Four Fights Official for TUF 12 Finale

The event represents the culmination of another season of the UFC's Spike TV reality show, and will air live on the network. It is unknown as of yet whether Branch-Attonito will appear on the main or undercard.

Branch is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie and a Bellator Fighting Championships veteran. Branch went undefeated in his time with the promotion, stopping both of his opponents at Bellator 11 and 15, respectively. Sitting at a perfect 6-0, Branch received a rude welcome in his UFC debut, losing by KO to Gerald Harris after being slammed at UFC 116 in July. Branch rebounded from the loss, however, earning a unanimous decision victory over Tomasz Drwal at UFC Fight Night in September.

A former wrestler at Hofstra University, Attonito is on a four-fight winning streak and has gone 2-0 in his time with the UFC. Attonito moved from his native New Jersey to Florida in 2006 to train with American Top Team. A former competitor on season 11 of “TUF,” his run on the show was ended when he was hit with illegal knees in the second round, earning him a disqualification victory but ensuring his withdrawal from the competition. Like Branch, Attonito is coming off a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in September, where he defeated Rafael Natal. In his UFC debut at the “TUF” 11 finale, he stopped Jamie Yager with strikes in round two.

The “TUF” 12 finale will also feature a light heavyweight contest between Stephan Bonnar and Igor Pokrajac. Two other bouts are official for the event: Demian Maia vs. Kendall Grove and Rick Story vs. Johny Hendricks.