Author: By Thomas Gerbasi

If you were impressed with Chris Weidman’s defeat of Alessio Sakara in March, which came after just four pro fights and two and a half weeks’ notice, he’s got news for you: you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Because not only did the Long Island, New York native fight a veteran of nearly 30 pro fights without a full training camp, he did it with a fractured rib. Makes the shutout three round decision even more impressive, doesn’t it?

But what did you expect from a 26-year old that has already been touted as the middleweight division’s next big thing from the time he put his wrestling singlet away and entered Ray Longo’s gym to begin his MMA career in 2009.  That doesn’t mean there weren’t any doubts after he visited the doctor, found out about his injury, and then got offered the biggest fight of his career.

“There were definitely some questions right in the beginning when I got offered the fight,” said Weidman, 5-0. “I had just got diagnosed with a fractured rib, and on top of that, two days before, I started eating like crap and saying I wanted to take some time off. So I was heavy, I felt like I was out of shape, and that went along with the injury itself. But as the training camp went on, I started feeling more and more confident…”

He stops and laughs.

“It was two and a half weeks, so it wasn’t really a training camp. So in the back of my mind there were a lot of question marks. I didn’t get to wrestle, I didn’t get to spar, and I didn’t get to do jiu-jitsu or anything live. I could only drill very light so I wouldn’t hurt my rib, and I didn’t know how my cardio was gonna feel. I just went in there and tried to be as confident as I possibly could, and I believed in myself and it worked out.”

It couldn’t have gone any better, but with all the hype that came with his debut (well, as much hype as you can generate in less than three weeks), wasn’t there the risk of perhaps winning but not doing so in impressive style, leading the always ready to pounce fanbase and media to judge the debut a bust?

“I wondered what people were gonna think,” he admits. “I didn’t want to let people down and let myself down. I didn’t imagine my first fight in the UFC to be like this as far as getting the fight and preparing the way I did. I totally expected that I would get my fights in in other organizations, then I get a fight, I have a full training camp, and I’m fighting.”

But facing an offer he couldn’t refuse, and with the endorsement of Longo and his other MMA mentor, former welterweight champ Matt Serra, Weidman rolled the dice, and won. And the way he sees it, getting the fight on short notice without having two months to stress over his UFC debut may have been a blessing in disguise.

“I tried to take every little thing and use it as an advantage,” he said. “People were asking me how it felt to be in the UFC, and I wasn’t thinking about that. All that mattered was Alessio Sakara. I had to win that fight. Even now I still haven’t got time to sit back. Again, this is a must win, must dominate, fight for me in my eyes, and I won’t be happy unless that’s the way it goes.”

His next fight, against Canada’s Jesse Bongfeldt, is this Saturday on the UFC 131 card in Vancouver. Weidman didn’t take an extended vacation after his first Octagon win. In fact, as soon as his pre-Sakara rib injury healed, he let the UFC know that he was ready to get back to work, the sooner the better.

“I knew I needed a week or two to heal up my ribs completely and then as soon as I felt my rib was a hundred percent, I wanted to get back in there,” he said. “You only live once, so I wanted to get right back in there. I didn’t want to waste any time.”

He hasn’t, and in Bongfeldt he will be facing a hungry fighter who is looking to get in the UFC win column after a draw against Rafael Natal last December.

“He’s a pretty experienced guy, he’s been fighting for 10 years, and he’s definitely a tough guy who you can never count out,” said Weidman of his opponent. “He’s aggressive and it’s gonna be a tough fight, but I’m just gonna show that I’m tougher.”

To prove it, he’ll be bringing the wrestling game that earned him two-time recognition as a Division I All-American at Hofstra University. These days, having that kind of background is worth more than gold, as we’ve seen on numerous occasions that if you can’t stop a takedown in the Octagon, you’re gonna be in for some long and painful nights.

“I love that I came from a wrestling base, not only for the fact that I get to dictate where the fight is, but also for the mental preparation that it gave me in any type of competition I’ve done over the years,” said Weidman. “It definitely gives me confidence, but nothing’s ever as easy as it might look. Even if you get a takedown, it’s far from over, and you can’t relax.”

And Weidman’s not relaxing, in or out of the Octagon. It’s almost as if he’s fighting like he’s double-parked, willing to step up at a moment’s notice to take on all comers, a hundred percent or not. It’s a fighter’s mentality though, and Weidman – while admitting that he’s not near to where he wants to be yet – embraces it.

“I would fight anybody in a heartbeat,” he said. “But I’m also willing to do whatever the UFC wants to do as far as bringing me up and having me get experience; that’s fine too. I do still have a lot to learn and have a need for improvement in every part of my game, so I’m not in a terrible rush, but I do feel like I’m ready.”

For anything.

LAS VEGAS, June 4 – There was little drama when the scores were read after the lightweight bout between Jeremy Stephens and Danny Downes at The Palms Saturday night. But during the Ultimate Fighter 13 finale card, there was plenty as Downes may have lost the three round unanimous decision, but he gained plenty of fans for a courageous performance in defeat that saw him survive a well-rounded attack from the Iowa native that included plenty of thudding punches and a tight kimura attempt. See Stephens post-fight interview

“That kid is tough,” said Stephens, who took the bout via scores of 30-26 twice and 30-27. See Downes post-fight interview

Stephens was patient, yet punishing in the opening round, picking his shots and then delivering them with bad intent. Downes hung tough, but his return fire was having little effect on the “Lil’ Heathen.”

Downes (8-2) got a guillotine choke on Stephens in the first minute of round two, but Stephens powered loose and used ground strikes to set up a painful kimura attempt. Downes refused to tap, and after a few tense moments, he got loose, only to take a forearm flush to the face for his trouble. Seconds later, Downes rose to his feet, After a brief break for Stephens to recover from an inadvertent low kick, the two traded briefly before a Stephens takedown in the final 30 seconds.

A nasty cut opened over Downes’ left eye in the third round, and a slam by Stephens (20-6) in the second minute drew a roar from the crowd. Once standing, Stephens continued to land hard shots on Downes, who refused to go away. Stephens made a last-ditch effort for a finish on the ground with a rear naked choke, but time ran out on him.

ROOP vs. GRISPI

Josh Grispi dominated his opposition in the WEC, but he’s found translating those performances to the UFC, as he lost his second consecutive Octagon bout, getting halted by George Roop in the third round, marking one of Roop’s most impressive victories to date. See post-fight interview

Grispi, who was coming off a decision loss to Dustin Poirier in January, got an early takedown and kept the bout on the mat for much of the round, but the busy Roop eventually fought his way free, and in the final minute, he came back and got the upper hand on the mat himself, finishing the round strong.

Roop (12-8-1) dropped Grispi in the opening seconds of round two and pushed the New Englander to the fence, where he continued the punishing ground assault he started in the previous stanza.

In the third, Grispi (14-3) moved forward and tried to regain the lead, but after a takedown, Roop rose and began unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks. A right to the body soon dropped Grispi, and as soon as he hit the deck, referee Herb Dean stopped the bout. The time of the stoppage was 3:14.

BAILEY vs. McGILLIVRAY

Shamar Bailey shut out his TUF 13 castmate Ryan McGillivray, taking all three rounds of their welterweight bout. Scores were 30-27 across the board. See post-fight interview

Bailey impressed from the opening bell, with his crisp standup and takedowns keeping McGillivray unable to mount any offensive response. McGillivray still had problems figuring Bailey out in the second frame, but he came out firing as round three opened in a quest to turn the fight around. The veteran Bailey wouldn’t get rattled though, and whenever the bout strayed to the mat, he continued to dominate, locking up the three round win.

Bailey ups his record to 12-3 with the win; McGillivray falls to 11-5-1.

HARVISON vs. EDWARDS

TUF 13 competitors Clay Harvison and Justin Edwards gave a great effort in their bout, with Harvison eking out a three round split decision victory. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Harvison, who improves to 9-4; Edwards falls to 7-1.

Edwards dominated for most of the fast-paced opening round, but Harvison, never backing down, had a nice late surge that reminded his castmate that he was still around.

Harvison made his move in the second, and as the pace dipped, he took over with some solid striking and takedown defense, and as round three opened, he rocked Edwards and began teeing off with strikes. Edwards fired back, but he was getting the worst of the exchanges, and things didn’t improve when Harvison took him to the mat. After grabbing a breather between elbows and forearms, Edwards got to his feet and scored a takedown of his own that got him back in the scoring column before the two stood. Now both fighters were showing the wear of the battle, and Edwards got two more takedowns in the final minute of the entertaining welterweight scrap.  

JORGENSEN vs. STONE

Former WEC bantamweight standout Scott Jorgensen made his long-awaited UFC debut and he didn’t disappoint, knocking out Ken Stone in the first round. See post-fight interview

Stone (9-3) was sharp in the early going, keeping Jorgensen (12-4) off-balance with solid striking. But once the WEC title challenger got the takedown, he turned things up, and after drilling his foe with a right hand, Stone went out, with referee Steve Mazzagatti finally stopping the bout after a couple unnecessary shots at 4:01 of the opening round.

It was Jorgensen’s first bout since a December 2010 loss to UFC bantamweight boss Dominick Cruz.

DURAN vs. RIVERA

Reuben Duran won a battle of bantamweight prospects with Francisco Rivera, heating up as the fight went on before he finished matters with a third round submission. See post-fight interview

Rivera and Duran traded guillotine choke attempts in the opening round, and when they weren’t trying to submit each other, they delivered some compelling action at close range along the fence, with each having their moments. Some late ground and pound from Rivera may have allowed him to steal the round though.

The second round was equally compelling, with Duran and Rivera slugging it out early before Duran survived another guillotine choke attempt and went on to control the rest of the period, running out of time when he took his foe’s back in the closing seconds.

With the fight still up for grabs, Duran snatched it away in the third, putting Rivera down a minute in, taking his back and submitting his with a rear naked choke at the 1:57 mark.

With the win, Duran improves to 8-3-1; Rivera falls to 5-2.

Guida Shuts Down Showtime; Ferguson Wins TUF 13 Crown

LAS VEGAS, June 4 – Clay Guida is no one’s welcome mat. That fact was made clear at the Pearl at The Palms Saturday night, as “The Carpenter” spoiled the UFC debut of former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, winning a dominant three round unanimous decision that dashed Pettis’ hopes for a championship fight with the winner of the third bout between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Watch post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Guida, who improves to 29-8; Pettis falls to 11-2.

After a brief feeling out process, Pettis landed two kicks, with Guida using the second to take “Showtime” to the canvas. Pettis looked for submissions from the bottom, while Guida looked for everything else that he could do to gain an advantage. As Guida pulled back, Pettis shot out a kick from his back that looked like it would have taken the Illinois native’s head off if it landed, but instead, it provided Pettis an opportunity to get back to his feet. He wasn’t there long, as Guida scored another takedown and kept his foe there until the bell.

Pettis began getting his shots off better in round two, but Guida’s takedown attempts again proved to be unstoppable. Pushing Pettis into the fence, Guida was more than eager to turn the fight into a war of wills. Midway through the round, Pettis made it back to his feet, but Guida stayed attached to him until Pettis was able to break loose with two minutes left. A couple of flashy kicks from Pettis got the crowd on the Milwaukee fighter’s side, but Guida took the shots well and kept marching forward, getting another takedown. Pettis wasn’t going home yet though, and he almost sunk in an armbar attempt in the closing seconds of the round.

Refusing to let up, despite his apparent lead, Guida chased after Pettis and took him down after throwing a wild overhand right. On the mat, it was the same smothering and punishing attack that he had specialized in during the first two rounds, and Pettis had no answers for “The Carpenter.” With two minutes left, Pettis got to his feet, but as the two fell back to the mat, it was Pettis taking Guida’s back. After some tense moments, Guida found an escape and then took Pettis’ back where he remained for the remainder of the bout.

NIJEM vs. FERGUSON

Team Lesnar’s Tony Ferguson made an emphatic statement in his TUF13 finale bout against Team dos Santos’ Ramsey Nijem, ending what was shaping up to be an interesting three round war with a first round knockout victory to earn a UFC contract and the title of The Ultimate Fighter. Watch post-fight interview

Nijem fired off strikes as he chased Ferguson across the Octagon at the bell. Ferguson responded with a takedown, but after a few moments on the mat, a wild scramble saw the two return to the feet, where Nijem rocked his foe briefly with a hard shot to the head. Settling down, Ferguson’s boxing was sharp, while Nijem shook things up with his wild flurries. But it was Ferguson’s cool that paid off, as he timed a perfect left to the jaw that put Nijem on his back. A final right followed and referee Josh Rosenthal was right there to call the bout at 3:54 of the opening round.

With the win, Ferguson improves to 12-2; Nijem falls to 5-2.

HERMAN vs. CREDEUR

After nearly two years out of the Octagon due to injury, The Ultimate Fighter season three finalist Ed “Short Fuse” Herman made short work of Tim Credeur, stopping him in less than a minute. Watch post-fight interview

The bout was Herman’s first since August of 2009, when his knee gave way against Aaron Simpson. Credeur was also returning from a long layoff (September of 2009), but the two engaged immediately, neither giving any ground while standing. But as the fighters got closer, Herman dropped the Louisiana native with a right uppercut. Herman made sure Credeur wasn’t going to use his jiu-jitsu game, as a series of hard shots brought in referee Herb Dean to halt the fight at the 48 second mark.

With the win, Herman ups his record to 18-7; Credeur falls to 13-6.

KINGSBURY vs. MALDONADO

Light heavyweight prospects Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado thrilled the Palms’ crowd with a brutal three round war that was eventually won by Kingsbury via a razor-thin three round unanimous decision. Watch post-fight interview

“I thought I earned it but I’ve never been in a harder fight in my life,” said Kingsbury, who took the bout via identical scores of 29-28.

Kingsbury came out on the attack, landing flush jabs on Maldonado and adding a series of knees when the Brazilian got too close. With a little over three minutes left, Kingsbury shot for – and got – a takedown, but after a Maldonado choke attempt came up empty, the two scrambled back to their feet. Maldonado began to get his range as the round progressed, and he scored with some thudding 1-2s that got his opponent’s attention. Kingsbury got even a few moments later, and then took his opponent to the mat. After taking some ground strikes, Maldonado shot up to his feet, and the two traded in the clinch until the bell, with Maldonado throwing body shots and Kingsbury landing knees.

The fighters traded positioning on the mat as round two began but quickly got back to their feet. Maldonado continued to pound away to the body whenever he got close, and Kingsbury was quick to respond with knees. Maldonado’s punishing body work looked to be paying dividends as the round wore on, and Kingsbury’s work rate dropped until a late surge of activity.

Kingsbury got a second wind in round three, and Maldonado paid for it as his face was bloodied. A takedown added to his core tally, but then Maldonado took his turn, swelling up his foe’s left eye and bloodying his nose.  With 90 seconds left, the bout strayed to the mat, and the two took a well-deserved break for a few moments until referee Chris Tognoni stood them up. And while Kingsbury looked for a final scoring surge, it was Maldonado with the last takedown.

With the win, Kingsbury improves to 11-2 with 1 NC; Maldonado falls to 18-4.

COPE vs. O’NEIL

In the main card opener, Chris Cope put on an impressive standup performance in scoring a clear-cut three round unanimous decision win over his TUF 13 teammate, Chuck O’Neil. Watch post-fight interview

Cope took a competitive first round, and while there was plenty of give and take, the Californian landed the harder shots. The pattern didn’t change in round two, and if anything, Cope began to widen his lead as the more accurate and busier fighter. He got even more confident in the third, yelling “WOOOOO” to the crowd before ripping off a flurry of hard shots that included a spinning backfist. So when the identical scores of 30-27 were announced, there was no doubt as to who the winner was.

With the win, Cope improves to 5-2; O’Neil falls to 8-5.

There’s been nothing put out there in bright neon letters, but let’s just say that with Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins in his training camp, Ramsey Nijem doesn’t have much wiggle room when it comes to what’s expected of him Saturday night in Las Vegas when he faces Tony Ferguson for the Ultimate Fighter season 13 title.

“I have to win,” he smiles, knowing that he will get little sympathy from the winners of the last two TUF seasons should he return to Utah without a glass plaque and a UFC contract. That’s okay though, because he is walking into The Palms with every advantage that he can have leading up to the biggest fight of his life. He was there with McGee last June when he won his season, and he got a taste of what awaits him.

“There were mobs of people running at him, women crying,” he laughs. “It was just crazy. I was like ‘This is Court, I’ve known him for years.’ It was kinda funny to me.”

Seriously though, says Nijem, “It’s been an advantage being around Court because I got to actually experience it first hand and I kinda know what to expect. Obviously, between him and Brookins, they told me what’s gonna happen, and it really does help that it wasn’t overwhelming to them. Court can handle this and he’s got a family and all these other things on his plate, so obviously I can do this. All I do is train and come home and take naps.”

Self-effacing to a fault, the 23-year old from Orem wouldn’t be here if he couldn’t fight. The same goes for his opponent, Ferguson, and with both fighters finishing each of their bouts on the show, it’s shaping up to be one of the best TUF finals yet. It’s also one Nijem saw happening from the first time he stepped into the TUF gym earlier this year.

“To be honest, I had a feeling I was gonna be fighting Tony from the beginning,” he said. “I knew he was tough, and one of my roommates (Brock Jardine) is a fighter too, and his one loss is actually to Tony Ferguson, so it all happened full circle. Tony’s a tough kid, he’s scrappy and he likes to fight, and I thought it was gonna either be me and Tony or me and Justin Edwards. I thought we were the three toughest fighters and brawlers there.”

Being the best fighter in the house doesn’t always guarantee a trip to the finals though. Beyond what happens in the Octagon, you must also deal with a host of different personalities in the house, navigate those murky waters, and come to the realization that for six weeks of your life, you will have no contact with the outside world. If you can deal with all those factors and still win fights, you’ve earned your keep. For Nijem, his relationship with McGee did wonders to help him make it out the other side.

“It did help a lot,” he said. “Court told me to rest and not get caught up in the drama. He said remember why you’re there and keep a journal. So I took what he said to heart and it did help a lot to keep my head cool and just get away sometimes. I’d go into the backyard and just find my own private spot and just sit there. Court’s advice really did help me succeed in the house.”

A blast from the past didn’t hurt either, as Nijem compared life in the house to his time as a wrestler at Utah Valley University.

“It was kinda funny, everyone’s like ‘I’m not used to sharing space,’ but I wrestled in college and we lived in a six bedroom house with 10 guys, so we wrestled together, did everything together, and it was like living in that house. The house was just a little more extreme. But I think that’s why I was able to adapt, and I can make do in almost any situation.”

It didn’t hurt that with the exception of a late drunken outburst from Ferguson, there was precious little drama during season 13. That was a criticism of the series this year, but as Nijem correctly puts it, he and his castmates were there on business, not for reality television craziness.

“Everyone was there because they want to be fighters, not because they want to be TV stars,” he said. “You gotta have that balance, I guess. If you have all these guys that want to be fighters, it’s gonna take away from the drama, but if you have too much drama, you’re not gonna have good fights.”

And all Nijem cares about is putting on good fights. Wait, correction, all he cares about is finishing fights.

“In all my fights I always look to finish,” said Nijem, who submitted Charlie Rader and Clay Harvison, and stopped Chris Cope on the show. “Between my coach here, Jason Merlick, in Utah, and my other coach, John Hackleman, we’re always about finishing fights wherever it goes. A lot of people get caught up in the sport of scoring points, but it’s a fight and I want to beat the crap out of that dude and he wants to beat the crap out of me, so I gotta put him down first. That’s the mentality we have. When I see that opportunity, I just pounce on it.”

This Saturday is another opportunity, the biggest of his career. Ramsey Nijem’s ready to pounce.

 
 

Tony Ferguson had three hours to kill. He and his castmates on season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter had just finished taping on the Spike TV reality series, and before they met up with UFC President Dana White for dinner, he had a quick errand to run, one that couldn’t wait until he got back home to California.

“I went to Jared (Jewelers) and I got a ring,” said Ferguson. It wasn’t for him, a diamond encrusted skull or something like that. It was an engagement ring for his girlfriend, Cristina, and if six weeks away didn’t show him how much he loved her, nothing would.

“She wasn’t expecting it, but it made me realize how much I want her to be in my life,” he said. “I proposed to her as soon as I got home after the show. It took that much to realize exactly what was important to me, what I loved, and what I missed.”

Who would expect that the end of The Ultimate Fighter’s latest season would result in romance?

“I’m a hopeless romantic,” laughs Ferguson, who met Cristina after a particularly rough night in his job as a mixed martial artist.

“I met her after my first loss to Karen Darabedyan,” he recalled. “He (Darabedyan) got me in a heel hook and he popped my tendons but I didn’t give up. So I met her afterward and we danced, and it was funny because I totally forgot about my leg being broke. (Laughs) I don’t know, she turned my world upside down, it’s kinda crazy.”

Life is going to get even crazier for Ferguson tomorrow night, when he walks into The Palms in Las Vegas. It’s not for a weekend with his lady or a bachelor party with his buddies. Ferguson is showing up in Sin City to fight for his future, as a UFC contract is on the line when he meets Ramsey Nijem in the TUF13 final.

“Ramsey comes from the same kind of background that I do,” he said. “He’s a wrestler, he works hard, and he doesn’t take no for an answer. He’s a goofball, and I’m pretty reserved and kinda grew out of that, but we’re more or less the same person and we both want that elite level. That’s why I think we’re the best two and the guys that should be there. We want the world to see exactly what we’re about. We’re martial artists, we want to paint that picture inside the cage and let everybody see the masterpiece.”

So far the picture’s shaping up pretty well. Nijem finished all of his foes on the show, and Ferguson did the same, scoring consecutive knockouts of Justin Edwards, Ryan McGillivray, and Chuck O’Neil to earn his spot in the final match. And while that may sound easy, it isn’t. Yet Ferguson called on a lifetime of wrestling to toughen him up for a string of three fights in six weeks that he is likely to never see again.

“I was a wrestler since I was like six years old, so when I got into high school and I got into college, you were never saving yourself,” he said. “We always wrestled all the way up until the weigh-ins, and sometimes you would have up to eight matches in a week. Wrestlers are used to that; we’re used to grinding it out and going after it. Fighting is a little bit different. You get some bumps and bruises and scrapes and black eyes, and this is real, so you try to prepare as much as you can and not BS it. But I don’t hold anything back or try to reserve myself for the fight that’s next. Worry about right now and other things would follow.”

That was a lesson learned the hard way, as Ferguson was always looking so far ahead that he was missing what was in front of him. A fighting career wasn’t exactly what his family predicted for him, and after missing the cut on two previous tryouts for TUF, he wondered where he would eventually end up. But finally, the third time was the charm, and with a three fight winning streak leading him into the house, he got his shot at glory and made the most of it. The only hiccup was a near-brawl late in the season with teammate Charlie Rader that made him the talk of the MMA world, maybe even more so because it was the only real hint of raucous drama this season.

“Everybody has a bad night once in a while,” said Ferguson. “I’m not proud of that, and I put full blame on myself. I bottled everything all in and kept it in, and unfortunately everybody saw me when I popped – I was that guy.”

At least it was only for a moment, one that Ferguson clearly regrets. Now the goal is simply to move forward and make people remember him for his fighting, not for one bad night broadcast to the world. And when it’s all said and done, he wouldn’t trade his Ultimate Fighter experience for anything.

“I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” he said. “Even though I almost had a heart attack seeing myself on TV, I’m so happy that I had the opportunity to do that. At the time you’re in the house, it drives you nuts, but looking at it now, the whole experience was amazing and I miss the house.”

As for Tony Ferguson’s journey to Las Vegas, “It’s like any other story you hear from any other fighter that’s successful – it wasn’t easy. But I’m here now.”

Ramsey Nijem, Chris Cope, Tony Ferguson, and Chuck O’Neil are the last men standing on TUF 13, but before their semifinal bouts take place, there’s the little issue of Tony Ferguson’s altercation with Charlie Rader from last week’s episode.

The morning after, it’s quiet in the house, and seemingly no one has any intention of speaking with Ferguson, especially his upcoming opponent (and teammate) O’Neil.

“Tony has burned every last bridge in this house,” he said. Ferguson does man up though, apologizing to his teammates for his drunken behavior, but they’re not buying it.

In the first semifinal matchup, it’s Team dos Santos’ lone rep in the final four, Nijem, against Team Lesnar underdog Cope.

The two size each other up briefly before a wild flurry of punches allows Nijem to close the distance and pin Cope to the fence. After another flurry, he locks Cope up, and after a brief stalemate, the two break. Nijem again throws wild strikes to get inside, and the two battle it out while locked up against the cage. With 1:33 left, referee Steve Mazzagatti restarts the bout, and the fighters engage in some kickboxing as the seconds tick away.

Nijem comes up short on a takedown early in round two, but doesn’t worry about it. Instead, he goes back to his standup attack and he starts throwing and landing wild overhand rights. After getting back to the fence, he starts flurrying with his strikes, and after an unanswered barrage that hurts and drops Cope, Mazzagatti steps in and stops the fight.

Next up is a clash of teammate vs. teammate as Ferguson battles O’Neil.

Ferguson’s striking is sharp and accurate as the fight opens, but O’Neil starts giving back as good as he gets as the round progresses. The action is crisp from both men, but Ferguson starts taking the lead in the final two minutes.

There is more of the same in round, two, but Ferguson begins tagging O’Neil with more flush shots. By now, O’Neil is bloodied, and while he keeps throwing, when he hesitates or misses, Ferguson makes him pay.

Finally in round three, Ferguson closes the show, using leg kicks to slow O’Neil down and a big right hand to drop him. O’Neil gets back to his feet gamely, but after another right to the head and a body shot, O’Neil falls and referee Herb Dean stops it.

The finals are now set – Ramsey Nijem vs. Tony Ferguson, live at The Palms in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 4th.

Here’s the final team breakdown:

Team Lesnar
Len Bentley – Eliminated on episode three by Ryan McGillivray
Charles Rader – Eliminated on episode four by Ramsey Nijem
Tony Ferguson 3-0
Clay Harvison 1-1 – Eliminated on episode eight by Ramsey Nijem
Chuck O’Neil – 2-1 Eliminated on episode six by Zachary Davis. Returned for Wild Card bout and re-entered the competition. Eliminated on episode 10 by Tony Ferguson.
Chris Cope 2-1 – Eliminated on episode 10 by Ramsey Nijem
Nordin Asrih – Eliminated on episode one by Shamar Bailey

Team dos Santos
Shamar Bailey 1-1 – Eliminated on episode eight by Chris Cope
Ryan McGillivray 1-1 – Eliminated on episode nine by Tony Ferguson
Javier Torres – Eliminated on episode two by Chris Cope. Returned for Wild Card bout and was eliminated by Chuck O’Neil
Ramsey Nijem 3-0
Zachary Davis 1-1 – Eliminated on episode nine by Chuck O’Neil
Mick Bowman – Eliminated on episode five by Clay Harvison
Justin Edwards – Eliminated on episode six by Tony Ferguson