Brandao to ‘Change Life’ after Thrilling Finals Win

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Diego Brandao proved on Saturday night why he was one of the favorites to win “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14, as the well-rounded Brazilian submitted fellow finalist Dennis Bermudez in the featherweight finale at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Brandao lived up to his hype in spades, showing off his power and accuracy in the early going. After a few solid exchanges, the 24-year-old found the mark with his right hand, dropping Bermudez with a flash knockdown. The Brazilian quickly pounced on his stunned foe, but his zeal would nearly cost him the victory.

Backpedaling, Bermudez delivered a perfectly timed right straight that drilled Brandao directly on the chin and dropped him like a ton of bricks. The tide turned in less than a second, and the American quickly went on the offensive, dropping a hailstorm of ground-and-pound on the dazed Brazilian in an effort to finish the fight.

Somehow, Brandao managed to gain control over Bermudez from the guard, executing a textbook straight armbar. As he flipped “The Menace” onto his back, Brandao cranked hard on the hold, hyper-extending his foe's elbow as Bermudez tapped vehemently.

“I looked for the knockout [early],” Brandao told UFC.com after his win. “[My corner said to] look for the armbar. I can see on the tape, I put my feet on his hips, and [threw my legs up]. He was off balance, and I threw [my hips] around, and this was a perfect armbar, just like I’ve trained over and over.”

A pupil of Mike Winkeljohn and Greg Jackson, Brandao joined teammate John Dodson in making history as the first featherweight and bantamweight “TUF” champions in the 14-season history of the reality show.

Though Brandao had harsh words for Bermudez in the final episode of the series before the finale, he gave a game opponent his due after their back-and-forth featherweight final.

“Congratulations to Dennis for making the finale,” said Brandao. “But God blessed me, and today, I am the best.”

While the fighter garnered a reputation as a loose cannon during his time on the show due to his brutal and swift knockouts of his opponents, the fighter asserts that his intense in-cage demeanor does not double as his persona in real life. That said, Brandao has no plans to change his pre-fight attitude now that his first step has been taken toward UFC relevance.

“I want to change my life. I want to be back [in the Octagon] again. This is very important for me,” said Brandao. “[People] sometimes don't understand. I’m not crazy. I’m a good person. I love everyone after the fight. But before the fight, I want to destroy you, bro. I promise.”