The Ultimate Fighting Championship once again remained at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight for The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale. The event was headlined by a featherweight matchup between top contenders Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and Chad “Money” Mendes.
Also on the card tonight, Artem “The Russian Hammer” Lobov took on Ryan Hall in the TUF 22 Lightweight Final. In other featured action at 155 pounds tonight, Edson Barboza squared off against Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the TUF 22 Finale main card.
Frankie “The Answer” Edgar vs Chad “Money” Mendes
Round 1:
Mendes chopped away at Edgar’s lead leg with kicks in the opening minute and Edgar fired back with quick flurries of punches. A crisp right hand and a one-two scored for Edgar, but Mendes continued to punish his lead leg with kicks. Seconds later, Edgar landed a vicious right-left combo that dropped Mendes like a rock. Mendes appeared to briefly lose consciousness and the fight was waved off as he began to recover.
Winner: Frankie Edgar by KO (Punches) at 2:28 of round one. He improves to 20-4-1.
TUF 22 Lightweight Final
Ryan “The Wizard” Hall vs Artem “The Russian Hammer” Lobov
Round 1:
Hall attempted a rolling heel hook early in the fight and he transitioned soon after to a tight rear-naked choke. Lobov refused to submit and he managed to break Hall’s grip. Hall struck from back control throughout the round and he tried to set up another rear-naked choke with 40 seconds to go. Lobov tried to stand up, but Hall kept him pinned down until the bell. 10-9 Hall.
Round 2:
Lobov landed counter right hooks and avoided a heel hook attempt in round two, but Hall got him down by pulling guard. He attempted a kneebar, but Lobov escaped and stood up. Hall pulled guard again and Lobov punched from the top. Hall countered with hammerfists and a heel hook attempt. 10-9 Hall, barely.
Round 3:
Hall pulled Lobov down to the mat and once again tried for a heel hook in the final round. Lobov broke free and stood up, but Hall dragged him down again after attempting a standing rear-naked choke. Lobov stood with Hall on his back and Hall continued to try to secure a rear-naked choke. He finally got Lobov down just before time expired. 10-9 Hall.
Winner: Ryan Hall by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 5-1-0 and becomes the TUF 22 Lightweight Winner.
Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson vs Edson Barboza
Round 1:
Barboza landed an early head kick and a one-two, which prompted Ferguson to jump in with a rolling kneebar attempt. He struck from the bottom and landed an illegal upkick that stunned Barboza. Time was called and Ferguson was docked one point. The fight continued and Ferguson was aggressive with his punches. Barboza caught a kick and tripped him to the mat. On the feet, Barboza landed a counter left hook. He followed with a right hook and a spinning back kick to the face. Barboza hurt Ferguson with a left hook and a spinning back kick to the liver. 10-8 Barboza.
Round 2:
Both men sustained bad cuts from step-in elbow strikes early in the second round. Barboza tripped Ferguson and the fighters exchanged more elbows. The fight returned to the feet and Barboza landed two hooks. Ferguson ducked under a spinning wheel kick and landed a head kick. He reversed a takedown and locked on a Brabo choke. Barboza could not escape and tapped out in a pool of blood.
Winner: Tony Ferguson by Submission (Brabo Choke) at 2:54 of round two. He improves to 20-3-0.
Evan Dunham vs Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon
Round 1:
Lauzon pressed forward with punching combinations early on and Dunham countered with quick hooks while circling to the side. A big elbow scored for Lauzon in close and the fighters traded punches and knees. Both men landed one-twos and Lauzon remained the aggressor. He scored with a nice flurry and the fighters briefly clinched. Dunham finished a combination with a head kick and he spun him around with a chopping leg kick. More punches landed for Dunham and he mixed things up with leg kicks. He took Lauzon down just before the bell. 10-9 Dunham.
Round 2:
Lauzon walked through early punches from Dunham and landed a three-punch combo in the second round. Dunham answered back with a one-two and a leg kick. He pinned Lauzon against the fence and threw short right hands and knees. Lauzon cut him near the right eye with a counter knee, but Dunham was unfazed and he flurried with punches before circling away. The fighters clinched again and Dunham landed elbows over the top. Big punches and knees scored for Dunham as time ticked down. 10-9 Dunham.
Round 3:
Dunham snapped Lauzon’s head back with uppercut-hook combos in round three. A left cross and a head kick landed for Dunham and he continued to outstrike Lauzon in the exchanges. Another solid combination landed for Dunham and time was briefly called after he was kicked in the groin. Action resumed and Dunham landed a straight left hand. He backed Lauzon up with a five-punch combination and followed with another one soon after. Lauzon’s face swelled up and Dunham punished him with punches and a leg kick. 10-9 Dunham.
Winner: Evan Dunham by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 17-6-0.
Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri vs Jason “The Kid” Knight
Round 1:
Knight countered an early takedown from Kawajiri by trapping him in rubber guard from the bottom. He transitioned to a triangle choke and punished Kawajiri with elbows. Kawajiri escaped and landed short elbow strikes of his own. He cut Knight below the left eye with punches and elbows from the top. Close round. 10-9 Kawajiri.
Round 2:
Knight tried to jump into a triangle choke right away in round two and he trapped Kawajiri in rubber guard again. Kawajiri broke free and peppered Knight with more elbows. The fighters were eventually stood up and Kawajiri immediately took Knight down. He passed to half-guard and then to mount. Knight regained half-guard and Kawajiri landed hammerfists until the bell. 10-9 Kawajiri.
Round 3:
Kawajiri opened the final round with a spinning back kick to the liver and a right hand. He caught a kick from Knight and took him down. The fighters were quickly stood up and Kawajiri promptly took Knight down again. He worked for a kimura and then moved to North-South position. Kawajiri struck from the top until Knight tied up Kawajiri’s arms with his legs. A stalemate followed and the fighters were stood up again. Hard punches were exchanged and Kawajiri got Knight down. Both men landed elbows on the ground in the final 15 seconds. 10-9 Kawajiri.
Winner: Tatsuya Kawajiri by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 35-8-2.
Julian “Juicy J” Erosa vs Marcin “The Polish Zombie” Wrzosek
Round 1:
Wrzosek landed some solid combinations in the opening minute and the fighters battled in a clinch against the cage. Erosa attacked with a guillotine choke attempt as the fight hit the mat and he transitioned to a Brabo choke. Wrzosek stayed calm and fought his way free from the choke. He landed short knees and punches in the clinch before time expired. Close opening round. 10-9 Wrzosek by a slim margin.
Round 2:
Wrzosek scored a takedown early in the second round, but Erosa scrambled up to his feet and the fighters exchanged strikes in a clinch. Wrzosek rocked Erosa with two hooks and he continued to get the better of the striking battles by landing stiff jabs and combinations. Wrzosek took Erosa down late in the round and fought off a triangle choke attempt. 10-9 Wrzosek.
Round 3:
In the final round, Wrzosek landed a flying knee and Erosa countered with a takedown. Wrzosek struck from his back and scrambled up to his feet, but Erosa landed a nice uppercut and Wrzosek began to slow way down. He shot in for a takedown and Erosa easily defended. He scored a takedown of his own in the final minute and locked on another Brabo choke. Wrzosek spun free and the fight ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 Erosa.
Winner: Julian Erosa by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 15-2-0.
Undercard Fights:
– Gabriel “Napão” Gonzaga defeated Konstantin Erokhin by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-10-0 with the win.
– Ryan LaFlare defeated Mike Pierce by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 12-1-0 with the win.
– Geane “La Pulga” Herrera defeated Joby Sanchez by TKO (Punches) at 4:28 of round two. He improves to 9-1-0 with the win.
– Chris “Gritz” Gruetzemacher defeated Abner “Skullman” Lloveras by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-280 after three rounds. He improves to 13-1-0 with the win.