TUF 18The following quotes are from tonight’s FOX SPORTS LIVE TUF FINALE POSTFIGHT SPECIAL ON FOX SPORTS 1. The show was hosted by Jon Anik, with Kenny Florian and Ariel Helwani. They were joined by TUF coaches Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate on set to breakdown the fights.

UFC ON FOX Analyst Kenny Florian on Nate Diaz’s victory over Gray Maynard: “Diaz couldn’t have fought a more perfect fight. He landed a short, crisp left hand and never let Gray Maynard back in the fight. It was a beautiful performance.”

TUF Coach Ronda Rousey on Diaz’s victory: “It was great to end the fight on a high note. Those guys are my brothers from another mother. He came on TUF and guest coached for me. His style of never-ending combinations make it so you can’t recover. That’s what he did to Maynard.”

UFC ON FOX Insider Ariel Helwani on Diaz’s victory: “That was the most impressive Nate Diaz we’ve seen in a long time. That was the Diaz who was going for the lightweight title. That wasn’t the Maynard going for the title. Diaz is back in the lightweight division.”

TUF Coach Miesha Tate on what set apart her winning team members: “I just think they have something that can’t be taught. They have heart and passion. Chris is extremely calculated and precise. How do you beat him? Pena, she’s just tenacious. She respects her opponents, but she doesn’t over-respect them. There’s no one that she thinks she’s going to lose to. They’re both going to go far.”

TUF winner Julianna Pena on how she approaches her fights: “I realize what’s on the line and I take that very carefully. It’s a 50-50 thing when you go in there. I’m going in there to kill them right away. It’s either kill or be killed and I want to kill them. I went in there and tried to be as vicious as possible.”

Pena on her comeback after two big losses before going on The Ultimate Fighter: “I was done with martial arts. I’m a very competitive person and to lose [my fights before TUF] like I did, it broke my heart and I hid under a rock and died. I wasn’t getting any calls, so I knew this was my opportunity. Being on The Ultimate Fighter helped me mentally. Those three wins made my confidence go through the roof.”

Pena on her remarks about Ronda Rousey: “The point I was trying to draw there is she has her nose in the air and she acts like she’s better than everyone else. She went on the show saying she’s being Team Real Mean against Team Fake Nice. If you’re so real why didn’t she tell me to my face that I didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Shayna Baszler, instead of saying it on camera behind my back? It’s her arrogance, it’s the way she holds herself is the point I was trying to make. It’s the way she acts.”

Florian on Chris Holdsworth winning the Ultimate Fighter Finale: “In the end it was Holdsworth and his jiu-jitsu. Once he got side control, it was all Holdsworth.”

Florian on what it’s like to overcome losing the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: “It always feels like it’s the end, but it never is. It’s about how you come back from this.”

TUF winner Chris Holdsworth on his victory: “This is a crazy experience. It’s all surreal. I’m sure it’ll settle in tomorrow. I visualized myself winning and it’s been a long six months.”

Holdsworth on how he thought he’d win: “I’ve been working a lot with Duane Ludwig. I’ve been working on my standup. I try to finish the fight anywhere it goes. You don’t want the fights to go to the judges’ decision. I’m an aggressive fighter and I want to win.”

Rousey on if she’s glad that The Ultimate Fighter is over now: “I still haven’t watched any of the episodes. If you want to get the real person via a reality TV show you’re not going to get the right person. For all I know Kim Kardashian could be a rocket scientist. I’m happy that a lot of people know the girls now and they got to fight on the big stage. I don’t have to worry about leaving that Gina Carano void. I feel like I have a couple of heartbroken kids I have to go talk to and I’m stuck here talking to you guys.”

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