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By Jaime Feal
Bantamweight Division (135 lbs.):
Louis “Goodnight” Gaudinot (5-1) vs. Johnny “Brutal” Bedford (17-9-1)
Round 1:
The fighters touch gloves and begin striking, Bedford with a one-two and a leg kick. Bedford takes down Gaudinot and immediately moves to half guard where he is able to land strikes. Gaudinot stands back up and eats a couple knees for his troubles. Bedford body locks Gaudinot and tosses him to the ground, then moves to full mount with a very solid base. Bedford is using methodical striking and will not let Gaudinot up. Bedford is using a good variety of strikes and mixing in elbows and hooks. He transitions to Guadinot’s back and gets both hooks in, still striking with both hands. Back to full mount now but Gaudinot regains half guard. Bedford postures up in Gaudinot’s guard and reigns down strikes. Gaudinot is starting to look busted up. Hammer fists and hooks from Bedford with half a minute left. Gaudinot was in pure defensive mode for about 3 minutes. 10-8 round for Bedford.
Round 2:
The combatants exchange low kicks. Bedford comes forward and works over Gaudinot’s ribcage with hooks and knees. Bedford with another takedown. Gaudinot stands against the cage and Bedford busts him up with more body shots. Yet another takedown for Bedford, who is the much bigger bantamweight. Bedford in half guard hammer fisting to the body. Gaudinot regains full guard. Bedford postures up then slips to side control. Now back in full mount and Gaudinot promptly hip escapes back to half guard. Bedford starting to pound Gaudinot’s face with very nice shots while postured up in the guard. Bedford moves to the north south position then back to full mount. Bedford looking to set up an armbar and Gaudinot gives up his back. Bedford turns him back into full mount and elbows. Bedford going for an armbar again from the mount. He has the position now, but just needs to separate Gaudinot’s arms. Time expires before Bedford can rip the arms apart and finish the submission. 10-9 round for Bedford.
Round 3:
Bedford with a nice right low leg kick. Bedford walks Gaudinot down and knees him to the head and body in the Thai plum. Bedford stalks him to the other side of the cage where he lands several vicious hooks to the body and a hard knee to the head that drops Gaudinot. Gaudinot turtles up and Bedford is going to town with measured strikes. Bedford starts landing hard knees to Gaudinot’s shoulder and then his ribs. Referee Steve Mazzagatti steps in to save Gaudinot from further damage. Good stoppage as Gaudinot was just turtled up and offering no intelligent defense.
Johnny Bedford wins by TKO at 1:58 of Round 3.
Lightweight Division (155 lbs.):
Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson (12-2) vs. Yves “Thugjitsu Master” Edwards (41-17-1)
Round 1:
The lightweights begin both pawing with their jabs and throwing the occasional leg kick. Now Ferguson picks up the pace with three straight left leg kicks. Edwards with a one-two. Ferguson dipping his shoulders and feinting trying to set up one of his patented uppercuts. Nice head kick by Edwards. The fighters trade leg kicks again. Ferguson lands a solid right hand that slightly wobbles Edwards. Ferguson doesn’t capitalize immediately but then starts unloading on Edwards to the body and head. Edwards is hurt bad and backed up against the cage. Unbelievably, Yves comes back with a head kick that backs Ferguson off. Edwards shoots for a takedown but gets stuffed. “El Cucuy” attempts a rolling omaplata, but Edwards escapes as the round ends. 10-9 round for Ferguson.
Round 2:
Both fighters are cautious as the try to use the jab as a range-finder. Yves lands a left hook. Ferguson always coming forward looking to land a big uppercut. Yves with a nice counter right hook, then a leg kick. Edwards with a flying knee and then a knee from the Thai plum. Ferguson now bleeding from the nose. Good right jab from the southpaw stance by Ferguson. “El Cucuy” switches back to orthodox and jabs with the left, then follows with hooks and uppercuts. Nice lead right uppercut from Ferguson. Left body kick by the “Thugjitsu Master.” Some minor swelling under Edward’s right eye. Edwards tries again for the left head kick but misses this time. Ferguson scores a takedown which may have stolen the round in the judges’ eyes. 10-9 round for Ferguson.
Round 3:
Good left jab from Tony Ferguson. Right head kick from Ferguson partially blocked by Edwards. Thudding right body kick by Ferguson. Tony misses with some uppercuts. Edwards with a superman punch. Good left by Ferguson in response. Edwards with a push kick. Double jab from Ferguson lands. Jab by Ferguson and a couple snapping leg kicks by Edwards in return. Edwards just misses with a big right hand. Spinning back fist misses for Ferguson. A left head kick lands for Edwards. The fighters end the fight trading and countering, but both show good defense. 10-9 round for Ferguson.
The Judges score the fight 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Bantamweight Finale (135 lbs.):
John “The Magician” Dodson (11-5) vs. T.J. Dillashaw (4-0)
Round 1:
Dillashaw and Dodson come out bouncing up and down on their feet. Dillashaw moving in and out trying to use his length to strike. Dodson gets a decent left hand in that backs Dillashaw up and gets his attention. Right body kick by Dillashaw. Left hook and left headkick from Dodson. Big left hook from Dodson drops Dillashaw coming in. Dodson pounces like an animal with hammer fists on the ground, and Referee Herb Dean has to pull him off. Dillashaw stands and is on wobbly legs. Dodson may have knocked Dillashaw unconscious with hammer fists, as he did to Johnny Bedford, had T.J. not been saved by the ref. Replays show the left hook that dropped Dillashaw was actually a clubbing left forearm. John Dodson becomes the TUF season 14 Bantamweight champion.
John “The Magician” Dodson wins by TKO at 1:54 of Round 1.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Featherweight Finale (145 lbs.):
Diego “Ceara” Brandao (13-7) vs. Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez (7-2)
Round 1:
Bermudez body locks but can’t take Brandao down. Bermudez not afraid to stand and trade with Diego. As Brandao throws a kick Bermudez catches it and takes him down. Bermudez going for a guillotine choke as Brandao stands. Now Bermudez knees on the break. Diego with a left-right combo. Brandao lands a left body kick. Bermudez backs up Brandao with a jab-jab-straight and then lands a flying right body kick. Huge left body hook and right hand to the head drop Bermudez, but “The Menace” pops right back up. Several hard shots land from Bermudez, but Diego counters with a left hook to the head at the end of the flurry. Big flying knee from Brandao catches Bermudez and puts him on his back. Brandao, the BJJ black belt, secures a dominant top position and starts to strike to the body. Bermudez gives up his back and stands up. He is promptly tossed back down, then pops right back up. Bermudez gets on his bicycle for a half minute to regain his legs. Brandao walks right into a short straight right that drops him bad. Bermudez looking for the finish now and he is unloading on Brandao, who is doing just enough rolling and scrambling to survive. As Bermudez turns up the heat he leaves his left arm vulnerable. Brandao locks in a vicious straight armbar from his back, and rolls Bermudez for the tap. Explosive submission as Bermudez quickly went from hammering on Brandao to grimacing in pain while tapping out. Bermudez’s arm may be broke. What a scintillating fight. Brandao is the TUF season 14 Featherweight champ.
Diego “Ceara” Brandao wins by armbar at 4:51 seconds of Round 1.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Coaches’ Finale (185 lbs.):
Michael “The Count” Bisping (21-3) vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (23-7)
Round 1:
Miller starts with a right leg kick. Good body kick by Mayhem. Bisping presses Miller against the cage with double underhooks. The fighters exchange knees and separate. Overhand right from Miller lands. Jason Miller scores a takedown and gets Bisping against the cage. Miller locks his legs for a modified mount position, and has Bisping’s back pressed against the cage. Miller landing light strikes to the head and body, winning the round by keeping Bisping in a defensive position. “The Count” just looking up at the ref begging for a stand up. Miller does enough with the light strikes to the body and head to avoid the stand up. Finally Bisping wall-walks to his feet after two minutes of being on the ground. One minute to go in the round, and Mayhem lands a nice right leg kick. Bisping moving forward but not landing much as the round closes. 10-9 round for Miller.
Round 2:
Bisping begins to assert his dominance on the feet as he stuffs a takedown, then lands some jabs. Good left hand from Bisping and Miller’s nose is very bloody. Inside leg kick from Bisping. Miller shoots but “The Count” uses the whizzer to thwart the takedown. An accidental headbutt from Miller creates a swell on Bisping’s forehead. Ref Steve Mazzagatti calls time briefly, then Bisping jabs on the restart. Nice right hand from Bisping. Miller swings and misses with a right, then goes for a sloppy takedown. Bisping easily stuff it. Miller is fading, and “The Count” turns it on against the cage with several hard body shots. Punishing right body hook by Bisping. Nice punches and a knee from Bisping. Straight right from Bisping, and now he is just teeing off on Miller. Mayhem is all busted up and goes down with 10 seconds left. Bisping is pounding on him and is close to stopping the fight, but the horn sounds to end the second round. 10-9 round for Bisping.
Round 3:
Mayhem comes forward to start the round. Bisping stuffs a takedown attempt. Big straight right from The Count. A right hook from Bisping bothers Miller. Miller backing up looking very worn out. Bisping with a jab and a straight behind it. Bisping easily stuffs another takedown and Mayhem is just turtled up now. Bisping is throwing left hooks to the head, and hard knees to the body. Referee tells Mayhem he’s “got to do something”. Miller rolls to his back and Bisping starts hammering him with ground and pound. Mayhems face is all bloody and swollen. Hard left hooks from Bisping turtle Miller up again. Two brutal left knees to the body, and more hooks to the head from Bisping. Miller eats one more knee while turtled up and Mazzagatti has seen enough.
Michael “The Count” Bisping wins by TKO at 3:34 of Round 3.
