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‘UFC on FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger’ — Live Results and Commentary

(Remember, the winner of this fight becomes the #2 contender for the UFC Intercontinental Temporary Welterweight Championship of the Midwest. So you’d better believe that Thiago Alves will be watching this one with great interest. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)

Tonight, the UFC will air their first-ever live fight card on FUEL TV — or so they say. Like most Americans, I don’t have the channel in my cable package, so I’m pretty much taking them for their word here. Luckily, our new liveblogger/boxing-analyst friend Steve Silverman does get the channel, and he’ll be handling play-by-play for the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.

On the menu this evening: Balls-to-the-wall welterweight veteran Diego Sanchez will face Jake Ellenberger, who’s riding high off his 53-second knockout of Jake Shields. Plus, Stefan Struve puts his long limbs on a flamboyant high-school acting teacher, Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries meet in a battle of undefeated heavyweight prospects, and TUF 14 bantamweight finalist TJ Dillashaw returns to action against Walel Watson. Total cost to the consumer: $0.00.

“UFC on FUEL 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger” results await you after the jump. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Thanks for being here, guys.

We should have a great night here with Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez headlining the night. We’ll have plenty of action prior to that fight… Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert gets us started…

Menjivar is more experienced and he appears to have an edge. Menjivar is a solid striker and an excellent grappler…

You have to like Jon Anik and Kenny Florian announcing the fight. Any time you don’t have to listen to that boob Mauro Ranallo it’s a good listen

Round 1

Menjivar with a big overhand right to start but Albert blocks i. Albert with some good counters and quick knees…

Albert with an arm bar and Menivar is throwing hammers to the head…Menjivar with a footlock, while Albert has a heel lock…

Big kick by Albert has Menjivar in trouble. Menjivar trying to cover and he survives… Menjivar pounding Albert. He has his back. Rear naked choke and Menjivar wins.

This was a great one-round fight. Menjivar was in trouble but he just started pounding away and got on top of Albert’s back. He got the choke in and Albert had to tap out. Experience and toughness won this one for Menjivar….

Fight No. 2…. T.J. Dillashaw (4-1) vs Walel Watson (9-3) coming up next…

Both Dillashaw and Watson are strong wrestlers, but Dillashaw should be more comfortable throwing punches. That should give him an advantage at the start …

Dillashaw’s greatest asset may be his mean streak…he’ll try to get off to a quick start. Watson with a big reach advantage… 7 inches…

Dillashaw with a jumping righ hand and then goes for the single leg takedown…throws Watson down…

Watson is on his back but he looks comfortable. Dillashaw trying throw bombs but Watson uses his long arms to block them. Dillashaw has Watson’s back…

He tried to get in a rear naked choke. Dillashaw has been pounding away and he has Watson’s back. Trying to choke him out but Watson escapes.

Dillashaw remains in control. He looks like he is stronter than Watson and more accomplished. Watson is defending but he can’t mount his own attack. Big punches from Dillashaw and Watson has now answer. The first round is all Dillashaw but Watson survives and will fight a second round.

Round 2…

Big right hnd by Dillashaw to start and that hurt Watson. Dillashaw once again on top. Good wrestling and jiu jitsu allows him to mount a confident attack…

Dillashaw is not letting Watson get in anything. It seems all Watson can do is defend. He has not been able to get in a submission hold.

Dillashaw is getting in hammer fists and is hurting Watson. He is not really defending, just covering up…He has a deep choke on Watson, but Watson gets out. He is pounding Watson’s head once he stops choking him…

Watson is getting pounded in this fight and has had virtually no offense.Big right hand at the end of the round. This is a schoolyard whipping for Dillashaw but the fight moves on to round three.

Round 3…

Watson has some energy and comes out with a big kick, but it misses… Big right hand form Dillashaw and both sitll standing… Watson is much bigger, but much slower. Dillashaw with control on the ground again.

This time Watson escapes but still can’t attack. Finally Watson gets in a jumping knee, but it does not do much damage. Watson gets his legs around Dillashaw but he escapes.

Watson gets a heel hook and Dillashaw gets out… Watson doing much better in third round…

Dillashaw trying to get in choke, but Watson won’t let him secure it.

Final seconds of fight and Dillashaw is pounding away. This fight is over and Dillashaw has to be clear winner. Waiting for official decision.

And the winner is … Dillashaw by unanimous decision.

The next bout is Stipe Miocic (7-0) vs Philip De Fries (8-0 1 NC)

Miocic is a big-time striker while De Fries is more of a grappler. Miocic is a big-time hitter and may have an advantage. Good to see heavyweights go at it.

De Fries is going to have to defend against some heavy punches. If he can’t, he will have a hard time getting control and putting in a submission hold. …

Round 1…

Miocic looks stronger and in better shape as fight begins. De Fries lands a couple of rights to start….

Miocic gets in there and starts pounding with right hand and the fight is stopped. DeFries gets pounded…

Miocic has great power and the straight right hand hurts De Fries. He can’t defend himself and this fight is over in seconds.

The official time is 43 seconds and Miocic wins by a knockout.

Get ready for the next fight:

Aaron Simpson (11-2) vs Ronny Markes (12-1)

A couple of tough middleweights… Simpson has the edge in experience and should have an advantage if this one goes the distance…

Simpson is 14 years older, but you don’t get the feeling that he will wear down. He looks meaner and tougher…. off they go.

Markes attacks right off the jump.. They are clinching along the cage…and ref is pushing them for more action…

Simpson looks for opening but Markes responsds with combinations…Simpson hits him with an uppercut and starts pounding….

Simpson throwing elbows and Markes tries to get his wits about him…ref stands up Markes… and he’s a bit wobbly….both punching and Markes has survived. Wrestling along cag in final second of round 1. Give round 1 to Simpson….

Round 2….

Does Markes have the ability to take a solid punch? It’s questionable. But Markes has strong leg and is creating a problem for Simpson…

They are standing up int he middle, each man looking for and opening. Markes misses a left hook but lands an elbow…Simpson with a power left leg and tries for an overhand right, but Marks avoids the full force…

Markes has right underhook and delivers a right elbow. Markes with a takedown…Simpson gets back up after he was in a bad position… pretty even second round….

Round 3

Simposn looking to throw that big right hand. Wants to find an opening. Markes is strong but he’s not as quik when throwing punches. Markes trying to stomp Simpson …. and they break.

Markes is being much more aggressive and moving forward. Markes trying to work inside trip…another break and they go back to center. Simpson lands punch, Markes with kick.

Simpson slips and Markes gains control. Markes with double leg takedown…this one is close as we go to a decision.

The official results… Markes wins by split decision. It is not popular among Nebraska fans….

Solid comeback for Markes who was much better defensively after first round.

In the next fight we will see Stefan Struve (22-5) vs Dave Herman (21-2)

These two heavyweights should put on quite a show. The 6-11 Struve has a huge reach but a suspect chin; Herman has a strong chin and tremendous power. Struve is going to have to find a way to survive the first round.

Struve outweighs Herman by 22 pounds and has a 6-inch height advantage…

Herman rocking a beard…. Struve with a right roundhouse kick…Herman with combination… No advantage in first 1:30….

Herman finding the range. Struve is not aggressive. Not throwing that long left. Big right from Struve followed by left kick from Herman…Big right hand from Herman but he can’t throw a combination. Struve is cautious. Struve misses right hand and Herman with body shot. Right overhand punch by Herman. Feeling out first round, slight edge ot Herman.

Round 2…

Combination by Herman. Struve on ground and then an escape and back on his feet. Herman getting a bit closer. Struve with a big kick and that had to hurt. Left uppercut by Herman and Struve with a left hook. Struve is starting to get a bit more aggressive. Stuve appears to have hurt Herman.

Herman has a mouse under his eye. Uppercut sends Herman down. He is getting hammered by Struve. Struve wins by TKO….

The official time is 3:52 of the second round as Skyscraper Struve asserts himself and pounds Herman in the end. He appeared much more confident in second round…

Coming up… the main event… Diego Sanchez (23-4) vs Jake Ellenberger (26-5)

Ellenberger is a top wrestler with knockout punching power; Sanchez is relentless and wants to take it to the ground….

With fight in Ellenberger’s hometown of Omaha, he could have an edge if it goes to a decision…

Round 1

Ellenberger throwing punches and Sanchez looking for an opening. Feeling each other out at the start. Good right by Ellenberger.

Ellenberger moving forward, throwing wide punches but not landing solidly. Knee by Ellenberger on chin of Sanchez. Sanchez charges in and lands; counter knee by Ellenberger.

Both fighters with flurries. Crowd chanting “Jake, Jake…”. Ellenberger with the knockdown and Sanchez gets up. Big punch seems to hurt Sanchez but does not slow him down…First round goes to Ellenberger.

Round 2

Sanchez’s corner working on his nose and it may be broken. Ellenberger ready to go at start of round. Spinning back kick by Sanchez is ineffective.

Right roundhouse kick by Ellenberger blocked by Sanchez. Sanchez kick is ineffective. Ellenberger is quicker and lands a left hook. Another left hook as well.

Sanchez with solid right hook and then bull rushes Ellenberger. Hometown hero has not landed much in the final round but then he gets a takedown. He is trying to punch from the top and Sanchez could be in trouble.

Ellenberger thowing power punches and elbows and Sanchez is a bloody mess. He got hit in the nose and eye. Big finish of round for Ellenberger. Should be a great round 3.

Round 3

Sanchez cleaned up by corner to start round. Sanchez has not landed any seriosu power punches. Ellenberger knocks Sanchez off balance and he goes backwards.

Sanchez bleeding again and that nose looks broken. Right hand by Ellenberger followed by right hand from Sanchez tht appeared to hurt Ellenberger. However, Sanchez can’t follow up.

Ellenbrgr is cut and he is being hit with punches before Ellenberger scores takedown. Sanchez reverses and throws punchs and he is taking control. Tremendous rally by Sanchez.

Two-fisted attack by Sanchez and then escape by Ellenberger at the horn… What a finish…

It will go to a decision and Ellenberger had control for most of the fight, but Sanchez had control in the final few minutes. Is it enough?

We await the decision….

Ellenberger wins unanimous decision. All judges score it 29-28… Fans are roaring approval…

Ellenberger hung on and he wants a title fight next…We’ll see you on the next fight night….

Good night….

UFC on FUEL TV: Weigh-In Results & Video

(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)

All fighters made weight at yesterday’s UFC on FUELTV weigh-ins, which seemed to sail by at a faster pace than normal. Maybe it was the lack of name power, or perhaps it was the absence of the usual drama and near brawls that we have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. In either case, it was a reserved, quiet evening for all participants involved. Except Diego Sanchez. He doesn’t do “reserved.”

Instead, we were treated to what appeared to be a night of MMA fighters mimicking the looks of pseudo-celebrities. Sean Loeffler came out posing as the singer from Crazy Town, making it rain on the audience like they were the 2 a.m. shift at Scores, and Jonathan Brookins stuck with the Geico Caveman look that has gotten him some fine honeys up to this point. But the most bizarre shift in appearance undoubtedly went to Ed Herman, who pulled off Neil Fallon TO PERFECTION.*

(BANG BANG BANG BANG! VAMANOS VAMANOS!)

Join us after the jump for the full weigh in video and results.

(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)

(BANG BANG BANG BANG! VAMANOS VAMANOS!)

UFC on FUELTV Weigh-In

(skip to 17:12 for the start, unless you REALLY want to hear Jay Glazer’s breakdown of the card, which starts at 10:00.)

Main Card (on Fuel TV):
-Diego Sanchez (170) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170)
–Stefan Struve (256) vs. Dave Herman (234)
–Aaron Simpson (186) vs. Ronny Markes (185)
-Stipe Miocic (240) vs. Phil De Fries (241)
–T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Walel Watson (135)
-Ivan Menjivar (135) vs. John Albert (135)

Preliminary Bouts (on Facebook):
–Jonathan Brookins (145) vs. Vagner Rocha (145)
-Buddy Roberts (184) vs. Sean Loeffler (185)
-Anton Kuivanen (156) vs. Justin Salas (155)
-Tim Means (155) vs. Bernardo Magalhaes (155)

The prelims for the event are set to kick off tonight around 6:20 p.m. EST on Facebook, with the FUEL broadcast beginning at 8:00 p.m.

*To any, let’s call them “new” viewers of CP, I do not actually believe the fighters were trying to mimic these celebrities. That would be just silly. Glad I could clear that up.

-J. Jones

The Forward Roll: The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale Edition

Filed under: UFCNot long after Michael Bisping was pulled off of Jason “Mayhem” Miller, signifying a TKO victory in the TUF 14 Finale main event, UFC president Dana White voiced his displeasure, calling it “the most one-sided fight I might have ever se…

Filed under: UFC

Not long after Michael Bisping was pulled off of Jason “Mayhem” Miller, signifying a TKO victory in the TUF 14 Finale main event, UFC president Dana White voiced his displeasure, calling it “the most one-sided fight I might have ever seen in the UFC.”

Given that Miller won the first round on the scorecards of many observers, that seems a bit harsh. This year alone, there have been plenty of other main events, let alone less significant matches, that were far more one-sided than Miller-Bisping. Less than one month ago, Junior dos Santos beat Cain Velasquez in just 64 seconds. In the fall, Jake Ellenberger KO’d Jake Shields in just 53 seconds. In March, Jon Jones beat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua from the opening horn until the third-round finish. Yet Bisping-Miller is the fight he singled out.

That can’t be seen as a good sign for Miller, who gave the UFC an entertaining season of TUF, but now awaits word of his future.

To date, no TUF coach has been cut from the UFC after losing in his first match after the show ended, although there are two asterisks worth noting. After TUF 9, Dan Henderson beat opposing coach Bisping, then left the promotion when the sides couldn’t reach a deal to extend his expiring contract. And in his first fight after TUF 11, Chuck Liddell was knocked out by Rich Franklin and later retired.

In my opinion, Miller deserves another opportunity. While his offense can be unorthodox, he is still a competitive fighter and brings entertainment value with his presence. The UFC insists they want game fighters who come to put on a show. Even though he lost, Miller did that. He didn’t go quietly or surrender. He took a beating and fought on until the referee put common sense ahead of courage. Cutting Miller would send a conflicting message from what fighters have always been told.

On to the future matchups…

Michael Bisping
Another strong performance from the Brit, who remains perpetually underrated and underappreciated despite few holes in his game. After his win, White alluded to the possibility of Bisping being added on to the UFC on FOX event. That would be a fast turnaround, but Bisping always seems to answer the UFC’s call. The question is who would be worth his while.

Right about now, a Bisping vs. Vitor Belfort fight would make good sense, but Belfort is locked into an evening with Anthony Johnson, and the UFC generally doesn’t like to shuffle fighters around after they’re already in the midst of preparing for something specific. So what’s left? Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen have a date, Anderson Silva is on the shelf, and Brian Stann is coming off a loss. Barring anything unexpected, that leaves one choice.
Prediction: He faces Demian Maia

Jason Miller
It would be a mistake to cut Miller. He’s one of the few non-champions able to generate interest from mainstream media due to his TV stint as a host on “Bully Beatdown,” and this recent loss aside, he’s a credible fighter.

For his return, I’d give him a name the fans know, and one who is also teetering on the brink of unemployment.
Prediction: He fights CB Dollaway

Diego Brandao
Brandao received an extraordinary amount of praise for his promise and success throughout season 14, and he also showed poise under pressure in the finale, overcoming a rough start in the early moments of the first round of his featherweight final with Dennis Bermudez before rebounding with a highlight-reel armbar submission.

For all the raves that have come his way, Brandao has much to work on. His striking can be too wild, he can be lured into wars, and he doesn’t have great takedown defense. At just 24 years old, he has time to work on those shortcomings, and shouldn’t be brought along too quickly.
Prediction: Brandao faces a promotional newcomer in the spring

Dennis Bermudez
Bermudez looked excellent for nearly the entire first round until making a mistake on the ground and leaving himself open to the arm bar. Unfortunately, that seems to be a running theme for Bermudez, who has lost each of his last three pro bouts by first-round submission.

He’ll likely get another shot in the octagon but it’s going to be sink or swim for him next time around.
Prediction: Bermudez faces either Marcus Brimage or Steve Siler

Tony Ferguson
The standout fighter on season 13 of TUF, Ferguson moved his record to 3-0 in the octagon with a solid decision win over veteran Yves Edwards. Such a victory shouldn’t be discounted. To defeat someone with a reservoir of experience on which to draw on is a feat worthy of our attention, particularly given the way Ferguson accomplished it in a workmanlike fashion.

His combination of striking and wrestling ability will make Ferguson a tough out as his confidence grows and he continues on up the ladder.
Prediction: Danny Castillo is coming off a strong win of his own. He sounds about right for Ferguson.

John Dodson
The littlest guy in the house might have been its baddest dude, as he KO’d three of his four opponents in the bantamweight bracket on the way to taking the TUF crown among 135ers.

Dodson has flashed big power as well as the ability to dump opponents on their backs when necessary. Combine those attributes with his athleticism and speed, and you’ve got yourself a pretty intriguing fighter. Sure, he should probably be fighting at flyweight, but that long-rumored division doesn’t seem much closer to happening now than it did 12 months ago, so he’s going to have to roll with the bigger guys until then.
Prediction: He faces Ken Stone

TJ Dillashaw
Dillashaw reminded me of Dollaway a bit, a hyped wrestler who fell short in the TUF finals to a smaller man, but regardless of the disappointing performance, he has some undeniable talent which leads me to believe he’ll rebound and make himself a force in the division somewhere down the line.

Though his roots are in wrestling, he does show a good striking game with the exception of keeping his hands so low. At his experience level, a loss isn’t the worst thing in the world, as it will allow Dillashaw a chance to progress at a more deliberate pace.
Prediction: He faces Alex Soto

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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)

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.

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…

Filed under: UFC

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…

Filed under: UFC

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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