Matt Arroyo

The UFC is still at it…reducing their roster that is. They were obviously not joking when they said that they wanted to drop their roster by more than 50 fighters, cutting Matt Arroyo, Nate Mohr, and Reese Andy in recent weeks, according to Five Ounces of Pain.

Arroyo defeated John Kolosci at The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, but next suffered back-to-back losses to Matt Brown and Dan Cramer that sealed his release from the promotion.

Andy continues the two loss release equation, dropping two-straight fights to Matt Hamill and Brandon “The Truth” Vera. While both of the losses came against well-known fighters, Vera’s stock has tumbled in recent fights and Hamill hasn’t emerged as a top light heavyweight.

Nate Mohr’s four-fight career in the UFC ended with defeats from Manny Gamburyan and Dennis Siver.

While the UFC has been cleaning out their closet it appears that they are still in the business of hiring, adding American Top Team heavyweight Todd Duffee to their list of contracted fighters.

Georges St-Pierre Punches BJ Penn at UFC 94

On a card dominated by uneventful decisions, UFC 94’s top two bouts delivered as Georges St-Pierre dominated BJ Penn on the ground en route to a fourth-round TKO victory while top light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida used his awkward style to remain undefeated by scoring a first-round knockout of the previously unbeaten Thiago Silva.

A sell out crowd of 14,885 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which generated a live gate of $4.3 million, erupted as St-Pierre and Penn made their entrances to the octagon for their historic main event matchup that is expected to shatter the current pay-per-view buy record held by UFC 66.

The first round saw both fighters exchange on the feet as GSP unsuccessfully worked to take Penn to the ground. Early in the second, however, St-Pierre succeeded in not only getting Penn to the canvas, but passing into side control and pounding away on Penn. After again dominating Penn on the ground in the third-round, St-Pierre poured it on in the fourth, pounding away with elbows and hammer fists that had Penn struggling to survive. Despite escaping the round, Penn’s corner had seen enough and, along with the advice of the doctor, referee Herb Dean called a stop to the contest, awarding the TKO victory to St-Pierre, who retained the UFC welterweight championship with the main event victory.

St-Pierre, who improved to 18-2 with the win, will next fight Thiago Alves, while Penn, who dropped to 13-5-1 with the loss, is likely to fight Kenny Florian next.

In the evening’s co-headliner, Lyoto Machida’s unorthodox style again proved difficult to counter as he dropped Thiago Silva twice early in the first round before putting him on the canvas with a trip takedown late in the frame. Machida pounced with only seconds remaining in the first, connecting with a perfectly-placed punch to the head that knocked Silva unconscious. A second punch sealed the knockout win as Machida delivered the impressive stoppage victory he needed to secure a likely title shot against current 205-pound title-holder Rashad Evans this summer.

Machida’s record now stands at 14-0, including six-straight wins in the UFC, while Silva’s first loss gives him a 13-1 career mark.

The two stoppage victories salvaged what was an otherwise forgettable night as the remaining eight fights all went to decision. On the main card, Jon Jones showed potential with a unanimous decision victory over Stephan Bonnar, Karo Parisyan topped Dong Hyun Kim via split decision, and Clay Guida handed Nate Diaz his first loss in the UFC with split scorecards in an entertaining opener.

Jon Fitch, Thiago Tavares, John Howard, Jake O’Brien, and Dan Cramer picked up decision victories on the UFC 94 preliminary card.

After the event, the UFC announced that Howard’s victory over Chris Wilson and Guida’s win against Diaz were the “Fights of the Night” and each of the four participants earned $65,000 “fight night” bonuses. Though deserving, the evening’s $65,000 “Knockout of the Night” award went to Machida by default, who scored the only knockout on the card with his late first-round stoppage of Silva. Because UFC 94 featured no submission stoppages, a “Submission of the Night” bonus was not awarded.

UFC 94: ST-PIERRE VS. PENN II RESULTS

• Georges St-Pierre (c) def. BJ Penn via TKO (referee’s stoppage) — Round 4, 5:00
  UFC Welterweight Championship
• Lyoto Machida def. Thiago Silva via KO (punch) — Round 1, 4:59
• Jon Jones def. Stephan Bonnar via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Karo Parisyan def. Dong Hyun Kim via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Clay Guida def. Nate Diaz via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jon Fitch def. Akihiro Gono via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Thiago Tavares def. Manny Gamburyan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• John Howard def. Chris Wilson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Jake O’Brien def. Christian Wellisch via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dan Cramer def. Matt Arroyo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

St-Pierre (170) and Penn (168) clash for the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 94, which also boasts Lyoto Machida (206) vs. Thiago Silva (206), Karo Parisyan (170) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (171), Nate Diaz (156) vs. Clay Guida (156), and Stephan Bonnar (206) vs. Jon Jones (206) on its main card.

“I’m ready,” said Penn in his brief post-weigh-in interview. “I’ve got nothing else to say. Let’s fight. Let’s go.”

“I’ve never been so excited for a fight,” St-Pierre told interviewer and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. “I’ve never wanted to win so bad. Tomorrow, don’t blink. It’s going to be an exciting fight.”

Join MMAFrenzy.com tomorrow evening for complete live coverage of UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn II, including preliminary and main card results and play-by-play.

The official UFC 94 weigh-in results were:

MAIN CARD (PPV – 10pm ET)

• 170: Georges St-Pierre (c) (170) vs. BJ Penn (168)
  UFC Welterweight Championship
• 205: Lyoto Machida (206) vs. Thiago Silva (206)
• 170: Karo Parisyan (170) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (171)
• 155: Nate Diaz (156) vs. Clay Guida (156)
• 205: Stephan Bonnar (206) vs. Jon Jones (206)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Unaired)

• 170: Jon Fitch (171)vs. Akihiro Gono (171)
• 155: Manny Gamburyan (155) vs. Thiago Tavares (155)
• 170: Chris Wilson (170) vs. John Howard (171)
• 205: Jake O’Brien (205) vs. Christian Wellisch (206)
• 170: Matt Arroyo (171) vs. Dan Cramer (171)

Denis Kang

The UFC today announced additional bouts for UFC 93 on January 17th in Dublin, Ireland and UFC 94 on January 31st in Las Vegas.

Announced for the UFC 93 main card, which is headlined by Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin and Mark Coleman vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, were Alan Belcher vs. Denis Kang, Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle, and Jeremy Horn vs. Rousimar Palhares. Antonio Mendes vs. Andre Gusmao, Tomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati, Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway, and Dennis Siver vs. Nate Mohr were confirmed for the unaired preliminary card.

A superfight between UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn is joined on the main card by Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva and Stephan Bonnar vs. Jon Jones. Manny Gamburyan vs. Thiago Tavares, Jake O’Brien vs. Christian Wellisch, and Matt Arroyo vs. Dan Cramer are officially slated for the preliminary card.

For the latest UFC rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

Cramer, a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 7 “Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest”, earned his way into The Ultimate Figher house with a unanimous decision win over Jeremiah Riggs in the elimination round then defeated Luke Zachrich in the first round before being eliminated from the competition by Tim Credeur in the quarterfinals.

Arroyo, a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 6 “Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, defeated Dorian Price and Troy Mandaloniz to advace to the semifinals of the welterweight tournament but was forced to withdraw from the competition after injuring his ribs. “No Regard” defeated John Kolosci via first-round submission in his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale then was defeated by Matt Brown via second-round TKO at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale in June.

UFC 94 is slated to feature the highly anticipated rematch between UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn.

For more on UFC 94 check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale Medical Suspensions

• Evan Tanner (defeated by Kendall Grove via split decision) – Suspended until August 6th with no contact until July 22nd due to a left eye laceration.
• Luigi Fioravanti (defeated by Diego Sanchez via TKO) – Must have right knee cleared by an orthopedic doctor or no contest until December 19th. Minimum suspension until July 22nd with no contact until July 13th.
• Diego Sanchez (defeated Luigi Fioravanti via TKO) – Suspended until July 22nd with no contact until July 13th for precautionary reasons.
• Spencer Fisher (defeated Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision) – Suspended until July 22nd with no contact until July 13th for precautionary reasons.
• Matt Riddle (defeated Dante Rivera via unanimous decision) – Must have finger x-rayed and cleared by an Orthopedic doctor or no contest until December 19th. Minimum suspension until July 22nd with no contact until July 13th.
• Josh Burkman (defeated by Dustin Hazelett via submission) – Suspended until August 6th with no contact until July 22nd for precautionary reasons.
• Marvin Eastman (defeated by Drew McFedries via TKO) – Suspended until August 21st with no contact until August 6th for precautionary reasons.
• Matt Arroyo (defeated by Matt Brown via TKO) – Suspended until August 6th with no contact until July 22nd for precautionary reasons.
• Matt Brown (defeated Matt Arroyo via TKO) – Suspended until July 22nd with no contact until July 13th for precautionary reasons.

Complete results from the event can be found here.

The event’s top payout went to “The Ultimate Fighter” 1 winner Diego Sanchez, who earned $70,000 for his third-round technical knockout of Luigi Fioravanti. “The Ultimate Fighter” 7 winner Amir Sadollah was paid $16,000 for his finals victory over CB Dollaway, “The Ultimate Fighter” 3 winner Kendall Grove took home $32,000 for his main event split decision win over Evan Tanner, and Tanner, a former UFC champion, earned $25,000 in the loss.

The official salaries reported to the athletic commission do not include bonuses, sponsorships, or fees.

In addition to the salaries reported below, Dustin Hazelett took home an additional $40,000 for “Submission of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” with his second-round armbar submission of Josh Burkman, Burkman was awarded $20,000 for his loss in the “Fight of the Night” against Hazelett, and Drew McFedries earned an additional $20,000 for his “Knockout of the Night” first-round knockout of Marvin Eastman.

Continue reading for the official The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale salaries…

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 14 FIGHTER SALARIES

Kendall Grove def. Evan Tanner

• Grove — $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win)
• Tanner — $25,000

Amir Sadollah def. CB Dollaway

• Sadollah — $16,000 ($8,000to show, $8,000 to win)
• Dollaway — $8,000

Diego Sanchez def. Luigi Fioravanti

• Diego Sanchez — $70,000 ($35,000 to show, $35,000 to win)
• Fioravanti — $10,000

Spencer Fisher def. Jeremy Stephens

• Fisher — $36,000 ($18,000 to show, $18,000 to win)
• Stephens — $8,000

Matt Riddle def. Dante Rivera

• Riddle — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
• Rivera — $8,000

Dustin Hazelett def. Josh Burkman

• Hazelett — $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win)
• Burkman — $10,000

Drew McFedries def. Marvin Eastman

• McFedries — $26,000 ($13,000 to show, $13,000 to win)
• Eastman — $9,000

Matt Brown def. Matt Arroyo

• Brown — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
• Arroyo — $8,000

Dean Lister def. Jeremy Horn

• Lister — $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
• Horn — $25,000

Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough – CANCELLED

• Credeur — $8,000
• Yarbrough — $8,000

Rob Kimmons def. Rob Yundt

• Kimmons — $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
• Yundt — $5,000

The scheduled preliminary bout between Tim Credeur and  Cale Yarbrough was cancelled after Credeur tested positive for Adderall in a pre-fight drug test. Because Credeur alerted the NSAC of his use of the prescription drug no disciplinary action was taken and both fighters received their $8,000 base pay. For more on the situation click here.

The total official fighter payroll for the event was $402,000.

For complete results from The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale click here.

*** A scheduled preliminary bout between Tim Credeur and Cale Yarbrough was cancelled after pre-fight drug tests revealed trace amounts of the prescription drug Adderall were present in Credeur’s system. Additional details on the cancellation can be found here.

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

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 7 FINALE BETTING ODDS

• Evan Tanner (-190) vs. Kendall Grove (+160)
• CB Dollaway (-160) vs. Amir Sadollah (+130)
  The Ultimate Fighter 7 Final
• Diego Sanchez (-500) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (+350)
• Spencer Fisher (-220) vs. Jeremy Stephens (+180)
• Matt Riddle (-240) vs. Dante Rivera (+190)
• Josh Burkman (-200) vs. Dustin Hazelett (+160)
• Drew McFedries (-130) vs. Marvin Eastman (EVEN)
• Matt Arroyo (-150) vs. Matt Brown (+120)
• Jeremy Horn (-140) vs. Dean Lister (+110)
• Tim Credeur (-360) vs. Cale Yarbrough (+280)
• Rob Kimmons (-150) vs. Rob Yundt (+120)

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