TUF Live Finale: Fight Card Info and Predictions

This season of The Ultimate Fighter comes to an end on Friday, as the finale takes place live on FX in Las Vegas. The fighters of the season, as well as several other UFC veterans, will appear on the card to make a splash in the UFC.

Headlining will be welterweight contenders Jake Elllenberger and Martin Kampmann, who will be fighting to claim the No. 1 contendership in the welterweight division. Both men are on a tear lately, so it will be an interesting fight to see who comes out on top.

Co-headlining are the finalists on this season of the reality show, as grinder Mike Chiesa meets well-rounded Al Iaquinta for a six-figure contract, as well as other perks such as a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a TapouT sponsorship.

Here is a rundown of the entire card. 

John Albert vs. Erik Perez

In the only Facebook bout of the event, Ultimate Fighter veteran John Albert meets newcomer Erik Perez in the first fight of the night.

John Albert is a training partner of long-time veteran Dennis Hallman, so expect him to be ready to go for this bout. Albert has powerful hands and solid wrestling ability, which should be his anchor in this fight.

Albert is 7-2 in his career, but is 1-1 in the UFC. He made a successful debut in his UFC debut, quickly knocking out Dustin Pague at the last TUF finale. In his last outing, he faced seasoned veteran Ivan Menjivar, but lost via submission (rear-naked choke) after an entertaining bout.

Meanwhile, Erik Perez steps in on late notice for Byron Bloodworth, but will be prepared as he is a student of Greg Jackson. Perez is a solid submission fighter, as six of his 10 wins have come by tapout.

He has notably beaten Paul McVeigh and Douglas Frey, showing he is capable of competing with talented bantamweights. 

Prediction: John Albert def. Erik Perez via late knockout

Joe Proctor vs. Jeremy Larsen

In the first Fuel TV bout, Team Faber's Joe Proctor will meet Team Cruz's Jeremy Larsen, with the winner staying and the loser likely leaving.

Joe Proctor, a student of Joe Lauzon, had a solid season, making it to the quarterfinals of the competition. He submitted Jordan Rinaldi with a guillotine choke to get into the house and Chris Tickle in the house preliminaries with a rear-naked choke.

He ran into trouble in the quarterfinals, where he fell to James Vick via unanimous decision. At 7-1 professionally, Proctor has submitted four opponents, a testament to his grappling ability.

Jeremy Larsen would go 1-1 on the show, winning his fight to get into the house against Jeff Smith by unanimous decision. He would then lose in the house preliminaries against finalist Mike Chiesa by unanimous decision.

Larsen is 8-2 (1 NC) in his pro career. He has big fight experience against UFC veterans Efrain Escudero and Edgar Garcia, so he will be the one with more big fight experience. He will need to keep the fight standing if he wishes to win the fight.

Prediction: Joe Proctor def. Jeremy Larsen via submission 

Cristiano Marcello vs. Sam Sicilia

In the battle of second-round picks, Team Cruz's Sam Sicilia will meet Team Faber's Cristiano Marcello.

Sam Sicilia made his presence felt immediately, knocking out Erin Beach in eight seconds to get into the house. He would let nerves get to him, as in the house prelim he was bested by last pick Chris Saunders by split decision, eliminating him from the competition. 

Sicilia is 10-1 in his career, finishing nine opponents by knockout or submission. He is a full-time training partner of Mike Chiesa, Marcello's teammate on the show, so he will have the benefit of picking his brain coming into this fight.

Cristiano Marcello was another guy to make an immediate impact, submitting Eddie Bravo black belt Jared Carlsten with a rear naked choke in the elimination round. He would be put up against top overall pick Justin Lawrence in the house prelim and was on the receiving end of a brutal knockout to earn elimination.

Marcello is 12-3 in his career, submitting nine opponents. He is most remembered for choking out Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett backstage at a Pride event with a triangle choke when they got into a scuffle.

Prediction: Cristiano Marcello def. Sam Sicilia via decision

Myles Jury vs. Chris Saunders

In the next bout of the evening, Team Cruz's Myles Jury will meet Team Faber's Chris Saunders.

Myles Jury returned to The Ultimate Fighter after blowing his knee out in season 13. In the elimination round, he earned a decision over Akbarh Arreloa. He then fought the best fight of the season in the house preliminary, dropping a very close split decision to finalist Al Iaquinta.

In his pro career, Jury is 9-0 with nine first-round finishes. He is very well-rounded, holding four wins by knockout and five by submission.

Chris Saunders was the last pick of the seasons, but surprised many. In the elimination round, Saunders beat Chase Hackett by unanimous decision. He then surprised second-round pick Sam Sicilia in the first round of house competition by split decision.

He would prove to be a tough out in the quarterfinals, as he lost a close majority decision against Vinc Pichel. Saunders is 9-2 in his pro career, which includes a fight against Chris Horodecki in Bellator, which saw him lose a competitive unanimous decision.

Prediction: Myles Jury def. Chris Saunders via mid-round submission 

Daron Cruickshank vs. Chris Tickle

In the final Fuel TV fight, Team Faber's Daron Cruickshank meets Chris Tickle of Team Cruz.

Cruickshank looked to be a favorite of the season, especially after his dominant decision over Drew Dober in the elimination round. He would then be on the receiving end of a shocking knockout against James Vick, effectively eliminating him from the competition.

Professionally, Cruickshank is 10-2 with six knockout wins. He has faced better competition than Tickle, stepping into the cage with guys like Bobby Green, Luis Palamino and Mike Ricci. He has better wrestling than Tickle, as well as well-polished striking.

Tickle burst onto the show with an impressive knockout in the elimination round, putting Austin Lyons out cold in just 24 seconds. He would lose in the house prelims, falling to submission at the hands of Joe Proctor.

Tickle holds a 7-4 career record, knocking out six opponents with his powerful hands. He holds notable wins over Steve Berger and Brian Geraghty, showing solid competition he has faced.

Prediction: Cruickshank def. Tickle via submission

Justin Lawrence vs. John Cofer

The first fight on the FX main card will pit Team Cruz's top pick, Justin Lawrence, up against Team Faber's John Cofer.

Justin Lawrence, a Blackhouse representative, made a splash in the elimination round, knocking out respected veteran James Krause to earn entry into the house. He then made a quick turnaround and knocked out the best grappler in the show, Cristiano Marcello.

He then met his match when he lost in the quarterfinals against finalist Mike Chiesa. He gassed out and was knocked out by the wrestling-heavy Chiesa.

He is just 3-0 in his career, winning two decisions and by submission once. He is a lethal striker, so he will look to win the fight on the feet.

John Cofer won a very unimpressive decision in the opening round, laying on Mark Glover for the single-round match. In the house prelims, he was submitted by Vinc Pichel (arm-triangle choke), effectively being eliminated from the competition. 

Cofer is 7-1 professionally. He is a grappling heavy fighter, as he uses his wrestling to earn submissions and decisions. He trains with Brian Bowles at Hardcore Gym, showing the level of training partners he has.

Prediction: Justin Lawrence def. John Cofer via knockout

Max Holloway vs. Pat Schilling

In the featherweight division, two men will be fighting for the UFC job, as Max Holloway meets Pat Schilling.

Holloway is 4-1 in his MMA career, with the one loss coming from his only UFC fight. On late notice, Holloway stepped up against Dustin Poirier, but was submitted by a mounted-triangle choke.

Holloway is best served to keep this fight standing. He has solid hands and would definitely have the advantage over his opponent, Pat Schilling.

Schilling, on the other hand, is 5-1 in his career, with his one loss coming in his only UFC bout. He was submitted by Daniel Pineda in his debut with a rear-naked choke in the first round. 

Schilling is a solid grappler, as he has submitted four of his adversaries. He will need to get Holloway to the ground to be successful in this fight.

This is my upset pick of the night.

Prediction: Max Holloway def. Pat Schilling via decision

Jonathan Brookins vs. Charles Oliveira

In another featherweight bout, former lightweights Charles Oliveira and Jonathan Brookins look to keep to their winning ways.

Charles Oliveira is coming off his successful featherweight debut, which saw him submit Eric Wisely with a calf slicer. At 15-2 (1 NC), Oliveira has seen mixed results in the UFC.

Oliveira has submitted Darren Elkins, Efrain Escudero and the aforementioned Wisely, while losing to top lightweights Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone. The no-contest stems from an illegal knee that finished Nik Lentz. Hopefully, the featherweight division is a place where Oliveira can develop consistency in his young career.

On the other hand, Jonathan Brookins is 13-4 in his career. He earned his spot in the UFC after winning The Ultimate Fighter 12 against Michael Johnson. Brookins is also gifted in the submission game, as he has tapped eight opponents. 

He is 2-1 with the UFC, earning a decision against Johnson, a knockout victory over Vagner Rocha and a decision loss to Erik Koch. He is extremely tough to finish, so expect this fight to go to the judge's scorecards.

Prediction: Charles Oliveira def. Jonathan Brookins via decision 

Mike Chiesa vs. Al Iaquinta

In the finals of The Ultimate Fighter, teammates from Team Faber collide, as Al Iaquinta meets Mike Chiesa.

Al Iaquinta has been impressive in every fight he's had thus far. He beat Jon Tuck by decision to get into the house, using solid striking and wrestling to earn the judge's nod. 

In the house prelims, he beat Myles Jury in an exciting, close split decision. Then, he knocked out Andy Ogle in the first round of the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he punched a ticket to the finals with a unanimous decision over Vinc Pichel.

Professionally, Iaquinta is 5-1-1. Training under Matt Serra and Ray Longo, he has polished his overall game to a point where he could be a solid threat in the lightweight division.

Mike Chiesa has been the dark horse of the season. In the elimination round, he submitted Johnavan Visante with a rear-naked choke to get in the house.

In the house prelims, he bested Jeremy Larsen with a unanimous decision. In the quarterfinals, he knocked out show-favorite Justin Lawrence in a rough three-round fight. Then, in the semifinals, he knocked out James Vick to earn his spot in the finals.

Chiesa has fought all season for his father, who passed away after the elimination round. He is undefeated at 7-0, using his grinding style to earn five submission victories.

Prediction: Al Iaquinta def. Mike Chiesa via decision

Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Ellenberger

In the main event, Jake Ellenberger and Martin Kampmann will go to war in one of the most intriguing main events in the coming weeks.

Jake Ellenberger is 27-5 in his MMA career, utilizing great wrestling and powerful hands to win his bouts. He is 6-1 in the UFC, including finishes of Jake Shields, Sean Pierson and John Howard. 

Of his 27 wins, Ellenberger has knocked out 17 of his opponents. He is well-rounded and has the chin to throw recklessly.

Martin Kampmann is 19-5, as the Dane has been around since 2003. He is a technical striker with very underrated grappling ability. He holds seven wins by knockout and seven wins by submission.

In the UFC, he holds a 10-4 record fighting as both a middleweight and welterweight. He holds notable finishes over Thiago Alves, Jorge Rivera and Drew McFedries.

Prediction: Jake Ellenberger def. Martin Kampmann via decision