TUF 17 Finale: Preliminary Card Predictions

The 17th installment of The Ultimate Fighter comes to an end when Team Sonnen teammates Uriah Hall and Kelvin Gastelum square off for the coveted title. Hall was one of the instant favorites to win the show, while Gastelum pulled off upset after upset to get to the finals.

Further than that, the main event sees bantamweight contenders Scott Jorgensen and Urijah Faber meet in a bout that could produce a top contender at 135. Both men put friendship aside to entertain the Las Vegas crowd and the millions watching at home.

However, before those fights, an exciting preliminary card will take place. Here are the predictions of those fights.

Justin Lawrence vs. Daniel Pineda

Featherweights collide when TUF: Live alum Justin Lawrence meets Daniel Pineda in what looks like an exciting matchup of styles.

Pineda is vastly experienced to Lawrence, competing in 21 more bouts than the "American Kid." He is well-rounded but will likely have the better ground game with his 11 career submissions (including UFC tapouts of Pat Schilling and Mackens Semerzier).

Lawrence is a striker, as seen with his time on the long-running reality show and his time in the cage. His UFC debut saw him blast John Cofer with a nasty head kick that put him unconscious on the mat.

Lawrence has some solid counter-wrestling, which will allow him to stay off his back against Pineda. From there, he will land solid combinations and end Pineda's night midway to late in the fight.

Prediction: Lawrence def. Pineda via knockout

Sam Sicilia vs. Maximo Blanco

Another TUF: Live alum will get it on in the Octagon when Sam Sicilia meets Venezuelan powerhouse Maximo Blanco at 145 pounds.

Sicilia is a pretty well-rounded guy, but his knockout power is what needs to be feared. His last four victories have all come via knockout, including his second-round drubbing of Cristiano Marcello in his UFC debut.

Blanco is similarly a power striker that also possesses solid ground-and-pound. Seven of his eight wins have come via knockout, including a Sengoku stoppage victory against UFC veteran Rodrigo Damm.

Blanco is riding a two-fight losing streak since stepping up in competition. Sicilia has ice in his veins, a solid chin and the patience to wait on a Blanco mistake. He capitalizes but fails to finish en route to a convincing decision.

Prediction: Sicilia def. Blanco via decision

Bart Palaszewski vs. Cole Miller

Capping off the Facebook prelims will be TUF 5 alum Cole Miller taking on long-time veteran Bart Palaszewski in a crucial featherweight scrap.

Miller has been unsuccessful since dropping to featherweight, losing decisions to both Steven Siler and Nam Phan. Previous to that, the American Top Team representative had a good run as a lightweight but felt moving to 145 was the best decision for him.

Palaszewski finds himself in a must-win situation himself. After powering through Tyson Griffin in his UFC debut, the Polish-American dropped decisions to Hatsu Hioki and Diego Nunes.

Both men have the killer instinct to end this fight if they sense one another is in danger. Palaszewski is good anywhere the fight goes but would be wise to be the aggressor and box with Miller.

Should he do that, he could earn a stoppage or grab the judges' attention.

Prediction: Palaszewski def. Miller via decision

Clint Hester vs. Bristol Marunde

Out of the ashes that was the failure of season 16 of TUF, Bristol Marunde gets a second chance with the company when he meets this season's Clint Hester of Team Jones. 

Hester was an early favorite on the show after the athletic former pro boxer dominated Fraser Opie to get into the house. From there, he was ousted from the first round, submitting to superior grappler Jimmy Quinlan.

He will face a more well-rounded version of Quinlan when he fights Marunde. Marunde's drastic weight cuts on season 16 may have hurt him on his in-house fights, but he is back to his natural 185-pound weight class here.

Marunde defeated George Lockhart and Julian Lane on the show before being ousted by teammate Neil Magny in the quarterfinals. He must use his grappling here should he wish to defeat Hester.

After some brief exchanges, look for Marunde to tie up with Hester and drag him down. After wearing out the boxer, he will use superior position to snag a submission and earn his spot with the UFC, which hurts to say since I am a fan of Hester's style.

Prediction: Marunde def. Hester via submission 

Dylan Andrews vs. Jimmy Quinlan

From last pick to near finalist, Team Jones' Dylan Andrews will look for a spot on the UFC roster when he meets up with Team Sonnen grappling ace Jimmy Quinlan.

Andrews is the vastly experienced fighter and more well-rounded of the two. On the show, Andrews knocked off Tim Williams, Zak Cummings and Luke Barnatt before getting iced by tournament favorite Uriah Hall in the semifinals.

Andrews showed solid grappling and powerful striking throughout the competition. He displayed great heart as well, as seen in his entertaining affair with Barnatt in the quarterfinals.

As for Quinlan, he is a master of submission wrestling but does not like to get hit. He earned wins against Mike Persons and Clint Hester before getting drubbed by Josh Samman in the quarterfinals.

If Andrews can avoid the takedown and touch Quinlan's chin a few times, he can finish this fight. However, Quinlan does have the ability to put Andrews on his back and make this an ugly bout.

Prediction: Andrews def. Quinlan via knockout

Luke Barnatt vs. Collin Hart

Top pick of Team Sonnen Luke Barnatt will get his shot to earn a UFC contract when he meets Collin Hart of Team Jones on FX.

The undefeated Barnatt is a well-respected fighter on the British regional scene and has used his tall, lanky frame to ward off all takers. On the show, Barnatt bested Nicholas Kohring and Gilbert Smith before losing an all-out war against Dylan Andrews.

Hart, on the other hand, is a top-heavy wrestler that is going to need to be wary of Barnatt's striking. Hart, who defeated Mike Jasper and Kevin Casey, showed suspect striking defense in his loss to Kelvin Gastelum and even his win against Casey.

Barnatt will use his range to fight off Hart's takedowns. Sometime midway through the fight, Barnatt will connect with something that dazes his opponent, finishing the Team Jones rep for the win.

Prediction: Barnatt def. Hart via knockout

Josh Samman vs. Kevin Casey

The "headliner" of the FX prelims features Team Jones semifinalist Josh Samman and Team Sonnen's Kevin Casey.

Samman was the cockiest guy on the season and looked to be on the fast track to the tournament finals. He smashed through Leo Bercier, Tor Troeng and Jimmy Quinlan, only to be choked out by Kelvin Gastelum in the finals. 

Casey was a man who received a second chance through the wild card and still did not make the quarterfinals. He defeated Eldon Sproat to get into the house but then was defeated by Collin Hart and Bubba McDaniel to effectively be eliminated from the tournament.

Samman is the better striker, has the better gas tank and is like the better wrestler. Casey has superior jiu-jitsu, but Samman will tap him with strikes and finish him once he gets tired.

Prediction: Samman def. Casey via knockout