “taking a page from GSP’s playbook”
— Stephie D (@CrooklynMMA) April 16, 2014
Some people, however, were less than thrilled by the bout.
Whatever your thoughts, it was a convincing victory for Taleb, who enters the UFC proper on a high note.
The Aussie, Grujic, entered the fight as a semifinal’s loser, succumbing to the relentless attack of Sheldon Westcott. Taleb exited the tournament in the opening round, losing a decision to Tyler Manawaroa.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com