The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale weigh-in results: Diaz, Maynard, ‘TUF’ finalists all cleared
LAS VEGAS – MMAjunkie was on scene and reporting live from today’s TUF 18 Finale fighter weigh-ins, where all but one of 20 competitors successfully hit their marks for Saturday’s card.
The festivities took place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the same venue that hosts Saturday’s FOX Sports 1-televised event.
In the main event, lightweights Gray Maynard (11-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) and Nate Diaz (16-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) meet for a third time, and second time officially. The two first fought on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter,†where Diaz picked up a submission win before going on to win the season. But that fight doesn’t count toward their records, and in a rematch in 2010, Maynard won by split decision – a fight Diaz believes he won, as well.
For Saturday’s card, Diaz, who challenged for the title this past December, weighed in at 156. Maynard, who twice challenged for the lightweight title in 2011, came in at 156, as well. The two then engaged in a fairly heated faceoff, with UFC President Dana White making sure to keep them back from each other from the get-go. Diaz extended a fist way out, and it made contact with Maynard, who didn’t shy away from the contact. The two held their stare for a few beats after White pushed them apart.
Two new winners of “The Ultimate Fighter†will be crowned – including a woman for the first time.
In the women’s bantamweight division, Julianna Pena (4-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on Jessica Rakoczy (1-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who will try to complete her improbable run to the tournament title. Pena, who fought for coach Miesha Tate, was 134, while Rakoczy, a Ronda Rousey-trained fighter in the house, was 132, well under the limit. (Rakoczy has spoken of wanting to compete at flyweight in the future.)
And in the men’s bantamweight tournament, Chris Holdsworth (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets up with Davey Grant (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Holdsworth, who fought for Tate, was 136; Grant, an Englishman who fought for Rousey, was 135.
Only Josh Sampo failed to make weight for his card-opening flyweight bout against fellow UFC newcomer Ryan Benoit, who was on his mark at 126 pounds. Sampo was given one hour to cut down to a max of 126 from his first attempt of 127.5, but elected to not re-weigh. Instead, he will be fined 10 percent of his purse, 5 percent of which goes to Benoit.
The full weigh-in results included:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1, 10 p.m. ET)
Nate Diaz (156) vs. Gray Maynard (156)
Julianna Pena (134) vs. Jessica Rakoczy (132) – “TUF 18″ women’s tournament final
Davey Grant (135) vs. Chris Holdsworth (136) – “TUF 18″ men’s tournament final
Jessamyn Duke (135.5) vs. Peggy Morgan (136)
Roxanne Modafferi (134) vs. Raquel Pennington (135)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
Maximo Blanco (146) vs. Akira Corassani (146)
Tom Niinimaki (145) vs. Rani Yahya (145.5)
Walter Harris (244) vs. Jared Rosholt (240)
Drew Dober (170) vs. Sean Spencer (171)
PRELIMINARY CARD (MMAjunkie, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Ryan Benoit (126) vs. Joshua Sampo (127.5)*
* Sampo was given one hour to cut to the flyweight max of 126 pounds, but instead forfeited 10 percent of his purse, 5 percent of which goes to Benoit.
