TUF 22 Finale results: Julian Erosa edges Marcin Wrzosek for split decision win

Julian Erosa

LAS VEGAS – Julian Erosa got knocked around by Marcin Wrzosek’s big punches, but never out.

And with his high work rate from every conceivable position, combined with some well-timed takedowns and near submissions, Erosa (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) eeked out a win over the powerful Wrzosek (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) via split-decision, logging scores of 28-29, 29-28, and 29-28.The lightweight bout opened the main card of today’s TUF 22 Finale event at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The entire event aired on FOX Sports 1.

The lightweight bout opened the main card of today’s TUF 22 Finale event at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The entire event aired on FOX Sports 1.For Wrzosek, all hopes for a victory seemed pinned on his considerable punching power. Early on he backed Erosa up with several hard overhand rights, and later in the fight his crisp left hook spun Erosa around as Wrzosek charged forward.

For Wrzosek, all hopes for a victory seemed pinned on his considerable punching power. Early on he backed Erosa up with several hard overhand rights, and later in the fight his crisp left hook spun Erosa around as Wrzosek charged forward.

But while Erosa seemed wobbled at several points in the fight, he always recovered quickly and used a diverse attack of his own to put Wrzosek on the defensive. From countering takedowns with guillotine chokes to using his own takedowns to set up d’arce choke attempts, Erosa consistently found ways to threaten a finish.That finish, however, never materialized. Instead

That finish, however, never materialized. Instead, Erosa had to settle for close calls that briefly halted Wrzosek’s offense, even as his own strikes landed cleanly but without the power to make Wrzosek so much as pause his attack. In the end, it made for a tough call for the judges at cageside, with two of them giving the fight to Erosa by the slimmest of margins.

The win is Erosa’s first in the UFC after his stint on “The Ultimate Fighter,” but it brings his winning streak as a professional to five straight. Wrzosek suffers his first professional loss since July of 2013.

Up-to-the-minute TUF 22 Finale results include:

• Julian Erosa def. Marcin Wrzosek via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Gabriel Gonzaga def. Konstantin Erokhin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-28)
• Ryan LaFlare def. Mike Pierce via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Geane Herrera def. Joby Sanchez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:28
• Chris Gruetzemacher def. Abner Lloveras via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of the TUF 22 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Steven Marrocco contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)