The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America Featherweight Final
Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez vs Leonardo “Chimmy” Morales
Round 1:
Morales landed leg kicks early on, but Rodriguez took him down and quickly moved to mount. He took Morales’s back and worked to set up a rear-naked choke. Rodriguez transitioned to an armbar and then a triangle choke. He switched back to an armbar and then attacked with a heel hook. The fighters were stood up and Rodriguez attempted a cartwheel kick and a spinning backfist. Morales landed a nice left hook and Rodriguez countered with a right. 10-9 Rodriguez.
Round 2:
Rodriguez clinched with Morales and scored a takedown against the cage in the second round. He worked from the top in Morales’s half-guard and landed short strikes. Rodriguez stood and threw a rolling somersault kick to the body. He tried for a heel hook and an omoplata on the mat. Rodriguez continued to alternate between the omoplata and the heel hook until Morales escaped to his feet. Morales landed an upkick from his back and attempted another heel hook before the bell. 10-9 Rodriguez.
Round 3:
Wild punches were exchanged on the feet in round three and time was called after Rodriguez was kicked in the groin. The fight continued and both men landed kicks to the legs and body. Rodriguez scored with a flurry of punches and time was called again after Morales was struck in the groin. The fight continued and Rodriguez initiated a clinch against the fence. Morales cut him near the left eye with punches as he broke away. A flying knee and follow-up punches landed for Rodriguez, but Morales replied with a hard left hook and a head kick before time expired. 10-9 Morales by a slim margin.
Winner: Yair Rodriguez by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 4-1-0 and becomes the TUF Latin America Featherweight Winner.
The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America Bantamweight Final
Alejandro “El Diablito” Perez vs José Alberto “El Teco” Quiñónez
Round 1:
Quiñónez checked an early leg kick and reversed a takedown. He took Perez’s back as the fight returned to the feet. Quiñónez caught a kick and took Perez down. He landed punches from the top, but Perez quickly stood up. Leg kicks scored for Perez and Quiñónez answered with a one-two. Perez landed more leg kicks and Quiñónez countered with a left hook. Perez connected with two big hooks and he followed with another one soon after. He wobbled Quiñónez with looping hooks before the bell. 10-9 Perez, barely.
Round 2:
Perez landed more hard kicks to Quiñónez’s legs in the second round, but Quiñónez fired back with a powerful right hand that backed Perez up. Quiñónez shot in for a takedown, but Perez stuffed it. Both men landed hooks and Perez avoided a flying knee. Quiñónez hurt Perez and literally ran after him around the cage throwing more punches. Perez recovered, but Quiñónez landed more punches late in the round. 10-9 Quiñónez.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of power punches and both men landed huge shots. Perez took Quiñónez’s back and dragged him down, then locked on a modified rear-naked choke. Quiñónez escaped and he used hammerfists to free himself from a Perez armbar. Quiñónez threw knees to the body and tried to secure a kimura from half-guard. He switched to an arm-triangle choke, but could not get it.
Time was called after Quiñónez headbutted Perez. Both men were cut by the clash of heads and Quiñónez was docked two points for what was deemed to be an intentional foul. Action resumed and Quiñónez secured a takedown after an exchange of punches. He landed short elbows from half-guard and tried to take Perez’s back. Quiñónez locked on a guillotine choke in a scramble, but time expired. 9-8 Perez.
Winner: Alejandro Perez by Unanimous Decision (29-26, 29-26, 28-27) after three rounds. He improves to 15-5-0 and becomes the TUF Latin America Bantamweight Winner.
Jessica “Evil” Eye vs Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith
Round 1:
Eye pressd forward right away and landed a series of combinations and two body kicks. A five-punch combo from Eye backed Smith up, but she regained her footing and landed a nice right hook. Eye caught a head kick, but Smith freed her leg and continued to strike. More punches scored to the head and body for Eye, who held a clear speed advantage in the exchanges.
Smith landed a right cross and a head kick, but Eye appeared to be unfazed and the fighters traded leg kicks. Eye avoided Smith’s punches and landed quick one-twos. A big right hand landed for Eye and she followed with a pair of lead left hooks. Eye cut Smith’s left ear with punches and the round ended with both women throwing hard strikes. 10-9 Eye.
Round 2:
The second round began with Eye landing more punches and the fighters exchanged knees in a clinch. Smith’s ear continued to bleed heavily and Eye picked her shots with quick punches. Time was called to check on Smith’s cauliflowered ear, which had now separated. The injury was clearly a severe one and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Jessica Eye by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 1:30 of round two. She improves to 11-2-0, 1 ND.
Gabriel “Moggly” Benitez vs Humberto “El Gato Negro” Brown Morrison
Round 1:
Brown fought through early strikes from Benitez and attempted a slam takedown, but Benitez countered with a tight flying guillotine choke. He pulled guard with the choke and Brown appeared to be about to tap out, but he held on and pulled his head free. Benitez attempted another guillotine and Brown escaped again. Brown landed punches from the top, but Benitez countered with armbar and triangle choke attempts. The fighters stood and Benitez landed a big knee. Time was called after he was kneed in the groin. Action resumed and Brown escaped from another tight guillotine. 10-9 Benitez.
Round 2:
Benitez opened round two with lunging left hands and he followed with body kicks. Benitez was kicked in the groin and time was called again. Brown was deducted one point. The fight continued and Benitez landed kicks. Brown tripped him for a split second and the fighters clinched before referee Mario Yamasaki broke them apart. Brown rushed in with a right hook and tried for another takedown. Benitez broke free from the clinch and landed a knee before the bell. 10-8 Benitez.
Round 3:
Benitez immediately tagged Brown with a one-two and a knee in the final round. He secured a power guillotine choke as Brown clinched for a takedown. Within seconds, Brown was rendered unconscious and fell to the mat.
Winner: Gabriel Benitez by Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:30 of round three. He improves to 16-4-0.
Undercard Fights:
– Enrique “Henry Bure” Briones defeated Guido “Ninja” Cannetti by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:44 of round two. He improves to 16-4-1 with the win.
– Marco “Psycho” Beltran defeated Marlon “Chito” Vera by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 6-3-0 with the win.