The finale of the twenty-seventh season of the Ultimate Fighter aired last night at 10:00 PM on FS1. The episode featured the final fight of the season between Team Miocic’s Jay Cucciniello and Team Cormier’s Tyler Diamond.
The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated featured two tournament brackets, one with eight undefeated featherweights and the other eight undefeated lightweights. The reality show will culiminate in a live final on Friday, July 5th at the Palms Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jay Cucciniello (Team Miocic) vs. Tyler Diamond (Team Cormier)
Round 1 – Cucciniello and Diamond open the fight by trading kicks. Diamond comes over the top with a huge right hand that thuds across the side of Cucciniello’s head and staggers him. He follows up with a huge straight right hand that drops Cucciniello. Diamond dives in with ground strikes, but Cucciniello scrambles out of position. Diamond goes for a front choke, but Cucciniello avoids it and manages to get back to his feet. Cucciniello is met with some more hard punches, and he’s still on wobbly legs. Diamond lands a right body kick followed by a left hand. He changes levels for a takedown and gets it easily. Cucciniello again scrambles to his feet and begins working from the clinch as he attempts to avoid another takedown attempt. Cucciniello eventually breaks free, but he’s eating more clean punches. He’s not backing down, though, and is trying his best to fire back in the exchanges. He lands a few clean punches, but Diamond instantly goes back to his wrestling. Diamond has the advantage against the fence, but both fighters are working from the inside. After the pace slows, the referee separates the fighters. Cucciniello comes forward with kicks, but they don’t have much on them, and he walks into a couple counters. Diamond gets sloppy and eats a pair of right hooks that definitely get his attention. He shoots in for a takedown that’s stuffed, and he takes a few more punches before the end of the round.
Round 2 – Cucciniello comes out with a much more confident posture and starts to work his jab. Diamond lands a nice left hand on the counter, but Cucciniello continues to take his power well and comes back with a crisp combination. Cucciniello is growing in confidence as he mixes up his punches to the head and body of his opponent. He lands a front kick to Diamond’s body, and it’s obvious Diamond is beginning to fade. Cucciniello is working a patient offense and is showing much better defense in this round. He’s diligently working the body, and Diamond shoots for a telegraphed takedown that’s ultimately resisted by Cucciniello. Diamond has the clinch advantage against the fence, though, and is working knees to the thigh and body. Cucciniello finds a way to break free and immediately punches forward on Diamond, who is winging his punches but still finding moments to land with his jab and left hook. Diamond has another takedown stuffed, and Cucciniello lands a hard knee to the head as he breaks out of the clinch. Diamond is beginning to wear the damage, but he still has a high punching output. Cucciniello continues to attack the body with kicks and punches. He clinches and lands a pair of knees to the head and another body shot before the end of the round.
Round 3 – Diamond opens the round by missing on four consecutive strike attempts. Cucciniello is the less fatigued and more composed fighter at this point and keeps working the body with beautiful hooks. Diamond starts to find his range again, but he’s not liking the body shots and goes for another takedown attempt, which fails. He manages to push Cucciniello against the fence, but he’s eating elbows and knees to the body. The referee warns Diamond to work, and he decides to break out of the clinch. He lands a body kick of his own and nearly goes high, but Cucciniello isn’t fazed and keeps pushing with his relentless body work. He goes upstairs with a hook before going back to the body again. The fight turns into a complete slugfest with body fighters striking and absorbing. Cucciniello is much more comfortable in the position though, and is forcing Diamond into some poor body language. Both men are utterly exhausted at this point, but they keep throwing and landing. Cucciniello lands a vicious body kick that takes Diamond’s wind out of his sails. Diamond shoots for a takedown that’s stuffed, and as Cucciniello gets back up, he lands a slick short right elbow that drops Diamond, who is in big trouble. Cucciniello follows up with one final shot, and the referee steps in and decides to call it. Diamond briefly protests, but this epic fight is done.
Jay Cucciniello def. Tyler Diamond via TKO (elbow) – Round 3
source: mmajunkie.com
With the final bout complete, the finals for Friday’s live event are set:
Joe Giannetti vs. Mike Trizano
Jay Cucciniello vs. Brad Katona
