TUF 17 Finale: Prelims Results Recap

Mandalay Bay Events Center
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Josh Samman vs. Kevin Casey
(Middleweight Bout, 3 Rounds)

In the 1st round of the 4th middleweight match-up consisting of TUF 17 member, Samman and Casey fought at a fast pace from the opening bell. Samman went in for a shot but after partially stuffing it, Casey scrambled to his back, throwing up a triangle that had the Florida resident in all sorts of trouble. Samman rolled multiple times in order to pop out of the triangle choke submission but Casey wouldn’t let up, holding it tight then smartly transitioned to an arm bar. The hold was sunk in but resilient, Samman lifted his foe who was still grabbing on to his arm and slammed him on his head twice until Casey let up on the submission. The battle didn’t stay on the feet long as Casey got it right back to the ground using his superior wrestling takedowns. Samman fought off of his back for the remainder of the round unable to get back to his feet.

Samman turned the tide completely around in the 2nd stanza as he led with his jab and closed the distance on his man. He quickly used the Muay Thai clinch to pin Casey against the cage delivering some devastating knees to the body and head of the Californian. The shots did some serious damage, Casey was visibly hurt by Samman’s assault. One more knee to the head of Casey connected making his legs buckle and as he fell to the canvas, the Florida resident landed a solid right hook to the body of Casey. A bit of ground and pound from Samman in the standing position rained down on Casey prompting the referee to call a halt to the action.

Result: Josh Samman defeats Kevin Casey by TKO at (2:17) of round 2.

Luke Barnatt vs. Collin Hart
(Middleweight Bout, 3 Rounds)

For the third 185-pound match of the night between TUF 17 cast members, Barnatt and Hart went to war for 15 minutes of middleweight action. From the opening round, Hart used combinations to keep his opponent at bay before wrapping him up using the clinch. Hart then used the tie up to land some shots to the body or score with a couple of knees as well. Barnatt returned fire with some knees of his own and also caught his man coming in with uppercuts.

In the 2nd round off of a body lock, Hart secured a slam about 2 minutes into the bout lifting Barnatt off of his feet and driving him to the canvas. From there he took his man’s back, sunk in his hooks and went for a rear naked choke. Barnatt walked over to the cage wall and peeled his foe’s arms off of him thus removing the hold and getting the fight back to them trading. Barnatt started snapping his jab and the success showed seeing as how his foe now had a bloody nose. With a minute left in the 2nd round Barnatt closed the distance using a Muay Thai clinch then securing a standing guillotine that could have ended the match had he more time to work.

Barnatt fought more off of the jab and it was the perfect range finder. Every time Hart landed something, Barnatt doubled the connect percentage using his reach and the right hands found a home constantly. With less than 2 minutes left in the 3rd round, Hart secured a take down and during the last 10 seconds, managed another take down to try and catch up to the more offensively successful Barnatt.

Result: The 1st pick for Team Sonnen, Luke Barnatt defeats Collin Hart by unanimous decision. (29-28) x 2, (30-27).

Jimmy Quinlan vs. Dylan Andrews
(Middleweight Bout, 3 Rounds)

Quinlan dominated the first half of the 1st round with his relentless pressure and takedowns for the next TUF 17 alumni battle. Shot after shot he kept Andrews’ back against the cage searching for a fight on the ground. He finally got it there but had some difficulty getting a submission or staying on the ground as Andrews defended well. Once the battle was back to the feet, Andrews wasted little time implementing his game plan.
Once he created some space, the Australian landed a picture perfect over hand right that caught his man on the side of the head, sending him to the canvas. Quinlan attempted to get a single leg but Andrews side stepped it and began throwing some monstrous strikes to his downed opponent. The vicious flurry of punches prompted the referee to step in, calling a stop to the match.

Result: Dylan Andrews defeats Jimmy Quinlan by TKO at (3:22) of round 1.

Clint Hester vs. Bristol Marunde
(Middleweight Bout, 3 Rounds)

After a tentative couple of minutes during the opening stanza, the first duo of TUF 17 alum on the card opened up with their striking following a Marunde takedown on Hester. Hester managed to get the fight back up and during a striking exchange, caught his man flush with a hard right hand punch. The shot sent Marunde to the canvas as he was temporarily dazed but survived by going for a single leg takedown. Going into the 2nd round both fighters found their groove, Hester landed the cleaner and harder punches as Marunde used 1-2s to set up his takedowns. Even though he managed to get the fight to the mat, Marunde couldn’t keep his man there. Off of his back Hester fished for submissions keeping control of the match.

During the halfway point of the 3rd round, the battle really heated up as the two came forward looking to land.   Hester did so with a flying switch knee as his man backed up along the cage, that connected. Marunde went for a take down and the placement of the knee by Hester was perfectly timed. Only about a minute later he would again showcase his excellent striking by landing a right elbow flush unto his opponent’s face during an exchange. Marunde’s legs went out from the deadly strike and he topped to the canvas as the referee jumped in to prevent any further damage.

Result: Clint Hester defeats Bristol Marunde by TKO at (3:56) of round 3.

Cole Miller vs. Bart Palaszewski
(Featherweight Bout, 3 Round)

In the third consecutive 145 lb tilt of the night, Miller locked horns with former WEC standout, Palaszewski. The match stayed upright as the two fighters exchanged leg kicks and punches in the middle of the cage. Palaszweski began to mount a good offense for the first couple of minutes using his range but, Miller eventually canceled the approach by taking the fight to the ground. Following the takedown, the BJJ black belt transitioned to taking his foe’s back and successfully did do, sinking in his hooks. Shortly thereafter, Miller locked up a tight rear naked choke forcing the tap from his opponent.

Result: Cole Miller defeats Bart Palaszewski by submission at (4:24) of the 1st round. (Rear naked choke)

Sam Sicilia vs. Maximo Blanco
(Featherweight Bout, 3 Rounds)

The two 145ers kept the action standing for the first round and both had their moments exchanging jabs, hooks as well as front kicks. The most significant strike happened in the 2nd round when Sicilia clipped Blanco with a right hook that sent his man to the canvas. Blanco weathered the storm and about the halfway point the two warriors threw caution to the wind and traded hay makers at close range along the cage wall. Blanco switched levels, sinking a double leg takedown but ate a knee on the way in that cut him open. He landed in mount but Sicilia’s defense kept him in the match as he got the fight back to the feet. If the fight was on the table, Blanco made sure that in the 3rd round there was no question that he was to be the victor as he exploded out of the gate, swarming his foe with punches that rocked Sicilia early in the round. Blanco had his man in real trouble and instinctively Sicilia went for his own takedown but got caught in a partial guillotine. Blanco continued the pressure by stepping up the combinations behind his jab as Sicilia fought more on the defensive as the round came to and end.

Result: Maximo Blanco defeats Sam Sicilia by unanimous decision to earn his first ever UFC victory. (29-28) x 3.

Justin Lawrence vs. Daniel Pineda
(Featherweight Bout, 3 Rounds)

For the first fight of the night from the Mandalay Bay, Pineda made short work of former TUF: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber cast member, Lawrence. Once the fight got to the ground, Pineda used his solid ground game to maintain top position and secure a submission unto his unsuspecting opponent. Once the kimura lock was applied, the tap shortly came giving Pineda the finish inside of the 1st stanza.

Result: Daniel Pineda defeats Justin Lawrence by submission at (1:35) of the 1st round. (Kimura)