The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale — Live Results & Commentary


(You maaaad, you maaaaad, you maaaaad!” Photo via MMAMania)

Tonight, TUF as we know it comes to an end. Before us lies a shadowy, uncertain world of live fights aired on F/X on Friday nights and international spin-offs. But no matter what comes next, you can feel secure in the fact that we’ll still be complaining about the show just as much as we always have, because we know no other way to live.

Welcome, friends, to our liveblog of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Finale. On the menu this evening — Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez battle to decide the first featherweight TUF winner in UFC history, while John Dodson and TJ Dillashaw do the same for the bantamweights. Plus, heavy-handed TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson steps up against seasoned vet Yves Edwards, and in the main event, Michael Bisping looks to remove the smirk off the face of his latest rival, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who will be making his first Octagon appearance in over six years.

Round-by-round results from the TUF 14 Finale main card on Spike TV will be piling up after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.


(You maaaad, you maaaaad, you maaaaad!” Photo via MMAMania)

Tonight, TUF as we know it comes to an end. Before us lies a shadowy, uncertain world of live fights aired on F/X on Friday nights and international spin-offs. But no matter what comes next, you can feel secure in the fact that we’ll still be complaining about the show just as much as we always have, because we know no other way to live.

Welcome, friends, to our liveblog of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Finale. On the menu this evening — Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez battle to decide the first featherweight TUF winner in UFC history, while John Dodson and TJ Dillashaw do the same for the bantamweights. Plus, heavy-handed TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson steps up against seasoned vet Yves Edwards, and in the main event, Michael Bisping looks to remove the smirk off the face of his latest rival, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who will be making his first Octagon appearance in over six years.

Round-by-round results from the TUF 14 Finale main card on Spike TV will be piling up after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.

Preliminary card results:

– Marcus Brimage def. Stephen Bass via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

– John Albert def. Dustin Pague via TKO, 1:09 of round 1

– Roland Delorme def. Josh Ferguson via submission (rear-naked choke), 0:22 of round 3

– Steven Siler def. Josh Clopton via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)

– Bryan Caraway def. Dustin Neace via submission (rear-naked choke), 3:38 of round 2

We open the Spike broadcast with the traditional pan through the Las Vegas crowd. A fat guy with a thick red beard screaming his lungs out will surely be the subject of an animated GIF tomorrow. We’re reminded that later on the show they’ll be announcing the Fight of the Season, Knockout of the Season, and Submission of the Season awards from TUF 14, each one worth $25,000 to a hungry castmember.

Louis Gaudinot vs. Johnny Bedford

Bedford got a haircut, and Gaudinot’s green mop is even more insane tonight. He’s like a bantamweight Clay Guida/Kermit the Frog hybrid. Bedford is seven inches taller and has an eight-inch reach advantage. Gaudinot is basically just killing time until the UFC opens up a flyweight division.

Round 1: Gaudinot misses a leg kick and gets tagged with one in return. Bedford with a long right straight and a takedown. Elbow from the top from Bedford. Gaudinot rolls to stand and Bedford grabs a headlock. Gaudinot stands and Bedford lands a knee, then a punch in the clinch. Another knee from Bedford and they separate. Bedford with another takedown and he moves quickly to mount. Punches from the top, and Gaudinot can’t do much except cover up. He bucks, but it doesn’t work. Bedford tying up Gaudinot’s arms. Gaudinot rolls to his knees and Bedford takes his back. Gaudinot trying to get to his feet, but Bedford stretches him back out on the mat. Gaudinot returns to his back, establishes half-guard. Bedford gets some space and throws down a punch. Gaudinot scrambles to a knee and eats a pair of punches. Gaudinot gets up, Bedford knees him in the gut and strolls off at the bell. 10-8 Bedford; Gaudinot did zero offensively in that round.

Round 2: Leg kick Gaudinot. Gaudinot gets in with a punch and kick, and exits. Bedford returns fire. He misses a spinning backfist but scores with a takedown. Gaudinot gets up, but Bedford is landing on him. Bedford goes for the ankle pick and gets it after some struggle. Bedford on top of Gaudinot in half guard. Bedford with punches to the body. A solid elbow. Bedford briefly gets mount again, but Gaudinot escapes. Bedford throws down a barrage of punches, and again, Gaudinot can’t do much except minimize damage. Gaudinot twists his body around and Bedford goes to north/south. Mount again. Bedford smashes Gaudinot with elbows. Bedford grabs an arm and tries for a straight armbar, but Gaudinot defends it on sheer muscle. There’s the bell. Either 10-9 or 10-8 for Bedford. I guess it doesn’t matter at this point; Gaudinot is going to need a miracle stoppage in round three.

Round 3: Bedford clinches up, throws a pair of knees. Gaudinot tries a leg kick. Another clinch/knee series from Bedford. Gaudinot fakes low and lands a backfist. Bedford makes him pay, swarming with strikes and dropping Gaudinot with a body shot and knee. He follows it up with a soccer-kick to the ribs, and slugs him with punches and knees from the top. Referee Steve Mazzagatti has finally seen enough.

Johnny Bedford def. Louis Gaudinot via TKO, 1:58 of round 3. “That’s fun to watch right there,” Bedford says, admiring the replay of his body shots. A good debut for Bedford, though beating up Louis Gaudinot doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be a force at 135 in the UFC.

Hey, an ad for Gina Carano’s Haywire! OPENING DAY, SON.

Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards

Round 1: Leg kick Ferg. Another. Edwards throws back a jab, and Ferguson lands three leg kicks in quick succession. Edwards scores with a stright left to the grilland one to the body. Ferguson tries a teep to the body. Ferguson with a leg kick that’s checked, then throws two jabs. Edwards lands a punch then a head kick. Edwards lands a left in a firefight. Punch/leg kick from Edwards that spins Ferguson around. Leg kick again from Ferguson. Another. Edwards lands a punch but gets countered hard. Ferguson pushing forward with punches. Ferguson lands uppercut, then blitzes forward with punches. Edwards is hurt and covering up as Ferguson bombs out on him. Edwards returns a head kick then shoots in. Ferguson defends with an omoplata and gets to his feet. Awesome finish to the round. You gotta give it to Ferguson 10-9 for putting Edwards in trouble.

Round 2: Ferguson with a lead uppercut. He goes inside with the leg kick. Edwards lands a great right hand counter, then a head kick and a leg kick that stumbles Ferguson. Edwards fires a flying knee and one more in a clinch. Leg kick Ferguson. Ferguson switches to southpaw, jabs, and goes back to orthodox. Ferguson fires a hard right hook, then an uppercut that makes solid contact. Ferg misses a jab and Edwards lands in return. Ferguson lands the better punches in a boxing exchange. Edwards tries the head kick again. Edwards shoots, gets stuffed. Ferguson shoots and gets his takedown but the round ends before he can do anything with it.

Round 3: Ferguson touches Edwards with his jab. Edwards lands a great leg kick at the end of a punch combo, but slips and has to retreat. Body kick Ferguson. Ferguson kicks high. Edwards lands another leg kick that puts Ferguson off balance. Ferguson lands a left. They trade low kicks. Edwards with a straight left. Ferguson with a superman jab. Edwards responds with a leg kick. Edwards with another head kick that rolls off Ferguson’s shoulder. Leg kick Edwards. Side push kick from Ferguson. Head kick from Edwards. Edwards shoots, gets stuffed. Ferguson trying to land some punches, but missing. That’s the end. Tough one to call.

Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Damn, Ferguson is sponsored by Jimmy John’s? I want to be sponsored by Jimmy John’s.

On the next page: The TUF 14 winners are decided.

Diego Brandao Gets $80K UFC Bonus; $40K for Bermudez, Dodson

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Diego Brandao said after he won The Ultimate Fighter featherweight tournament that he was going to take advantage of his new six-figure UFC contract and buy his mother a house. After the fight, he found out he’ll have a lot more money than he realized to lavish on his mom.

The UFC announced that Brandao will receive $80,000 in bonuses for his performance on Saturday night: The UFC’s traditional post-fight bonuses are $40,000 apiece for this event, and Brandao earned two of them.

Brandao won the Submission of the Night bonus for the impressive arm bar that forced Dennis Bermudez to tap out in the first round of their featherweight Finale fight. And Brandao and Bermudez also shared the Fight of the Night bonus.

The Brandao-Bermudez fight was a sensational display, 4 minutes and 51 seconds of action that ended when Brandao went from getting pounded on the ground by Bermudez to rolling over and trapping Bermudez in an arm bar. The fight was definitely the best of a good night of UFC fights, and Brandao’s submission was sensational.

The other bonus, $40,000 for Knockout of the Night, went to John Dodson, who won The Ultimate Fighter bantamweight tournament by knocking out T.J. Dillashaw.

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Diego Brandao said after he won The Ultimate Fighter featherweight tournament that he was going to take advantage of his new six-figure UFC contract and buy his mother a house. After the fight, he found out he’ll have a lot more money than he realized to lavish on his mom.

The UFC announced that Brandao will receive $80,000 in bonuses for his performance on Saturday night: The UFC’s traditional post-fight bonuses are $40,000 apiece for this event, and Brandao earned two of them.

Brandao won the Submission of the Night bonus for the impressive arm bar that forced Dennis Bermudez to tap out in the first round of their featherweight Finale fight. And Brandao and Bermudez also shared the Fight of the Night bonus.


The Brandao-Bermudez fight was a sensational display, 4 minutes and 51 seconds of action that ended when Brandao went from getting pounded on the ground by Bermudez to rolling over and trapping Bermudez in an arm bar. The fight was definitely the best of a good night of UFC fights, and Brandao’s submission was sensational.

The other bonus, $40,000 for Knockout of the Night, went to John Dodson, who won The Ultimate Fighter bantamweight tournament by knocking out T.J. Dillashaw.

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John Dodson Stops T.J. Dillashaw to Win The Ultimate Fighter

Filed under: UFCJohn Dodson is The Ultimate Fighter’s bantamweight tournament winner.

Dodson beat T.J. Dillashaw with a short and sweet first-round technical knockout, easily winning the fight while barely breaking a sweat. Dodson knocked Dillashaw do…

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John Dodson wins TUF 14 bantamweight title.John Dodson is The Ultimate Fighter‘s bantamweight tournament winner.

Dodson beat T.J. Dillashaw with a short and sweet first-round technical knockout, easily winning the fight while barely breaking a sweat. Dodson knocked Dillashaw down with one punch, and when Dillashaw got back up but looked wobbly, Dodson landed another punch that knocked Dillashaw down again. Dodson pounced, and referee Herb Dean quickly stepped in to stop the fight.

The fight lasted just 1 minute, 54 seconds.

Dillashaw got back up immediately after the stoppage, and some fans booed Dean for stopping the fight as quickly as he did, but Dillashaw didn’t seem to be all there, and Dean’s stoppage was justifiable.



For Dodson, the win is a huge step forward in his career: Although he’s a tiny bantamweight who’s been more comfortable fighting at flyweight previously in his pro MMA career, he showed on The Ultimate Fighter that he can beat bigger opponents. Dodson is a fighter with a lot of promise.

“Words cannot describe how I feel right now,” Dodson said afterward. “Oh, my God. Did I just end it that quick?”

Dodson did finish it that quickly: He put on a great show.

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TUF 14 Finale Live Blog: John Dodson vs. T.J. Dillashaw Updates

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John Dodson celebrates his Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale win.LAS VEGAS — This is the TUF 14 live blog for John Dodson vs. T.J. Dillashaw, a bantamweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike TV event at the Pearl at the Palms.

Dodson faces Dillashaw to determine the season 14 bantamweight tournament winner. Dodson (11-5) is a flashy fighter out of Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. Dillashaw (4-0) is the less experienced fighter, but holds a strong wrestling background.

The live blog is below.

Round 1: Dodson starts of with a straight left counter that clips Dillashaw and sends him staggering back, but he recovers quickly. They trade leg kicks, and already Dodson looks like the quicker fighter. Dodson flicks out a left and then a head kick that stings Dillashaw. Dillashaw walks right into a left hook that catches him behind the ear, and he’s down. Dodson jumps on him with hammer fists, and referee Herb Dean jumps in just as Dodson is rolling to his stomach and looking for a single-leg. Might have been a quick stoppage, but Dillashaw staggers up to his feet and wobbles to one side, still on shaky legs. Dodson, meanwhile, runs up the side of the cage and does a backflip with a half gainer, then sprints across the cage and does the same thing on the other side. That was the most impressive physical feat he’s performed all night.



John Dodson def. T.J. Dillashaw via TKO (punches) at 1:54 of round one

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John Dodson celebrates his Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale win.LAS VEGAS — This is the TUF 14 live blog for John Dodson vs. T.J. Dillashaw, a bantamweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike TV event at the Pearl at the Palms.

Dodson faces Dillashaw to determine the season 14 bantamweight tournament winner. Dodson (11-5) is a flashy fighter out of Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. Dillashaw (4-0) is the less experienced fighter, but holds a strong wrestling background.

The live blog is below.

Round 1: Dodson starts of with a straight left counter that clips Dillashaw and sends him staggering back, but he recovers quickly. They trade leg kicks, and already Dodson looks like the quicker fighter. Dodson flicks out a left and then a head kick that stings Dillashaw. Dillashaw walks right into a left hook that catches him behind the ear, and he’s down. Dodson jumps on him with hammer fists, and referee Herb Dean jumps in just as Dodson is rolling to his stomach and looking for a single-leg. Might have been a quick stoppage, but Dillashaw staggers up to his feet and wobbles to one side, still on shaky legs. Dodson, meanwhile, runs up the side of the cage and does a backflip with a half gainer, then sprints across the cage and does the same thing on the other side. That was the most impressive physical feat he’s performed all night.



John Dodson def. T.J. Dillashaw via TKO (punches) at 1:54 of round one

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TUF 14 Finale Weigh-In Video

Filed under: UFCAll the fighters stepping into the Octagon for Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Finale will first step onto the scale at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-in, and we’ll have the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.

I…

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Michael Bisping will step on the scale at the Ultimate Fighter 14 weigh-ins Friday evening.All the fighters stepping into the Octagon for Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Finale will first step onto the scale at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale weigh-in, and we’ll have the live video right here at MMAFighting.com.

In the fight between the coaches, Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller will have to make the middleweight limit of 186 pounds. In the featherweight finale, Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez will have to make 146 pounds. And in the bantamweight finale, John Dodson and T.J. Dillashaw will have to make 136 pounds.

The weigh-in starts at 7 p.m. ET and the video is below.

(Editor’s Note: The video is back up. Just hit the all free video bar.)

 

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Stepping Into the Spotlight Makes for Whirlwind Week for TUF 14 Finalists

Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS — On Thursday morning at 9 a.m. the UFC PR staff spread this season’s Ultimate Fighter finalists out across two conference rooms at the Palms hotel and casino and introduced them to one of the less glamorous aspects of life i…

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LAS VEGAS — On Thursday morning at 9 a.m. the UFC PR staff spread this season’s Ultimate Fighter finalists out across two conference rooms at the Palms hotel and casino and introduced them to one of the less glamorous aspects of life in a big time fight promotion: the dreaded pre-fight interviews.

“It’s going to be about an hour of talking,” UFC director of media relations Ant Evans explained as he sat TUF 14 bantamweight finalist T.J. Dillashaw down to begin a series of rapid-fire phone interviews. One look at Dillashaw’s face, and you could see he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea.

It could be worse, Evans explained. He could be like Michael Bisping and “Mayhem” Miller, who had two or three hours of interviews scheduled. Somehow, this failed to raise Dillashaw’s spirits.

“It’s just so fast,” he told me later, once it was my turn to monopolize his time. “You’re used to not very much media attention at all, and suddenly it’s a lot.”

That’s the case for all four of this year’s finalists. In general, bantamweights and featherweights don’t get as much love as the bigger fighters on the MMA scene, and the spotlight is even dimmer outside the UFC. After fighting their way onto the reality show and then earning a spot in the finals, they’re all finding out for the first time what it’s like to stand in the spotlight. Each has his own way of adjusting to this new life on fight week.

“The first time, I cried when I saw [myself] on TV,” said featherweight Diego Brandao. “It was crazy.”

Brandao’s opponent for Saturday night’s finale — Dennis Bermudez — played it a little cooler. In the next room over, sitting with his coach, Bermudez shrugged off the media pressure.

“I did a lot of high school newspaper articles for wrestling, stuff like that,” he said. “For me, it’s like a bunch of those, I guess.”

What he was happiest about was simply being out of the TUF house and free to move about, he said. People keep telling him that his career is about to be defined by how he performs against Brandao, who seems to have instilled a deep terror into most of his previous opponents, but Bermudez isn’t sweating it just yet.

“My mindset is, it’s another fight. People are like, it’s the biggest fight of your career. Well, it’s the biggest fight of my career right now. I’m sure I’ll have bigger fights later on.”

Bantamweight John Dodson — the only fighter who was all smiles even early in the morning, practically bouncing out of his chair with enthusiasm — is taking a similar approach. It’s not a must-win, he said. Especially not for a guy who’s really a natural flyweight, just waiting for the UFC to open the division up. The way he sees it, if he puts on an exciting fight, people will remember him regardless of whether he wins or loses.

“You’re telling me you don’t remember Stephan Bonnar?” he said. “You don’t remember Kenny Florian?”

For Dodson, the show was a bit of a mixed bag. He was painted as a traitor at times for sharing fight pairing news with the opposing team, and drew the ire of his coach, “Mayhem” Miller, who Dodson did a spot-on impression of as he mimicked Miller’s cry of, “Dodson, whyyyy!?!

“I’m not going to lie, it’s still cool to have him talking about me,” Dodson grinned.

In fact, that’s his take on all the buzz surrounding his reality show stint. That’s why he thanked those who hated him most during the show’s run.

“People were asking me, why are you thanking the haters? It’s because, if I don’t have any haters, then it means I wasn’t doing anything right. There’s a reason people were talking about me.”

And while it’s nice to be talked about, both Dodson and Dillashaw are hoping that theirs is the fight that becomes the focus of the good kind of post-event talk rather than the bad. You can be a hero or a villain, but one thing these up-and-comers have learned is that you just can’t be boring.

“I don’t want to put this pressure on myself like I have to win this fight, because I really don’t,” said Dillashaw. “This sport’s for entertainment. I just need to go out there and put on a show. I’m going to win, but I’m going to put on an awesome show and go a hundred miles an hour.”

Just don’t tell him that reward for success is more interviews. You don’t want to send the poor guy in there with mixed emotions.

 

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