TUF 11 Finale Predictions: The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale Preview

The preview & predictions for The Ultimate Fighter's Season 11 finale

The Ultimate Fighter 11 wrapped up on Wednesday night as we saw Court McGee and Kris McCray advance to the TUF 11 Championship with the two fighting for the 6-figure contract from the UFC. The TUF 11 finale will be broadcast live on Spike TV on Saturday, June 19 at 9 pm from The Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the complete TUF 11 finale results, look to ProFighting-fans.com, the leader for UFC news online.

TUF 11 Preliminary Fight Predictions:

James McSweeney vs. Travis Browne

The Ultimate Fighter 10 semifinalist James McSweeney (4-4) will welcome new heavyweight Travis Browne (9-0) into the organization at the TUF 11 finale on the preliminary card.

McSweeney, 29, is a former professional kickboxer who transitioned into MMA with the help of Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting camp. He made his debut in 2007 and fought for Cage Rage, FX3, Ultimate Challenge, and Ring of Combat before appearing on TUF 10. After defeating Wes Shivers and Matt Mitrione on the show, he was bested by eventual winner Roy Nelson in the semis. He picked up his fourth career victory and evened his record with a TKO victory over Darrill Schoonover at the December finale.

Browne is a Hawaiian-based fighter who trains out of the NCFC Fight Team. He made his pro debut in 2009 and went on to fight for Cage of Fire, KOTC, Gladiator Challenge, Bellator, and VFC before getting his octagon opportunity. He breezed right through the competition finishing eight of his nine opponents including notable victories over Micheal Westbrook, Abe Wagner, and Aaron Brink. He won two bouts this February defeating Wagner in: 08 on the 5 th and Brink in: 35 on the 21 st.

James Hammortree vs. Chris Camozzi

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TUF 11’s Chris Camozzi (12-3) will get a well-deserved second chance to make his mark in the UFC when he takes on Team Ortiz’s James Hammortree (5-1) on the preliminary card in the middleweight division at the finale.

Hammortree, 26, fights out of the Florida-based USA Martial Arts team. He won his first five bouts as a pro before dropping a July 2009 bout against UFC vet John Salter before entering the TUF house. He was selected fifth by Team Ortiz and ninth overall. Hammortree won his bout to get into the house, but lost against Brad Tavares in his first fight in the tournament. He was re-inserted after teammate Nick Ring withdrew due to a knee injury, but was dealt another loss when finalist Court McGee submitted him in his next bout.

Camozzi fights out of the Colorado-based GUMM MMA and has fifteen professional bouts to his credit. He fought for notable organizations such as MFC, Premier Championship Fighting, and VFC before getting the call for the TUF 11 cast. He was a winner in four of the last five bouts leading up to the tournament. He won his elimination bout against Victor O’Donnell, but suffered a broken jaw that kept him out of the house. He was replaced by Seth Baczynski during the series third episode.

Prediction – Camozzi decision

Kyle Noke vs. Josh Bryant

Team Liddell teammates Kyle Noke (16-4-1) and Josh Bryant (10-0) will go head-to-head in a middleweight bout on the preliminary card at the TUF 11 finale.

Noke is an Australian-born fighter who now completes most of his training at Jackson’s Submission Fighting in New Mexico. He made his pro debut in 2002 and fought in his home country until November 2007 when he fought the first of two Elite XC bouts. He has been in some battles with notables like George Sotiropoulos, Hector Lombard, and Scott Smith. He won three of his last four before joining the TUF 11 crew in Los Vegas. He was chosen first by Team Liddell and second overall and defeated Clayton McKinney in the show’s first bout. He then lost to Kris McCray in the quarterfinals to end his tournament run.

Bryant, 30, is an Oklahoma-based fighter who fights out of Absolute Combat Alliance. He debuted in 2007 and fought all but one of his bouts for the Freestyle Cage Fighting organization. He was selected fourth by Team Liddell and eighth overall and was possibly the biggest surprise of the show. He defeated Kris McCray in the first round of the tournament and then won via TKO against Jaime Yager in the quarterfinals and advanced into the semifinals. He lost via decision in a rematch with McCray during the semifinal round to end his time in the house.

Prediction – Noke TKO

Brad Tavares vs. Seth Baczynski

Team Liddell’s Brad Tavares (4-0) will take on Team Ortiz’s Seth Baczynski (11-5) in a rematch of a quarterfinal round bout that saw Baczynski get disqualified via illegal soccer kick. This TUF 11 finale bout will be on the unaired preliminary portion of the fight card and will be contested in the middleweight division.

Tavares, 22, is a Hawaii-born fighter who trains with Team Tompkins. He made his pro debut in 2008 and fought four times in Hawaiian organizations before getting the position on TUF 11. He was selected 5 th by Team Liddell (10 th overall) and defeated James Hammortree and Seth Baczynski to make it into the semifinals. He was defeated by his teammate Court McGee by submission to end his tournament run.

Baczynski, 28, is also a Hawaii-born fighter; however he trains in Arizona with the Southwest MMA team. He debuted in 2006 and went on to fight for Rage in the Cage, IFL, Tuff-n-Uff, and MMA Big Show among other organizations throughout his four years as a pro. He lost his elimination bout to Court McGee but was awarded a Team Ortiz roster spot when Chris Camozzi bowed out from a broken jaw. He made it to the quarterfinals but was eliminated when he connected with a soccer kick when fighting Brad Tavares.

Prediction – Baczynski decision

John Gunderson vs. Mark Holst

UFC rookie Mark Holst (8-1) will make his UFC debut against eight-year pro and UFC sophomore John Gunderson (22-7) in a lightweight bout on the preliminary card at the TUF 11 finale.

Gunderson, 31, is an Oregon-born submission specialist who trains at the Lion’s Den. He made his 2002 debut and won 22 of his first 28 in organizations like the IFL, Palace FC, and Rage in the Cage. After seven years in mid-level organizations, he debuted at the January 2010 UFC 108. He went back and forth, but his lack of striking is what made the biggest difference in his decision loss against Rafaello Oliveira.

Holst is an Ottawa-born mixed martial artist who teaches muay-thai at the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts. He debuted in 2006 and won eight of nine including a March submission victory over recovering UFC vet Corey Hill at an XFL event in Michigan. He will go into this bout with Gunderson riding the strength of a three-fight win streak.

Prediction – Gunderson decision

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TUF 10 Main Fight Predictions:

Jamie Yager vs. Rich Attonito

Team Ortiz’s Jamie Yager (2-1) earned a spot on The Ultimate Fighter 11 finale main card against Team Liddell’s Rich Attonito (7-3) in a middleweight bout.

Yager is a muay-thai specialist who trains in California at both Kings MMA and Rafael Cordeiro Fight Center. He made a February 2008 debut on the BET’s Iron Ring promotion. He won one bout for Iron Ring and one bout in the Art of Fighting promotion before dropping his third bout due to illegal kicks. He was selected to Team Ortiz, and in between arguments with his fellow cast members, he won his elimination bout and then defeated Charles Blanchard via TKO in the tournament’s opening round. He fought Josh Bryant even through two rounds in the quarterfinals, but when he didn’t answer the 3 rd round bell, Bryan was declared the winner and advanced into the semifinals.

Attonito is a New Jersey-born fighter who trains in Florida at American Top Team. He debuted in 2004 and won seven of ten while fighting all over the east coast. He came into the house winning back-to-back bouts and then was selected second by Team Liddell (4 th overall). He defeated Kyacey Uscola by DQ advancing to the quarterfinals, but it was discovered after the fight that he broke his arm. He was unable to continue, so teammate Court McGee took his place in the quarterfinals and took advantage by advancing to the final.

Prediction – Yager TKO

Spencer Fisher vs. Dennis Siver

The Ultimate Fighter 11 finale will feature two evenly skilled lightweights in Spencer “The King” Fisher (23-5) and Dennis Siver (15-7). This bout will take place on the TUF 11 finale main card as one of five televised bouts on Spike TV.

Fisher, 34, is a Midwest-based fighter who trains at the Evolution Gym. He debuted in August 2002 and lost only once in 15 bouts before earning a UFC contract. He has fought 12 of his last 13 bouts inside the octagon where he has posted a respectable 8-4 organizational mark. He had a 3-fight win streak prior to his most recent loss at UFC 104 last October against Joe Stevenson. He owns UFC victories over Matt Wiman, Sam Stout, and Caol Uno among others.

Siver, 31, is a Russian-born and German-raised fighter who trains at the OC Fight Team. He debuted in early 2004 and won 10 of 13 including 3 in a row before being scooped up by the UFC in early 2007. He lost 3 of his first 4 UFC bouts, but after picking up a victory outside the organization, returned and has seen improvement. He won 3 of his last 4, although he dropped a March UFC Fight Night 21 decision against Ross Pearson in his last bout.

Prediction – Fisher decision

Chris Leben vs. Aaron Simpson

Longtime UFC vet Chris “The Crippler” Leben (19-6) enters his fifteenth career UFC bout at The Ultimate Fighter 11 finale against undefeated middleweight Aaron Simpson (7-0). This bout will be on the main card portion and will be shown on Spike TV.

Leben, 29, is a knockout specialist who now trains with Icon Fitness MMA in Hawaii. He debuted in 2002 and won 10 of his first 11 career bouts. He then won a spot on The Ultimate Fighter, and although he didn’t win the tournament on the show, did help give his career a jump start. He won six of his first seven in the organization; however his success has dropped as of late losing four of seven since. He did win his most recent bout at UFC Fight Night 20 in January with a decision victory over Jay Silva.

Simpson, 35, is a Colorado-born wrestler who trains at Arizona Combat Sports. He was a successful wrestler from 1996-1998 at Arizona State University. He debuted in October 2007 and won his first three via TKO before being signed to the WEC. He won his only WEC bout in November 2008 at WEC 36 with an 18-second KO of David Avellan. His contract was transferred into the UFC 185-pound division where he has won three of three. He defeated Tim McKenzie, Ed Herman, and Tom Lawlor in the octagon. His “fight of the night” performance in January over Lawlor was a tight back-and-forth battle that he barely won via split decision.

Prediction – Simpson decision

TUF 11 Championship: Court McGee vs. Kris McCray

The TUF 11 middleweight winner will be determined when Team Liddell’s Court McGee (8-1) meets Team Ortiz’s Kris McCray (5-0) in the final. This will be one of the five televised fights for the Spike TV main card portion.

McGee is a well rounded fighter who trains with both Throwdown Elite Center and now The Pit in California. He debuted as a pro in 2007 and won his first five bouts before dropping a fight with MMA veteran Jeremy Horn. After his loss to Horn, he won three in a row before earning a position in the TUF 11 house. He was picked 6 th by Chuck Liddell and 12 th overall. He lost a decision against Nick Ring in the tournament’s opening round but was given Rich Attonito’s quarterfinals spot when it was determined that he could not continue. He then defeated James Hammortree and Brad Tavares to earn a position in the final.

McCray, 28, is a ground specialist who fights out of Washington DC with Team Gold Medal Grappling. He debuted in late 2008 and fought in the D.C. area for Ultimate Warrior Challenge and Ballroom Battleground promotions where he finished all five of his opponents. He was selected 3 rd by Tito Ortiz and 5 th overall of the 14 competitors. He dropped his opening round bout against Josh Bryant but was given a wildcard position and made the most of it. He submitted Kyacey Uscola in the quarterfinals and then Kyle Noke to earn another shot at Bryant in the semifinals. He won a decision over Josh Bryant in the semifinals to earn his way to the final against Court McGee.

Prediction – McGee TKO

TUF 11 Finale Main Event: Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine

The Ultimate Fighter 3 vet Matt “The Hammer” Hamill (8-2) wants to get his fourth consecutive victory when he meets TUF 2 veteran Keith Jardine (15-7-1) in the TUF 11 main event. This bout will be contested in the light heavyweight division.

Hamill, 33, is a New York-based fighter who has trained with Tito Ortiz’s Team Punishment in the past. He debuted in MMA in 2005 and after only one bout was chosen for TUF 3. Although he was injured and didn’t get a chance to finish the season, he got his career off on a good note by winning his first three official UFC bouts. He then dropped two of three, albeit against top level fighters, Michael Bisping and Rich Franklin. He has turned it around lately winning his last three bouts including a DQ finish of Jon Jones in December at the TUF 10 finale.

Jardine, 34, is a Montana-born striker who now fights out of New Mexico at Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting. He debuted in 2001 and won 9 of 11 before getting an opportunity on TUF 2. He didn’t win the TUF 2 tournament, but won four of his first five official UFC bouts. The early success hasn’t translated into the latter stages of his career. Over the last three years, he has lost five of seven including his last three straight. In his most recent bout, Jardine was knocked out by Ryan Bader in the February UFC 110 event. He does hold notable UFC victories over Brandon Vera, Forrest Griffin, and Chuck Liddell.

Prediction – Jardine TKO

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer