After many weeks of blood, sweat, and even some tears, The Ultimate Fighter Season Finale is finally upon us. This saturday the two finalists will square off to see who will become the champion of season 12. In past seasons, the Finale has always had at least one fighter who was the underdog, or a long shot to make it.
Not this year. The clear-cut two best fighters have both made short work of everyone else and will face each other in what should surely be a grueling and spirited match. The show doesn’t stop at just that fight, however. There are several fights on the card that a quick glance might not appreciate, but I assure you, it will rival some of the better events to date.
The Finalists: Jonathan Brookins vs. Michael Johnson
Most of us will be tuning in to see the two finalists slug it out to earn a UFC contract. Those two men are Jonathan Brookins and Michael Johnson, both members of team GSP.
Michael Johnson was the 1st overall pick and early favorite to win the competition. Clearly, being in the finals he has lived up to the hype. What’s almost more surprising is that not only was Johnson the 1st overall pick, he also appears to be the most improved fighter on the show. His number one weapon is a set of mitts that can be thrown at almost silly speeds, with the weight behind them to knock-out almost anyone who stands in his path.
But as he showed in his last fight, his ground game has greatly evolved. That being said, his submission defense is still a big question mark.
On the other side of the cage quietly and humbly lurking in the shadows sits Jonathan Brookins. Brookins was not taken lightly by his coaches and fellow fighters, but he was overlooked by viewers early on. As the show progressed, Brookins showed his very high level of ability in all areas of MMA. Brookins can land punches with force and showed in his last fight that he has top-level grappling. The one area of strength he has that will aid him in winning this fight will be his underrated Jiu-Jitsu game.
This is going to be a great match between two talented fighters who are very evenly matched in many areas. One can’t even use heart or confidence as a tie breaker as both men have more heart than most who have entered the cage.
Prediction Time
If I had to give an edge, it would be to Jonathan Brookins based on two factors. First, his Jiu-Jitsu is insane, and we have yet to see Michael Johnson stop a legit submission attempt. The other which might be the biggest, is experience. Let me put it this way, Brookins has not only fought in the WEC but was the last fighter to go 3 rounds with current UFC featherweight champ, Jose Aldo. That, in itself, speaks volumes.
The Fight Card
On top of this fight, there are many others I could go on and on about. But for the sake of my fingers I will only break down the main card.
Lets start at the bottom at what is the biggest surprise fight on the card. Normally if someone loses in the TUF house he might fight on the finale against another losing cast member, praying he’ll win and get another shot. But it looks like the UFC brass have seen something in Nam Phan as he will be kicking the night off against current WEC star, Leonard Garcia.
Phan showed he has the skills to be competitive in MMA as he has moved down a weight class from his stint on TUF and will be fighting at 145lbs. He is very well-rounded and can be affective from any spot during a fight. His punches are crisp, and most of all, he believes in his own abilities.
Garcia, on the other hand, has been in some of the most epic battles in WEC history and is not only a veteran but one of the more exciting fighters to watch in MMA. Simply based on fight history I must give the nod to Garcia in this one, but a Nam win might be bigger for his career than winning the competition itself.
The next bout will have Kendall Grove square off against Jiu-Jitsu ace Damian Maia.
This bout is a simple one to break down really. There is no question if kept standing, Kendalls Muay Thai and clinch work will dominate anything Maia can throw at him, no matter how much Maia has improved, but if this fight goes to the ground then Maia is in his bliss. A Jiu-Jitsu world champion, there are very few people in MMA who can handle the constant ambush of submission attacks that he can throw.
If it goes to the ground, Groves only chance at victory will be his long limbs. There is a chance he could swing one of those gangly legs around Maia and end it in a triangle.
The Main Event: Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac
Last but not least is the main event of the night. There is no way on this planet or any other that this fight will not end in fireworks.
If you have ever seen either Stephan Bonnar or Igor Pokrajac fight, you know that both of these guys leave everything they have in the ring each and every fight. Both have submission victories and both have a ground game probably won’t be coming into play on this fight. Bonnar is looking to keep rolling after a surprising win over Christoph Soszynski, and he thrives during grueling fights, when it’s just two men hurling fists, toe- to-toe.
The longer this fight goes, the more advantage to Bonnar. But Igor has seen this act before, and he’ll look to take him out in the 1st round either by TKO or a surprising choke.
When it comes to the sport of MMA nothing is a guarantee, but here are two things I can virtually promise: one person is going to walk out of that ring with a fancy glass trophy and the title of Ultimate Fighter Winner Season 12, oh, and a 6-figure contract. The other is you will turn to your friend and say, “Wow, that was a surprisingly good card”.
But if, for some reason, the card does end up being a dud just think of it as a warm up for the barn burner that will be Koschek vs. GSP one week from Saturda
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