Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale Results: Fight Card Winners and Scorecards
The Ultimate Fighter has produced some memorable moments in UFC history. Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar put on a fight that is always mentioned among the all-time greats in the first incarnation of the finale show.
Now, The Ultimate Fighter 20 can include the crowning of the very first women's strawweight champion in the organization to its history. Carla Esparza became the official woman to beat with a victory over Rose Namajunas in the main event.
But the title fight wasn't the only bout worth watching on the main card.
Opening the main card was a bout between the two semifinalists from the show. In a stacked cast, Jessica Penne and Randa Markos showed they have serious futures in the organization. Penne earned a split decision victory over Markos in a hard-fought bout.
The night also featured a lightweight doubleheader featuring Daron Cruickshank and Yancy Medeiros. Finally, Charles Oliveira put on an impressive show in the co-main event at a catchweight of 146.5 pounds after Do Bronx missed weight, per MMAJunkie.
With a champion being crowned and plenty of exciting fighters on the docket, this was a card that delivered a little bit of everything. Here's a look at how it all went down.
Carla Esparza Defeats Rose Namajunas
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The UFC has a new champion and her name is Carla Esparza. The 27-year-old earned UFC gold by virtue of a third-round submission win over Rose Namajunas in the night’s main event.
Esparza highlighted the strengths that made her an Invicta champion early in the fight. Her ability to take Namajunas down and land ground and pound gave her an early lead.
As the fight continued, Esparza’s wrestling continued to be the dominant theme of the fight. The one they call Cookie Monster’s intensity constantly left her 22-year-old opponent in bad positions and fighting to survive.
With plenty of ground and pound breaking Namajunas down she earned the tap via rear-naked choke at 1:26 in the third round.
It’s no surprise that Esparza turned out to be the ultimate winner of the 16-woman tournament. There’s a reason she was the No. 1 seed in the tournament. However, considering her opponent entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed a high ranking isn’t a guarantee.
Esparza definitely earned her belt. Despite the newness of the division, Esparza’s well-rounded game will make her a tough out for any of the ladies that come to take her belt.
Charles Oliveira Defeats Jeremy Stephens
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Charles Oliveira might not have had a good night on the scales, but he made up for it with his result in the cage. The 25-year-old featherweight defeated Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Stephens opened the bout as the aggressor looking to utilize his wrestling against Oliveira. However, Do Bronx quickly isolated an arm and worked on an armbar for the majority of the first three minutes that looked like it may end the fight early.
Instead, Stephens was able to break free and the two made their way back to the feet where Oliveira was able to showcase his diverse striking.
Round 2 served to show that he’s able to gain top control with his own grappling as he is grabbing submissions from guard. Oliveira earned a takedown of his own and ultimately set up an armbar that once again nearly ended the bout.
The final frame once again found the action on the ground rather quickly. Oliveira looked to get the fight to his guard while Stephens insisted on getting the fight to the stand up department. The round ultimately saw Stephens make a run at earning the late finish, but Oliveira’s smothering clinch and ground game prevent the loss.
“Do Bronx” now has a tough decision to make. Although the win over Stephens is impressive, this isn’t the first time he’s missed weight at 145. As strong as he’s been in the division, a return to lightweight might be in order.
Oliveira began his career at 155 pounds before a three fight stretch in which he lost two bouts and scored a no-contest prompted a move to featherweight. However, with a successful run at featherweight underway, the now 19-4 Oliveira has once again flashed a ton of potential if he can more consistently make weight.
Daron Cruickshank and K.J. Noons Declared No-Contest
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In an unfortunate occurrence, a fight that had serious Fight of the Night potential was declared a no-contest between Daron Cruickshank and K.J. Noons.
As one would expect from these two, both fighters came out guns blazing in the opening round. Both Cruickshank and Noons have their fair share of highlight knockouts. Both looked to score them early.
However, Cruickshank's continually improving strike got the better of Noons’ in the first round.
Unfortunately, an exciting fight came to an inconclusive ending when an accidental eye poke from Noons rendered Cruickshank unable to continue in the beginning of the second round.
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Yancy Medeiros Defeats Joe Proctor
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Yancy Medeiros took advantage of his matchup against Joe Proctor to earn back-to-back victories for the first time since 2010. The 27-year-old had his hand raised via first-round submission at three minutes, 46 seconds in the round.
Proctor—who came into the fight with two victories in his last two outings—came out swinging in the opening moments of the bout. It appeared he had the advantage in the stand-up department.
However, Medeiros showcased the dynamic ability that makes him an interesting threat in the division. All it took was a massive body shot to put Proctor down and set up the choke.
With the victory, it will be interesting to see where Medeiros goes from here. Since joining the UFC roster in 2013, he’s alternated between wins and losses in four fights, with one of those wins negated by a positive drug test. Now, he’s finally garnered some momentum.
Jessica Penne Defeats Randa Markos
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Jessica Penne might not have earned a title shot in her time on The Ultimate Fighter, but she showed she isn’t going anywhere with a big split-decision win over Randa Markos (30-27, 28-29, 29-28).
Penne’s ground game was a consistent force in the tournament. Her ability to control opponents from the top fueled her semifinal run and gave her the early lead in Round 1.
However, Markos—who entered the tournament as the No. 14 seed—showed why she became the Cinderella of the show. She never gave up.
The consummate underdog was able to cause some damage of her own after scrambling to her feet and gaining top control.
That momentum would carry on to the second and third rounds, as Markos began opening up with strikes to impress the judges. Heading into the final round, Markos’ striking took on a more prominent role in the fight, as she was able to score with her combinations on the feet.
However, Penne’s ground control was enough to convince two of three judges she was deserving of the nod.
With the division still in its infancy, the new champion is going to need new challengers. With Penne dropping a unanimous decision to No. 1 seed Carla Esparza in the tournament, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Penne get her shot sooner rather than later.
For Markos, this loss might take her a while to overcome. Not only did she lose this bout, but she was finished in the first round by Rose Namajunas.
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