Cub Swanson venceu  Jeremy Stephens na decisão unânime dos jurados
Kelvin Gastelum venceu Nicholas Musoke na decisão unânime dos jurados
Cezar Mutante venceu  Andrew Craig na decisão unânime dos jurados
Ricardo Lamas venceu Hacran Dias na decisão unânime dos jurados
Clint Hester venceu Antonio Braga Neto na decisão dividida dos jurados
Joe Ellenberger venceu James Moontasri na decisão dividida dos jurados

Card preliminar

Carlos Diego finalizou Colton Smith pelas costas aos 38 segundos do R1
Cody Gibson nocauteou Johnny Bedford aos 38 segundos do R1
Marcelo Guimarães venceu Andy Enz na decisão dividida dos jurados
Ray Borg estrangulou Shane Howell pelas costas aos 2min17s do R1
Oleksiy Oliynyk finalizou Anthony Hamilton aos 2min18s do R1

Mike Rio arrocha o armlock em John Cofer. Foto: UFC/Divulgação.

O TUF 16 Finale presenteou o fã do bom Jiu-Jitsu com uma noite recheada de golpes da arte suave, além de nocautes no varejo.

TJ Waldburger ficou com o bônus de melhor finalização, após apagar Nick Catone num triângulo. Pat Barry faturou o prêmio de melhor nocaute. Já a surra de Tim Elliott no resistente Jared Papazian foi eleita pelo UFC como luta da noite.

Confira, abaixo, os principais movimentos que rolaram no octagon montado no Hard Rock Hotel, em Las Vegas.

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UFC – TUF Finale 16

Las Vegas, Nevada, EUA

15 de dezembro de 2012

Roy Nelson derrotou Matt Mitrione por nocaute técnico aos 2min58s do R1

Colton Smith derrotou Mike Ricci por decisão unânime dos jurados

Pat Barry derrotou Shane del Rosario por nocaute técnico aos 26s do R2

Dustin Poirier finalizou Jonathan Brookins no triângulo de mão aos 4min15s do R1

Card Preliminar (Fuel TV)

Mike Pyle derrotou James Head por nocaute técnico (joelhada e socos) a 1min55s

Johnny Bedford derrotou Marcos Vina por nocaute a 1min do R2

Rustam Khabilov derrotou Vinc Pichel por nocaute (suplê) a 2min15s

TJ Waldburger apagou Nick Catone no triângulo a 1min04s do R2

Card Preliminar (Facebook)

Hugo Wolverine nocauteou Reuben Duran aos 4min05s

Mike Rio finalizou John Cofer na chave de braço da guarda aos 4min11s do R3

Tim Elliott derrotou Jared Papazian na decisão unânime dos jurados

Roy Nelson punches Matt Mitrione during their heavyweight fight at the TUF 16 Finale. (Photo by Jim Kemper/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Roy Nelson put down Matt Mitrione, scoring a first-round technical knockout of the former NFL player in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Also, Colton Smith dominated Mike Ricci for the unanimous decision in the Season 16 final of the UFC’s reality show, earning a six-figure contract with the company.

Nelson, who is known for his heavy right-handed punch, traded strikes with Mitrione early on in their contest. Mitrione landed significant strikes that shook his opponent, including an inside leg kick that knocked Nelson off his base.

Nelson, however, recovered from any shots he absorbed and threw a counter-uppercut that was the beginning of the end for Mitrione. Knowing his opponent was backpedaling from being stunned, Nelson pushed forward with a flurry and Mitrione fell to his back. Nelson followed his opponent to the ground and finished him with strikes.

The finish came came at 2:58 of the opening frame.

The victorious “Big Country” was content with the TKO, but wanted to stretch out the match longer so he can prove doubters wrong.

“I was looking to pick him apart and do it in the later rounds,” Nelson said, “and show all the critics that a fat guy can go five rounds.”

Smith Tops Ricci, Wins Ultimate Fighter 16

Colton Smith lifts the Ultimate Fighter season 16 trophy after his lightweight fight at the TUF 16 Finale. (Photo by Jim Kemper/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Smith imposed his will on Ricci for the length of their three-round affair, and set that standard from the get-go.

With superior wrestling, Smith controlled his opponent, securing Ricci’s back and working for the rear-naked choke on several occasions. Ricci, a fighter that typically competes at lightweight, had few moments in the welterweight bout where he mounted any sort of offense because his opponent scrambled and transitioned so well for advantageous positions.

For a brief instance in the final round, Ricci secured Smith’s back and transitioned to an armbar attempt. Smith was able to break the hold, however, and time expired. Smith was then announced as the Season 16 winner with a unanimous nod with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26.

“He was a dangerous opponent,” Smith said of Ricci. “I had to be careful with him”

Pat Barry Brutally KOs Shane Del Rosario, Dustin Poirier Subs Jonathan Brookins 

Pat Barry punches Shane Del Rosario during their heavyweight fight at the TUF 16 Finale. (Photo by Jim Kemper/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Pat Barry knocked out Shane Del Rosario early in the second round of their TUF 16 Finale main card bout, landing strikes against the cage en route to the finish.

The two traded well in the first round, but it was Barry that landed the over-hand left in the second round that started Del Rosario’s demise. With his back against the cage, Del Rosario covered up, but Barry found an opening and landed a right hand down the middle that sent his opponent’s head springing backwards. The knockout was called at 0:26 of the second round.

Although he dealt with a barrage of strikes early on in the match, Dustin Poirier recovered and submitted Jonathan Brookins late in the first round of their main card fight.

Brookins looked sharp on the feet at the beginning stages of the fight, rocking Poirier with punches and short strikes in the clinch. Poirier found his timing, though, and eventually landed some strikes of his own before locking on a D’Arce choke in the final minute of the opening frame. With no choice but to tap, Brookins was submitted at 4:15 of the first round.

A scheduled bout between Melvin Guillard and Jamie Varner was removed from the card in the moments before the fight because Varner fell ill and was vomiting in the backstage area. The fight will be rescheduled for UFC 155, which takes place in two weeks on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Here are the full results for the TUF 16 Finale:

• Pat Barry def. Shane Del Rosario by KO (punch) at 0:26, R2
• Dustin Poirier def. Jonathan Brookins by submission (D’Arce choke) at 4:15, R1
• Mike Pyle def. James Head via TKO (punches) at 1:55, R1
• Johnny Bedford def. Marcos Vinicius by KO (punches) at 1:00, R2
• Rustam Khabilov def. Vinc Pichel by KO (suplex) at 2:15, R1
• T.J. Waldburger def. Nick Catone by submission (triangle choke) at 1:04, R2
• Hugo Viana def. Reuben Duran by TKO (punches) at 4:05, R1
• Mike Rio def. John Cofer by submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:11
• Tim Elliott def. Jared Papazian by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)