Season 16 of The Ultimate Fighter concluded Saturday night when Mike Ricci and Colton Smith battled to be crowned tournament champion.
The bout was a one-sided affair, with Smith grinding his opponent down with an unrelenting grappling attack for the better part of three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.
What we’ll remember about this fight
It wasn’t the most exhilarating fight, but it was certainly a meaningful one for Smith. He becomes the latest addition of The Ultimate Fighter winners’ club.
We’ll also remember that Smith fought in what appeared to by a pair of plain gray underwear.
Then there was that awkward moment after the fight when a Harley Davidson rep tried to congratulate Smith and give him keys to his new motorbike and was completely ignored. It was mildly uncomfortable to watch.
What we learned about Smith
He is utterly relentless with his takedown pursuit and ground control. It was impressive to see him do it against Ricci, who was expected to shut him down.
Smith didn’t so much show us anything we’d hadn’t seen previously, but he showed that he can do what he does when the pressure is on.
What we learned about Ricci
We learned he won’t be the first Canadian to win The Ultimate Fighter.
We also learned that his game could use some work and he could stand to bulk up a bit. Because he was unable to slow Smith down, let alone stop him, Ricci could not let loose with his striking and essentially failed to mount any sort of offense whatsoever.
What’s next for Smith
There’s no need to rush him. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the UFC import a non-roster lightweight just for him.
What’s next for Ricci
He’ll probably still be offered a place on the UFC roster. I’ll throw Henry Martinez’s name out there.
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