TUF 8 Finale Card

Main event (Televised):

155 lbs.: Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero to determine TUF 8 lightweight winner

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhães to determine TUF 8 light heavyweight winner
185 lbs.: Wilson Gouveia (21-10) vs. Jason MacDonald (11-5)
170 lbs.: Kevin Burns (7-1) vs. Anthony Johnson (5-2)
155 lbs.: Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan

Under card (May not be broadcast):

205 lbs.: Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm
205 lbs.: Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez
205 lbs.: Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
155 lbs.: Shane Nelson vs. George Roop
155 lbs.: Rolando Delgado vs. John Polakowski




i think it's kinda interesting that Dana seemed so happy to get rid of Junie during last night's show yet has him fighting on the finale........especially in a televised match. After watching the season, it's obvious Nover is who he thinks is the next Anderson Silva. the kid is impressive but i don't know if i'd go even close to making a statement like that yet.

Yea I was thinking the same thing about putting Junie on the live finale. Hopefully he put him on there so he can get his ass kicked again. The two championship fights should be very interesting. I'd put Vinny over Bader just because Vinny is an absolute beast on the ground and seems to finish people really fast with his jujitsu. I'd put Phillipe over Efrain, don't really know why just like the kid a lot. Should be fun to watch

yankeefan812 said:

Yea I was thinking the same thing about putting Junie on the live finale. Hopefully he put him on there so he can get his ass kicked again. The two championship fights should be very interesting. I'd put Vinny over Bader just because Vinny is an absolute beast on the ground and seems to finish people really fast with his jujitsu. I'd put Phillipe over Efrain, don't really know why just like the kid a lot. Should be fun to watch

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Nover is really good. i don't think Efrain has a chance. if Bader can keep it standing then he'll win. if he goes to the ground, he still has a chance since he kept powering out of Elliot's subs. Vinny is ALOT better than Elliot at BJJ but i think it will be close still. Vinny's standup is just horrible so that keeps Bader in the game. Bader reminds me of Rashad Evans with how he used to take guys down and just lay on them when he first started. I think in the end if it goes to the ground it's Vinny.....if it stays standing then Bader wins.

peaceandlove said:

yankeefan812 said:

Yea I was thinking the same thing about putting Junie on the live finale. Hopefully he put him on there so he can get his ass kicked again. The two championship fights should be very interesting. I'd put Vinny over Bader just because Vinny is an absolute beast on the ground and seems to finish people really fast with his jujitsu. I'd put Phillipe over Efrain, don't really know why just like the kid a lot. Should be fun to watch

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Nover is really good. i don't think Efrain has a chance. if Bader can keep it standing then he'll win. if he goes to the ground, he still has a chance since he kept powering out of Elliot's subs. Vinny is ALOT better than Elliot at BJJ but i think it will be close still. Vinny's standup is just horrible so that keeps Bader in the game. Bader reminds me of Rashad Evans with how he used to take guys down and just lay on them when he first started. I think in the end if it goes to the ground it's Vinny.....if it stays standing then Bader wins.

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Yea he is really good, but I think that if Efrain can take him to the ground he can control him from the top because of his wrestling background. But yea I'm definently with you on the Bader/Vinny fight. I was really expecting Vinny's chin to be tested with the fight against Kristov but that didn't happen. I like Bader a lot so hopefully he can keep it standing or else I don't think he really has a chance.

Haven't kept up on the TUF season after missing a couple episodes early on.
Wanted to watch it in whole, so I put blinders on.

REALLY excited about the McDonald vs. Gouveia fight. SHould be electric!!

I'm also excited to watch Anthony Johnson Fight. Wasn't he the one who had that brutal KO against Tommy Spear. That was insane!

yankeefan812 said:

I'm also excited to watch Anthony Johnson Fight. Wasn't he the one who had that brutal KO against Tommy Spear. That was insane!

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yeah, this will be a rematch for him. He fought this guy last time and the guy drove his finger into Johnson's eye. the ref didn't see it, stopped the fight, and gave the fight to Burns. the finger went so deep it was in behind Johnson's eyeball. Johnson had to have surgery on his eye and this is his first fight back. I'm calling a quick KO by him on this one.


Gouveia/McDonald should be good. i think McDonald will pull that one out.

I haven't been online since Wednesday night, so I haven't been able to comment on Junie losing.

But let me just say this. WHOO HOO! YAY!!! EXCLAIMATION!!! About freaking time. I can't stand this kid.

I knew he'd be on the Finale card though, and I figured he'd be on a televised event too. I say that because if Dana didn't want to have anything to do with him, he wouldn't have been talking to him backstage at UFC 91 on his Video Blog with Forrest Griffin. Junie's been training with Extreme Couture since filming stopped. So I am sure he's only getting better. I hope he's embarassed though.

If this kid were to do a complete 180 and get his act together and be a great fighter, I just may come around to enjoying him a little. But I doubt that. I can see him getting embarassed on the TUF Finale and never being heard from again.

peaceandlove said:

Main event (Televised):

155 lbs.: Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero to determine TUF 8 lightweight winner

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhães to determine TUF 8 light heavyweight winner
185 lbs.: Wilson Gouveia (21-10) vs. Jason MacDonald (11-5)
170 lbs.: Kevin Burns (7-1) vs. Anthony Johnson (5-2)
155 lbs.: Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan <---- THIS SHOULD BE UNDERCARD!

Under card (May not be broadcast):

205 lbs.: Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm <---- THIS SHOULD BE MAIN CARD!
205 lbs.: Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez
205 lbs.: Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
155 lbs.: Shane Nelson vs. George Roop
155 lbs.: Rolando Delgado vs. John Polakowski

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My only issue with the event, added in bold.

Junie is a loser. Has no business representing the UFC or any other large organization.

NECpilgrims8 said:

peaceandlove said:

Main event (Televised):

155 lbs.: Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero to determine TUF 8 lightweight winner

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhães to determine TUF 8 light heavyweight winner
185 lbs.: Wilson Gouveia (21-10) vs. Jason MacDonald (11-5)
170 lbs.: Kevin Burns (7-1) vs. Anthony Johnson (5-2)
155 lbs.: Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan <---- THIS SHOULD BE UNDERCARD!

Under card (May not be broadcast):

205 lbs.: Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm <---- THIS SHOULD BE MAIN CARD!
205 lbs.: Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez
205 lbs.: Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
155 lbs.: Shane Nelson vs. George Roop
155 lbs.: Rolando Delgado vs. John Polakowski

Click to expand...

My only issue with the event, added in bold.

Junie is a loser. Has no business representing the UFC or any other large organization.

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They are def going to put Junie on the main card. He's the biggest personality love him or hate him on this season.

And I hate him. I want to watch him get his ass kicked.

interesting Junie interview:

JUNIE BROWNING

MMAjunkie.com: You’ve admitted to playing things up a bit for the camera during this season. Do you consider the attention that’s surrounded you a good thing or a bad thing?

Junie Browning: I don’t think any publicity is necessarily a bad thing. People, most people, probably don’t like me. But they’re still going to tune in to watch me. Even if it’s to see someone kick my head off my shoulders, it still brings the ratings.

I guarantee you more people were interested in mine and Efrain (Escudero’s) fight than Eliot (Marshall) and (Ryan) Bader. I thought they fell asleep in the cage on top of each other.

MMAjunkie.com: UFC President Dana White gave you a brief psychological evaluation in the final episode. Did you agree with his belief that you were self-destructing in an attempt to avoid a potential loss?

Junie Browning: Yeah. Maybe not even intentionally, maybe sub-consciously. I sort of accepted the fact that I was going to lose already. It was going to be embarrassing. I just knew I wasn’t prepared to fight at all. I know what it takes to get in there for three five-minute rounds. I don’t feel like I had what it took right then.

I don’t think I would have been upset if I went home. At least I wouldn’t have gotten my ass kicked like I did on national television. That’s not a good way to look at it, but that’s the way I felt about it at the time. I wish I could fight him tomorrow, because I don’t think it would be a first-rounder.

MMAjunkie.com: You wanted to quit mixed martial arts both before and after the bout with Efrain. How long did you keep that state of mind, and what changed within you to continue your professional career?

Junie Browning: Immediately after the fight, they take you straight to the confessional. Of course it’s not going to be the most positive things that you’re thinking of. I was just really down on myself. I went home and thought about it and realized that I wasn’t fighting at 100 percent. So that’s not a good time to quit. If I felt like I was fighting at 100 percent and still lost, it would have been a little bit different.

MMAjunkie.com: Out of the four losing semi-finalists, your bout is the only one that will be featured on the main card. What are your thoughts on the UFC featuring you despite the controversial actions that surrounded you throughout this season?

Junie Browning: I think once [the UFC] realized I came out here (to Las Vegas) to train, and that I changed stuff up—that I’m not necessarily exactly the way I was on the show—I think they are sort of taking a gamble on me again. They know I’m going to put on an exciting fight, regardless. I’m sure a lot of those other guys, their fights aren’t going to be very exciting. They need someone to put on an exciting fight that night.

MMAjunkie.com: What are your thoughts on the finale matchup with Dave Kaplan?

Junie Browning: I think it’s an awesome matchup for me. I trained with him. I don’t believe there’s any aspect of the game where he is better than me. My one downfall was my cardio, and I feel like he’s going to be banking that my cardio is not going to be very good, and he’s going to be surprised.

I’ll be better than I’ve ever been. [People] are going to realize that I’m not the same person. It’s going to be obvious, too. It’s not going to be little things. Everything is going to be improved. I’m going to be a different fighter. People are going to realize that I should have won the whole show. I just made a bunch of dumb mistakes.

And I’m going to show them some stuff in the fight that they’ve never seen in any MMA fight.

WAR KAPLAN!

Kaplan was a part of my favorite TUF moment this season. thought it was great when he said he couldn't get KO'd and gave Kingsbury a free shot on him and was knocked out. Guy goes limp then gets up later and still denies he was out. funny stuff.

peaceandlove said:

Kaplan was a part of my favorite TUF moment this season. thought it was great when he said he couldn't get KO'd and gave Kingsbury a free shot on him and was knocked out. Guy goes limp then gets up later and still denies he was out. funny stuff.

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That was hilarious.

man, alot of quick fights last night. Junie appeared to have grown up some. might have just been an act though so who knows. really didn't see Phillpe losing like he did.

peaceandlove said:

man, alot of quick fights last night. Junie appeared to have grown up some. might have just been an act though so who knows. really didn't see Phillpe losing like he did.

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Junie really has improved since training at Extreme Couture. He kicked Kaplans ass totally. Was just so much quicker than him. Looks to be getting his **** together, which is good.


I thought it was a good overall card. The leg kick KO was awesome.

yeah, Johnson got some revenge with that kick. i thought bader's punch stoppage of Vinny was impressive too. man, how about Gouveia too.....amazing.

Bader's nickname should be 'Master' not 'Darth.'


I do like Darth really. And the Star Wars entrance music.