As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale. Our live coverage will start with the Facebook stream, which is comprised of three fights. That will kick off at approximately 5:35 p.m. ET/2:35 p.m. PT. That will be followed by four fights on Fuel TV. That broadcast starts at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Finally, the five-fight main card will air on FX and begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
This post will cover live commentary and play-by-play for the Facebook and Fuel TV portions of the card. The featured bout of the undercard is a welterweight bout between Mike Pyle and James Head.
James Head vs. Mike Pyle
Round 1 – The fighters spent a while feeling each other out. Pyle finally landed a kick, Head responded with a right. Head landed a big left that stunned Pyle a bit. Pyle responded with a nice right of his own after a brief clinch battle. Pyle looked for the thai clinch, and landed a huge knee! Head’s down. Pyle’s all over him, and gets the finish! Daaamn! Mike Pyle defeated James Head by TKO (strikes), 1:55, round 1
Johnny Bedford vs. Marcos Vinicius
Round 1 – Bedford started quickly with a couple of combinations. Bedford caught a kick but fell right into a guillotine. Bedford slipped out and worked in Vina’s guard. They struggled for position for a while. Finally Bedford got up and let Vina up as well. Bedford got some nice shots in, while Vina looked a step behind on the feet. Bedford dropped him with a counter right and swarmed, but Vina managed to weather the storm. Bedford moved to side control and looked for a crucifix. Vinicius got up but ate two knees. 10-9 Bedford.
Round 2 – Bedford came out with a nice combo, while Vina responded with a body kick. A front kick from Vina landed low. After the restart, Bedford backed Vinicius against the cage and landed a huge right that dropped him. He followed up with a legal body kick on the ground, and pounded him out with huge rights. Damn. Johnny Bedford defeated Marcos Vinicius by knockout (punches)
Rustam Khabilov vs. Vinc Pichel
Round 1 – Khabilov set up a takedown attempt with some striking, and eventually got it. Khabilov hit a huge suplex when Pichel got up. He was just glued to Pichel’s back, and hit another huge slam, and then a trip into side control. After getting back up, he hit another huge suplex, that dropped Pichel right on his head. A bunch of lefts brought an end to the fight. That was utter and complete domination. Damn smokey. Rustam Khabilov defeated Vinc Pichel by knockout (slam/punches), 2:15 of round 1
Nick Catone vs. T.J. Waldburger
Round 1 – The two men engaged in a clinch battle early, with neither gaining an advantage. Waldburger looked for a takedown but Catone spun around and took his back. An extended scramble led them back to clinching against the cage. Catone ended up getting a takedown and landed some elbows.TJ got up, and they grappled against the cage once again. Waldburger looked for a kimura, and pulled guard with it. Catone escaped, and landed a big right into TJ’s guard. They engaged in some fairly high-level wrestling for a bit, with Catone getting the advantage. Catone 10-9.
Round 2 – Waldburger hurt Catone early in the round with a right, then fell back and locked up a triangle. Catone gave up his arm, and Waldburger cinched it up even more. Wow, Catone didn’t tap and went right out. Waldburger wins. Nice. T.J. Waldburger defeated Nick Catone by submission (triangle choke), 1:04 of round 2
Reuben Duran vs. Hugo Viana
Round 1 – Viana opened with a nice right. He followed it up a few seconds later with a huge right hook that dropped Duran! Duran got up, but got nailed to the body and almost dropped again with another huge right. Duran tapped his chest like he was good to go. Duran pinned Viana against the cage, but he got reversed. After a period of inactivity on the feet, they started to connect again. Oh, another huge right dropped Duran again! But he got right back up. Wow. BOOM HE NAILS HIM AGAIN! Amazing! Duran was turned over on the ground this time and Mazzagatti stopped it. That was awesome. Hugo Viana defeated Reuben Duran by knockout (punch), 4:05 of round one
“I never saw an ugly man like me so beautiful on the television” – Hugo Viana. I’m now a big fan.
John Cofer vs. Mike Rio
Round 1 – Cofer landed a nice body kick and a right early. Rio looked for a takedown but Cofer fought him off. They grinded away on the cage for a while before separating. Rio landed two leg kicks. Cofer landed one solid right, then another huge one that staggered Rio back to the cage. Rio immediately looked for a takedown and they grappled against the cage, which allowed Rio to recover. Rio grabbed a single and got it down. Rio landed a couple of nice lefts. Cofer attacked a leg and used it to scramble on top. Rio looked for a leglock late. 10-9 Cofer.
Round 2 – After exchanging kicks, they threw down a bit on the feet with Rio getting the best of it. Cofer landed a straight left but was slammed right away. Cofer went for an omoplata, which made Rio bail pull out of guard. Cofer landed a nice upkick. The ref let Cofer up, and he was rewarded with a bunch of connections with the straight left. They grinded away against the cage, with Cofer landed some clinch knees. Rio scooped a single and got the takedown, straight into mount. Cofer rolled over and Rio took his back. Cofer got up, but Rio stayed glued to his back. Cofer shook him off though, and worked in Rio’s guard. Rio exploded back to his feet late. 10-9 Cofer again.
Round 3 – Cofer’s left was landing again, and he connected with two body kicks. Rio got a nice takedown though. Rio passed to side and landed some short elbows. He wasn’t very active though, certainly not enough to dominate. Cofer looked for an armlock briefly, and when Cofer exploded out he was able to make his attack much more dangerous. Cofer stacked him up and defended well though, and worked on top. Rio managed to grab up the arm again and had Cofer in serious danger, and Cofer tapped! Wow! Come from behind victory there. Mike Rio defeated John Cofer by submission (armbar), 4:11 of round 3.
Tim Elliott vs. Jared Papazian
Round 1 – Papazian came out punching right away, but Elliott scooped a single and locked up a guillotine. He let it go to punch though. Papazian attacked again, but Elliott grabbed a kick and took it down. Papazian looked for a leglock but got nothing. Elliott worked for a guillotine in Papazian’s guard, but settled for some GnP. Elliott got to side control, then snatched up a scrambling Papazian in another guillotine. Papazian popped out again, and landed an illegal knee while Elliott was on the ground against the cage. The doctor consulted with Elliott and the ref, and Elliott chose to continue despite still being really dazed. I don’t think the ref took a point. Papazian landed to the body, but got dropped by a bit Elliott shot. He got up, then taken back down. Elliott dropped elbows and punches, looking like he was just fine. Papazian landed two hard lefts back on the feet. Elliott ducked a kick and looked for a leglock at the bell. Very tough to score, but I’d go 10-9 Elliott.
Round 2 – Both men came out and landed some single shots early. Elliott got a takedown against the cage and dropped some short elbows in side control. Papazian’s nose was bloodied. They returned to the feet and Papazian landed a big uppercut, and another. Elliott got another single-leg takedown, but Papazian wall-walked up. Elliott hit nice jumping switch kick. Papazian landed a nice jumping knee, and another uppercut. Papazian fought off two takedown attempts. Papazian landed some shots standing, but then got taken down again. 10-9 Elliott.
Round 3 – Papazian ended up on top after a failed guillotine attempt. Elliott grabbed onto a leg to stall the action. The ref eventually stood them up. The two men threw down in the center for a few seconds, until Elliott dropped Papazian with a kick and advanced straight to mount. Papazian gave up his back. Elliott grinded away with elbows and punches. Elliott pounded away from back mount until he was able to work a choke. Papazian rolled out, but was still in mount and really bloodied up. Elliott worked a choke once again but couldn’t get his arm under Papazian’s chin. The got back to the feet, but Elliott ducked a punch and got another takedown. He worked from Papazian’s back for the rest of the round. Great fight. 10-9 and 30-27 Elliott.
Tim Elliott defeated Jared Papazian by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
I guess a point was taken.
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