The two engaged in a very extended feeling out process on the feet with Cope landing first and O'Neil establishing an early clinch against the fence. Cope landed with a combination including a sharp body shot. Soon after he landed a sharp body kick which O'Neil answered with a leg kick. Cope ended the round with a spinning back kick attempt.
O'Neil opened the second with some sharp inside leg kicks that Cope answered with kicks of his own. This round Cope forced the first clinch. When they separated, O'Neil was back to the leg kicks. Cope fired a variety of exotic kicks but none landed cleanly.
Cope forced the first clinch of the third after the first minute of inconclusive striking. Cope then scored with a straight punch a heel kick and a number of other strikes. At one point he applied the Thai plum and administered some knees to O'Neil's face. Cope landed a spinning back fist and followed with a jackhammer punching combination to O'Neil's face. An overhand right rung O'Neill's bell in the final minute of the fight. Cope landed a high kick and one more flurry to end the fight.
This bout constituted the informal "third place" bout from the Ultimate Fighter Season 13: Lesnar vs dos Santos. Cope lost to finalist Ramesey Nijem in the quarter-finals.
O'Neil was an alternate who lost to finalist Anthony Ferguson in the quarter-finals.
