“The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir” wraps up tonight with the live finale on Spike at 9 p.m. EST. The Lightweight and Light Heavyweight winners will be crowned and the other TUF contestants will also get their shot at impressing the UFC brass for a chance to continue their careers in the Octagon.
Join ProMMA.info for live coverage and round by round updates of the show, as Lightweights Phillipe Nover and Efrain Escudero square off to find out who is the best 155 pounder from the house, and Light Heavyweight finalists Ryan Bader and Vinny Magalhaes do battle at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
In addition to the TUF cast members fights, the eagerly anticipated rematch between Kevin Burns and Anthony Johnson will be settled. Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald will also be facing Wilson Gouveia in a catchweight fight following Gouveia failing to make weight.
Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan
Round 1 – The fight starts with a kick to the groin from Junie. The crowd is booing as they have since Junie entered the arena. Leg kick followed by a nice body shot from Junie. Junie with a right then left combo to Dave’s face. Junie’s footwork looks good, flying knee by Browning. Junie slips, and Dave goes for the ankle lock. Junie escapes and is now in Dave’s guard. Cartwheel pass by Junie and he is on Kaplan’s back going for the RNC. Kpalan escapes and is bleeding badly. Two rights and an uppercut by Junie. He is mixing it up nice with kicks and punch combos. Dave comes back witha combo to get inside and gets a body lock against the cage. Kaplan keeps working and gets the takedown and goes for the foot again. Back to their feet and Junie gets the takedown and is in half guard. Junie transitions to Dave’s back and sinks in the RNC, but Dave escapes. Kaplan now on top, but Junie works to his feet. To the clinch and Junie delivers a nice elbow and a flying knee. End of Round 1.
Round 2 – Junie gets an early takedown and is in half guard. Junie is working for the pass, but Dave is defending well. Junie advances position and is now in side control. He is going for the arm bar. He has stepped over and looks to have it. He extends it and it’s over! Junie by submission.
Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason MacDonald
Round 1 – Jason shoots in for a single and is working for the takedown. He gets the takedown and is working to pass. Gouveia pushes off and gets back to his feet. Both fighters exchange kicks and the punches and as MacDonald comes forward Gouveia catches him with a right then a huge left and he’s down. Gouveia is on top and dropping huge elbows cutting Jason’s head open. He keeps delivering elbows until the referee stops the fight. Gouveia by TKO Rd. 1
Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson
Round 1 – Both fighters exchanging kicks, and Burns is mixing it up well early. Johnson to the body and he lands a nice stiff jab. Johnson is really popping his jab, but Burns is staying in there. Johnson shoots in and gets the double leg takedown. Johnson is in Burns’s full guard now. Burns went for an arm but Johnson postures up and lands a big right. Johnson is now in side control. Johnson leaves his head out and Burns goes for a triangle from his back. Johnson is out and is back on top. Johnson postures up and lands a couple of punches. Not enough action for Yamasaki and he stands them up. Big right by Burns, Johnson counters with a kick to the body and Burns is on his back once again. Burns is stood up and both exchange the last 10 seconds until the bell rings.
Round 2 – Kicks by both fighters, and Johnson goes to the body. Johnson shoots for a single, Burns defends well, but is on his back once again. Burns going for the kimura with Johnson in half guard. Johnson frees his arm and is still in half guard. Elbows from the top by Johnson. Burns utilizing elbows from the bottom, and he is using the fence to spin away. Johnson going to the body from the top and mixing up his strikes with both hands. Johnson working on the pass and gets to half guard, but Burns replaces guard nicely with 10 seconds to go. End of Round 2.
Round 3 – Nice stiff jab by Johnson, exchanges by both. Left head kick by Johnson and Burns is out!! Brutal KO win by Johnson.
Ryan Bader vs. Vinny Magalhaes
Round 1- Kicks by both to start. Bader with a jab followed by a right. Nice body kick by Vinny. Big knee by Bader, but Vinny shrugs it off. Kick by Bader and he slips with Vinny chasing him down, but he is quickly back on his feet. Head kick by Bader is blocked by Magalhaes. Huge overhand right by Bader lands behind the ear and Vinny turtles up with Ryan hammer fisting from the top. Ryan Bader is The Ultimate Fighter for the Light Heavyweights by TKO.
Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero
Round 1 – Nover with a couple of kicks to start. Nover comes forward to punch and Efrain takes him down. Escudero moves Phillipe to the cage and they are back on their feet. Escudero rocks Nover and takes his back. He is working for the rear naked choke. Nover looks really calm. Nover rolls and Escudero mounts for the moment and postures up and he throws a couple of big shots. Phillipe looking for the triangle now but there is an arm in. They seperate and both fighters make their way back to their feet. Nover throws but misses with the right and Efrain gets the double leg takedown again. Back to the feet again, and Nover lands a couple of kicks before rolling to his back. Efrain stands over and lands a huge right. Efrain in half guard. Everytime Phillipe goes for a sub, Escudero is seeing it and standing. Nover gets a little space and stands. He lands a nice knee, then Escudero clinches until the bell sounds. Very impressive showing by Efrain.
Round 2 – Phillipe moving forward fast and Efrain uses this again to take him down. Efrain in side control. Now he is standing over Nover and kicking at his legs. Nover is back up. He lands another knee, but Efrain drags him down momentarily. They are now clinched with Nover pressing Escudero against the cage. Knees from the clinch from both fighters. They seperate near the center of the Octagon. Phillipe with a nice body shot. Nover goes for the big shot, Efrain ducks under and goes for the single. Nover is on his back again with Escudero in his half guard. Elbows from the bottom from Nover. Nover stands up and delivers a huge kick, but Efrain answers with a beautiful slam to end the round.
Round 3 – Head kick missed by Nover. Nice body shot from Nover followed by a right. Escudero ducks again and takes him down again. Nover is back up. Nice double jab from Phillipe. Nice kick by Nover, Efrain gets the takedown again. Nover going for a kimura with Efrain in half guard and on top. Nover using a little rubber guard now and he is delivering elbows to the shoulder of Escudero. He is working for the sub and working Escudero’s body. Nover sweeps and Efrain is on his back. Nover is standing over him and dropping some rights. Phillipe gains side control and is frantically dropping some punches as the bell sounds. End of Round 3.
We are going to the cards…. Unanimous decision victory for Efrain Escudero. He is The Ultimate Fighter for the Lightweights.
Undercard Results:
Roli Delgado defeats John Polakowski by sub (guillotine choke) – 2:18 of Rd. 2.
Shane Nelson over George Roop via split decision.
Tom Lawlor defeats Kyle Kingsbury via unanimous decision.
Eliot Marshall over Jules Bruchez by sub (rear-naked choke) – 1:27 of Rd. 1.
Krzysztof Soszynski defeats Shane Primm via sub (kimura) – 3:27 of Rd. 2.