Don’t forget about the TUF 23 Finale on Friday night!
The women’s strawweight belt will be on the line in a battle of Ultimate Fighter coaches. Additionally, the final four competitors will duke it out to crown the light heavyweight and women’s strawweight season winners. The hyped debut of former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks is also on the card.
TUF 23 Finale Main Event
Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will defend her belt when she meets rival Claudia Gadelha in a rematch. Their first bout, which took place in December of 2014, resulted in a narrow split decision victory for Jedrzejczyk. She then won the strawweight belt, and defended it twice. Gadelha on the other hand picked up a win over Jessica Aguilar to earn another crack at Joanna. Their 2014 fight was fireworks. Judging by the tension seen on the show between these two, the rematch could be the same.
Stylistically, they match up fairly evenly. Joanna is a much more mature striker, but Gadelha has some distinct advantages. Joanna has maybe the most impressive striking credentials out of any MMA athlete, but has shown glimpses of over-confidence. In her Letourneau bout, Joanna stayed in firing range longer than she should have. This resulted in Joanna looking a bit vulvnerable at times. Joanna is most dangerous with her opponent immobilized against the cage. Letourneau never gave Joanna that luxury, kept moving, and forced Joanna into a competitive striking affair. Joanna bested the Canadian with her refined striking instincts, but not without trouble. In this fight, Joanna will need to stay composed and keep the fight a chess-match.
The Brazilian is powerful, explosive, and equipped to win this fight anywhere it goes. Jedrzejczyk has drastically improved her takedown defense since their first fight, so I don’t see Gadelha having much success getting the fight to the floor. But Gadelha in top position would be a game changer. She could use her strong frame to deliver punishing blows in tight distances, keep Joanna on the mat, and drain the clock. However, the majority of this bout could be on the feet.
Gadelha is a solid puncher and she throws tight combinations; mixing in uppercuts and overhands. She’s more than capable of holding her own, but Joanna’s maturity and toolbox is where she holds the advantage. Gadelha can threaten with power punchers and raw ferocity, but expect Joanna to have sharp counters and a variety of ways to inflict damage at range. As the rounds wear on, Gadelha’s tense, aggressive swarming will work against her.
The odds favor Jedrzejczyk in this rematch at the TUF 23 Finale and I can see why. Joanna has won three straight since defeating Gadelha while Claudia has only fought once. Joanna has experience going five rounds whereas Gadelha’s cardio has been questioned in the past. Assuming Joanna’s takedown defense stays unpenetrable, I see her winning the fight after five rounds. Gadelha is dangerous in brawling situations, but eventually the more technically-refined fighter will prevail.
Will Brooks vs Ross Pearson
The TUF 23 Finale bout that I’m perhaps most excited for is this one. At last, a pure Bellator talent will attempt to make a splash in the big UFC pool. Former Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks meets the always-game veteran in Ross Pearson. Brooks was on a sensational 8-fight win streak before vacating his Bellator gold and coming to the UFC.
Will Brooks is gifted offensively and physically. At his core, he’s an exceptional grinder with excellent positional awareness and an aggressive mind that seeks out every chance to deliver damage. However, he has developed into quite the fight. His stand up is now dynamic as he throws complex boxing combinations, but he constantly seeks out close range combat where he can tie his opponent up. Brooks is dangerous with knees in the clinch and slashing elbows. Brooks looks to dominate the fight every single step of the way.
While he had great success in Bellator, the big question lies on whether or not he can do that in the UFC. For his first date, he’ll get a solid test in Ross Pearson. The Brit is a 19-time UFC vet and is mostly known for his exciting striking style. Pearson, at his core, is a never-say-die boxer. He’s always willing to bite on his mouthpiece and throw down in the fire, but has many other tools to his game. Pearson has takedowns of his own, and is used to sprawl-and-brawl tactics. Still though, Pearson is facing one of the best wrestlers in the division.
Pearson is capable of out-striking Brooks. His tight, technical in-and-out boxing could be a great exploit against a risk-taker like Brooks is. However, something tells me that Brooks is going to fight this match very smart, and keep the fight where he wants it. There is little telling me that Pearson will be able to thwart Brooks’s pressure and grappling. Even if he does, Brooks is still a handful on the feet. Expect Brooks to get the W and move on to his next UFC challenge.
The Korean Superboy
One of the biggest fan favorites on this card is Doo Ho Choi. He’ll be fighting Thiago Tavares on this TUF 23 Finale card in his third UFC outting. “The Korean Superboy” has made it 2-0 in the UFC thus far with two KO victories, and looks to be on his way to becoming a big star. Choi has a very calculated striking style as he times his opponents with picture-perfect counters guided with laser-like accuracy. So far, Choi has had no problem dispatching serious sluggers like Sam Sicilia, but has yet to face a diverse test. Tavares presents a very formidable challenge.
Tavares is a gamey veteran of 17 UFC bouts and is coming off his best performance to date. While Tavares doesn’t offer much for Choi on the feet, he does possess a potent ground game that Choi will have to acknowledge. We’ve seen skilled knockout artists become overly tentative and cautious when facing skilled grapplers, and that’s a psychological barrier that Choi will have to overcome. Choi has thus far appeared very composed and mature for his level. If Choi can keep his trigger finger firing, I see him collecting another knockout win. However, if Thiago keeps Choi hesitant on the feet, he can figure out a way to get on top and put Choi in uncharted territory.
The Rest of the Card
The highlighted match ups above are only part of the TUF 23 Finale, more great match ups await. A common theme on this card is the inclusion of Nova Uniao prospects.
In the prelims, undefeated lightweights Andrew Holbrook and Joaquim Silva will square off. Holbrook was supposed to fight Sage Northcutt last year, but was injured and comes into this fight suffering from inactivity. Silva, the Brazilian, is 1-0 in the UFC. Another Brazilian is on the card trying to make a name for himself and that’s Fernando Bruno. Bruno meets former UFC lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard. Bruno is an exceptional submission specialist, but seeks his first UFC win. Maynard faces a must-win situation here as he’s looking to snap his 4-fight losing streak which started after his loss to TJ Grant back in 2013.
The TUF 23 Finale card also features UFC flyweight title challenger John Moraga. He meets Nova Uniao representative Matheus Pereira, who is 1-0 in the UFC. Moraga 3-2 since losing in his flyweight title fight against Demetrious Johnson. He will look to rebound from his most recent UFC 187 loss to Joseph Benavidez. Also in search of a rebound is China Top Team’s Jingliang Li. Li had several eyes on him following his 2-1 start in the UFC. However, a submission loss to Keita Nakamura followed. Now, he looks to rebound against Anton Zafir who is seeking his first UFC victory.
