Newf
12-03-2009, 09:08 PM
BY WEB STAFF
sportsnet.ca
Former IFL champion Roy (Big Country) Nelson and former NFL player Brendan Schaub will tackle with the title of Ultimate Fighter on the line Saturday in the Season 10 finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.
Also on the line in the headlining bout of the event at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas will be a six-figure contract in the UFC.
Watch the show live on Sportsnet East and Ontario at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. It will also be on tape delay on Saturday night on Sportsnet West at 8 p.m. MT and Sportsnet Pacific at 11 p.m. PT. Sportsnet is also the only place in Canada to watch it in high-definitiion.
The heavyweight title holder for the now-defunct IFL, Nelson compiled a 14-4 mixed martial arts record before entering the TUF house. Featuring a devastating mixture of striking, ground and pound, and submission skills, Nelson, 33, rolled to the finals by defeating Kimbo Slice via TKO in the second round during Episode 3 and outlasted Justin Wren for a majority decision in Episode 9, before stopping James McSweeney by strikes in Wednesday's semifinal.
Schaub was a victor by similar manner in the other semifinal when he earned a referee stoppage due to strikes against Marcus Jones. A former pro football fullback with the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League, Schaub also spent time on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. He said on Thursday's conference call he had other offers from NFL teams but his "heart wasn't in it" so he decided to give it up and pursue a career in mixed martial arts.
"I grew up watching the UFC and knew it was only a matter of time before (I got into fighting)," he said.
The 26-year-old earned a first-round submission of Demico Rogers by anaconda choke in Episode 4 of the show and followed that up with a second-round knockout of Jon Madsen in Episode 9.
Madsen and McSweeney will also fight on the undercard, taking on Wren and Darrill Schoonover, respectively. Both Wren and Schoonover lost in the quarter-finals. Jones, meanwhile, takes on fellow castmate Matt Mitrione, another quarter-final loser, in a televised bout.
The co-main event features the previously announced battle of UFC light-heavyweights Jon (Bones) Jones and Matt Hamill, a contestant on TUF Season 3.
Saturday night’s finale will also include the official Octagon debut of Slice, the one-time internet streetfighting sensation. The former EliteXC fighter, most remembered for his 14-second knockout loss to Seth Petruzelli on live primetime network television, was hoping to earn a spot in the UFC by competing on the reality series.
It's long been believed Slice is dangerous from the standup but lacks any ground skills to be a threat in the sport of mixed martial arts. The 35-year-old, who has been training for months at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., has said the other areas of his game are a work in progress.
"It takes years to get any fundamentals on the ground," said Slice, who gave mostly short answers to questions during Thursday's conference call.
Slice will face Houston (The Assassin) Alexander, returning to the UFC after a one-fight absence. He was released following a three-fight losing streak. Known for his heavy hands, he showed promise in late 2007, winning his first two fights by quick knockout. But he subsequently dropped three in a row, in one of them getting KO'd by a superman punch from James Irvin in eight seconds, which was the UFC record for fastest knockout.
Alexander, who returned to the win column with a TKO of Sherman Pendergarst at an Adrenaline MMA show in September, thinks he has come a long way since his early days in the UFC.
"I think what you guys will see (Saturday) is a more well-rounded fighter," Alexander said. "I think I've gotten to the point where you can call me an MMA fighter."
The first fight of the night has Toronto's Mark Bocek, currently riding a two-fight win streak in the Octagon, taking on UFC newcomer Joe Brammer.
sportsnet.ca
Former IFL champion Roy (Big Country) Nelson and former NFL player Brendan Schaub will tackle with the title of Ultimate Fighter on the line Saturday in the Season 10 finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.
Also on the line in the headlining bout of the event at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas will be a six-figure contract in the UFC.
Watch the show live on Sportsnet East and Ontario at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. It will also be on tape delay on Saturday night on Sportsnet West at 8 p.m. MT and Sportsnet Pacific at 11 p.m. PT. Sportsnet is also the only place in Canada to watch it in high-definitiion.
The heavyweight title holder for the now-defunct IFL, Nelson compiled a 14-4 mixed martial arts record before entering the TUF house. Featuring a devastating mixture of striking, ground and pound, and submission skills, Nelson, 33, rolled to the finals by defeating Kimbo Slice via TKO in the second round during Episode 3 and outlasted Justin Wren for a majority decision in Episode 9, before stopping James McSweeney by strikes in Wednesday's semifinal.
Schaub was a victor by similar manner in the other semifinal when he earned a referee stoppage due to strikes against Marcus Jones. A former pro football fullback with the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League, Schaub also spent time on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. He said on Thursday's conference call he had other offers from NFL teams but his "heart wasn't in it" so he decided to give it up and pursue a career in mixed martial arts.
"I grew up watching the UFC and knew it was only a matter of time before (I got into fighting)," he said.
The 26-year-old earned a first-round submission of Demico Rogers by anaconda choke in Episode 4 of the show and followed that up with a second-round knockout of Jon Madsen in Episode 9.
Madsen and McSweeney will also fight on the undercard, taking on Wren and Darrill Schoonover, respectively. Both Wren and Schoonover lost in the quarter-finals. Jones, meanwhile, takes on fellow castmate Matt Mitrione, another quarter-final loser, in a televised bout.
The co-main event features the previously announced battle of UFC light-heavyweights Jon (Bones) Jones and Matt Hamill, a contestant on TUF Season 3.
Saturday night’s finale will also include the official Octagon debut of Slice, the one-time internet streetfighting sensation. The former EliteXC fighter, most remembered for his 14-second knockout loss to Seth Petruzelli on live primetime network television, was hoping to earn a spot in the UFC by competing on the reality series.
It's long been believed Slice is dangerous from the standup but lacks any ground skills to be a threat in the sport of mixed martial arts. The 35-year-old, who has been training for months at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., has said the other areas of his game are a work in progress.
"It takes years to get any fundamentals on the ground," said Slice, who gave mostly short answers to questions during Thursday's conference call.
Slice will face Houston (The Assassin) Alexander, returning to the UFC after a one-fight absence. He was released following a three-fight losing streak. Known for his heavy hands, he showed promise in late 2007, winning his first two fights by quick knockout. But he subsequently dropped three in a row, in one of them getting KO'd by a superman punch from James Irvin in eight seconds, which was the UFC record for fastest knockout.
Alexander, who returned to the win column with a TKO of Sherman Pendergarst at an Adrenaline MMA show in September, thinks he has come a long way since his early days in the UFC.
"I think what you guys will see (Saturday) is a more well-rounded fighter," Alexander said. "I think I've gotten to the point where you can call me an MMA fighter."
The first fight of the night has Toronto's Mark Bocek, currently riding a two-fight win streak in the Octagon, taking on UFC newcomer Joe Brammer.