TUF 8 Finale Set

After two hours of go-home television programming this week, the final fights are set for this season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Diverse gamer Phillipe Nover will face strong grappler Efrain Escudero in the lightweight final, while wrestler Ryan Bader faces jiu-jitsu whiz Vinicius Magalhaes in the light heavyweight final. The fights take place Dec. 13 on a Spike TV event from The Palms in Las Vegas. The other 12 cast members will fight on the show, but only ratings mover Junie Allen Browning's fight against Dave Kaplan is scheduled to be televised. Browning has been training with Shawn Tompkins at Xtreme Couture since the season wrapped. The final two episodes of TUF 8 drew good ratings, with both airings attracting an average audience of 1.6 million viewers, which made Spike TV number one on cable for the night among male viewers 18-49. The age group with the most viewers was males aged 35-49, according to numbers obtained by MMAPayout.com.

The lightweight bracket shook down interestingly and ended in submissions. Nover dropped George Roop with strong punches and finished him on the floor by cranking an impressive kimura for the tap in round one. Escudero defeated Browning with a D'Arce choke in round two, but not before the hotheaded Kentuckian instigated some last-minute drama. Browning threw a mug that shattered at housemate Shane Primm during an argument, which once again risked Browning’s chances at getting into the finale.

UFC President Dana White, ever the cagey promoter, surmised that Browning was trying to get kicked out of the house because he was afraid to lose on national television, and White said he wasn't letting him go out like that. The decision drew flack from several MMA writers who said it sent the wrong message about what kind of behavior is rewarded/reinforced on “The Ultimate Fighter.”

"Justice was served," White declared after Browning's loss.

In the light heavyweight fights, Vinny Magalhaes overcame a big experience deficit against Krzysztof Soszynski by using his elite-level jiu-jitsu. Magalhaes weathered stinging leg kicks from the Canadian until pulling guard and transitioning quickly into an armbar for the tap. The bout was a battle between two former Team Quest teammates; Magalhaes left the Temecula, Calif. camp after the show. In the other 205-pound fight, Ryan Bader wrestled Eliot Marshall to the ground repeatedly for a less-than-scintillating decision nod. Coach Frank Mir, whose fighters lost all bouts against Team Nogueira fighters, lived up to a pledge to allow Antonio Nogueira to shave his head if his team was swept.