The Ultimate Fighter season 14 concluded tonight at The Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card featured a middleweight bout between TUF 14 coaches Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Michael “The Count” Bisping. The season’s featherweight and bantamweight winners were also crowned.
In the bantamweight final, Team Alpha Male prospect T.J. Dillashaw looked to stay unbeaten when he faced Jackson’s MMA ace John “The Magician” Dodson. Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez faced Diego “Ceara” Brandao in the featherweight finale. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Michael “The Count” Bisping vs Jason “Mayhem” Miller
Round 1:
Miller looked to clinch early on, but ate a counter left hand. He landed a nice body kick and Bisping pressed him up against the cage. Miller circled away and landed a body kick and a wild left hand. A right hook backed Bisping up briefly and he countered with a one-two. Miller landed two hooks and slammed Bisping to the mat. He moved to a partial mount and trapped Bisping’s legs.
Miller landed a handful of short punches and kept Bisping pinned down. He postured up and landed hard punches, but Bisping held on. Miller moved to full mount, but Bisping used the cage to wall walk back to his feet. Bisping landed a right cross and a jab, then followed with a counter left hook. Miller slipped to the mat briefly, but stood and more jabs were exchanged. 10-9 Miller.
Round 2:
Punches and leg kicks were exchanged in round two and Miller clinched for a takedown. He landed a knee to the body, but could not get Bisping down. The fighters separated and time was called after a clash of heads. Action resumed and Bisping landed jabs as Miller’s nose bled. Miller missed with a combination and Bisping landed a right cross. He stuffed a takedown from Miller and landed a knee to the ribs.
Miller missed with sloppy punches and rolled for a leglock. He got to a knee and Bisping landed a grazing soccer kick that went undetected. Miller latched onto Bisping’s ankle, but Bisping stayed on his feet and Miller seemed to fade. Big punches landed for Bisping and Miller replied with a body kick. Bisping landed knees and punches as a gassed Miller taunted. Bisping stuffed a takedown and landed punches until the bell. 10-9 Bisping, if not 10-8.
Round 3:
Miller closed the distance with punches in the third round, but Bisping avoided most of them and countered with crisp strikes of his own. He stuffed a takedown and both fighters landed right hooks. Bisping jabbed and landed right hands. Miller struggled to land anything and Bisping picked his shots. Time was called after Bisping was poked in the eye. Action quickly resumed and Miller shot in for a takedown. Bisping sprawled out and punched to the sides of the head.
Bisping stood and landed knees to the body, then peppered Miller with more punches. Miller rolled, but Bisping kept him down and continued to strike from the top. Miller upkicked and tried to roll away, but Bisping had none of it and punched away from Miller’s guard. Miller gave up his back and Bisping landed more knees to the body. After two knees and punches, the fight was stopped.
Winner: Michael Bisping by TKO (Knees To The Body & Punches) at 3:34 of round three. He improves to 22-3-0.
TUF 14 Featherweight Finale
Diego “Ceara” Brandao vs Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez
Round 1:
Brandao opened the fight aggressively with a leg kick and just missed with a looping right hand. Punches were exchanged and Bermudez caught a kick. He tripped Brandao and tried for a guillotine choke as Brandao stood. Brandao escaped and both fighters landed kicks on the feet. Bermudez scored with a knee and a jumping kick to the body. Brandao floored him with a left-right combo, but Bermudez quickly got back to his feet. Bermudez landed a hard uppercut, but Brandao sent him off-balance with a left hook counter.
A running knee sent Bermudez to the mat again and Brandao tried to take his back. He did so, then slammed Bermudez down after he stood up. Bermudez landed a right cross and dropped Brandao with a counter right as Brandao rushed in. Bermudez swarmed with punches on the ground and escaped a kneebar attempt. He blasted Brandao with more punches, but Brandao locked up an armbar with seconds to go and Bermudez tapped out. Bermudez’s left arm appeared to be injured from the hold. Excellent fight and an incredible finish.
Winner: Diego Brandao by Submission (Armbar) at 4:51 of round one. He improves to 18-7-0 and becomes the TUF 14 Featherweight winner.
TUF 14 Bantamweight Finale
John “The Magician” Dodson vs T.J. Dillashaw
Round 1:
Dodson sent Dillashaw off-balance with a left hook very early in the fight, but Dillashaw recovered and landed kicks to the body. He just missed with uppercuts and the fighters traded leg kicks. A left hook and a head kick landed for Dodson and he badly rocked Dillashaw with a huge left hand. A second punch dropped Dillashaw and Dodson followed with punches before referee Herb Dean intervened for the stoppage.
Winner: John Dodson by TKO (Punches) at 1:54 of round one. He improves to 12-5-0 and becomes the TUF 14 Bantamweight winner.
Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson vs Yves “Thugjitsu Master” Edwards
Round 1:
Edwards jabbed in the opening minute and the fighters traded kicks to the legs and body. Ferguson landed two leg kicks and a pair of lead right hands. Edwards answered with a counter hook and a head kick that backed Ferguson up. Edwards scored with another combination, but Ferguson rocked him briefly with a right hook.
Ferguson remained aggressive with punches and leg kicks. He sent Edwards off-balance with punches and kept the pressure on. Edwards staggered, but managed to stay on his feet. He landed a head kick and tried for a takedown. The fighters scrambled up. Good opening round. 10-9 Ferguson.
Round 2:
Ferguson landed more leg kicks in round two and Edwards looked to answer with quick punches. Edwards scored with a hard right hand and a head kick, then followed with a flying knee. Ferguson retreated momentarily, but regained his footing and resumed jabbing. He switched stances and threw lead right hands and leg kicks. Edwards bloodied Ferguson’s nose with jabs of his own.
Edwards began to mix up his punches to the head and body and countered a combination from Ferguson. A nice overhand left scored for Edwards, but Ferguson quickly answered back with a right. Edwards landed a head kick and clinched for a takedown. Ferguson stuffed it and took Edwards down against the cage just before the end of the round. 10-9 Edwards.
Round 3:
Edwards landed punch-kick combos in the final round and Ferguson answered with a hard kick to the body. Edwards ducked under a one-two from Ferguson and landed a leg kick. Ferguson landed a left hook in return and followed with a series of jabs. Edwards landed a nice left cross and another leg kick. Both fighters mixed up their strikes and targeted the head and body.
Edwards tried for a head kick and Ferguson blocked it. Edwards jabbed and continued to land leg kicks while avoiding Ferguson’s counterpunches. Edwards grazed the chin of Ferguson with a looping left and landed a head kick seconds later. A right hook scored for Edwards and Ferguson threw a head kick of his own. Edwards landed a combo just before the bell. 10-9 Edwards.
Two judges awarded the close second and third rounds to Ferguson, while a third gave Ferguson two of three rounds. Ferguson takes the decision.
Winner: Tony Ferguson by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-2-0.
“Brutal” Johnny Bedford vs Louis “Goodnight” Gaudinot
Round 1:
Bedford scored a takedown early in the fight and landed knees. Gaudinot got back to his feet and punches were briefly exchanged before Bedford tripped Gaudinot to the mat again. He landed in mount and fired off punches as Gaudinot covered up. More punches scored for Bedford and Gaudinot gave up his back. Bedford used punches to try to set up a rear-naked choke, but Gaudinot defended. Bedford postured up in Gaudinot’s guard and landed punches and elbows before the bell. 10-9 Bedford. Close to a 10-8.
Round 2:
Bedford opened round two with punches and knees to the body. Gaudinot escaped a clinch and attempted a spinning backfist, but Bedford took him down. He landed more knees and punches to the ribs and fought out of a guillotine choke. Gaudinot stood and was taken down again. Bedford punched from the top and tried to pass from half-guard to side control. Gaudinot kept him in place, but remained on the defensive at all times. Bedford moved to mount and used elbows to set up an armbar, but could not get it. 10-9 Bedford. Another borderline 10-8.
Round 3:
Bedford continued to dominate the striking early in the final round and landed punching combinations. He dropped Gaudinot with punches to the body and followed with knees and even soccer kicks to the ribs on the ground. Gaudinot turtled and Bedford landed more knees until the fight was finally stopped.
Winner: Johnny Bedford by TKO (Knees To The Body) at 1:58 of round three. He improves to 18-9-1.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)