Welcome to the main card for this weekend’s The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Finale, I’m Scott Sawitz, continuing Inside Fights live coverage of the event.
If you’re looking for the results of the Facebook prelims already aired, click here.
Bantamweight bout: Louis Gaudinot vs. Johnny Bedford
Round 1: Bedford comes out in a Muay Thai stance and scores a quick takedown. Gaudinot in half guard. Bedford postures up and Gaudinot back to his feet. Bedford catches him with some strikes as he comes up and presses him against the cage. Bedford goes for the clinch and some knees, misses a trip takedown and then lands a second. Moves to mount and Bedford is throwing. Not landing flush as Bedford looks to be going more for the arm bar than the TKO. Gaudinot gives up his back and Bedford has the hooks in. Bedford looking for the rear naked choke but Gaudinot defending well. Bedford roles to the side and back to the mount, Bedford escapes back to half guard but Bedford is landing some big shots. Gaudinot back to his feet as the round expires. Dominant round but not quite a 10-8.
Official Inside Fights Round Score: 10-9 Bedford
Round 2: Gaudinot begins the round by darting in and out, Bedford corners him to the cage with some knees, spinning back fist mists and a takedown. Gaudinot escapes but Bedford gets the single. Guillotine attempt by Gaudinot fails, Bedford gets him to the ground and in half guard. Gaudinot defending well as Bedford is using body strikes because hand towards face tied up. Gaudinot locks him into full guard, released as Bedford postures up, passing into side control. Transitions to mount and Gaudinot hip escapes, Beford in half guard. Bedford with some big shots to the face as he stands up. Bedford lands back into full guard, stands up out of it and Bedford into north south control. Gaudinot is eating some big shots. Bedford with the mount again, dropping some big shots. Gaudinot is covering up but not doing much. Bedford grabs an arm bar but Gaudinot preventing his arm from being released and round ends with him unable to complete the arm bar.
Official Inside Fights Round Score: Bedford 10-9, Bedford 20-18
Round 3: Bedford comes out dominantly, controlling the cage. Gaudinot tries to be aggressive but isn’t hitting anything. Uses the clinch to get him to the face, Gaudinot circles away. Spinning back fist from Gaudinot, Bedford punishing him as Gaudinot to the crowd. Gaudinot is turtling up and Bedford throwing knees and kicks to the body. Ref stops it at 1:57 of the third round.
Official Result: Johnny Bedford wins by TKO via body strikes at 1:57 of the third round
Lightweight bout: Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards
Round 1: Ferguson comes out with some leg kicks, Edwards hits an overhead right. Ferguson is targeting his right leg with the kicks. Ferguson is really finding his distance as he’s connecting with some decent strikes. Both are hitting the body more than the head, though. Edwards with a big head kick, with a nice combination to follow up. Ferguson is missing his punches and Edwards with a solid body shot with his right kick. Both guys are exchanging straight punches to the head; Edwards is trying to stay away from Ferguson’s power and point fighting instead of power shots. Ferguson tags Edwards and pounces but can’t quite finish him, then corners him and catches him with strong shots. Edwards responds with a great head kick then goes for the takedown, Ferguson goes for the omaplata but can’t quite finish it. Round ends in a scramble.
Official Inside Fights Round Score: 10-9 Ferguson
Round 2: After about 30 seconds of stalking, Ferguson hits a low leg kick and an exchange that Edwards gets the best of. Edwards is trying to dart in and out to avoid Ferguson’s power. Edwards catches him with a big right and a head kick, then almost knocks him to the ground with a kick. Flying knee connects and some solid body shots with the knees off a fake takedown attempt. Ferguson with some straight punches and a big right hook. He’s bleeding, too, out of the nose.
Ferguson with a couple leg kicks and an uppercut that lands but not flush. Catches him with another after an outside left, then again off another combination. Edwards counters a missed right straight with a good combination. Ferguson lands a right straight and a left to the body. Ferguson misses that lead uppercut, Edwards with another head kick. Edwards goes for a takedown and gets stuff, Ferguson takes Edwards down. Edwards scoots back to the wall as the round ends.
Official Inside Fights Round Score: 10-9 Edwards, 19-19
Round 3: Ferguson starts with a straight left that lands and a solid left kick that lands. Staggers him with a body shot, Edwards throws a head kick after making Ferguson eat a short jab. Ferguson is looking for a big shot now and Edwards is being cautious, staying away. Ferguson is winning the exchanges and has throw a couple head kicks that Edwards has blocked with a forearm. Edwards responds with a couple outside leg kicks. Edwards goes for a head kick but almost gets caught by Ferguson, who hits a lower leg kick and misses a handful of uppercuts. Both are starting to throw more wildly with looping punches at the minute mark and the pace is picking up. Edwards with a Superman punch that misses, Ferguson controlling the center and starting to throw more. Round ends with Edwards missing a kick.
Official Inside Fights Round Score: 10-9 Ferguson, 29-28 Ferguson
Official Result: Judges score the fight 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 for Tony Ferguson, winner by unanimous decision
Bantamweight bout: T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Dodson
Round 1: TJ opens up with a couple kicks but Dodson catches him with a big left that staggers him. Dillashaw goes for a body kick and Dodson catches him again with the left. Dodson is too fast for him so far as Dillashaw is having fits with him early. He’s using leg kicks to try and slow him down, though and eats a head kick from Dodson. Dodson with a body shot and a huge left hand catches Dillashaw and rocks him, hammer fists and Herb Dean stops it at 1:52 of the first round.
Official result: John Dodson wins by TKO via strikes at 1:52 of the first round
Featherweight bout: Diego Brandao vs. Dennis Bermudez
Round 1: Bermudez comes out aggressively, looking for the takedown but Brandao stops him. Bermudez catches a leg kick and goes for the takedown, then locks in a guillotine but can’t finish. Brandao follows it up with a great combination that staggers Bermudez. Big overheard right that pushes Bermudez back. Bermudez isn’t going for takedowns and is just exchanging with Brandao. BIG right that staggers Bermudez but Brandao can’t capitalize on it. Big left on a counter that staffers him; Bermudez is staggering almost every time Brandao hits him. Flying knee and Brandao gets Bermudez to the ground, Bermudez gets half guard and then Brandao gets his back. Bermudez tries to stand and gets slammed for his efforts, then does it again and gets away. Big right hand that connects and Brandao is on his back, gets him to the the ground. Brandao goes for a leg lock and can’t finish. Brandao pushes him off but is still on his back. Brandao pulls an amazing armbar off out of NOWHERE and Bermudez taps!
Official Result: Brandao by submission via arm bar at 4:51 of the first round
Bermudez’s arm is probably broke, which is why he tapped so quickly. Replays show it moving in an unnatural way as Brandao is arm barring him.
Middleweight bout: Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller
Round 1: Miller comes out wild, hitting a leg kick and missing some strikes but can’t finish a takedown. Another wild barrage and Bisping presses him against the cage. miller locks in the plum but Bisping defends well. Bisping connects with a combo and it looks like Miller’s nose might be broke. It looks a little smushed. Bisping is countering Mayhem well but Mayhem gets the takedown. Bisping is close to being mounted but his back is against the cage. Good ground work by Mayhem as he’s triangling the legs and preventing him from getting position but he isn’t doing too much besides the leg triangle. Mayhem with a couple solid strikes but it’s almost a stalemate. Mayhem begins to flatten him out but Bisping gets away. Miller’s striking looks very much improved from a year ago, much cleaner and crisper. Bisping hits a counter left hook and then another right. Miller slips and Bisping with a couple punches that land. Round ends with Miller going for a takedown against the cage.
Official Inside Fights Round Score: Miller 10-9
Round 2: Bisping comes out the aggressor and Miller is throwing wild. Miller goes for a takedown and gets stuffed after blocking a head kick from Bisping. Mayhem eats a couple punches from Bisping; Bisping’s combos look crisp. Mayhem goes for another takedown against the cage, starting with a double leg and switching to a single. Bisping stops him and reverses him against the cage. Bisping is stalking him and then an accidental headbutt between the two.
Miller with big looping right and Bisping is countering him beautifully; Miller seems to be out of his element with Bisping right now. He;s not setting up his takedowns well and Bisping can see him coming in. Miller taunts him on the ground, daring him to kick at him, and Bisping hits him with a straight and then intentionally throws a head kick over Miller’s head. miller goes for a single but can’t finish. Bisping is pushing a hard pace and Miller can’t keep up. Moves Miller back to the cage and is picking him apart with combinations. Miller looks gassed as some combinations end up with a knee to the face. Bad takedown attempt that Mayhem stops, presses him against the cage on the ground and round ends with Bisping unloading on the ground.
Official Inside Fights Round Score: Bisping 10-9
Miller looks spent on the corner.
Round 3: Miller comes out firing and Bisping lands some combinations, then blocks a takedown attempt by Miller. Miller on his back and Bisping stands him up. Bisping is measuring his shots at this point as Mayhem is getting into desperation mode. Bisping is measuring up some combinations as Mayhem seems to be more intent on surviving the round. Eye poke from Mayhem and Bisping is recovering.
Bisping is back really quickly from the poke and stuffs another single from Miller. Bisping gets the back and Miller is turtling up as Bisping starts teeing off on him. Tries to roll for a leglock and can’t finish, Bisping ground and pounding him in Miller’s open guard. Bisping with some short elbow and big punches, then stands to stalk a grounded Miller. Gets back on the ground in Miller’s guard and unloads some more on a turtled Miller. Ref stops it at 3:33 of the third round.
Official Result: Michael Bisping wins by TKO via strikes at 3:33 of the third round.
