The Ultimate Fighter 12 concluded tonight with the TUF 12 Finale from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was headlined by the season’s lightweight final between Jonathan Brookins and Michael “The Menace” Johnson. The winner received a six-figure contract with the UFC.
Also on the card, TUF 1 veteran “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar clashed with Igor “The Duke” Pokrajac, while submission ace Demian Maia battled TUF 3 winner Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove in a middleweight bout. MMARising.com has play-by-play for tonight’s TUF 12 Finale event.
TUF 12 Lightweight Final
Jonathan Brookins vs Michael “The Menace” Johnson
Round 1:
Johnson scored with quick hooks and combinations early in the fight and Brookins answered with a lead right hand. He clinched and tried for a takedown, but Johnson stayed on his feet. A three-punch flurry backed Brookins up and Johnson dropped him with a left hook coming in. Brookins recovered, but not before eating a series of punches and a knee.
Johnson rocked Brookins again with punches and more knees. He threw him to the mat and tried for a guillotine choke. Brookins stood and was cracked by more punches. He managed to clinch, but Johnson punched free. Brookins dropped down for a takedown and nearly took Johnson’s back, but Johnson got back to his feet and landed a one-two. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 2:
Johnson landed punches again early in round two, but Brookins took him down and scored with powerful shots from the top. Brookins postured up and landed more short punches. A big right hand followed for Brookins and he moved to half-guard. Brookins slashed at Johnson’s face with elbows and prevented him from moving anywhere.
Brookins continued to batter Johnson with punches and elbows on the ground and pressed him up against the cage. Johnson stood and Brookins latched onto his leg. He picked Johnson up and slammed him down, then resumed his assault with punches from the top. Brookins tried for a Kimura on Johnson’s right arm before the bell. 10-9 Brookins.
Round 3:
A three-punch flurry scored for Johnson to open round three and Brookins wasted little time in clinching against the cage. He tripped Johnson to the mat and tried to keep him there as Johnson looked to use the cage to get back to a standing position. Brookins landed elbows and moved to mount against the cage. Johnson reversed and stood up, then briefly took Brookins’s back.
Brookins spun into the clinch and lateral dropped Johnson to the ground. He moved to half-guard and used punches to set up a far-side Kimura attempt. Johnson defended, but Brookins landed elbows. Brookins postured up to land more powerful strikes and nearly passed to side control. He landed more punches, then stood and blasted Johnson with strikes until the bell. 10-9 Brookins.
Winner: Jonathan Brookins by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27) after three rounds. He improves to 12-3-0 and becomes the TUF 12 Lightweight Winner.
“The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar vs Igor “The Duke” Pokrajac
Round 1:
The fighters clinched right away and Bonnar landed punches to the body. He took Pokrajac down and struck from the top, then moved to side control. Pokrajac swept and got back to his feet. Big punches were exchanged and Pokrajac landed a hard right cross. Bonnar pulled guard with a guillotine choke and tried to roll through. He lost the hold, but wound up on top.
Bonnar landed punches and passed to half-guard. He switched to elbows to the body and used them to set up a pass to side control. Pokrajac tried to scramble to his feet and Bonnar looked to take his back. Bonnar landed punches, but was warned for strikes to the back of the head. Pokrajac could not get to his feet until seconds before the bell. 10-9 Bonnar.
Round 2:
Pokrajac rushed in with punches in round two and Bonnar answered with a one-two. Pokrajac followed with knees and Bonnar pinned him against the cage. He landed knees and avoided Pokrajac’s attempt to throw him to the mat. Bonnar took Pokrajac down and landed punches and hammerfists from side control. He tried to isolate Pokrajac’s arm for a keylock.
Pokrajac was warned for knees to the head on the ground, but managed to scramble to his knees and stood. Punches were exchanged and Bonnar landed knees to the body. He scored with standing elbows as well, but ate a knee. The fighters traded punches in close and Bonnar circled away. Pokrajac connected with a flurry of punches, but Bonnar clinched and landed uppercuts. Pokrajac was decucted one point at the end of the round for his illegal knees. 10-8 Bonnar.
Round 3:
Bonnar landed two kicks to begin the final round and took Pokrajac down against the fence. He struck from the top with elbows, but Pokrajac countered with upkicks. Bonnar passed Pokrajac’s guard and moved to partial mount. He postured up with punches and elbows to both the head and body, then transitioned to side control.
Pokrajac rolled to his knees and Bonnar tried to take his back to set up a rear-naked choke. He lost the position and Pokrajac wound up on top, but Bonnar escaped an armbar attempt and worked from Pokrajac’s half-guard. He punched and elbowed at Pokrajac’s shoulder and temple. In the final seconds, Bonnar was deducted one point for strikes to the back of the head. 9-9.
Winner: Stephan Bonnar by Unanimous Decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-26) after three rounds. He improves to 13-7-0.
Demian Maia vs Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove
Round 1:
Both fighters landed left hooks early on and Maia followed with a second one soon after. Grove flurried with a three-punch combo that backed Maia up, but Maia recovered and countered with punches before taking Grove down. Grove stood and Maia took his back. He dragged Grove back down and tried for a rear-naked choke as Grove got up.
Maia continued to trip Grove each time he stood and hunted for the choke. Maia wound up on top in half-guard and scored with elbows as Grove rolled. Maia landed more strikes from half-guard and Grove again tried to roll to the side. After a series of right hands, Grove scrambled. Maia took his back and nearly secured a rear-naked choke late in the round. 10-9 Maia.
Round 2:
Maia looked for a takedown in the second round, but Grove pulled his leg free and landed a short right uppercut. Maia fell to his knees, but stood and Grove landed a right hook. Maia took Grove down near the cage and postured up, then landed punches and elbows from half-guard. Grove swept and stood up, but Maia immediately closed the distance and tried for a takedown.
Grove landed an elbow and stayed on his feet, but Maia tripped him on the second try. Grove upkicked from the bottom, but Maia passed his guard and took back control. Maia worked for a rear-naked choke as Grove used both hands to defend. Maia was unable to secure the choke, but stayed on Grove’s back and landed punches until the end of the round. 10-9 Maia.
Round 3:
Maia scored with a counter right hook early in the final round, but Grove landed a pair of right hands and stayed on the outside. Maia missed with left hooks, but managed to land a right. The fighters were cautious with strikes, but Maia connected with a right hook and tried for a takedown. Grove defended with a jumping knee and hammerfists. He mixed in elbows and stayed on his feet until the bell. 10-9 Grove.
Winner: Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-2-0.
Rick “The Horror” Story vs Johny Hendricks
Round 1:
Hendricks landed a hard left hook early in the fight and clinched, but Story shrugged him off. He closed in with punches to the body and looked for a takedown. Hendricks stayed on his feet and Story backed away. Another left hook landed for Hendricks, but Story fired back with a big flurry and clinched. Hendricks circled free and landed a quick one-two.
A solid leg kick scored for Story and he followed with two punches and a body kick. Hendricks caught it, but Story punished him with punches to the ribs. A knee to the body and a left hand backed Hendricks up and Story followed with more punches and a kick. Hendricks countered with a left hand and caught a kick. He took Story down, but Story got back to his feet before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Story.
Round 2:
Hendricks opened round two with a quick flurry, but Story blasted him with a barrage of punches to the head and body and took him down. Hendricks tried for a guillotine choke, but Story escaped. The fighters stood and Story countered a takedown by securing back control. Hendricks escaped out the back and tried for another guillotine. Story stood and Hendricks landed a knee. Story punched and kneed at Hendricks’s ribs.
Hendricks tried to take Story down and very briefly did so, but Story stood and connected with a one-two to the body. Punches were exchanged and Story took Hendricks down against the cage. Hendricks stood and Story kneed his thigh. Hendricks attempted a switch, but Story maintained a waistlock and punched to the leg and body. The fighters traded punches in the final seconds. 10-9 Story.
Round 3:
Hendricks tripped Story to the mat very early in the final round, but Story used a guillotine choke to roll to mount. Hendricks got to his knees and Story punched to the body. The fighters stood and Story looked to counter a takedown with a Kimura. Hendricks tried to pin him down against the cage, but Story defended and maintained his grip on Hendricks’s right arm.
Story stood and Hendricks dumped him to the mat. The fighters stood and Story tried to take Hendricks’s back. Hendricks escaped and got Story down to his knees again. Story got up once more and Hendricks tried to pick him up for a slam. Story countered with knees and stayed on his feet. He landed elbows to the body and tried for a Kimura before the bell. 10-10.
Winner: Rick Story by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 12-3-0.
Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia vs Nam Phan
Round 1:
Phan closed the distance early on and landed a hard flurry, but Garcia replied with punches of his own and a solid leg kick. A right cross and a left hook also landed for Garcia and the fighters exchanged body kicks. Phan put together a nice combination to the head and body and Garcia answered with left hooks to the body. Phan landed one of his own and avoided a flying knee, but Garcia scored with a lead left hook.
Phan jabbed and avoided Garcia’s haymakers. An uppercut from Garcia partially landed and he briefly looked to land jabs of his own. Phan countered with a combination and Garcia landed a leg kick. A big flurry scored for Phan and he followed up with two head kicks as Garcia threw extremely wild punches. Phan targeted the body and backed Garcia up with a one-two late in the round. 10-9 Phan.
Round 2:
Garcia opened round two with a kick to the upper body and a hard left hook to the liver. He remained active with strikes and ducked under a right hook from Phan. Garcia circled into a head kick, but landed a left hook. Phan connected with one of his own and followed with an uppercut. Garcia took Phan down briefly, but Phan used the cage to get back to his feet.
Phan scored with jabs and hurt Garcia with a big flurry. More punches landed for Phan and Garcia fell to his back. Phan swarmed with strikes on the ground and took Garcia’s back. He tried for a rear-naked choke, but Garcia defended. Phan continued to try for the choke until the bell, but Garcia escaped danger and time expired. 10-9 Phan.
Round 3:
An exchange of punches opened the final round and Garcia landed an overhand right. Garcia remained wild with kicks and a knee, but managed to take Phan down against the cage. Phan stood and Garcia landed a knee to the body on the way. Phan scored with a one-two to the body and ate a left hook. Garcia missed badly with sloppy punches as he began to fatigue.
Phan sprawled out of a takedown and landed elbows. The fighters stood and Phan punched to the body. Phan jabbed and avoided Garcia’s slow counterpunches. He mixed up punches to the head and body and the fighters teed off in a brief exchange. Garcia clinched and Phan circled out, then landed an uppercut. Phan scored with jabs before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Phan.
Two judges inexplicably awarded the fight to Phan, who took a Split Decision victory to a chorus of boos.
Winner: Leonard Garcia by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-30) after three rounds. He improves to 15-6-1.
Undercard Fights:
Cody “AK Kid” McKenzie defeated Aaron “The Daywalker” Wilkinson by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:03 of round one. He improves to 12-0-0 with the win.
Ian “The Barn Owl” Loveland defeated Tyler “Thunder” Toner by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-7-0 with the win.
Kyle Watson defeated Sako “The Chainsaw” Chivitchyan by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-6-1 with the win.
Nick Pace defeated Will Campuzano by Submission (Pillory Choke) at 4:33 of round three. He improves to 6-1-0 with the win.
Pablo “The Scarecrow” Garza defeated Fredson Paixao by KO (Flying Knee) at 0:51 of round one. He improves to 10-1-0 with the win.
Dave Branch defeated Rich “The Raging Bull” Attonito by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 8-1-0 with the win.