EVERYONE LOVES A good trilogy. Whether it’s GSP versus Matt Hughes or Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture there’s always been a good storyline behind a three-fight UFC series.
Of course it helps when both men have won one fight each going into the last battle and that is the case when Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz meet in the finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” in Las Vegas tonight.
There is just the small case of crowing the first ever female TUF winner beforehand as Julianna Pena takes on Jessica Rakoczy while England’s Davey Grant takes on Chris Holdsworth in the men’s bantamweight division to see who can earn that lucrative UFC contract.
TUF times for Nate Diaz
The last year has been one to forget for Nate Diaz who was outclassed by Ben Henderson in their title bout last December before he was unceremoniously KO’d by Josh Thomson in his last fight, the first time in his career he’d been stopped via strikes.
It’s been a similar story for Gray Maynard who followed up a split decision victory over Clay Guida with a KO loss at the hands of TJ Grant in their title eliminator back in May in his last fight.
These two men met back in the semi-finals of season five of TUF when Diaz submitted Maynard via guillotine choke on his way to eventually winning the series. The pair then faced off again two years later when it was Maynard who edged a close split decision.
This bout promises to be a battle of cardio as the strong and powerful wrestler Maynard will have to try and not expend too much energy in the early rounds as he looks to frustrate Diaz by tying him up against the cage.
If the fight goes to the ground Diaz poses just as much threat off his back as he does on top with his inventive and effective submission game so Maynard may be best suited to try and keep it on the feet.
While Maynard’s career seems to have stalled since his loss to Frankie Edgar, Diaz, despite losing his last two, has shown obvious improvement in all aspects of his game and should have enough in his locker to see off Maynard regardless of where the fight takes place.
YouTube credit: Donald Diaz (Contains some strong language)
Who will be crowned the next “Ultimate Fighter”
While we will have to wait a bit to see how their coaches Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey all eyes will be on their protégés to see who will win the series in both the men and women’s bantamweight divisions.
In the women’s section it’s a case of brute force versus technique as former world champion boxer Jessica Rakoczy takes on the relentless brawler Julianna Pena. Rakoczy has relied on her stand-up skills to make it to the finale but in Pena she faces a rugged, big-hearted fighter who has shown she has a decent ground game by winning both her fights on the series with submissions.
Despite her mental and physical durability, toughness can only take you so far in MMA and as her technique is more superior Rakoczy is favoured here to lift the trophy and earn that contract.
In the men’s section, Englishman Davey Grant is up against it in his quest to become the latest British UFC star as he faces Chris Holdsworth. Grant made the finale through default when Anthony Guttierez didn’t make weight for their proposed semi-final matchup. A huge prospect before the show, Holdsworth has lived up to the hype with three first round submissions on the show.
Grant will no doubt give it his all but maybe undone in the battle for submissions. Holdsworth seems well rounded and should take the victory here.
