• TUF 14 Finale

Brandao delivers arm-snapping victory to win TUF final

Diego Brandao is a finisher © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Bisping plays target practice with Mayhem's face
  
• News: Bisping to reveal next fight soon - won't be Wanderlei
  
• News: Dana White lambasts 'punching bag' Jason Miller
  

Diego Brandao lived up to his scary reputation against Dennis Bermudez at the TUF 14 Finale, but the damage was done by an unexpected submission in a superb featherweight final.

Team Bisping's Brandao arrived at the Pearl at the Palms on Saturday as the overwhelming favourite, having won his previous three fights on the TUF season inside six minutes. However, he was on the cusp of losing to the written-off Bermudez before pulling out an armbar nine seconds from the end of round one to take home the six-figure UFC contract.

All of Brandao's reputation had been built on his knockout power and, after a quick start by Bermudez, it appeared Brandao would deliver the expected finish when a huge overhand right dropped his opponent. A big left hook also landed, and he later launched into a flying knee as the attacks kept coming.

However, Brandao's lofty status is built on the weaker foundations of a 13-7 MMA record prior to his splash on The Ultimate Fighter, and Bermudez displayed why by connecting with the Brazilian's less-than-sturdy chin. Bermudez leapt in for the finish, dropping bombs from inside the guard, but that proved to be his downfall.

Trained at Greg Jackson's gym, Brandao slickly worked for the armbar, and it appeared he broke Bermudez's arm to walk away with the UFC contract, Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night.

"Now I can buy a house for my mum in Brazil," said Brandao, summing up the importance of victory.

In the bantamweight final, John Dodson was a popular winner of the other UFC contract, delivering the Knockout of the Night against TJ Dillashaw at 1.54 of the first round. Fighting out of Greg Jackson's gym, Dodson was part of Team Miller on TUF 14, although he spent the majority of the series acting as a mole on behalf of Team Bisping.

Dillashaw came with a fierce wrestling background, but he chose to strike with an opponent clearly more capable on his feet. An early solid straight left should have been all the warning Dillashaw needed, but he continued to swing and got dropped with a winging left before a follow-up left hook finished the job off.

"Words can't describe how I feel. Did I just end it that quick?" responded the over-excited Dodson, who also took home the Knockout of the Series for his earlier win over Johnny Bedford.

Earlier in the night, TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson came through the toughest fight of his short UFC career, beating Yves Edwards via a 30-27 30-27 29-28 unanimous decision. Both men went back and forth in an excellent stand-up war, and Edwards deserved better representation from the judges even though Ferguson was the correct winner.

Edwards showed the full range of his Muay Thai attack, landing a solid head kick in round one, but Ferguson hurt his man badly with a right hand, leaping in for the finish as Edwards battled on gamefully. The second round appeared to go Edwards' way after some beautiful combinations including a flying knee following by another knee out of the Muay Thai clinch, but he was outboxed in the final stanza in what looked like a 29-28 victory for Ferguson.

"I give my hat to Yves, I didn't think it'd go all three but I'm glad it did," said Ferguson, now 3-0 in the UFC. "I think I caught him a couple of times and tried to finish it, but it seemed to snap him out of it!"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.