With just one semi-finals slot remaining, the final lightweight bout is on tap this week as Team Nogueira’s John Polakowski faces off against Team Mir’s George Roop to advance in the 155-pound tournament.

Before his bout against the hugging machine Polakowski, Roop injures his hand after catching it in the octagon fencing while training for the fight. The injury is rather seious as Roop is unable to make a fist as a result of the swelling, but by fight day the swelling has subsided and Roop is ready to fight.

It’s quickly fight time and after a hug in the center of the octagon Polakowski and Roop get to work. Roop captures the first round with more accurate striking and a takedown, but Polakowski appears to get the better of Roop in the second, frequently connecting with punches, and we appear destined for a third and decisive round. However, the judge’s surprisingly render a decision after just two rounds, declaring Roop the winner via unanimous decison.

“This clearly was a fight that should have gone to a third round,” said Dana White, who added that Polakowski gave it his all and was robbed by the judges.

With the quarterfinals now complete the fighters celebrate back at the house, but things nearly get out of hand after several fighters toss eggs and meat at the fighters in the hot tub, including Junie Browning, who loses his cool after being hit by a piece of meat but calms down before again jeopardizing his place in the tournament.

After discussing with the semi-finalists who they’d prefer to fight, White and coaches Nogueira and Mir determine the matchups for the semis. In the lightweight division, Phillipe Nover faces George Roop
and Junie Browning takes on Efrain Escudero. At light heavyweight Eliot Marshall battles Ryan Bader and
Vinny Magalhaes meets Krzysztof Soszynski.

TEAM MIR

• 205: Elliot Marshall (1-0)
• 155: Junie Browning (1-0)
• 205: Vinicius Magalhaes (1-0)
• 205: Krzysztof Soszynski (1-0)
• 155: George Roop (1-0)
• 155: Dave Kaplan
  Eliminated in episode eight by Phillipe Nover
• 155: Shane Nelson
  Eliminated in episode four by Efrain Escudero
• 205: Tom Lawlor
  Eliminated in episode three by Ryan Bader

TEAM NOGUEIRA

• 205: Ryan Bader (1-0)
• 155: Efrain Escudero (1-0)
• 155:Phillipe Nover (1-0)
• 155: John Polakowski
  Eliminated in episode 10 by George Roop
• 205: Kyle Kingsbury
  Eliminated in episode nine by Krzysztof Soszynski
• 205: Jules Bruchez
  Eliminated in episode seven by Vinny Magalhaes
• 155: Rolando Delgado
  Eliminated in episode six by Junie Browning
• 205: Shane Primm
  Eliminated in episode five by Elliot Marshall

Tags: George Roop, John Polakowski