The Ultimate Fighter 9 Results
by Robert Sargent
Although marred by some dreadful scoring from the judges, the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 9 was otherwise a solid card, with Brits Ross Pearson and James Wilks winning UFC contracts and Diego Sanchez mauling Clay Guida in the main event.
Elsewhere on the main card, Chris Lytle had to recover after getting rocked in round one by Kevin Burns, but came back strong in the latter two rounds to earn a Unanimous Decision.
Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez vs Clay "The Carpenter" Guida
After completely destroying Guida for most of round one, Sanchez endured two rounds of relative lay and pray from Guida and did enough from his back to earn a Split Decision win that was nowhere near that close. This was one of many fights on the evening that featured terrible judging, but Guida can take solace in the fact that the UFC magically removes losses from his record on a routine basis, so perhaps they won't even acknowledge this one. Amusing as always.Sanchez immediately rushed forward and teed off with dozens of hooks and uppercuts, while Guida threw back numerous punches of his own and landed exactly none of them. Guida was rocked by two big uppercuts from Sanchez and tried to dive for a takedown. Sanchez had none of it and continued to punish Guida with a jumping knee and more big punches. It should be noted that less than 20 seconds had elapsed at this point. Sanchez knocked Guida's mouthpiece out and drilled him with another flying knee and more punches. He continued to maul Guida with more knees and punches until Guida scored a takedown. Sanchez used rubber guard to keep Guida in place, while Guida tried unsuccessfully to use elbows. Sanchez scrambled to his feet and avoided a guillotine choke attempt, then landed more punches. Time was called to retrieve Guida's mouthpiece. Action resumed and Sanchez floored Guida with a devastating head kick. Guida somehow survived and got up, but ate more punches and knees. Sanchez landed vicious uppercuts and Guida clinched. Sanchez scored a body-lock takedown and landed elbows. Complete destruction. 10-8 Sanchez.
Sanchez opened round two with a head kick and pressed forward with quick punches. Guida scored a takedown, but Sanchez landed hard elbow strikes from the bottom. Guida landed weak hammerfists from the top, but did absolutely no damage. Sanchez looked for a Kimura, but Guida broke free and finally landed a few decent strikes. Guida continued to do nothing on top and Sanchez battered him with big elbow strikes to the top of his head. The elbows cut Guida badly and Sanchez landed more of them. Guida, bleeding all over the place, landed a few weak punches, but his lay and pray tactics were doing nothing to Sanchez. The round ended. 10-9 Sanchez.
In between rounds, Guida's corner correctly told him that he needed to do way more from the top. Sanchez began round three with a quick one-two and evaded a combination from Guida. Sanchez avoided a takedown and landed a head kick. More quick punches landed for Sanchez, but Guida scored with a hard right hook. Both fighters landed big punches at the same time and Sanchez followed with a combination. Sanchez tried for another head kick and avoided a takedown, then took Guida's back. Guida spun to the side and took top position. Sanchez attempted an arm-triangle choke from the bottom, but Guida got free. Sanchez then attempted a Kimura and nearly secured it, then switched to an armbar just before the end of the round. 10-9 Sanchez.
The second and third rounds were close, but Guida's extreme lack of offence on the ground should not have been enough to take the rounds from Sanchez and his superior striking and submission attempts. Sanchez should have won this fight with three scores of 29-27 or better, but judge Patricia Morse Jarman not only erroneously scored the first round as just a 10-9 for Sanchez, but also rewarded Guida's lay and pray by giving him the second and third rounds. That is atrocious judging. Thankfully, the other two judges actually watched the fight and scored it for Sanchez, who takes a Split Decision that should have been convincingly unanimous.
Winner: Diego Sanchez by Split Decision (29-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 21-2-0.
TUF 9 Welterweight Finale
James "Lightning" Wilks vs DaMarques Johnson
Showcasing impressive striking and a phenomenal ground game, Wilks simply overwhelmed Johnson and finished the fight with a rear naked choke very late in round one to become The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 Welterweight Winner.Wilks staggered Johnson early on with a one-two, then backed him up against the cage and landed knees to the body. Johnson broke free of the clinch and backed away, but was tagged with more punches. Wilks scored with more knees from a Thai clinch and the fighters traded punches. Johnson tried for a takedown, but wound up on his back. Wilks stood up and dropped down for a heel hook, but Johnson punched his way free. Wilks attempted another heel hook, then switched to a calf slicer. Johnson powered out and struck from the top, but had to immediately fight off omoplata and triangle choke attempts. Wilks transitioned to a triangle armbar, then secured a tight omoplata and used it to take Johnson's back. Johnson stood up, but was tripped down again. Wilks took Johnson's back and tried for a series of rear naked chokes. Johnson fought them off for nearly a minute, but finally submitted with just eight seconds left in the round.
With the impressive win, Wilks earns a UFC contract and becomes this season's welterweight winner.
Winner: James Wilks by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:52 of round one. He improves to 6-2-0 and becomes TUF 9 Welterweight Winner.
Chris "Lights Out" Lytle vs Kevin "The Fire" Burns
For one of the first times in his entire career, Lytle was badly rocked late in round one of this fight, but he gamely fought his way back and won the second and third rounds with relentless punches and earned a Unanimous Decision in the process.Round one began with a wild exchange, but neither fighter landed. Burns attempted a looping hook, but fell. Lytle allowed him to stand, then caught Burns with an overhand right and two hooks. Burns blocked a lunging left hook and countered with a hard right. Lytle backed Burns up with more wild and looping punches, but missed with all of them. Both fighters targeted the body, as Lytle landed a right hook and Burns countered with a kick. Burns landed a knee, but caught Lytle with a kick to the groin. Time was called, but action soon resumed and Burns rocked Lytle with a pair of short counterpunches. Burns dropped Lytle with an uppercut and blasted him with more punches. Lytle managed to fight his way back up and tried for a takedown, but Burns rocked him again with an elbow. Burns then threw knees and a variety of power punches in the final seconds, but Lytle managed to survive until the bell. 10-9 Burns.
Another big exchange began round two, and Lytle backed Burns up with a right hook. Both fighters threw big punches and Burns landed a knee to the body. Lytle landed two body shots and countered a takedown attempt with a guillotine choke. Burns escaped and the fight returned to the feet. Lytle began to wear Burns down with more right hooks to the body, as Burns seemed to tire. Burns once again strayed low with a kick and time was briefly called. The fighters traded body kicks and Lytle followed up with more punches to the ribs. Both missed with quick flurries and clinched, where Burns landed a low knee. He was surprisingly not deducted a point and the fight soon resumed, with Burns landing two kicks before the bell. 10-9 Lytle.
Lytle caught a kick from Burns in the final round and drilled him with an overhand right that opened a huge gash above Burns's left eye. Blood immediately streamed all down Burns's face and chest. Burns landed a knee and two body kicks, but Lytle fired back with wild punches. Lytle scored with overhand rights and the fighters traded body shots. Burns missed with a Superman Punch and was cracked with a counter right hook. Three more hooks landed for Lytle and he targeted the body again. Burns landed a body kick and Lytle countered with punches to the head and ribs. Lytle staggered Burns with a massive overhand right, but Burns stayed on his feet. More power punches landed for Lytle and Burns continued to bleed heavily from above the eye. The fighters exchanged strikes and Lytle scored with a combination. Lytle stalked Burns and landed more hard punches as an exhausted Burns tried to counter. Lytle blocked a head kick, but Burns landed a kick to the body. Lytle landed a body shot and a one-two. More punches were exchanged until the bell. Great fight. 10-9 Lytle.
All three judges scored the fight in favour of Lytle, who takes the win in a fight that he was dangerously close to losing early on.
Winner: Chris Lytle by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 27-17-5.
TUF 9 Lightweight Finale
Ross "The Real Deal" Pearson vs Andre Winner
In an extremely close, back-and-forth bout, Pearson emerged victorious in the battle of Britain and became The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 Lightweight Winner.The first round began with a series of missed punches, as both fighters looked to set up combinations. An exchange of leg kicks ended with Pearson trying unsuccessfully for another flurry. Winner clinched and pressed Pearson against the cage, where both tried for a takedown. Neither could take the other down, and Winner switched to a Thai clinch. He let it go to defend another takedown attempt, then cracked Pearson with an elbow over the top and a knee to the body. Winner clinched and landed a low knee, and time was called briefly. The fighters traded short uppercuts and Winner landed a few knees. Winner finished the round strong with knees and quick punches. Very close round. 10-9 Winner.
Pearson opened round two with a pair of leg kicks and a one-two that sent Winner backwards. Winner clinched and the fight returned to the cage, where Pearson tried for a takedown. Winner defended and landed strikes to the ribs of Pearson, and both fighters threw short strikes from in close. Winner landed knees to the body and Pearson looked to score with one of his own, but missed. He landed a solid uppercut, however, but Winner fired back with a pair of elbows. Winner blocked a head kick from Pearson, but ate a right hook. Another clinch against the cage saw Pearson land short knees. Winner ended the round with a quick flurry and a body shot, but Pearson took the razor-thin second stanza. 10-9 Pearson.
With the fight literally up for grabs, both fighters threw big punches early in round three, but Winner missed and Pearson landed cleanly. Pearson backed Winner to the cage and Winner looked to counter with short right hooks and knees. Pearson scored with an uppercut and a knee as the fighters separated, and both landed hooks in a subsequent exchange. Pearson landed a right hook and Winner clinched. The two exchanged strikes and Winner semi-sprawled to defend a takedown, then got back up. Both fighters landed uppercuts in an exchange, but Winner seemed to be tired. They traded punches and Pearson got the better of the exchange. Winner pressed Pearson against the cage and more punches were thrown. Pearson landed a solid knee just before the bell rang to end the fight. 10-9 Pearson.
All three judges agreed and awarded the close fight to Pearson, who earns a UFC contract and becomes this season's lightweight winner.
Winner: Ross Pearson by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 9-3-0 and becomes TUF 9 Lightweight Winner.
Joe "Daddy" Stevenson vs Nate Diaz
Winning a fight that was mostly contested on the ground, TUF Season 2 Winner Stevenson picked up a badly needed victory over TUF Season 5 Winner Diaz, who has now lost two in a row.Diaz rushed forward and looked to strike, but Stevenson scored a quick takedown. Diaz tried for a guillotine choke, then switched to a modified version, but Stevenson escaped and stood up. He dropped back into Diaz's half-guard and threw weak punches as Diaz looked to scramble. Stevenson kept him in place and transitioned to a crucifix on Diaz's back, then looked to isolate Diaz's arm. Diaz managed to get up and tried to free his arms, but Stevenson tripped him and trapped him in a variation of the cradle body lock. Diaz escaped and wound up on top, but Stevenson promptly locked on his trademarked guillotine choke. However, Diaz rolled and escaped the choke, then regained guard. The fight briefly returned to the feet, but Stevenson scored another takedown and looked to pass guard. Diaz scrambled and stood up. Stevenson secured a front headlock before the bell. 10-9 Stevenson.
Diaz taunted Stevenson and looked to strike again in round two, but Stevenson once again scored a takedown. Diaz countered with a guillotine choke and rolled to mount. Stevenson swept Diaz and wound up on top, but Diaz refused to relinquish the choke. Stevenson battled free and got to his feet, then used a front headlock to force Diaz to the mat. Stevenson landed knees to the body as Diaz kneeled down, then put Diaz on his back. Stevenson tried to pass to side-control, but could not and had to fight off a triangle attempt. Diaz stood up and Stevenson backed him to the cage, then tried for a takedown. Diaz went for a guillotine choke and a Kimura, but Stevenson secured the takedown. Diaz looked to sweep, but Stevenson remained on top and landed small strikes. Diaz attempted another triangle choke, but Stevenson escaped and the fighters stood. Stevenson tried for another takedown before the bell. 10-9 Stevenson.
Diaz refused to touch gloves to begin round three, so Stevenson shot for another takedown. Diaz maintained control of Stevenson's arm and prevented Stevenson from securing the takedown. On the feet, Stevenson looked to take Diaz's back, but Diaz threw Stevenson to the mat and punched from a standing position. Stevenson worked his way up and escaped a guillotine choke. Diaz took Stevenson's back and tried for a rear naked choke, but Stevenson escaped that as well. A scramble saw the fight return to the feet, where Stevenson clinched and landed knees to the body. He tried for a takedown, but Diaz once again fought it off by controlling Stevenson's arm. The fighters separated and Diaz looked to strike, but Stevenson clinched once again. Diaz scored a partial Judo throw, then fought off three takedown attempts with punches to Stevenson's head. 10-9 Diaz.
The judges unanimously awarded the hard-fought grappling victory to Stevenson, who potentially saved himself from the chopping block with this much-needed win.
Winner: Joe Stevenson by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 30-10-0.
Undercard Fights:
"The Young Assassin" Melvin Guillard defeated Gleison Tibau by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. This fight featured highway robbery from the judges, who awarded the fight to Guillard in an absolutely terrible decision. Tibau scored numerous takedowns throughout the fight and controlled much of the duration, and deserved to win at least the first and third rounds. Fights like this one are shining examples of why MMA scoring and judging issues need to be addressed. Tibau should have won this fight. Regardless, Guillard takes the victory. Guillard's fight record varies tremendously from one listing to another, but we'll stick with his officially credited one. As such, Guillard improves to 22-7-2, 1 NC with the win."Bad" Brad Blackburn defeated Edgar Garcia by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. Much like the Guillard vs Tibau fight, this was also heavily marred by dreadful scoring, and the fans showered the arena with boos when the judges' tallies were read. Garcia hurt Blackburn with a slam in round one and landed solid strikes late in the round, but Blackburn clearly dominated the second stanza with kicks and punches. Round three was close, but Garcia landed combinations in the final 30 seconds and dropped Blackburn with a left hook just before the bell. Somehow, that wasn't enough. The crowd absolutely hated the verdict, and with good reason. Patricia Morse Jarman managed to screw up every close fight all night, and this one gave Garcia his first loss in a fight that he should have won. Terrible. Blackburn improves to 14-9-1, 1 NC with the win.
Tomasz "Gorilla" Drwal defeated Mike Ciesnolevicz by TKO (Knee & Punches) at 4:48 of round one. There was no judging controversy here, as Drwal scored takedowns throughout the first round and mixed in a handful of decent punches. Late in the round, he rocked Ciesnolevicz with a combination, then dropped him with a picture-perfect knee. Drwal immediately followed up with punches on a stunned Ciesnolevicz until the referee stopped the fight. Solid win for Drawl, whose knockout power can pose a threat to anyone. Drawl improves to 16-2-0 with the win.
"Slick" Nick Osipczak defeated Frank "The Tank" Lester by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:40 of round one. After a back-and-forth opening three minutes, Osipczak rocked Lester with a right cross and followed with a knee to the face as Lester shot for a takedown. Osipczak quickly took Lester's back and secured a rear naked choke, which forced Lester to submit. Yet another impressive win for Osipczak, whose victories have all come in the first round. Osipczak improves to 4-0-0 with the win.
Jason "Dynamite" Dent defeated Cameron "Money Man" Dollar by Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 4:46 of round one. With the crowd firmly behind him, Dollar controlled much of the first round with effective punches to the head and body. However, Dent landed a hard left hook to the body in the final minute and countered a takedown attempt from Dollar with an Anaconda Choke. Dollar gamely tried to escape the choke, but Dent rolled and tightened the grip and Dollar was forced to tap out. Nice win for Dent, who now gets a second shot in the UFC. Dent improves to 19-9-0 with the win.
Outside of the mind-numbingly awful scoring from the judges - namely, Patricia Morse Jarman - in some of the fights, the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 9 was otherwise a great event and showcased many fighters who could potentially be stars in the UFC in the coming years.
