April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel reacts to defeating Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gilbert Smith takes down Bubba McDaniel during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gilbert Smith puts hold on Bubba McDaniel during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel hits Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel hits Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel hits Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Ring girl Chrissy Blair during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel holds down Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel pins Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel puts a hold on Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gilbert Smith takes down Bubba McDaniel during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Bubba McDaniel pins Gilbert Smith during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gilbert Smith stretches before match versus Bubba McDaniel during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
April 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gilbert Smith endures the octagon during the TUF 17 Finale at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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LAS VEGAS – Robert “Bubba” McDaniel needed almost the full three rounds to get his first UFC win, but it was well worth the wait in the end.
“The Ultimate Fighter” 17 contestant locked up a third-round triangle choke/armbar to force fellow castmember Gilbert Smith to tap out at the 2:49 mark of the third round.
The middleweight bout opened the main card of The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. It aired on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.
From early on, McDaniel established his takedowns and top control, working on Smith from half-guard and peppering him with left hands once the fight returned to the feet. The lone scare for McDaniel came in the second round, when a takedown attempt landed him in a guillotine choke that he narrowly escaped after a few harrowing moments.
In the final round, McDaniel stuffed a Smith shot and was in the process of attempting to take his back when Smith rolled out and forced a scramble, which allowed McDaniel to lock up the triangle in transition.
“Gilbert asked for this fight against me because he felt we didn’t have the best relationship in the house, and that really drove me to work hard in this camp,” McDaniel said. “He threw me off a little bit when he came out swinging so wild and hard. I give him all the credit for that because it definitely kept me on my toes. We thought his lack of cardio would be his biggest issue, so we planned to take him into the deep waters – but he didn’t drown like we expected. Glad I could get the win, but there’s a lot of room to improve and I’ll be better next time.”
The win made for a triumphant UFC debut for McDaniel (21-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC). Smith (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered his first professional loss since September of 2011.*