Diego Sanchez def. Clay Guida via Split Decision (28-29, 29-27, 29-28)
In what was arguably the Fight of the Night, Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida fought a three-round war that resulted in a split decision win for the Nightmare. Sanchez completely dominated Guida in the first round when he came out swinging and managed to connect with several uppercuts and knees, as well as high kick that would rock and drop Guida midway through the round. Guida won the second round by controlling the action on action on the ground, although Sanchez was able to land some devastating elbows from the bottom, creating a bad cut on the top of Guida's head. Sanchez was able to take the third round of the bout as he kept the fight standing and controlled the distance with his better stand-up. With the win, Sanchez may have earned himself a title shot against the winner of the upcoming BJ Penn and Kenny Florian clash.
James Wilks def. Demarques Johnson via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:52 in Round 1
The British came, the British saw and the British kicked American butt throughout Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter. Although American Demarques Johnson was the favorite to win the six-figure contract with the UFC, he was totally shutdown and dominated by James Wilks of Britain. Wilks controlled all the action from the onset as he attempted submission after submission throughout the first round. It wasn't untill the ten-second warning when Wilks finally managed to lock in a rear naked choke, forcing Johnson to tap out with just seconds left in the round. With the win, the United Kingdom can claim dominance over the Americans during Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter.
Chris Lytle def. Kevin Burns via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Chris Lytle managed to slug out a decision victory over Kevin Burns in one of the best fights of the night. Burns looked like he was going to finish Lytle early in the fight after he landed a right hand that buckled Lytle and followed it with a left that dropped him. Unfortunately for Burns, he ran out of time and Lytle was able to survive the round. After that, Lytle took total control of the fight. In the second and third rounds, he managed to catch Burns with several big shots, including a big overhand right that opened up a massive gash next to the left eye of Burns. With the win, Lytle has most likely earned himself a shot against a welterweight prospect.
Ross Pearson def. Andre Winner via Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)
In an all British battle, Ross Pearson outworked Andre Winner to become the lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 9. Winner looked like the better fighter in the first round as he closed it strong with a flurry of punches near the end of the round. In the second round, Pearson fought his way back into the fight, connecting with good leg kicks and combinations. With the fight up for grabs, Pearson was able to take the third round, connecting with body shots and uppercuts and winning the final exchange to seal the deal on the scorecards.
Joe Stevenson def. Nate Diaz via Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)
In what turned out to be a great submission war, Joe "Daddy" Stevenson was able to win a unanimous decision victory over TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz. All three rounds showcased submission fighting at its best as both fighters attempted to lock in guillotines and several different other moves. In the end though, it was Stevenson's strength that won him the rounds as he was able to outmuscle Diaz on the ground and land hard knees. The win was crucial for Stevenson, who may have been released from the UFC had he lost a third fight in a row. Although this was a big setback for Nate Diaz due to the fact that he was already coming off a loss to Clay Guida, he certainly didn't lose any stock as he proved that he's still a dangerous fighter no matter who he's in the cage with.
Preliminary Results:
- Jason Dent def. Cameron Dollar via Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 4:56 in Round 1
- Nick Osiczak def. Frank Lester via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:40 in Round 1
- Tomasz Drwal def. Mike Ciesnolevicz via TKO (Strikes) at 4:48 in Round 1
- Brad Blackburn def. Edgar Garcia via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Melvin Guillard def. Gleison Tibau via Split Decision