The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) combat sports reality show brought an end to season 23 last night (July 6, 2016) on FOX Sports 1, which means Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and division No. 1 contender Claudia Gadelha finally get to settle their longstanding score.
They've got five rounds to get it done tomorrow night (July 8) in the main event of TUF 23 Finale, locked and loaded for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In addition, six-figure contracts will be awarded in the light heavyweight and strawweight divisions, with Andrew Sanchez and Khalil Rountree slugging it our for the 205-pound glass trophy, shortly after Tatiana Suarez and Amanda Cooper throw down in 115-pound action.
All that, plus a few other familiar faces.
Before we dive into the TUF 23 Finale main card, our man with the "Prelims" plan -- the esteemed Patrick Stumberg -- has a bunch of words about all the undercard action right here. For TUF 23 Finale odds and betting lines hit us up over here.
Now then, let's get down to business.
115 lbs.: Joanna Jedrzejczyk (11-0) vs. Claudia "Claudinha" Gadelha (13-1)
Nostradumbass predicts: We're fast approaching the two-year mark since Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha first went to war and in order to try to effectively determine who wins their second go-round, we must first look at what's changed -- for better or worse -- in the time that's passed.
The Pole went on to capture gold, while the Brazilian got hurt.
I do believe that Gadelha has the skills to defeat her fellow TUF coach, but what concerns me is her inactivity. She looked great in her Octagon return against a very-tough Jessica Aguilar, but Jedrzejczyk was able to rack up three dominant wins during that same span.
She has the momentum, but I'm not ready to call her the superior striker.
That's because Gadelha outstruck her at UFC on FOX 13 -- both in significant and total strikes -- and was also successful in taking her down. Weighing against "Claudinha" is the knockdown, which shows a distinct disadvantage in punching power.
This may come down to conditioning.
Expect another close fight that will once again go to the judges. As much as I'd like to see the champion eat some humble pie, I think Gadelha -- who can't stand her opponent -- will be overly aggressive and wind up playing cat-and-mouse, where she's likely to run out of gas and eat one too many counterpunches.
Final prediction: Jedrzejczyk def. Gadelha via unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Eric "El Dirte" Sanchez (7-2) vs. Khalil "War Horse" Rountree (4-0)
Nostradumbass predicts: Andre Sanchez comes into this light heavyweight finale having already carved out a fairly impressive resume on the regional circuit, which includes back-to-back for Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA). Even more impressive is the fact that all seven of his wins have been finishes.
Five by way of knockout.
"El Dirte" needed a pair of decision wins to advance to the TUF 23 semifinals, but once there, he torched Eric Spicely to earn his spot at tomorrow night's big shebang. Sanchez has an outstanding wrestling game coupled with slick grappling and sneaky striking.
That said, I don't expect him to go punch-for-punch with Khalil Rountree.
Watching "War Horse" dismantle the rough-and-tumble Joshua Stansbury was frightening and I'm not sure I've seen a TUF competitor look more dangerous on the feet, as Rountree also murdered Muhammed Dereese in the elimination round.
But he's far from invincible.
The Syndicate MMA product was choked out by his real-world teammate Corey Hendricks and was also popped and dropped by Stansbury during their semifinal war. I'm not convinced his takedown defense is good enough to keep him upright against Sanchez, a four-time All American wrestler.
Barring a one-hitter quitter, expect three rounds of mug-and-slug.
Final prediction: Sanchez def. Rountree via unanimous decision
115 lbs.: Amanda "ABC" Cooper (1-1) vs. Tatiana Suarez (3-0)
Nostradumbass predicts: Amanda Cooper, on paper, looks like a rookie who's new to the fight game, when in actuality, she's a fairly seasoned veteran, thanks largely in part to her 8-3 record as an amateur. That's important to consider because when you get down to it, there is not a dramatic leap in level of competition when you go from the minors to the majors in women's MMA.
That's not a knock against the gals, but we need to consider that UFC has only had a strawweight division for about two years, so there is still a world full of talent yet to be discovered.
Now, where Cooper fits into that 115-pound equation remains to be seen, but she looked fantastic during her run on TUF 23. Outside of her majority decision against the very tough Jamie Moyle, "ABC" was two-for-three in first-round submission finishes.
So too, was Tatiana Suarez, making good on Coach Gadelha's decision to pick her number one overall. She may not have the extensive background that Cooper has, but entered the TUF house a two-time bronze medalist in the world championships of freestyle wrestling.
If she wants to get the fight to the floor, it's getting there.
That's why I expect this 115-pound final to play out similarly to the 205-pound bout that follows it. Cooper will undoubtedly come out aggressive while looking to strike, but Suarez will use those openings to drive her into the fence and bring this fight into her world.
Rinse and repeat.
Final prediction: Suarez def. Cooper via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Ross "Real Deal" Pearson (19-10, 1 NC) vs. "Ill" Will Brooks (17-1)
Nostradumbass predicts: Ross Pearson has been carrying on these past few weeks about getting overlooked and fighting an "untested zero" like Will Brooks. While I can appreciate his place among the lightweight veterans, the Brit hasn't even cracked the top 15 and is an unspectacular 4-4 dating back to his No Contest against Melvin Guillard.
Not exactly the stuff of legend.
Brooks, meanwhile, has captured eight straight and continues to look better in each fight. I recognize the caliber of opposition can be called into question, and he still goes to more decisions than necessary, but I also don't want to punish "Ill" for something he can't control.
All Brooks can do is fight the people the promotion puts in front of him.
Pearson is notoriously durable and has great hands, but there is a reason he's sporting 10 losses across his career. He's good, but not great, and now he's tasked with turning away a combatant who not only has momentum, but a truckload of confidence with something to prove.
Welcome to UFC, Mr. Brooks.
Final result: Brooks def. Pearson via technical knockout
170 lbs.: Doo Ho "Korean Superboy" Choi (13-1) vs. Thiago Tavares (20-6-1)
Nostradumbass predicts: Thiago Tavares has been competing in MMA for nearly 13 years, eight of those under the ZUFFA banner. And yet here we are in 2016 and the Brazilian is not ranked in the top 15 of his division. He may as well have two wins instead of 20.
I like what I've seen since he moved down from lightweight and to be fair, Tavares has always been an outstanding grappler, finishing 16 of 20 victims by way of tap, nap, or snap. Unfortunately, with just two knockouts, he's a liability on his feet.
Four of six losses were by knockout, which is probably why Brian Ortega planted him in June 2015.
Doo Ho Choi, by comparison, has stopped 10 of 13 foes by way of Korean Superfist. In fact, Choi hasn't seen the judges scorecards in over five years and with a height and reach advantage, I think it's a matter of if -- not when -- he connects with bad intentions.
Sure, Tavares can wrangle this fight to the floor, where he holds a distinct advantage, but the 25-year-old Choi is athletic and agile, spared the abuse many longtime veterans suffer after one too many wars in the cage. I think he remains upright.
I can't say the same for Tavares.
Final prediction: Choi def. Tavares via technical knockout
155 lbs.: Joaquim "Netto BJJ" Silva (8-0) vs. Andrew Holbrook (11-0)
Nostradumbass predicts: This looks to be a fairly entertaining fight based on how well these two undefeated combatants match up. Like Andrew Holbrook, Joaquim Silva ran the table on the regional circuit before eventually securing a UFC debut -- along with a split decision victory -- in 2015.
Somebody's "O" has got to go.
The Brazilian has formidable Muay Thai, while his American counterpart was a Gold Gloves State Champion.
This is probably a fight that can go either way and Holbrook's size and reach advantage is not significant enough to make a big deal about it. That said, I can't shake that image of Silva -- who has "BJJ" in his nickname -- getting subbed on TUF: "Brazil 4."
It's not much, but it's enough for me.
Final prediction: Holbrook def. Silva via unanimous decision
There you have it.
You've heard from me, now let's hear from you. Who gets it done tomorrow night on FOX Sports 1?