The final episode of The Ultimate Fighter 22 aired on Wednesday evening and following a bizarre ending to the series, three more bouts, including the TUF lightweight final, have been confirmed for Friday’s TUF 22 Finale.
After the semifinals, Artem Lobov and Saul Rogers were scheduled to meet in the tournament final. However, at the end of the show, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Rogers provided inaccurate information on his United States visa application and was not allowed into the country to compete later this week. So, Ryan Hall, who lost in the quarterfinals of the show, stepped up to replace Rogers and will now face Lobov in the final.
Lobov (11-10-1, 1 NC) lost to Mehdi Baghdad in the preliminary round but eventually was brought back by his coach and teammate, Conor McGregor. Lobov then won three-straight inside the house, including his semifinal bout against Julian Erosa, which earned him a spot in the final.
Hall (4-1) picked up a pair of impressive submission victories over Johnny Nunez and Frantz Slioa in the first two rounds, but, in the quarterfinals, he dropped a loss to Rogers.
Also added to the TUF 22 Finale:
- Julian Erosa vs. Marcin Wrzosek
- Chris Gruitzemacher vs. Abner Lloveras
TUF 22 Finale takes place live from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 11. In the main event, featherweight contenders Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes collide in a pivotal five-round matchup.