No rest for fans of the UFC. After starving a full month for MMA action following UFC 129, the organization will hold three events in three consecutive weeks. ‘The Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Finale' finds itself in the middle of that UFC sandwich.
While not delivering as high of ratings as past TUF shows, "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos" has been still been doing well, averaging over a million viewers per episode. Although, it should be noted that much of the intrigue of the show was diminished following news of coach Brock Lesnar's relapse with a crippling bout of diverticulitis, and subsequent withdrawal from a planned fight with rival coach Junior do Santos.
Yet, that sad revelation aside, the UFC brass has still managed to put together a relatively entertaining card, especially when contrasted to free shows of the past. The co-headlining bout pits human highlight reel and lightweight-contender-in-waiting, Anthony Pettis, against the frenzied pace of Clay "The Carpenter" Guida, with the winner likely getting a shot at the title. The other co-headlining match will be announced Wednesday night, and will feature the two winners of the show's semifinal round of fights -- Chris Cope vs. Ramsey Nijem and Tony Ferguson vs. Chuck O'Neil.
Other than that, the card features several fellow TUF 13 contestants mixed in with a sprinkling of prominent UFC names, including former bantamweight title challenger Scott Jorgensen, TUF season three finalist Ed Herman, and TUF season eight alumni Kyle Kingsbury.
The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale will take place on June 4th, at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be broadcast live on SPIKE.
Confirmed fights:
Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida
Reuben Duran vs. Francisco Rivera