After wasting a calendar year of his career sidelined by a near-catastrophic detached retina, Michael Bisping just couldn’t put it together in his comeback Wednesday night. The polarizing Brit succumbed to the stifling top control of Tim Kennedy to drop a lopsided unanimous decision in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale, which took place at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Canada.
Check out reaction from the mixed martial arts community below as the two middleweight rivals settled their differences the old fashioned way, along with highlights from the rest of Wednesday’s mid-week event.
what’s up with the lay and pray … fight like a man
— uriah hall (@UriahHallMMA) April 17, 2014
@TimKennedyMMA can keep this up for 5 rounds can Bisping. Thought this might happen. #ufctufffinal
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) April 17, 2014
Kennedy sticks like glue!!
— Tarec Saffiedine (@tarecfighter) April 17, 2014
Who in the hell is Booing this fight? They should be banned from life.
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) April 17, 2014
What a monster on the mat @TimKennedyMMA nice display of control!!
— Eddie Wineland (@EddieWineland) April 17, 2014
Tim is keeping Mike from getting to the cage, Mike meeds butterfly guard to make space but Tim’s hips are very flexible & he is a hobbit
— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) April 17, 2014
Congrats @TimKennedyMMA it wasn’t pretty, but a war never is. @lunarpages @alienwaremma @fearthefighter… http://t.co/YHHwK8IFxD
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) April 17, 2014
All I can say is God Bless The USA. Great fight @TimKennedyMMA
— Jim Alers (@fightJim) April 17, 2014
Well he can’t blame that one on TRT…
— Gavin Sterritt (@gavinsterritt) April 17, 2014
Congrats @TimKennedyMMA always happy to see you get a W!
— Ike Vallie-Flagg (@IKEVF) April 17, 2014
Kennedy looked good. Solid wrestling and power punches. Love the show of respect after the fight from both guys.
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) April 17, 2014
Not a lot of exciting ways to beat Bisping, even Vitor was struggling with his pace & striking before huge kicks, very very sound fighter
— Brian Stann (@BrianStann) April 17, 2014
Notch a win for the good guys @TimKennedyMMA
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) April 17, 2014
When Kennedy beat me you said he hasn’t beaten anybody. You got your ass spanked for 5 rds what are u going to yap now @bisping big mouth
— rafael natal (@rafaelsaponatal) April 17, 2014
Guys gotta respect the grind an learn how to stop from being wrestle fucked it’s a skill… Wanna stop it get your wrestling up!
— David Branch (@DavidcBranchMMA) April 17, 2014
“@ZimVargas: @Benaskren I seriously think Askren could jump in the cage right now and pin both of these jabronies” with jeans on
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) April 17, 2014
Draw??
— Chris Leben (@cripplerufc) April 17, 2014
COTE VS. NOKE
Kyle Noke is definitely looking like a Winkeljohn fighter with all those kicks
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) April 17, 2014
Much Love @KyleNoke you’re a warrior.
— Holly Holm (@_HOLLYHOLM) April 17, 2014
@patrick_cote awesome fight!
— Chris Leben (@cripplerufc) April 17, 2014
Cote sounds like GSP all of a sudden , I know we’re in Canada but damn . Eh #TUFNationsFinale
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) April 17, 2014
“@UFCONFOX: Official result: Patrick Cote def. Kyle Noke by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).” congratulations to @patrick_cote
— Cung Le (@CungLe185) April 17, 2014
THEODOROU VS. WESTCOTT
Westcott is gassed
— John Alessio (@johnalessio79) April 17, 2014
What an awful standup by this fat rat ref.
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) April 17, 2014
Damn! Great fight by @EliasTheodorou! Looked savage! 😉 #TUFNationsFinale
— Mike Quick Swick (@officialswick) April 17, 2014
That kid was tough. Great finish.
— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) April 17, 2014
Congrats @EliasTheodorou @sergiocunhamma on the huge win, way to let the hands/kicks go!!!! Great win brother
— Adam Mcdonough (@dunna170) April 17, 2014
Well Elias showed up to fight 👍 #TUFNationsFinale
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) April 17, 2014
LAPRISE VS. AUBIN-MERCIER
Nice fight @MMAOAM vs @ChadLaprise 🙂 the winer is @ChadLaprise !!
— Ivan Menjivar ufc (@Ivanmenjivar) April 16, 2014
Always good to cheer for a man of GOD , congrats @ChadLaprise! #TUFNationsFinale
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) April 17, 2014
Thought they were about to rip off laprise
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) April 17, 2014
Oh hell yeah!!! #TufNations winner @ChadLaprise !! Way to go boy * I mean man * You deserve it !!
— Felice Herrig (@feliceherrig) April 16, 2014
POIRIER VS. CORASSANI
Poirier & Akira were throwing bombs so hard , I was over here blocking punches ! #TUFNationsFinale
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) April 16, 2014
Poirier was just missing with that uppercut but was on point with that last one! Great win for him 👏
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) April 16, 2014
Now that’s fighting!!!! @ufc
— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) April 16, 2014
Congrats @DustinPoirier to start us off @ufc week!! @AmericanTopTeam #proud
— Tecia Torres (@TeciaTorres) April 16, 2014
I love that Akira asked for that fight and fought his ass off!
— Dana White (@danawhite) April 16, 2014
Now thats the kind of fight I want to be in. More my style!!
— Daniel Pineda (@DanielPitPineda) April 16, 2014
NOONS VS. STOUT
Wow!!!
— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) April 16, 2014
That a boy @kjnoons Looked great buddy
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) April 16, 2014
Wow what a finish by kj noons. Sam stout is tough as hell tho. Its unfortunate
— Alptekin Ozkilic (@alpozkilicmma) April 16, 2014
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!! KJ Noons
— Dana White (@danawhite) April 16, 2014
Awesome KO by @kjnoons good shit bro @AllianceMMA @ufc
— Ben ‘Manimal’ Wall (@BenWallMMA) April 16, 2014
Kj noons did work!!!
— Daniel Straus (@DanielStraus) April 17, 2014
Boom goes the dynamite!!!! Way to go @kjnoons BONUS PERFORMANCE FOR SURE!!!! @ufc
— Shane Kruchten (@SKRUCHTENMMA) April 16, 2014
Wow that second punch from @kjnoons was vicious! That sent some brain cells to heaven for sure. Great knockout! 😉 #TUFNationsFinale
— Mike Quick Swick (@officialswick) April 17, 2014
Well stout may have got knocked out but he did make the ref tap with a guillotine lol
— Cody Bollinger (@CodyBollinger) April 16, 2014
The ref asked for it bro!! RT @DerekBrunsonMMA: Please explain !!!???? #TUFNationsFinale pic.twitter.com/9ofV5af42T
— Bubba McDaniel (@BubbaTheMenace) April 16, 2014
Good thing there isn’t SUB of the night anymore. Sam Stout would have to get it. That sub has never been seen before #TUFNationsFinale
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) April 16, 2014
Jesus ref hold on to the fighter when he’s knocked out not the one that got the win
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) April 16, 2014
KAUFMAN VS. SMITH
Proud of @LeslieSmith_GF stepping up & taking the fight on 9 days notice, she will be back & better with a full camp!
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) April 16, 2014
That looked like a trained vs non trained fighter….still went 15 minutes. YAWN!!!!
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) April 16, 2014
Much respect to Leslie Smith. She took that fight on 8 days notice. Thank u for a great fight Leslie
— Dana White (@danawhite) April 16, 2014
This smith chick is tough @UFCONFOX
— Robert Whiteford UFC (@Flyinjudoka) April 16, 2014
Who is smiths manager? Dethrone shorts and zero sponsors? Ya 8days notice I know but still not even one? Come on.
— Cody Bollinger (@CodyBollinger) April 16, 2014
Congrats @mmasarah on ur win 2nite at @ufc in Canada! Way to make ur country proud! #UFC #UFCFightNight #WMMA #mma
— Ashlee Evans-Smith (@AshleeMMA1) April 17, 2014
Congrats 2 @LeslieSmith_GF on her @ufc debut! 1 tough a$$ woman! Lookin’ forward 2 ur next 1 #KeepItUpGirl #UFCFightNight #wmma #Peacemaker
— Ashlee Evans-Smith (@AshleeMMA1) April 17, 2014
Kauffman was impressive too. She is one of my fav female fighter.Canadians r like honey badgers.They dont give a shit.They come to fight
— Alptekin Ozkilic (@alpozkilicmma) April 16, 2014