TUF 23 Semi-Final: Amanda Bobby Cooper Submits Lanchana GreenAfter overcoming a tough weight cut, Amanda Bobby “ABC” Cooper became the first female finalist with a big victory during tonight’s 11th episode of The Ultimate Fighter 23: “Team Joanna vs Team Claudia.” Cooper submitted teammate Lanchana Green with a first-round rear-naked choke.

Cooper initially weighed in over the strawweight limit, but she managed to shed the final 1.5 pounds in one hour. With the battle against the scale behind her, a motivated Cooper overwhelmed Green on the ground and she secured her spot in the finals by locking on the fight-ending choke.

 

The semi-final fight began with an exchange of lead left hooks and Cooper (1-1-0 pro) finished a flurry with a head kick. Green (0-1-0 pro) responded with kick-punch combos until Cooper shot in for a takedown. She got Green down and avoided her upkicks by passing to side control. Green looked to explode out, but Cooper punished her with elbows and short knees. Green regained full guard in a scramble, but Cooper landed more elbows and moved to side control again. She quickly took Green’s back and locked on a rear-naked choke. Green initially held on, but Cooper tightened her grip on the choke and Green tapped out at the 4:26 mark of the opening round.

Cooper’s victory solidified her spot in next month’s TUF 23 female strawweight final. She will face off against the winner of the second semi-final bout between Tatiana Suarez Padilla and Kate Jackson, which airs next Wednesday.