TUF 26 Finale results: Melinda Fabian nearly KOs DeAnna Bennett, who grinds way to majority draw

LAS VEGAS – Hungarian striker Melinda Fabian (4-3-2 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC) nearly scored a highlight-reel finish of veteran DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC) but ultimately settled for a disappointing majority draw.

The women’s flyweight bout was part of the main card of today’s The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale event at Park Theater in Las Vegas. It aired on FS1 following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Fabian looked to strike early, landing a right hand and a high kick in an early exchange, and Bennett immediately looked to get the fight to the floor. Fabian defended well against the cage, eventually spinning to the outside and driving an elbow into her opponent’s face. Bennett was relentless with her grinding attack, but Fabian’s defense eventually earned her a restart from referee John McCarthy.

Fabian was confident and aggressive with her strikes on the reset, and Bennett again turned quickly to he wrestling but simply could not get the fight to the floor. Fabian finally pushed her away and landed a flush high kick at the bell that sent Bennett to the floor. Fabian briefly thought she had a walk-off finish, and the hesitation to jump on top allowed a wobbly Bennett to crawl to her feet and answer the bell for the second under the close watch of McCarthy.

Fabian went right back to the high kick to open the second, and Bennett answered by again looking to get the fight to the floor. Fabian eventually was forced to grab the fence to stay upright, and McCarthy immediately deducted what would prove a costly point on the egregious hold. He restarted the fight with Bennett in on the legs, but Fabian’s defense again proved capable. Fabian’s constant defense earned another restart, but Bennett didn’t allow her opponent a single strike before shooting inside again.

Sprawling against the cage, Fabian tried to punch in spots, but she was forced to focus on remaining on her feet. Another McCarthy restart saw Bennett shoot immediately, and the crowd showered the effort with boos. Fabian broke free at the very end, nearly landing another high kick and letting out a guttural yell as the bell ended her effort.

Bennett elected to engage a bit on the feet to start the third, and Fabian looked to capitalize with long, straight punches. While she was clearly wary of a takedown, Fabian did eventually throw a kick that Bennett caught and used to push the action to the fence. Fabian sprawled against the cage, earning yet another break from McCarthy. The two did trade briefly, but Bennett went quickly back to the takedown, which yet again proved ineffective. A few Fabian knees pushed Bennett away with under a minute, and the Hungarian striker gave it her all to get a finish.

Fabian slipped on a kick in the final seconds, giving Bennett a chance to finally enjoy a brief dominant position, and the brief offense was apparently enough to sway two of three judges, who scored the fight a 28-28 draw. Fabian took one card, 29-27, but the result was ultimate a majority draw.

Up-to-the-minute TUF 26 Finale results include:

• Melinda Fabian vs. DeAnna Bennett ruled a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
• Brett Johns def. Joe Soto via submission (calf slicer) – Round 1, 0:30
• Montana De La Rosa def. Christina Marks via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:00
• Ryan Janes def. Andrew Sanchez via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:58
• Rachael Ostovich def. Karine Gevorgyan via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:40
• Shana Dobson def. Ariel Beck via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:53
• Gillian Robertson def. Emily Whitmire via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:12

For complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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