(Brookins and Chiesa will be fighting hard for the UFC’s new “Filthiest Hair” bonus. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this gallery, click here.)
The UFC’s first experiment in “jive live” comes to an end tonight, as Team Faber lightweights Michael Chiesa and Al Iaquinta do battle for the TUF 15 trophy on FX. But wait, it gets better: Jake Ellenberger will be putting his six-fight win streak on the line against perennial welterweight contender Martin Kampmann in the main event, while TUF 12 winner Jonathan Brookins meets up with submission whiz Charles Oliveira in a featherweight feature.
Since he’s been recapping the season for us anyway, Elias Cepeda is back to handle liveblog duties for this evening. Round-by-round results from the Ultimate Fighter Live Finale main card broadcast will be collecting after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please, no comment-section lurking; if you’ve got something to say, share it with the class.
Sorry for the delay, folks – my cable went out. We are in the second round of John Cofer vs. Justin Lawrence now.
We pick up the action midway through the 2nd…
Both men are swinging big and in combinations each time and are showing fatigue. Overhand right from Lawrence finishes up a combination that includes leg kicks. Lawrence gets inside with punches, they clinch up, Cofer lands a knee to the head.
Cofer takes Lawrence’s back while standing and suplexes the kid. Cofer takes Lawrence’s back on the feet and works him into a face-down position and looks for the rear naked choke. Lawrence escapes, stands up and jumps into the full guard. Round ends.
Round 3
Lawrence lands a foot kick straight to the jaw of Cofer as he backs away and knocks him out cold!
“I’m here in the UFC and I’m here to stay,” Lawrence declares.
Max Halloway vs. Pat Schilling
Rd 1
Halloway with his hands low, Schilling shoots in for a single leg, switches to a high crotch but Halloway defends well. Schilling contines to press in, backs Halloway against the cage. Schilling hits a single leg but Halloway gets right back to his feet. Schilling lands a left kick, Halloway lands a body kick.
Halloway lands a long jab. Schilling shoots in but gets stuffed. Schilling rushes in with uppercuts that miss. Schilling throws a spinning back fist. Halloway throws a head kick that is blocked. Halloway trying to mix in left hooks to the body in and they are landing. Halloway misses a flying knee, lands a leg kick and head kick.
Schilling rushes in with uppercuts and hooks again, all miss. He shoots in from too far away and Halloway sprawls and stands. Schilling lands the cross of a one-two combo. Schilling shoots for a double leg against the cage with ten seconds left, he rolls for a knee bar at the close of the round and it ends with him extending Halloway’s leg. Saved by the bell?
Rd 2
Halloway lands an overhand right. Schilling ducks down, Halloway throws and misses another flying knee. Schilling doesn’t get the take down, they are back on their feet. Halloway starting to find his range with punches to Schilling’s head.
Schilling half commits to a take down attempt after getting hurt on the feet. Halloway separates and they are back on their feet. Halloway just unloading on Schilling now with punches and knees. Schilling absorbs shots, backs away and then circles out before another half-hearted shot. Halloway lands another two body punches and then an over hand right to Schilling’s head as Schilling shoots.
Schilling shoots, gets stuffed and has trouble getting up to his feet. The body shots have appeared to have really taken Schilling’s spirit. Schilling shoots for an ankle pick and gets stuffed again. Schilling is hurt but has the presence of mind to keep his hands up and to try to circle away when he can.
Halloway hurts Schilling again with body shots, his hands drop and his mouth opens. He shoots for another take down, gets nothing. Schilling lands a spinning back first but then eats a check counter left hand. Halloway drops Schilling with punches against the cage and tees off on him as the bell sounds. This time Schilling is saved by the bell
Rd 3
Jon Anik mentions that Schilling told his corner that his right shoulder is injured. Halloway throws rapid-fire jabs that land. Schilling counters with a big right cross that lands on Halloway’s head. Schilling tries to get a head and arm control from the feet, Halloway backs away. Schilling shoots low for a take down and whiffs.
Halloway taunts Schilling, Schilling throws a spinning back fist followed by a side kick. Both are blocked. Halloway lands a left kick to Schilling’s body. Halloway lands a stiff jab, and another. A left hook, right cross punch combo from Halloway that drops Schilling. Halloway refuses to go down to the ground to try and finish and they are back on their feet with under a minute left. Halloway with a left hook to the body and right cross to the head. Halloway attempts a jump-off-the-cage spinning back kick. He rushes Schilling with punches and kicks. Halloway attempts a jumping spinning back kick, misses and the fight finishes.
Official decision is next.
All three judges scored the fight 30-27 for Halloway. The youngest fighter currently on the UFC roster says he wanted to show that he “belonged in the UFC.” He clearly does.
Jonathan Brookins vs. Charles Oliveira
Rd 1
Oliveira working kicks to the leg and body. Brookins gets inside and lands some nice dirty boxing punches to the head. Oliveira lands some hard knees to the body from the Thai plum. Oliveira misses a knee to the head and Brookins slips under and gets a double leg take down against the cage. Oliveira works a high guard and shoots an arm bar up at Brookins. Brookins defends and stands up.
They are both on their feet. Brookins lands a straight cross. Oliveira has Brookins backed against the cage now and Brookins’ chin starts to come up. Oliveira lands a huge over hand right that hurts Brookins.
Brookins gathers himself but still has his chin up and hands low as they stand up. He is eating punch after punch to the chin from Oliveira. Still, Brookins hanging tough. He starts to eat leg kicks to the inside and outside of his lead leg. Oliveira misses with a flying knee, Brookins catches a leg but fails to use it to score a take down.
Rd 2
Kenny Florian uses his multilingual skills to tell us that Oliveira’s corner was telling their fighter that Brookins has no hands, during the break. Brookins comes out hard, gets to work with slaps, yes slaps, to the head of Oliveira. The Brazilian responds with punches to the head. The punches look like they hurt more.
Brookins changes levels for another take down attempt, Oliveira gets a body lock of his own and lands a slam take down of his own. Brookins tries to lock in a guillotine choke but Oliveira escapes. Oliveira stands up, lands some short elbows to Brookins’ head as the tUF 12 winner tries to stand up. Oliveira locks in an arm-in guillotine from a D’arce grip, falls back into his own guard and gets the tap out win.
Oliveira with the 2nd-round submission win over Brookins.
Time for the TUF finale, nation!
Michael Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta
Rd 1
Iaquinta immediately lands two big right hands. Al catches a leg kick from Mike and throws some punches. Chiesa shoots for a single, Al goes down but gets back to his feet. Al pushes the pace.
Mike finishes a punch combo with a leg kick that is caught. Al goes for a take down but Mike gets his back and drags him down to the mat. Chiesa with Al’s back, face-up, working for a rear naked choke with nearly three minutes left in the round. Chiesa gets the choke, Al refuses to tap and goes to sleep!
Michael Chiesa finishes up the most dramatic story in TUF history by winning the entire season in impressive fashion just weeks after the death of his father. Amazing.
And, oh yeah, Chiesa wins a sweet Harley.
“It has been such a journey…no way I was going to lose this fight,” Mike says.
Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann in a welterweight title challenger eliminator, or something.
Kampann comes out to Three-6 Mafia. I love it. Danish crunk rap, ftw. Ellenberger goes with the more tried and true inspirational “Till I collapse,” by Eminem.
Rd 1
The pair feel each other out with no strikes or shots taken for the first twenty seconds or so. Ellenberger lands a huge left hand flush to the jaw of Kampmann. The Dane looks to be out but hangs on somehow through a ground strike onslaught from Ellenberger. Kampann wraps full guard and controls Ellenberger’s posture.
Ellenberger has Kampman pressed against the cage on his back with three minutes left. Ellenberger briefly postures up and throws a flurry of strikes. Kampmann survives again, tries for a switch, then a guillotine. Ellenberger defending the choke.
Under a minute left, Ellenbeger still defending as Kampann tries to get his grip. He doesn’t but gets up to his feet. Ellenberger continues to crowd him. Kampmann goes for a take down of his own with seconds left in the round but doesn’t get it. Round ends.
Rd 2
They get right back at it with furious punches! Kampmann rocks Ellenberger. The wrestler buckles but does not stop swinging back! Ellenberger lands another huge left hook on Kampmann. The race around the ring, throwing hard punches at each other’s heads.
Kampmann’s nose is cut badly. Kampmann drops and apparently knocks Ellenberger out with a knee to the head and follows up with strikes and referee Steve Mazzagatti steps in before he can do more damage. Fight over.
Another come from behind win for Kampmann!
“I need to get punched a little bit to wake up,” Kampmann says. Geez, dude. I guess so. Kampmann has made a career out of taking damage and then managing to gut through and finish.
Thanks for tuning in to CP, taters. Always fun.