Frankie Edgar added to his already legendary list of accomplishments Friday night in Las Vegas. The former UFC lightweight champion knocked out Chad Mendes in shocking fashion in the first round of the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Season 22 Finale.
The UFC captured Edgar's celebration after his victory:
THE ANSWER!!!!! @FrankieEdgar #TUFFinale https://t.co/VoYAT0EHsw
— #TUFFinale (@ufc) December 12, 2015
A lightning-quick one-two combination did in Mendes. A right hand caught him initially but didn't daze him. Then the follow-up left landed right on his nose and took him out. Referee John McCarthy immediately jumped in as Mendes' legs gave out.
It might have appeared to be a quick stoppage, but Mendes didn't complain.
He landed some effective kicks on Edgar's front leg, but the definitive combination that knocked him out interrupted whatever game plan he was attempting to set up.
With the win, Edgar seems poised to get a shot at the winner of the fight between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and interim titleholder Conor McGregor on Saturday at UFC 194. Fox Sports' Damon Martin believes Edgar has earned the opportunity:
Frankie Edgar with a first round KO. Give that man his title shot now. Aldo and McGregor better be paying attention #TUFFinale
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) December 12, 2015
It could be a complicated situation. If McGregor wins, wouldn't Aldo deserve the immediate rematch that the UFC has seemingly granted to all of its longtime champions?
That said, it's hard to imagine Edgar having to wait any longer after such an impressive victory. In any case, the stage is set for a drama-filled conclusion to one heck of a weekend in the UFC.
TUF Final and Top Main Card Bout
Hall Wins Makeshift TUF Title
The road to The Ultimate Fighter Finale was an odd one that featured a quick succession of replacement fighters. In the end, Ryan Hall won the six-figure contract with a masterful display of jiu-jitsu over Artem Lobov.
The latter had no answer for Hall's grappling and body control. Each round looked almost like a carbon copy of the previous one. Lobov needed to keep the fight standing if he was to have a chance to win, but he couldn't do it.
Hall secured one takedown and wound up on top after every scramble. From a grounded position, he landed 23 significant strikes to just two from Lobov, per UFC.com.
With all due respect to Hall, he won't go down as one of the more promising TUF champions. However, this was his night, and he fought intelligently.
Oh, What a Fight
Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson is a bad man. He secured a second-round submission victory over the dangerous Edson Barboza via D'Arce choke. If you saw this fight and didn't like it, then you probably hate mixed martial arts.
It was that good.
Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter talked about Ferguson's win and the awesome bout:
Wow. Ferguson taps out Barboza in the second round of an insane fight.
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) December 12, 2015
The two men traded hard strikes as they tried to impose their will on each other. Barboza secured a takedown in the first round, but Ferguson landed 36 significant strikes to 30 for Barboza from the bottom position.
Ferguson's long arms enabled him to hammer away from an angle that most fighters wouldn't be able to reach their opponent. As the scramble broke, he landed an illegal upkick to Barboza's face.
McCarthy rightfully deducted a point from Ferguson, but El Cucuy was determined not to allow the ruling to impact the result of the fight. He immediately cranked up the pressure.
He had to avoid and absorb some wicked kicks and punches from the Brazilian in the process, but he did it. Ferguson's length again allowed him to land some snapping jabs and a devastating upward elbow that gashed Barboza's head.
That was the beginning of the end. Barboza's posture changed, and the shot visibly affected him. More pressure from Ferguson forced the fight to the ground, where he would lock in the D'Arce choke.
Chokes have become the signature finishing maneuvers for Ferguson, and Barboza could not escape. This was the fourth time Ferguson finished an opponent with a choke in the UFC.
If a title shot isn't next for Ferguson, it can't be more than one fight away. He's dynamic, tough and wildly entertaining.
| Matchup | Weight Class | Results |
| Chris Gruetzemacher vs. Abner Lloveras | Lightweight | Gruetzemacher by unanimous decision (29-28x3) |
| Julian Erosa vs. Marcin Wrzosek | Lightweight | Erosa by split decision (29-28x2, 28-29) |
| Artem Lobov vs. Ryan Hall | Lightweight | Hall by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26x2) |
| Joby Sanchez vs. Geane Herrera | Flyweight | Herrera by TKO (second round) |
| Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Konstantin Erokhin | Heavyweight | Gonzaga by unanimous decision (30-27x2, 30-28) |
| Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Jason Knight | Featherweight | Kawajiri by unanimous decision (30-27x3) |
| Ryan LaFlare vs. Mike Pierce | Welterweight | LaFlare by unanimous decision (30-27x2, 30-28) |
| Joe Lauzon vs. Evan Dunham | Lightweight | Dunham by unanimous decision (30-27x2, 30-26) |
| Edson Barboza vs. Tony Ferguson | Lightweight | Ferguson by submission (second round, D'Arce choke) |
| Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes | Featherweight | Edgar by KO (first round) |
Other Highlights and Low Points
Herrera Eradicates Sanchez
With a brutal left hook, Geane Herrera scored the first of two knockout victories on the night. It was a doozy. Check out the left hook and brutal ground shots after the knockdown in this video tweeted by Fox Sports: UFC:
BOOM! Geane Herrera blasts Joby Sanchez with a huge left hook and turns out the lights on Joby Sanchez! #TUFFinale https://t.co/km3qHOA2I4
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) December 12, 2015
Throughout the first round, it seemed clear Herrera had the quicker hands. In the second round, that left hook found its mark and sent Sanchez careening to the canvas. The follow-up shots were unnecessary as Sanchez was probably out before he hit the mat.
Afterward, in this tweet from the UFC, Herrera would put the flyweight division on notice:
If you didn't know @CheJitsu before...now you do! #TUFFinale https://t.co/2SIseUGwZM
— #TUFFinale (@ufc) December 12, 2015
Slow down there, Geane—the knockout was cool, but Sanchez is no Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson.
Gonzaga and Erokhin Had the Worst Fight Ever
In more than 20 years of watching mixed martial arts, I can't remember ever seeing a worse fight than the one Gabriel Gonzaga and Konstantin Erokhin put together.
There was so little action that it left Fox Sports 1 announcers Jon Anik and Brian Stann at a loss for words on several occasions. Both fighters landed a total of 35 significant strikes over three rounds.
At one point, I said aloud in an empty room: "Are you kidding me?" Gonzaga was rightfully awarded the victory by unanimous decision, but there were no real winners.
Per MMA Fighting, Erokhin offered an excuse for his refusal to engage:
Erokhin: “I broke my thumb in the first round and I wasn’t able to fight the way I had planned.” Ouch.
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) December 12, 2015
That does shed some light on what happened in the Octagon, but it doesn't make it smell any better. To put it plain, the fight stunk.
What's Next?
In less than 24 hours, UFC 194 will commence. Two world titles will be on the line. UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman will defend his title against Luke Rockhold in a great co-main event.
Finally, Aldo and McGregor will face off in one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history. Hopefully, we'll get to see more fights like the one Ferguson and Barboza delivered.
All fight stats per UFC.com event page.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.
