Welcome to FOXSports.com/InsideFights.com’s live coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. We are live cageside at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, the site of tonight’s event. We will be here for all 12 of the fights on the card. Stay tuned for live play-by-play of the night’s Facebook preliminary card. Following the conclusion of the Facebook prelims, hop on over to our coverage of the rest of the preliminary card on FUEL TV and then join us for coverage of the main card on FX.
Justin Lawrence vs. Daniel Pineda
Referee: Chris Tognoni
ROUND 1- We are live with tonight’s opening bout. Lawrence starts with a head kick. Both guys circle and Pineda scores a takedown. Pineda with some punches on the ground. Lawrence back up but Pineda working to get him back down and does. Pineda in half-guard working to get side control. Pineda trying to get an arm for a kimura. Pineda still working for it and looking to step over. And he gets it! Lawrence taps out. Pineda with a quick submission win over Lawrence.
Official Result: Daniel Pineda def. Justin Lawrence by submission (kimura) at 1:35 of Round 1
Sam Sicilia vs. Maximo Blanco
Referee: Kim Winslow
ROUND 1- Blanco starts with a head kick and slips. They start trying to take each other down but Blanco gets the advantage by grabbing a leg. They battle for position on the ground. Back to the feet and Sicilia has Blanco’s arm but they separate. Blanco with a leg kick and a jab followed by another leg kick. Sicilia with a leg kick. Sicilia lands a nice uppercut and starts on the attack. Blanco fires back with a combo. Blanco with a leg kick. Sicilia lands a nice combination. Feeling each other ut now as Sicilia lands a short leg kick. They trade combinations but Sicilia landed harder. Blanco with a leg kick followed by a front kick. Sicilia attacks with a body kick and Blanco counters with a head kick. Sicilia misses on an uppercut that landed earlier. Blanco with a big leg kick. Sicilia misses on an overhand right. Blanco lands a combo. Sicilia lands a nice overhand right and Blanco counters with a combo followed by a head kick from Sicilia. 10-9 Sicilia.
ROUND 2- Blanco starts with a combination and Sicilia is throwing huge counters. Blanco with a leg kick and Sicilia lands a big punch that stuns Blanco. Blanco goes down but gets back up and they’re clinched against the cage. Sicilia looking for a takedown and he gets it for a moment. Back to the feet and Sicilia has grasp of Blanco’s back. Blanco holds the cage and is warned. Blanco with his back against the cage now. Sicilia lands a couple of short knees. Blanco with a body shot in the clinch. They break and Sicilia lands a hard right. They start exchanging and Sicilia lands some hard punches. They are swinging away with both landing big. Sicilia lands a knee and Blanco stuns him. Blanco then scores a takedown and is on top in half-guard. Blanco with an arm around Sicilia’s neck as he tries to switch to mount. Both battle for position. Sicilia rolls to his back and they get to the feet. Sicilia takes Blanco and they clinch against the cage. They exchange hard punches as they break. Blanco lands a jab. Sicilia counters with that uppercut he’s been looking for. They exchange and Sicilia rocks Blanco just a bit. Blanco with a big overhand right. They end a fun round by feeling each other out. 10-9 Blanco.
ROUND 3- Big reaction from the crowd to start the round and they come out swinging as both are looking for a finish. They clinch against the cage as both look for advantage before they break. Blanco with a leg kick and a nice combo. Sicilia lands a right hand that stuns Blanco but Blanco counters with a left hand. They exchange and Sicilia goes for a takedown but it’s stuffed. Blanco looking for a front choke on the ground but Sicilia escapes. Blanco lands punches from the top but they get back to the feet. Sicilia has Blanco against the cage but Blanco is landing short punches. Sicilia battling for a takedown. Conditioning starting to play a factor. Blanco turns it around and grabs Sicilia’s back and drags it to the ground for a moment. Back up and Sicilia lands some punches. Blanco misses a spin kick and Sicilia almost made him pay for it. Sicilia backs Blanco up with a combo but Blanco still controls the octagon. Blanco with some kicks before Sicilia rushes his back to the cage with punches. Sicilia gets a brief takedown but it is back up. On the ground and Blanco on top looking to adjust position. Back to the feet against the cage but Blanco drags it back down. Blanco looking for a choke but Sicilia trying to scramble. Back to the feet and they come out swinging to end. 10-9 Blanco.
Official Result: Maximo Blanco def. Sam Sicilia by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Cole Miller vs. Bart Palaszewski
Referee: Herb Dean
ROUND 1- Trade of jabs to start and Miller misses a high kick. Palaszewski with a leg kick. Miller lunges with a left and Palaszewski counters with a combo. Miller misses a head kick and almost slips. Palaszewski backs up Miller while looking to land some punches. Miller with a body kick. Palaszewski responds by landing a left-right hand combo. They trade kicks and Palaszewski lands some punches. Palaszewski with a leg kick. And another one. Palaszewski lands some punches. They each miss punches. Palaszewski lands a combo that pushes Miller back in the Octagon. Palaszewski rocks Miller with some more punches as Miller looks to escape away. Miller trying to land a jab but Palaszewski backs him up. Miller now looks for the takedown and he gets it. Miller takes Palaszewski’s back and looking to sink in a rear-naked choke. Miller with just one hook in. Miller has his arms around Palaszewski’s neck and locks the rear-naked choke in. Palaszewski taps out and Miller takes the submission win.
Official Result: Cole Miller def. Bart Palaszewski by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:23 of Round 1
