Last night (Sun. July 6, 2014) middleweights Eddie Gordon and Dhiego Lima threw down for an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contract on the main card of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 19 Finale from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
Get full results and play-by-play here.
Gordon had a somewhat hard-fought path to the finals, winning two decisions over Mike King and Cathal Pendred to secure his spot. The bruising teammate of UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, "Truck" brought the power to change end any mixed martial arts (MMA) bout in an instant.
Lima was one of few fighters who showed a will to finish fights on the lackluster season of TUF. He steamrolled his way to the finals by submitting both Ian Stephens and Roger Zapata with chokes. The talented Brazilian was looking to make a statement in his first official UFC bout.
When it was all said and done, however, he couldn't accomplish that goal, as Gordon added some excitement to TUF 19 with a decisive win in the finals.
Gordon came out aggressive with some big shots to start the fight. He was pushing the pace and controlling the Octagon with his boxing. Some huge overhand rights and an uppercut found a home, followed by a vicious series of power shots that had Lima in big trouble early. Referee Yves Lavigne had no chance but to step in and stop the bout shortly after it began.
Gordon looked wholly impressive against Lima. "Truck" was the underdog, and he capitalized by not allowing Lima to find a rhythm with his kickboxing or gain control on the ground.
Like Weidman, Gordon has some striking that could improve a bit technically, but makes up for it with insane power and aggressiveness. He definitely has the potential to put on some exciting fights in the Octagon, so a bout with skidding No. 14-ranked Tim Boetsch would be a good initial test for the heavy-handed Gordon.
Lima clearly has some issues to address with his striking. Despite his slick Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills, he failed to have any chance to use them and simply ate a bevy of explosive shots in the biggest fight of his life.
He'll get another shot in UFC, but he'll have to win it to save his job. Someone towards the bottom of the Top 25 would make sense for him.
Eddie Gordon put an exclamation point on his TUF 19 contract win by stopping favorite Dhiego Lima in the first round. With an excellent team in place, what's next for the surging "Truck?"