The ninth season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ reality series featured lightweight and welterweight fighters and pitted ‘Team US’, lead by Dan Henderson, against Michael Bisping-coached ‘Team UK’. The talent on this season of the show was seemingly of a much lower level than many of the previous seasons; as a result, only four of the contestants who did not make it to the finals were invited back for the live finale. The featured bouts were the welterweight final between Damarques Johnson (US) and James Wilks (UK), and the lightweight final between Ross Pearson and Andre Winner (both UK). The card was headlined by a lightweight bout with title shot implications, as Diego Sanchez took on Clay Guida. Here’s how it all went down:
Joe Stevenson vs. Nate Diaz (155 lbs)
Round 1: Diaz looks to strike but Stevenson immediately gets a takedown and gets caught in a guillotine. Stevenson escapes and stays on top. Diaz tries to roll out and ends up with Stevenson taking his back and securing a crucifix position from the back mount. Stevenson maintains dominant position as Diaz attempts to escape, and eventually locks on a very tight guillotine on Diaz. Just as it looks like Diaz is about to go to sleep, he rolls over, slips his head out and stands up. Stevenson instantly goes for another takedown; Diaz escapes and the round ends in a clinch. Round 10-9 Stevenson
Round 2: Stevenson again starts with a quick takedown and gets caught in a guillotine. Diaz briefly gains dominant position but Stevenson sweeps and ends up on top again. Diaz scrambles up and gets taken down again; Diaz attempts submissions off his back but nothing comes close. Stevenson dominates the round with wrestling and control though not doing much damage. Round 10-9 Stevenson
Round 3: Stevenson once again works for a takedown but Diaz is doing a better job of sprawling and staying on his feet. Diaz throws Stevenson from clinch and briefly gains a dominant position. Diaz attempts a guillotine as Stevenson scrambles up to his feet. Diaz fends off more takedowns and peppers Stevenson with ineffective punches; both men appear winded as the round draws to a close. Round 10-9 Diaz
Joe Stevenson wins an unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three scorecards
Fight Grade: 3/5
Aftermath: A much needed victory assures that Joe Stevenson’s spot in the UFC’s lightweight division is safe for the time being. Nate Diaz loses his second close decision in a row; it looks like Nate is falling into the same conundrum that his brother Nick suffered from during his UFC tenure: his style of fighting almost guarantees that he will lose a decision whenever he is not able to finish his opponent.
Ross Pearson vs. Andre Winner (155 lbs Ultimate Fighter finale)
Round 1: After a brief initial exchange, the fighters clinch against the fence, where they spend the remainder of the round. A stalemate in clinch with neither fighter getting an advantage. Winner lands an accidental low blow, causing a halt to the fight. Back to clinch and Winner lands several knees at the end of the round, the most significant action so far. Round 10-9 Winner
Round 2: They quickly return to clinch, and we have much of the same as Round 1. Neither fighter is able to score a takedown or do any significant damage with strikes from clinch. Occasionally they break and exchange a few strikes but the majority of the round is a stalemate in clinch. Round 10-10 draw
Round 3: Pearson turns it up a notch as Winner looks to be winding down, giving Pearson the most decisive advantage of this fight. Not as much clinching in this round as the first two; both fighters are landing strikes but Pearson is getting the better of most exchanges. Pearson scores a takedown but Winner immediately gets up and they finish the fight slugging it out on the feet. Round 10-9 Pearson
Ross Pearson wins an unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three scorecards
Fight Grade: 2/5
Aftermath: Neither man impressed in this boring clinch-fest. I don’t see Pearson or Winner making much of an impact in the division.
Chris Lytle vs. Kevin Burns (170 lbs)
Round 1: A back-and-forth exchange of strikes for the first half of the round, with neither fighter getting an upper hand. Burns lands a low kick to Lytle’s groin – the first of many to follow. After a restart, they go back to trading and Burns buckles Lytle’s knees with an uppercut, then drops him with another big punch. Burns jumps in eager to finish, but somehow Lytle survives and somewhat recovers by the end of the round. Round 10-9 Burns
Round 2: Lytle recovered between rounds and is finding his range, Burns is hurt and forced to shoot for a takedown. Burns gets Lytle down but can’t do anything with it; Lytle gets up and punishes Burns with body punches. Burns is absorbing a lot of strikes and fires back, landing two more low blows in process. Referee Herb Dean warns Burns but does not deduct points. Round 10-9 Lytle
Round 3: Lytle continues his assault, opening up a huge cut over the eye of Burns early in the round. Burns is on the defensive but hangs in there and trades with Lytle. Thankfully there are no more low blows as Lytle convincingly wins the round and the fight. Round 10-9 Lytle
Chris Lytle wins an unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three scorecards
Fight Grade: 4 3/5 1 point deduction for low blows
Aftermath: This entertaining bout between two gatekeeper-level fighters had no significant implication on the welterweight division. Kevin Burns is not doing anything to help his reputation as a dirty fighter.
Damarques Johnson vs James Wilks (170 lbs Ultimate Fighter finale)
Round 1: Wilks lands a combination and forces a clinch, connecting with several knees. Wilks earns a takedown, then falls back for a leg lock, giving Johnson an opportunity to escape and gain dominant position. Johnson lands a few strikes from the top then gets caught in a triangle attempt. Johnson slips out and stands up but gives up his back and is dragged back to the ground. Wilks locks in a rear naked choke and Johnson taps out with only seconds left in the round.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: James Wilks has delivered the most impressive performance of anyone on this season of ‘TUF’, and his tournament win was well-deserved. Damarques will likely be brought back for at least one more fight, but it’s hard to imagine him making much of a run at 170 lbs in the UFC.
Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida (155 lbs)
Round 1: Sanchez immediately runs across the Octagon and starts swinging; Guida swings back but Sanchez is the one connecting with punch after punch, following it up with a knee. Guida is hurt and bleeding badly from his nose. Somehow Guida gets a takedown and the pace slows down. Diego escapes back to his feet and drops Guida with a head kick. Guida survives the assault and attempts to take down Sanchez, but Diego responds with a takedown of his own. Round 10-9 Sanchez
Round 2: Guida wisely avoids any standup and takes Sanchez down early in the round. Guida controls Sanchez on the ground, working some light ground-and-pound. Sanchez has a few submission attempts – none close. Sanchez begins unloading on Guida with elbows from his back; Guida is bleeding all over Sanchez but maintains a controlling position. Round 10-9 Guida
Round 3: Slower pace from Sanchez than in the first two rounds, and he is picking Guida apart with strikes while avoiding his takedowns. Sanchez sprawls and takes Guida’s back; Sanchez works for a choke but does not have complete control of Guida and ends up on his back. Guida works the strikes from within Diego’s guard while Sanchez alternates elbows & submission attempts. Round 10-9 Sanchez
Diego Sanchez wins a split decision, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29
Fight Grade: 4.5/5
Aftermath: Diego Sanchez is the likely next contender for the winner of the upcoming lightweight title bout between Kenny Florian and the champion BJ Penn. Clay Guida should be matched up with Joe Stevenson.
All in all, a passable finale to a very mediocre season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.