TUF 21 Finale Results: The Real Winners and Losers
International Fight Week came to a close Sunday night in Las Vegas with The Ultimate Fighter 21 finale.
Headlined by Stephen Thompson and Jake Ellenberger, the card was filled with youngsters and prospects looking to make a name for themselves. It also featured the finals of the long-running reality show, pitting American Top Team's Hayder Hassan vs. Blackzilian rep Kamaru Usman.
The card was pretty fun, though it couldn't hold a candle to UFC 189. There were knockouts, submissions, hand shakes and spitting.
With that, let's take a look at the real winners and losers from the card.
Winner: Willie Gates
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It's not easy to fight a training partner and somebody you probably consider a friend. That's exactly what Willie Gates did Sunday night.
The fight with Darrell Montague was quick, but it wasn't painless for his counterpart, as Gates battered his fellow former Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion. It took all of 1:36, adding to the reputation of Gates, who is known to finish fights quickly.
It was the type of win that gives wind to his sails in a shallow division in need of contenders. Although not the most prolific in verbal breakdowns, Gates used his mic time well to announce his arrival to the division.
Getting his win bonus will help the father of six put food on the table. He also jockeyed for a post-fight bonus, which could feed them even better.
Loser: Russell Doane
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Let's face it, despite losing to Jerrod Sanders Sunday night, Russell Doane is a better mixed martial artist.
How is that so? Well, his deficiencies in wrestling are made up by superior striking and submission ability.
So why did the Hawaiian lose?
His fight IQ against Sanders was atrociously bad.
Doane was vastly superior on the feet and tagged Sanders numerous times. His response to owning the stand-up?
Go to the ground, of course.
When down, Sanders just straight outmuscled him, as he is physically a monster. He overcame Doane's technique and got preferable position on him, which allowed him to earn the decision win.
Doane may be one of the biggest losers of the night in a fight that should have been a gimme.
Winner: Michelle Waterson
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Want to make a good first impression in the UFC? Go out there, dominate your opponent and secure a finish, showing everybody that you absolutely broke your opponent.
That's exactly what Michelle Waterson did in her UFC debut against Angela Magana.
Despite an early scare, where she was caught in an armbar, Waterson dominated the striking and grappling for a majority of the bout. She showed she was on another level compared to Magana, and proved she belonged in the UFC.
Another win is that she did it on the main card of a national TV card. If you didn't know "The Karate Hottie" before Sunday night, you got a glimpse into her fight style, marketable look and charming personality.
She also showed a genuine side in her post-fight interview with Jon Anik. That's the type of fighter the UFC will push to the moon and market heavily.
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Big Loser: Caio Magalhaes
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Plain and simple, Caio Magalhaes was the biggest loser of all Sunday night. Unsportsmanlike behavior and a shoddy performance against Josh Samman made July 12 one "Hellboy" is going to want to forget.
First off, Magalhaes lasted less than three minutes with Samman, who outclassed him on the feet and then choked him out on the ground.
When it came to the choke, Magalhaes looked like a person who was drowning when Samman secured his neck.
Samman secured the choke while Magalhaes was standing with the American on his back. It appeared he tapped as he dropped to the mat.
Then, Samman re-secured the choke, and Magalhaes frantically tapped as if he were mere seconds from death, finally ending the fight.
The fight was over, and Samman simply walked over to shake Magalhaes' hand, a sign of sportsmanship and respect. Not only did Magalhaes blow him off but he also spit blood from his busted face at Samman, which should warrant him a suspension, in this writer's opinion.
So, yeah, Magalhaes is the big loser on the night—none bigger than him.
Winner: Kamaru Usman
5 of 6In the lead-up to Kamaru Usman vs. Hayder Hassan, there were two American Top Team vs. Blackzilians fights as an appetizer.
First, Jorge Masvidal completely flattened Cezar Ferreira via knockout to get ATT an early win. Then, Michael Graves outworked Vicente Luque to a decision to follow up that ATT win.
Kamaru Usman really needed to come through for the Blackzilians.
That he did by offing Hayder Hassan via arm-triangle choke not only made him this season's "Ultimate Fighter," but it also netted his gym $300,000 and the feeling that his team won the show.
Usman is truly a special talent and was the favorite going into the season. With a strong wrestling base and consistently getting better every time we see him, there is no doubt that he is a blue-chipper who will grace the UFC main event scene at some point.
Sunday was just his coming-out party.
Winner: Stephen Thompson
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The main event of Sunday's event saw a consistent top-15 fighter in Jake Ellenberger take on a rising star in Stephen Thompson. Would it be a changing of the guard, or would Ellenberger refute the youngster?
Out of the way old guard, Thompson has arrived.
In a one-round firefight, Thompson showed off his complete MMA game, showing off wrestling and grappling that look greatly improved in training with guys such as Chris Weidman.
Ellenberger actually him on the feet at one point, but he collected himself. It showed a toughness and awareness that will make Thompson even more dangerous than he already is.
Two spinning hook kicks later and Ellenberger was out on the mat, with Thompson celebrating his victory.
He has arrived as a contender at 170 pounds. His highlight reel grows as a star is forming in the welterweight division.
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