TUF 17 Finale results/photos: Maximo Blanco edges Sam Sicilia in slugfest

LAS VEGAS – If nothing else, featherweights Maximo Blanco and Sam Sicilia proved that they didn’t mind getting messy.

But after three rounds of brawling his way into takedowns and proving that he could take a shot as well as he could give one, Blanco earned his first UFC win via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over the former “TUF 15? contestant Sicilia.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. It streamed on Facebook ahead of additional prelims on FUEL TV and a main card on FX.

It appeared early on that Blanco and Sicilia would cancel each other out on the ground, leaving them to slug it out on the feet for almost the entire first round. Sicilia finally managed to find his way inside Blanco’s jab early in the second, briefly dropping the Venezuelan with a heavy right hard in the first minute of the round.

Blanco would recover quickly and go on to rally back with power punching of his own, however, and just when Sicilia settled in for a slugfest, Blanco knew when to drop for the takedown and put him on his back. Blanco found himself streaming blood from his nose by the end of the second, but he held on through some dangerous striking exchanges, ultimately using his grappling ability to stay on top and seal the deal in the final round.

“It was a good fight,” Blanco said. “I live in Japan and I prefer to train in Japan. My last fight camp was here in America, and I think that was a disadvantage for me. This time I trained in Japan, and being in my comfort zone definitely helped me here tonight. In between rounds, my corner told me that the man with the bigger heart would win the fight. I tried to go out and leave my heart in the octagon after that. I’m happy with the win and looking forward to whatever the UFC has in store for me next.”

“I couldn’t tell if I was winning or losing,” Sicilia said. “I didn’t fight my fight and I started slugging it out in there. I need to go back and watch the tape.”

For Blanco (9-4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), the victory snapped a two-fight losing streak and earned him a much-needed win inside the octagon. Sicilia (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has now lost two straight since winning his UFC debut against Cristiano Marcello this past June.

Up-to-the-minute TUF 17 Finale results include:

• Maximo Blanco def. Sam Sicilia via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Daniel Pineda def. Justin Lawrence via submission (kimura) – Round 1, 1:35

For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.