That was close.

Perhaps the most curious contestant to ever be considered for inclusion on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) mixed martial arts (MMA) television reality series, Dakota Cochrane, tonight (March 9, 2012) got his big opportunity to show what he's really made of inside the Octagon.

He came up just a bit short.

Cochrane, who performed in "gay-for-pay" porn flicks several years ago, took on James Vick in a five-minute fight for the right to compete on TUF 15 season and a "six-figure" Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contract.

Giving up nearly eight inches, Cochrane was at a clear size disadvantage, which he attempted to neutralize almost immediately by closing the distance and securing a takedown. Vick defended for basically the entire round, threatening with a choke from the north-south position that never really had Cochrane in any sort of danger.

Cochrane finally completed his ill-fated takedown with about 10 seconds left in the fight, but it was a case of too little, too late. He went on to lose the 155-pound bout via split decision, ending what might have been the most interesting TUF house storyline before it ever even began.

Check out our complete Dakota Cochrane vs. James Vick fight recap after the jump:

"The moment you were all waiting for (don't lie) saw Cochrane shoot in on Vick and lock up the body. He worked hard for a few takedowns, none of which did anything other than force Vick to stand back up. James worked a front headlock while Dakota just sort of sat there and let it happen. There was never any threat of a finish, though, and after nearly four minutes of action, White, Faber and Cruz sat cageside opining on the possible need of a second round. This was a clinchfest with Cochrane pushing Vick against the cage a la Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera at UFC 105. A brief flirtation with striking eventually gave way to more ground work and by the time the horn sounded, no one was sure who won. Except the judges, who gave it to Vick."

Cochrane -- who insists he is not gay and just made a "big mistake" because he needed money -- will now likely return to his fiance and child and continue his MMA career on the regional circuit. Who knows, perhaps a few more wins -- or even a last-minute injury -- will get him the UFC shot that he missed out on the evening.

Let's remember that he recently scored a lopsided unanimous decision win over former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner at Titan Fighting Championship 20 last September.

That's nothing to sneeze at.

For complete TUF 15: "Live" results and recaps for all the opening 16 fights click here. Be sure to check out our complete TUF 15 archive right here. And for more on Cochrane and his gay porn past click here.