(Bader beat him. K-Sos beat him. Lawlor beat him. Now he’s one of the toughest prospects in the light-heavyweight division — proving once again that shaving your head is always a good career move. Photo props to UFC.com)
Not to pee-pee on Tony Ferguson‘s parade, but winning The Ultimate Fighter is no guaranteeof success in the UFC. On the other hand, getting eliminated while in the TUF house is no guarantee of failure either. In fact, some of today’s most dangerous UFC contenders are guys who entered the promotion through the reality show, but didn’t even get to fight for the glass trophy. In the wake of Saturday’s TUF 13 Finale, here’s how I’d rank the Top 10 non-finalists from The Ultimate Fighter, based on their current standing in the promotion…
#1: Gray Maynard On TUF: Was choked out by Nate Diaz in the semi-finals of season 5. These days: Drew with Frankie Edgar in his first lightweight title challenge in January, but will get another crack at the belt later this year. His pair of title fights against Edgar follow an eight-fight win streak in the Octagon, which included a decision win against Diaz in a rematch last year.
#2: Josh Koscheck On TUF: Lost a split-decision to Diego Sanchez in the semi-finals of season 1. These days: A perennial top contender in the welterweight division, Kos will be one of the front-runners for the belt if GSP ever leaves the division; until then, he’ll just have to be content with being “right up there.”
(Bader beat him. K-Sos beat him. Lawlor beat him. Now he’s one of the toughest prospects in the light-heavyweight division — proving once again that shaving your head is always a good career move. Photo props to UFC.com)
Not to pee-pee on Tony Ferguson‘s parade, but winning The Ultimate Fighter is no guaranteeof success in the UFC. On the other hand, getting eliminated while in the TUF house is no guarantee of failure either. In fact, some of today’s most dangerous UFC contenders are guys who entered the promotion through the reality show, but didn’t even get to fight for the glass trophy. In the wake of Saturday’s TUF 13 Finale, here’s how I’d rank the Top 10 non-finalists from The Ultimate Fighter, based on their current standing in the promotion…
#1: Gray Maynard On TUF: Was choked out by Nate Diaz in the semi-finals of season 5. These days: Drew with Frankie Edgar in his first lightweight title challenge in January, but will get another crack at the belt later this year. His pair of title fights against Edgar follow an eight-fight win streak in the Octagon, which included a decision win against Diaz in a rematch last year.
#2: Josh Koscheck On TUF: Lost a split-decision to Diego Sanchez in the semi-finals of season 1. These days: A perennial top contender in the welterweight division, Kos will be one of the front-runners for the belt if GSP ever leaves the division; until then, he’ll just have to be content with being “right up there.”
#3: George Sotiropoulos On TUF: Was K.O.’d by Tommy Speer in the semi-finals of season 6. These days: Even though he dropped a decision to Dennis Siver in his last fight, his previous seven-fight win streak — which included high-profile wins over Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino, and Joe Lauzon — established him as a player in the lightweight division. He’ll return to action against Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 132 next month.
#4: Melvin Guillard On TUF: Lost a unanimous decision to Josh Burkman in the quarterfinals of season 2. These days: Speaking of lightweight contenders, the Young Assassin has been on a tear lately. After going 3-0 in 2010, Guillard TKO’d Evan Dunham at “Fight for the Troops 2″ in January, picking up a Knockout of the Night bonus and some much-deserved respect. Next up on Melvin’s to-punch list: Shane Roller at UFC 132.
#5: Matt Mitrione On TUF: Was submitted by James McSweeney in the quarterfinals of season 10, where he was best known as “the dude with the brain damage.” These days: He’s done nothing but win since his time on the show, racking up a 4-0 Octagon record with victories over Big Baby, Kimbo, the Mexecutioner, and Tim Hague. Not exactly a who’s-who of heavyweight contenders, but he’s looked great so far. Mitrione’s next opponent will be Christian Morecraft at UFC on Versus 4, later this month.
#6: Matt Hamill On TUF: Was unable to continue after his unanimous decision win over Mike Nickels in the quarterfinals of season 3. These days: A constant presence in the light-heavyweight division, although his recent loss to Rampage Jackson doesn’t bode well for his future title prospects.
#7: Chris Leben On TUF: Was outpointed by Josh Koscheck in the quarterfinals of season 1, then was brought back as an injury replacement, and lost to Kenny Florian by doctor’s stoppage TKO. These days: Gearing up for a fight against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132 that could re-establish him as a contender. His last fight ended in a TKO loss to Brian Stann that stopped an impressive three-fight win streak.
#8: Kyle Kingsbury On TUF: Like Leben, his time on the show resulted in multiple losses. Kingsbury was submitted by Ryan Bader in the elimination round of season 8, brought back as an injury replacement, and then submitted again by Krzysztof Soszynski in the quarterfinals. Kingsbury was given another shot on the finale card against Tom Lawlor, and was defeated by unanimous decision. These days: Incredibly, the UFC decided to keep Kingsbury around. It turned out to be a wise choice, as “Kingsbu” has gone 4-0 since the TUF 8 Finale, knocking off prospects like Jared Hamman, Ricardo Romero, and (last weekend) Fabio Maldonado.
#9: Matt Wiman On TUF: Lost a decision to Manny Gamburyan in the quarterfinals of season 5. These days: Riding a three-fight win streak, including victories over TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig and submission wizard Cole Miller, who also competed on TUF 5. His next fight will be against Dennis Siver at UFC 132. Damn, you noticing a trend here?
#10: George Roop On TUF: Lost to Phillipe Nover by submission in the semi-finals of season 8. These days: After dropping from lightweight to featherweight to bantamweight, then returning to featherweight, Roop is settling in at 145 with fantastic results. He’s gone 2-1-1 in his current featherweight campaign, with devastating knockout wins over Chan Sung Jung and Josh Grispi. His draw against Leonard Garcia — which should be considered a moral victory — won WEC 47′s Fight of the Night award.
Filed under: UFCI’ve always wondered what Ultimate Fighter winners do with their cut-glass trophies. It looks like something you might get for being the most improved player on a high school water polo team, so I’d be surprised if too many recipients h…
I’ve always wondered what Ultimate Fighter winners do with their cut-glass trophies. It looks like something you might get for being the most improved player on a high school water polo team, so I’d be surprised if too many recipients have it displayed prominently in their homes.
I keep expecting to see one show up on Ebay, but then who would buy it? I have no idea, but maybe Tony Ferguson will get a chance to find out. He’s our latest reality show winner, joining a diverse group that has had wildly varied post-grad results.
So what does Ferguson’s win mean, and how far has Anthony Pettis fallen after putting his title shot on the line against Clay Guida? The answers to those questions and more await you, as we sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between after the TUF 13 Finale.
Biggest Winner: Clay Guida
Any lightweight who has ever considered a strategy that involves tiring Guida out only needs to look at him bouncing around in the post-fight interview after three hard rounds to know what a bad idea that is. Against Pettis, Guida showed that a non-stop motor and a wealth of quality experience to draw upon is sometimes all you need to get your hand raised. The decision victory was Guida’s 29th win and his 40th pro fight overall. Even Guida would probably agree that Jim Miller deserves to be ahead of him in line for a crack at the belt, but “The Carpenter” is definitely in the conversation now. What he lacks in sheer talent, he makes up for with work ethic and a willingness to get right in your face and stay there all night. How can you not root for a guy like that?
Biggest Loser: Anthony Pettis
Pettis gets this distinction less for his performance than for what it cost him. He didn’t fight poorly, but all it took was fifteen minutes on a Saturday night for him to go from number one contender to the middle of a crowded pack. Not that it needs to be anything more than a minor setback in the long run. He’s young and has a lot of potential, but Guida showed us all that there are some holes in his game. Some of that is just inexperience. He caught a big break in the third round, yet couldn’t capitalize on it. It’s also possible that he’s trying to force those crowd-pleasing kicks a little too much, which resulted in more interesting misses than useful hits against Guida. He lost his title shot with the defeat, but it’s not the end of the world. If he uses it as a learning experience, this will be nothing more than a speed bump in a promising career.
Best Prospect: Tony Ferguson
He can wrestle and he can swat – a combination that makes him a man to be taken seriously. If we’ve learned anything from 13 seasons of TUF, however, it’s that winning the show is not quite the career-crowning achievement it’s made out to be. What it is, is a nice start for Ferguson and a chance to develop in the UFC with a little more slack than most new hires get. That’s why I wouldn’t recommend calling out guys like Amir Sadollah. While there are benefits to being proactive about matchmaking, the TUF winner usually gets to ease into the big time a little more gently. I don’t want to say he should expect an easy fight in his first post-TUF appearance. There aren’t many of those to be found in the UFC. But there are easier fights out there, and with them, a chance to get comfortable in the Octagon. Just because you’re a reality TV hero, it doesn’t mean the roads are all paved with gold now. Just ask Efrain Escudero.
Least Certain Future: Ramsey Nijem
He looked great on TUF, but all it took was one lunging left hook from Ferguson to stiffen him up like stale toast. He’s obviously got talent, but he also seems like he might not be quite ready for the UFC just yet. He’s now 4-2 in his career, and his most high profile wins were reality show exhibition bouts. He might still turn into a legitimate UFC fighter, but he’d better do it soon. It doesn’t take much to go from TUF finalist to TUF footnote. Just ask Kris McCray. And Vinny Magalhaes. And Luke Cummo. And…you know what? I think you get it.
Biggest Win Under Dire Circumstances: Ed Herman
After losing three of his last four and sitting out with a recurring knee injury for nearly two years, Herman was desperate for a big victory. Knocking out a tough opponent like Tim Credeur in less than a minute is a good way to get back on the map. Herman should consider it a temporary stay, and one possibly aided by the fact that Credeur had been out of action nearly as long as he had. Now Herman has to hope that he’s more successful in his comeback than he was before his initial injury.
Most Disturbing Trend: Ken Stone‘s recent KO’s
He was on the business end of a brutal slam knockout back in December, then got pounded out by Scott Jorgensen in the first round on Saturday night. Two scary knockouts in a row – all in a six-month span – is never good for your career prospects, but it’s even worse for your brain. While we still don’t know a ton about knockouts and long-term brain health, we do know that it’s a bad sign when a fighter keeps ending bouts asleep on the mat, especially when the knockouts start to come easier and easier. Maybe Stone could take some time off and reevaluate. Even if he doesn’t want to, it’s quite possible that the Zuffa contract axe will do it for him.
Most in Need of a Step Up in Competition: Kyle Kingsbury
The decision over Maldonado was his fourth straight victory in the UFC. Now that his skills have caught up to his size and natural athleticism, he seems like a guy who might actually go places in the light heavyweight division. It’s hard to know for sure though, since the UFC keeps giving him opponents who are all at roughly the same level. Jared Hamman, Ricardo Romero, Fabio Maldonado – all are tough guys, but it’s not exactly a steady climb in quality of competition. Now’s the time to throw Kingsbury into the deep water and find out if he can swim.
Least Convincing Effort: Josh Grispi
It’s strange to think that not so long ago, this guy was considered a credible challenger for Jose Aldo’s title. The fighter who showed up to face George Roop on Saturday looked like a man who would have preferred to be almost anywhere else. It’s never a good sign when your cornermen are all but begging you not to quit between rounds. He made it into the third, but just barely, and he didn’t need much encouragement to crumble up and collapse after Roop hammered him with a body shot. Any fighter is going to have his good nights and bad nights, but Grispi has fallen off hard lately. Might be time to sit down with his coaches and talk about what he’s really trying to accomplish here.
And to think, Tony Ferguson is the asshole of the group. Image via yfrog
Winning The Ultimate Fighter may no longer signify that you’ll be a force in your division for years to come. Or even a relevantname in your division. Or even that you have job security. But it does mean that you now have a six figure contract with the UFC, and if you happen to knock the other guy out in the process, you’ll pocket an additional 40k for “Knock Out of the Night” bonus. See? The show hasn’t completely lost its luster.
And to think, Tony Ferguson is the asshole of the group. Image via yfrog
Winning The Ultimate Fighter may no longer signify that you’ll be a force in your division for years to come. Or even a relevantname in your division. Or even that you have job security. But it does mean that you now have a six figure contract with the UFC, and if you happen to knock the other guy out in the process, you’ll pocket an additional 40k for “Knock Out of the Night” bonus. See? The show hasn’t completely lost its luster.
Other fighters pocketing 40k for their performances were Kyle Kingsbury, Fabio Maldonado and Reuben Duran. Kingsbury and Maldonado were awarded “Fight of the Night” honors for their three round scrap that saw both men leaving the cage battered. Also, Reuben Duran took home a “Submission of the Night” bonus for his rear-naked choke victory over Francisco Rivera. For those keeping score, this is the second straight card to have only one fight end via submission, with the winner utilizing a rear-naked choke.
Pettis, and his hopes at a title shot, come crashing down (pic: MMAFightNews.net)
Judging from the sparse commentary throughout last night’s live blog, most of you were out sipping $20 Manhattans and discussing the latest issue of The New Yorker while a few of us sat on the couch watching free cage fights and loathing ourselves. It’s cool. You know what you did was wrong, and you came back home to us. We forgive you, and we’ll give you the gist of what went down.
It only took three minutes and fifty four seconds to send ten weeks of buildup crashing to the mat. The bout between Tony Ferguson and Ramsey Nijem was competitive, with both men finding a home for their hands, but Ferguson was able to employ his collegiate wrestling experience and the time spent with Lesnar’s camp after the show to dictate the fight and set the pace. Following a couple of successful takedowns, Ferguson flipped Ramsey’s switch with a left hook and Season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter crowned its asshole champion.
Pettis, and his hopes at a title shot, come crashing down (pic: MMAFightNews.net)
Judging from the sparse commentary throughout last night’s live blog, most of you were out sipping $20 Manhattans and discussing the latest issue of The New Yorker while a few of us sat on the couch watching free cage fights and loathing ourselves. It’s cool. You know what you did was wrong, and you came back home to us. We forgive you, and we’ll give you the gist of what went down.
It only took three minutes and fifty four seconds to send ten weeks of buildup crashing to the mat. The bout between Tony Ferguson and Ramsey Nijem was competitive, with both men finding a home for their hands, but Ferguson was able to employ his collegiate wrestling experience and the time spent with Lesnar’s camp after the show to dictate the fight and set the pace. Following a couple of successful takedowns, Ferguson flipped Ramsey’s switch with a left hook and Season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter crowned its asshole champion.
About 10 seasons ago that would have meant something, perhaps that a new player had arrived in the Welterweight division, but these days it just means that the TUF champ was simply the best fighter in the house, and that’s assuming that the best fighter didn’t succumb to injury during the hectic fight schedule. The legendary “six figure contract” carries little guarantee of future employment, but at least Ferguson left with the $40k “Knock Out of the Night” bonus in his pocket. So where does Ferguson go from here? In true Ultimate Fighter fashion, he said a drop in weight class is likely in his future. Then again, he also called out fellow TUF champion and resident UFC hipster Amir Sadollah, so who knows.
In the “co-main event”, Clay Guida was able to take Anthony Pettis off of his feet and reduce his highlight-reel style to a few momentary bursts of gif-worthy brilliance. Pettis took a major gamble in accepting this fight, preferring to stay active and risk losing his title shot rather than sitting idly by and waiting for a turn that may never come. It’s hard to imagine a fight so active resulting in so little damage. Guida used his strong wrestling base to put Pettis on his back each and every round, but it was all he could do to avoid the constant submission threats of Showtime’s active guard. Guida’s major offensive weapon, outside of his takedowns, came in the form of shoulder strikes from the guard and half guard while pressed against the cage. It was enough to secure the decision from the judges, but not enough to earn him the title shot that would have gone to a victorious Pettis. Dana White said post-fight that Guida is still behind Jim Miller in line for a shot at the belt. In short, Pettis will need to work on his wrestling to flourish in the UFC’s lightweight division, and Guida still needs to work on everything else.
In other action…
Ed Herman turned the longest layoff into the evening’s quickest win with his 48-second TKO of Tim Credeur. It was an exciting and much-needed win for “Short Fuse”, but with both men coming off of two year absences it tells us little about how he’ll fair against other competition or how he’s recovered from multiple knee surgeries.
My how far Josh Grispi has fallen. Once lined up to challenge Jose Aldo for his belt, “The Fluke” has now lost both of his matches in the UFC. George Roop also came into the bout 0-1 in the UFC, but he looked solid last night in his return to the win column.
The evening’s “Fight of the Night” was a throwdown between Light Heavyweights Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado. Kingsbury landed some big knees from the clinch, but ate more than his fair share of digging body shots for his effort. Kingsbury left the cage with his fourth consecutive UFC win and an eye that looked possessed by demons.
Danny Downes was outgunned on the feet, and Danny Downes was outgunned on the mat, but damn Danny Downes is tough. Downes took a beating and probably should have left the cage with a detached arm, but he hung in there for the long haul in what ended up serving as a showcase fight for Jeremy Stephens.
I wouldn’t expect to see much more out of the TUF Class of Season 13. The undercard bouts featuring the non-finalists didn’t give much reason to believe anyone will be making an impact in the UFC. Chris Cope did look improved, and you never really know who’s a diamond in the rough, but even the shallow end of the Welterweight pool may prove too deep for these guys to tread. For some, this may represent their first chance to train full time with a credible gym; they’d better make the most of the opportunity.
LAS VEGAS — Clay Guida thought his fight with Anthony Pettis was Fight of the Night-worthy before it happened. This time, he was trumped.
The light heavyweight slugfest between Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado got the UFC’s coveted Fight of the Ni…
LAS VEGAS — Clay Guida thought his fight with Anthony Pettis was Fight of the Night-worthy before it happened. This time, he was trumped.
The light heavyweight slugfest between Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado got the UFC’s coveted Fight of the Night award at the Season 13 Finale of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and both fighters got $40,000 bonus checks for the effort.
In addition, UFC president Dana White gave the Submission of the Night bonus to Reuben Duran, who had the night’s only submission, and the Knockout of the Night to Tony Ferguson, this season’s TUF champion.
The Kingsbury-Maldonado fight likely got serious competition from the Guida-Pettis co-main event. But with plenty of traded knees and punches, and a close decision – 29-28, unanimously, for Kingsbury – it beat out a mostly one-sided Guida win over Pettis.
In the night’s first bout, Duran and Francisco Rivera battled back and forth for a close first two rounds, with Duran staving off several Rivera guillotine attempts. But in the third, Duran turned the tables and after a takedown, he took Rivera’s back and sank in a fight-ending rear naked choke.
“I’m glad I got the win, but I was a little disappointed with my performance,” Duran said. “I just couldn’t get comfortable out there. The fight seemed pretty close through the first two rounds, so I knew I had to do something. I saw that choke coming a mile away, and that second time I got it on him, I knew it was over.”
In the main event, Ferguson knocked out TUF 13 housemate Ramsey Nijem with a massive left to take not just a UFC contract and the TUF 13 title, but a $40,000 bonus, as well.
A pair of preliminary card fighters had to wait until night’s end to find out they had been bypassed for the Knockout of the Night bonus. In the second fight of the night, Scott Jorgensen struggled early against Ken Stone – but then knocked him out from the ground in guard. And George Roop turned in a dominating performance against heavy favorite Josh Grispi before finishing him in the third with a body shot.
(Kyle Kingsbury is wearing that rainbow fanny-pack in honor of all the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our freedom in the Candyland-Disco War of Sissystan. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
TUF 13 reaches its conclusion tonight, with “Stripper” Ramsey Nijem facing off against “Jerkwad” Tony Ferguson for the mythical six-figure contract and glass trophy. Plus: Anthony Pettis makes his official UFC debut against Clay Guida in a guaranteed thriller with lightweight title implications, the suddenly-badass Kyle Kingsbury looks to put Fabio Maldonado’s 11-fight win streak to an end, and much more.
If you’ve got nothing better to do, it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. (If you do have something better to do, count yourself lucky, and come back later to let us know what the outside world is like.) The action is already underway at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas — and streaming live on Facebook — but we’ll save the spoilers until the end of the night, because some of you crybabies get sooooo sensitive. Round-by-round results from the Spike TV broadcast will begin to pile up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
(Kyle Kingsbury is wearing that rainbow fanny-pack in honor of all the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our freedom in the Candyland-Disco War of Sissystan. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
TUF 13 reaches its conclusion tonight, with “Stripper” Ramsey Nijem facing off against “Jerkwad” Tony Ferguson for the mythical six-figure contract and glass trophy. Plus: Anthony Pettis makes his official UFC debut against Clay Guida in a guaranteed thriller with lightweight title implications, the suddenly-badass Kyle Kingsbury looks to put Fabio Maldonado’s 11-fight win streak to an end, and much more.
If you’ve got nothing better to do, it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. (If you do have something better to do, count yourself lucky, and come back later to let us know what the outside world is like.) The action is already underway at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas — and streaming live on Facebook — but we’ll save the spoilers until the end of the night, because some of you crybabies get sooooo sensitive. Round-by-round results from the Spike TV broadcast will begin to pile up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
“Everybody who saw the Ultimate Fighter knows that Tony is a dick and he does not deserve this,” Ramsey says in the pre-fight reel. Mike Goldberg mentions the beginning of the “Showtime Era” not once but twice, officially cursing Anthony Pettis tonight.
Chris “C-Murder” Cope vs. Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil
Round 1: Cope lands the first jab. O’Neil with a leg kick. Somebody in the crowd (or Cope’s corner?) is WOO!’ing like a jackass every time Chris makes contact. They clinch up. Cope gets in a short-range punch, a knee, and they separate. Leg kick from O’Neil. He throws a wide head kick and almost topples over. They trade low kicks. Cope gets in a hook, but eats a body kick. Cope drills that hook, even harder this time, and stalks O’Neil to the cage. They clinch for a bit, trade knees, and break. Leg kick O’Neil. Cope fires back some punches. Leg kick Cope. Cope goes body/head, but O’Neil counters. Cope sticks a spinning back kick. Nice high kick from Cope. O’Neil returns a hard body kick. Cope tries the spinning kick again, and O’Neil mimics him. The horn sounds and they hug it out before returning to their corners. Cope WOO!ing on the stool, and the crowd gives it right back.
Round 2: Leg kick O’Neil. Cope throws a punch combo. He gets in a leg kick. O’Neil returns. Cope presses forward with punches to different levels. I really hope the crowd stops WOO!ing after this fight. They clinch up and trade knees. O’Neil puts Cope’s back against the fence, but Cope shoves him off. Leg kick O’Neil, Cope throws a high one. Cope telegraphs a spinning back kick and hits air. O’Neil lands a left as Cope comes in. Another spinning kick from Cope, and O’Neil tries one too. Come on guys, stop it with that shit. Leg kick Cope. Both guys throwing punches steadily, but not landing anything cleanly. Superman punch/leg kick/superman punch from Cope. Cope throws a superman jab. One last leg kick from Cope, and the round is over.
Round 3: The between-round WOO!ing has to be screwing with O’Neil’s concentration. Cope puts O’Neil against the fence and gets in a sharp short hook. O’Neil shrugs him off. Cope the aggressor with strikes. He lands a big looping left hook. Cope dashes in with a leg kick. He sticks a jab, and a body shot. Cope throws a couple of high kicks, one of them of the spinning variety. O’Neil locks up on him, looking for a takedown against the fence. Cope turns him around. O’Neil gets in a knee to the body. Cope separates and WOO!s, getting the crowd behind him. Cope pouring it on with flashy kicks, punches in bunches, a spinning backfist. An inside leg kick from Cope. Body/head from Cope. Cope presses forward with punches, a head kick. He continues to attack until the horn. Should be a unanimous decision for Ric Flair Jr.
Chris Cope def. Chuck O’Neil via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3). Cope tells Joe Rogan that a lot of people doubted him when he was growing up, but “how do you like me now, in high definition?” Woo, bro. Woo.
Kyle “Kingsbu” Kingsbury vs. Fabio Maldonado
They show highlights of Maldonado absolutely clowning James McSweeney in his UFC debut, and man is it sweet. “My goal is knock out everybody in the light-heavyweight division,” he says. I’m kinda looking forward to this one. Are my ears deceiving me, or did Kingsbury come out to “Power of Love” by Huey Lewis?
Round 1: Leg kick immediately off the bell from Kingsbury, then a punch to the torso. Kingsbu teeing off with kicks to the legs and body. Kingsbury clinches up and gets in a half-dozen knees. Dude’s lookin’ real strong so far. But Maldonando lands with a nice left hook. Left-hand counter for Kingsbury, who clinches up again and drills Maldonado with a knee. Kingsbury shoots and gets a takedown, but almost gets stuck in a guillotine before pulling out and getting up. Another clinch/knee from Kingsbury. Maldonado pushes forward, lands a left hook, backing Kingsbury up. They trade shots. Maldonado lands the left hook again in an exchange. Kingsbury with the thai clinch again, works his knees again. He tries it again but Maldonado shrugs him off. Kingsbury clinches and trips Maldonado to the mat. Kingsbury on top in half guard, throwing down short elbows. He goes for a kimura, but Maldonado escapes. Kingsbury with more clinch/knee punishment. He lands a nasty one to Maldonado’s forehead. Kingsbury slips to the mat during a striking exchange and the round ends. I’d give it to Kingsbu, easy.
Round 2: Body kicks and teeps from Kingsbury. Kingsbury shoots and scores the takedown. Kingsbury on top in half guard for a hot second, but Maldonado slickly reverses the position, and Kingsbury escapes to his feet. Huge head kick from Kingsbury. Kingsbury works the thai clinch again, and Maldonado punches out of it. But Kingsbury is relentless, clinching again, throwing more knees. Kingsbury tries for the trip-takedown, but botches it and falls to the mat. Maldonado lets him up. Kingsbury scores another takedown, but Maldonado quickly gets up, eating a knee on the way up. They clinch up. Knees to the legs from Kingsbury. Maldonado throws a knee of his own and they break. Straight right from Maldonado. Kingsbury tries for a takedown, settles for a knee. Maldonado throwing hooks at the horn, landing one very blatantly after the bell.
Round 3: Kingsbury with a jab. He tries a couple leg kicks, Maldonado returns some counter-punches. Maldonado with a 1-2. And again. Kingbury with the thai clinch and knees, Maldonado gets in some shots when they break. Kingsbury gets a takedown, but Maldonado is up immediately and they jockey for position against the fence. Hard knee to the dome from Kingsbury. Maldonado jabbing to the body. Maldonado teeing off as Kingsbury is visibly slowing. Kingsbury tries for another takedown to slow down the action, but Maldonado defends. Kingsbury’s left eye is swollen shut. Maldonado with a body shot. Kingsbury tries a takedown, but Maldonado reverses it and lands on top. Kingsbury locks him down with rubber guard until the ref stands them up. Maldonado pressing forward, punching. Kingsbury gets in a knee to the face and Maldonado loses his mouthpiece. A brief pause to get it back in. Kingsbury shoots in again, Maldonado defends. Maldonado drags Kingsbury down in the closing seconds but runs out of time to take advantage. There’s the horn. Should be a decision win for Kingsbury. The two fighters embrace and raise their hands, lobbying for that Fight of the Night bonus.
Kyle Kingsbury def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3). Kingsbury’s eye is straight-up disgusting. He says it was the hardest fight of his life. Gritty showing from both guys, but Maldonado may want to consider a drop to middleweight; Kyle seemed to dwarf him out there.
Joe Rogan checks in with Shane Carwin via satellite, hyping up next week’s fight against Junior Dos Santos. Carwin is feeling better than ever after getting surgery on his neck and revamping his diet, and thinking about the Dos Santos match gives him goosebumps. He promises some brutal blows.
Ed “Short Fuse” Herman vs. “Crazy” Tim Credeur
Because of injuries, both of these guys have been out of action since 2009. Who’s ready to see some ring rust?
Round 1: They trade jabs. Herman the aggressor, following Credeur around the cage, initiating the exchanges. Herman lands a pair of uppercuts that drop Credeur, and follows up with some savage shots from the top that flip Credeur’s switch to the off position. Damn. Welcome back, Ed.
Ed Herman def. Tim Credeur via TKO, 0:48 of round 1. Herman plugs his new gym in Fort Collins, Colorado, that he’s running with Ryan Schultz. So swing by if you’re in the area.
And now Rogan checks in with Junior Dos Santos. I like how JDS starts every single answer with “Yeah,” even when he’s not being asked yes/no questions. “Thank you guys, and don’t blink!” he says at the end. Terrible advice from a medical perspective, but the sentiment is clear.
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis vs. Clay “The Carpenter” Guida
Line of the night, from Clay Guida: “If you think you’re gonna come into my Octagon with your circus kicks and your flashy moves, you’re gonna pay dearly when I take your legs out from under you and pound your head through the canvas.” #BOOM. Pettis does a little foot-spring off the cage in his warm-up lap around the Octagon. Just getting comfortable with the environment. Protect yourself at all times, Clay. Pettis gives off a little WOO! during the introductions.
Round 1: Clay bouncing around, as he does. He fakes a leg kick, and Pettis pops a pair of punches. Pettis fires his first left head kick. He throws a leg kick and Clay catches it and takes Pettis down. Pettis threatens with an armbar. Clay trying to get to a safer position. Pettis with a very active guard. Clay throws down a punch. And another. Pettis jacks Guida with a punch off his back. Guida gets to his feet, and Pettis throws a roundhouse kick off his back before getting to his feet. Guida puts Pettis on his back again. Pettis looking for the triangle setup. Guida tries to shake out, and finally does. Guida with shoulder-shrugs on top, stuffing Pettis’s head into the cage. The horn sounds, and the judges will probably give it to Guida just for being on top for the majority of the round.
Round 2: Pettis more aggressive with the punch combos now. Guida throws a leg kick, gets countered. Guida grabs a double-leg and dumps Pettis. Guida goes back to humping Pettis’s face against the cage. But he’s not doing much else, and the crowd starts to boo him. Pettis stands, Guida attached to him at the hip. Knees to the leg from Guida. Pettis escapes and pops a couple punches. And a jab. Pettis tries a *reverse* variation of his off the cage kick, but sadly, doesn’t really land it. Will make for a nice GIF, though. Guida scores another takedown. Pettis goes for a triangle, Guida shakes out. Pettis grabs an armbar, Guida somersaults to escape it. Pettis grabs it again but runs out of time.
Round 3: They meet in the middle of the cage and throw punches. Guida fires an overhand right, and pushes forward with a left hook. Another overhand right from Guida, and he shoots for the takedown, landing in Pettis’s dangerous guard, once again. Elbow from the top from Guida. Pettis looking for the triangle, once again. Clay on top in half-guard, jacking his shoulder into Pettis’s face. Punches from the top from Clay. Pettis gets to his feet. Clay tries to dump Pettis, but Pettis reverses it and gets on top. Guida rolls and Pettis takes his back. A minute left. Guida blasts out and gets back on top. Pettis shifts to his knees and now Guida takes Pettis’s back. But time runs out. The look of disappointment on Pettis’s face is obvious as he returns to his corner.
Clay Guida def. Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3). Jason Guida drags a giant Clay Guida fathead into the cage. Rogan has to cut Clay off during a long list of shoutouts, but the Carpenter gets back on message, telling everybody that he’s the real lightweight #1 contender, and 2011 is his year.
Ramsey Nijem’s distance-runner girlfriend in Utah supported his broke ass during his MMA journey, so now it’s time to pay her back. He’s training with Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins at the Pit Elevated in Orem, Utah…not a bad crew if you want to be a TUF winner. Ferguson proposed to his girlfriend right after he got off the show. He actually trained at Brock Lesnar’s Death Clutch gym following TUF, but calls Southern California his home.
Ramsey Nijem vs. Tony Ferguson
Round 1: Nijem jabs, closing the distance. Ferguson scores a quick takedown and gets in half-guard. Ramsey spins out, scrambles to his feet as Ferguson fires punches at his head. Leg kick Ferguson. Nijem with a right, Ferguson with a counter left hook. Another left hook from Ferguson. 1-2 from Ferguson, but a counter from Nijem wobbles him. Nijem attacks, but Ferguson grabs him and takes the fight to the mat. Nijem back on his feet. Quick leg kick from Ferguson. Nijem scores with a straight right. Nijem lands it again. Ferguson responds with a right straight/left hook that drops Nijem cold. Ferguson follows Nijem to the mat and gets in a couple more hard shots from the top as the ref jumps in to end it.
Tony Ferguson def. Ramsey Nijem via KO, 3:54 of round 1. Tony Ferguson is the winner of the Ultimate Fighter Season 13, and has knocked out four straight dudes to get there. He deserves his moment — and has a lot of potential in the sport.
We get the Scott Jorgensen vs. Ken Stone fight from the prelims. Stone making things very difficult for Jorgensen in the early going, using his range and battering Jorgensen with punches. Jorgensen scores a takedown. Stone tries to kick him off, but Scotty gets some space and pounds the damn daylights out of Stone from the top; the fight is called at the 4:01 mark of round 1 via KO.
Other results from the prelims…
– Jeremy Stephens def. Danny Downes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26 x2)
– George Roop def. Josh Grispi via TKO (liver punch), 3:14 of round 3
– Shamar Bailey def. Ryan McGillivray via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Clay Harvison def. Justin Edwards via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Rueben Duran def. Francisco Rivera via submission (rear naked choke), 1:57 of round 3
Oh snap…well, I guess you know how this Roop/Grispi fight is going to end. Lets put this liveblog to bed. Thanks for coming out tonight. I leave you with this:
I’ve always wondered what Ultimate Fighter winners do with their cut-glass trophies. It looks like something you might get for being the most improved player on a high school water polo team, so I’d be surprised if too many recipients have it displayed prominently in their homes.
LAS VEGAS — 
