The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale took place on Saturday, June 21st at The Pearl at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. A portion of the event was broadcast live on Spike TV

In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner took on The Ultimate Fighter 3 middleweight tournament winner Kendall Grove. In the co-main event, Amir Sadollah faced semifinals opponent and tournament favorite CB Dollaway in a rematch for The Ultimate Fighter 7 middleweight tournament title.

In their first meeting, Sadollah submitted the tournament-favorite Dollaway with a surprising third-round armbar after dropping both of the opening rounds. Dollaway, however, qualified for the the finals with a second-chance semifinal unanimous decision victory over Tim Credeur after original finals fighter Jesse Taylor was removed from the competition by UFC President Dana White following a late-season drunken rampage.

Diego Sanchez vs. Luigi Fioravanti, Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens, and Matt Riddle vs. Dante Rivera were also featured on the main card.

Continue reading for quick results and round-by-round coverage of the The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale…

QUICK RESULTS

• Kendall Grove def. Evan Tanner via split decision
• Amir Sadollah def. CB Dollaway via submission – Round 1, 3:02
  The Ultimate Fighter 7 Final
• Diego Sanchez def. Luigi Fioravanti via TKO – Round 3, 4:07
• Spencer Fisher def. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision
• Matt Riddle def. Dante Rivera via unanimous decision
• Dustin Hazelett def. Josh Burkman via submission – Round 2, 4:46
• Drew McFedries def. Marvin Eastman via TKO – Round 1, 1:08
• Matt Brown def. Matt Arroyo via TKO – Round 2, 3:40
• Dean Lister def. Jeremy Horn via submission – Round 1, 3:52
• Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough – CANCELED
• Rob Kimmons def. Rob Yundt via submission – Round 1, 3:58

NEWS

• During the broadcast it was announced that “The Ultimate Fighter 8: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir” will, like “The Ultimate Fighter 7″, feature 32 fighters competing in the opening episodes for 16 openings in “The Ultimate Fighter” house. Unlike the most recent season, TUF 8 will feature two weight classes, lightweight and light heavyweight, with 16 fighters being selected from each division to fight their way into the house.
• From UFC.com: “Saturday night’s preliminary bout between middleweights Tim Credeur and Cale Yarbrough at The Palms in Las Vegas was cancelled by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after traces of the prescription drug Adderall were found in a pre-fight drug test administered to Credeur.”

ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS

KENDALL GROVE DEF. EVAN TANNER

ROUND 1 – There’s no touch of the gloves in this one. Tanner closes the distance and clinches with Grove against the cage. Grove lands a good elbow. Tanner presses Grove against the cage and secures a single leg takedown and lands in side control. Grove returns to his feet but Tanner stays clinched and keeps him against the cage. Grove lands a knee and an elbow but misses with a kick and falls to the mat. Tanner tries to connect as Grove returns to his feet. They clinch again and Grove lands a knee to the head. Tanner works for a takedown and finally secures it after Grove is warned for grabbing the fence. Grove attempts a triangle but Tanner escapes. Back on their feet Tanner misses on a knee and falls to the ground and Grove takes his back. Tanner shakes him off and returns to his feet. Grove lands a hard upkick but Tanner is able to get into Grove’s guard and presses him against the fence. Tanner connects with several solid punches to the face of Grove as the opening frame ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Grove.

ROUND 2 -Tanner presses the action early in round two but Grove counters. Grove connects with a good combination followed by a hard uppercut. Body kick by Grove. Tanner throws overhand shots to set up a takedown attempt. Tanner works to drag him to the ground but Grove is able to get back to his feet. Another knee lands by Grove. Tanner secures a takedown and briefly passes to half guard but Grove regains full guard. Grove uses the cage to get back to his feet and they go to the ground and scramble for position but get back to their feet. Grove connects with a combination that hurts Tanner but the former UFC middleweight champion is able to clinch and partially recover. A knee by Tanner lands low but Grove says he doesn’t need a timeout. They clinch against the fence then Tanner backs away. Grove lands a head kick, jab combination, and finishes up the round with a body kick. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-8 Grove.

ROUND 3 – Tanner lands a right hook. Grove comes back with a left-right combination. Tanner clinches and presses him against the cage. Tanner lands an uppercut in the clinch. Grove lands elbows to Tanner’s head. Tanner backs away and lands a pair of leg kicks followed by a hard uppercut. Tanner clinches with Grove again lands some elbows to Grove’s head. Grove lands more elbows from the clinch. Tanner again backs away and misses with a left but connects with a right. He misses with a follow-up right. Left is blocked by Grove but uppercuts land. Grove lands a jab. Body shots by Tanner in the clinch. They separate and Grove lands a final knee to the body before the final round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Tanner and the bout 29-27 Grove.

Kendall Grove defeats Evan Tanner via split decision (30-26, 30-26, 28-29)

AMIR SADOLLAH DEF. CB DOLLAWAY

ROUND 1 – They touch gloves and the co-main event is underway. They trade leg and body kicks to open the bout. More right leg kicks by CB. Amir misses and Dollaway capitalizes and slams him to the mat. Dollaway works to land punches from Amir’s guard then passes to side control. Sadollah gets back to his knees then rolls back into full guard. Dollaway lands some ground and pound against the cage but Sadollah secures an armbar and forces Dollaway to tap out at 3:02.

Amir Sadollah is The Ultimate Fighter 7 middleweight tournament winner.

Amir Sadollah defeats CB Dollaway via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:02

DIEGO SANCHEZ DEF. LUIGI FIORAVANTI

ROUND 1 – Diego shoots early for a takedown but Fioravanti slips away and they remain standing. Sanchez misses with a head kick. Good inside leg kick by Luigi. Sanchez lands a hard uppercut but Fioravanti remains standing. Flying knee by Sanchez misses. Head kick by Sanchez. Diego shoots and Fioravanti sprawls and just misses with a knee. Hard combination by Fioravanti. Sanchez connects with a solid combination. Another head kick misses by Sanchez. Diego takes Fioravanti down but Luigi flips him off immediately and returns to his feet. Good uppercut by Sanchez. Sanchez tries for another takedown but Luigi sprawls and instead slams Diego to the ground. The first round ends just as both fighters get back to their feet. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sanchez.

ROUND 2 – Luigi lands a left and Sanchez a right. Luigi hurts his ankle backing away but he appears to recover. Sanchez lands a right and Fioravanti falls to the ground. Sanchez jumps on top but Fioravanti recovers and keeps half guard. Sanchez looks for a submission from the top then tries to pass but Luigi pushes him off and both return to their feet. Sanchez connects with a head kick and tries to take Luigi to the ground but Fioravanti keeps the fight standing. Both connect with simultaneous combinations. Sanchez wants Fioravanti to close the distance and fight. Sanchez lands a solid knee but Fioravanti connects with a hard combination to close out the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sanchez.

ROUND 3 – Crisp striking from Sanchez to open the third. Fioravanti counters with a hard right. Body kick by Sanchez. Luigi misses with a combination. Sanchez shoots and Fioravanti sprawls and escapes the attempt. Uppercut by Sanchez followed by a knee to the body. They clinch and Fioravanti connects with a good body shot and again avoids a takedown. Sanchez lands a right hook. Diego takes Fioravanti’s back but Luigi again escapes and returns to his feet. Sanchez lands a left head kick that staggers Fioravanti and follows it up with a right knee to the head. Fioravanti falls to the mat and Sanchez rains down punches to finish the fight at 4:07.

Diego Sanchez defeats Luigi Fioravanti via TKO – Round 3, 4:07

SPENCER FISHER DEF. JEREMY STEPHENS

ROUND 1 – They throw wild strikes to open the bout before clinching. They go to the ground, return to their feet, the head back to the ground and Fisher goes into Stephens’ guard. Stephens look for submissions from the bottom and tries to keep Fisher from posturing up. Fisher working to drop big shots from the top. Several more submission attempts by Stepens that Fisher evades. Fisher passes to side control and drops elbows on Stephens. Stephens gets back to full guard but Fisher works back to half guard. Fisher mounts Stephens then takes his back and drops big elbows. Stephens escapes back to full guard. More hard strikes from the top by Fisher to close out the opening round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Spencer Fisher.

ROUND 2 – Stephens connects with a good combination to kick off round two, but Fisher counters before locking up. They break and Stephens connects with another good combination. They lock up and trade again before breaking. Fisher replaces a lost mouth piece and the bout resumes. They continue to throw strikes though nothing major connects before they clinch. Fisher secures a takedown and lands in Stephens’ side control. Fisher throws elbows into Fisher’s side and works for full mount but Stephens recaptures half guard. Fisher continues to barrage but Stepehns reclaims full guard. Fisher lands more strikes and continues to try to pass guard but he’s unsuccessful. Fisher stands up and looks to drop punches but Stephens lands a good kick that forces Fisher to back off. Fisher is persistent and lands a hard shot but Stepehns returns to his feet and connects before the round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Fisher.

ROUND 3 – They go back-and-forth to kick off the final round then Stephens connects with a good knee-punch combo. Fisher shoots for a takedown but Stephens sprawls. Stephens momentarily has a guillotine but Fisher escapes into side control. Fisher mounts Stephens but backs into side control then full guard. They’re back on their feet and Stephens connects with a big right. Another takedown attempt by Fisher but Stephens ends up in Fisher’s guard. Stepehns drops punches from the top and opens a cut on Fisher’s face. He presses Fisher against the cage but backs off. Fisher tries to return to his feet but Stephens jumps back in and applies a guillotine. Stepehns works to finish Fisher off with the choke but he runs out of time. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Stephens and the bout 29-28 Fisher.

Spencer Fisher defeats Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

MATT RIDDLE DEF. DANTE RIVERA

ROUND 1 – Hard kick by Rivera to open up the offense. Rivera clinches with Riddle and lands some hard knees. Rivera has Riddle’s neck for an extended length of time but he escapes. They trade knees from the clinch. Riddle connects with more knees. They continue to trade and Rivera loses his mouth piece. Once the action slows he replaces it and the fight continues. Dante misses with big looping punches and they again clinch against the fence. Riddle works more knees including one that lands low but the action continues. Rivera looks for a takedown but Riddle defends and gets back to his feet. Rivera lands a big knee followed by several good kicks. Riddle takes Rivera down late in the round and lands some elbows to Rivera’s head before the first round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Riddle.

ROUND 2 – Rivera misses with big punches to open the round and Riddle takes him to the ground. Riddle returns to his feet and Rivera keeps him away with kicks until he can stand up. They clinch against the fence and struggle for position. Riddle lands several hard knees then Rivera separates and lands some good shots. They clinch again and Rivera works for a takedown but is unsuccessful. Riddle reverses and presses Rivera to the cage but the pace slows as neither fighter can connect. They break and Rivera lands a hard overhand left but they go to the ground and Riddle gets mount. He drops some punches but Rivera scoots to the fence and escapes during an attempted armbar. Rivera works from Riddle’s guard and is nearly caught in a triangle but escapes. Riddle connects with elbows to the body to finish out the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Riddle.

ROUND 3 – Riddle connects with a punch-knee combo then clinches with Rivera. Knees to the body by Rivera countered by knees from Rivera. Riddle takes Rivera to the ground, landing in his guard. Rivera is in rubber guard and works for an omoplata while controlling Riddle. They return to their feet and clinch but are quickly back on the ground. They stall and are stood up by referee Herb Dean. They clinch and Riddle looks for another takedown. Riddle takes his back then move into full mount. Riddle rains down strikes, takes his back again, then takes back full mount and lands more strikes to end the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Riddle and the bout 30-27 Riddle.

Matt Riddle defeats Dante Rivera via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

DUSTIN HAZELETT DEF. JOSH BURKMAN

ROUND 1 – Burkman lands some solid punches and kicks then secures a takedown. Hazelett works an omoplata but Burkman escapes. Hazelett then tries for a choke but Burkman is again able to escape. Burman escapes another choke attempt then lands several shots before Hazelett defends and rides out the remainder of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Hazelett.

ROUND 2 – The pair briefly trade to open round two then Burkman secures a takedown but they quickly return to their feet. Hazelett attempts to pull guard but Burkman keeps the fight standing. They again trade strikes before clinching. They head to the ground late in the round and Hazelett secures an armbar that forces Burkman to tap out at 4:46.

Dustin Hazelett def. Josh Burkman via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:46

DREW MCFEDRIES DEF. MARVIN EASTMAN

ROUND 1 – McFedries connects out of the gate with hard punches and knees that rock Eastman. Eastman falls to the ground and McFedries continues to connect with strikes that force referee Steve Mazzagatti to stop the contest at 1:08.

Drew McFedries defeats Marvin Eastman via technical knockout – Round 1, 1:08

MATT BROWN DEF. MATT ARROYO

ROUND 1 – Arroyo opens the bout with solid strikes that find their mark before the pair clinch against the cage. Arroyo secures a takedown against the fence but Brown returns to his feet. They lock up again but Arroyo separates and connects with hard punches. Brown, bloodied from the strikes, finally connects late with a hard combination before the opening round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Arroyo.

ROUND 2 – Brown opens round two with several good combinations that connect. They clinch and head to the ground. From Arroyo’s guard Brown lands some good ground and pound against the fence. Brown hurts Arroyo with a series of hard punches and lands several more before the bout is halted at 3:40.

Matt Brown defeats Matt Arroyo via technical knockout – Round 2, 3:40

DEAN LISTER DEF. JEREMY HORN

ROUND 1 – Horn connects early with a hard-left then takes Lister down and lands in half guard. Lister looks for an omoplata from the bottom but Horn avoids and both return to their feet. Lister secures a takedown then reverses and locks in a deep guillotine. Horn taps out at 3:52.

Dean Lister defeats Jeremy Horn via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:52

TIM CREDEUR VS. CALE YARBROUGH – CANCELED

From UFC.com: “Saturday night’s preliminary bout between middleweights Tim Credeur and Cale Yarbrough at The Palms in Las Vegas was cancelled by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after traces of the prescription drug Adderall were found in a pre-fight drug test administered to Credeur.”

ROB KIMMONS DEF. ROB YUNDT

ROUND 1 – Yundt shoots early but is caught in a good guillotine. He’s able to escape but Kimmons immediately goes for an armbar. Yundt again escapes and lands some body shots before Kimmons looks for a kimura and then sweeps into Yundt’s half guard. He passes into full mount and drops some shots before Yundt attempts to scramble away. Kimmons secures a guillotine choke that forces Yundt to tap out 3:58 into the opening round.

Rob Kimmons defeats Rob Yundt via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:58

Tags: Amir Sadollah, Cale Yarbrough, CB Dollaway, dante rivera, Dean Lister, Diego Sanchez, Drew McFedries, Dustin Hazelett, Evan Tanner, jeremy horn, Jeremy Stephens, Josh Burkman, Kendall Grove, Luigi Fioravanti, Marvin Eastman, Matt Arroyo, matt brown, Matt Riddle, Rob Kimmons, rob yundt, Spencer Fisher, Tim Credeur