The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale

From CageWiki

1 Background
2 Fight Card
3 Pre-Event Notes
4 Results
5 UFC Event Chronology
6 External Links

Background

The Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale was a 9-bout fight card that was held on June 24, 2006 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The card aired live on Spike TV at 9pm ET/PT and was headlined by a lightweight bout between TUF 1's Kenny Florian and Canadian, Sam Stout.

The event also decided the winners of TUF 3's middleweight and light heavyweight tournaments.

Fight Card

Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: Mike Nickels vs. Wes Combs
Light Heavyweight Bout: Matt Hamill vs. Jesse Forbes
Middleweight Bout: Luigi Fioravanti vs. Solomon Hutcherson
Middleweight Bout: Kalib Starnes vs. Danny Abbadi
Middleweight Bout: Rory Singer vs. Ross Pointon

Main Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: Keith Jardine vs. Wilson Gouveia
TUF 3 Middleweight Final: Kendall Grove vs. Ed Herman
TUF 3 Light Heavyweight Final: Michael Bisping vs. Josh Haynes
Lightweight Bout: Kenny Florian vs. Sam Stout

Pre-Event Notes

It was announced that at the event, former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Randy Couture would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Results

Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: Mike Nickels defs. Wes Combs via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:10 of round 1.
Light Heavyweight Bout: Matt Hamill defs. Jesse Forbes via TKO (punches) at 4:47 of round 1.
Middleweight Bout: Luigi Fioravanti defs. Solomon Hutcherson via KO (punch) at 4:15 of round 1.
Middleweight Bout: Kalib Starnes defs. Danny Abbadi via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:56 of round 1.
Middleweight Bout: Rory Singer defs. Ross Pointon via submission (triangle choke) at :44 of round 1.

Main Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: Keith Jardine defs. Wilson Gouveia via unanimous decision.
TUF 3 Middleweight Final: Kendall Grove defs. Ed Herman via unanimous decision (29-28 x3).

Grove and Herman fought back and forth for three rounds with both fighters coming close to finishing the fight with submission. The excellent bout went to the scorecards for a surprisingly clear cut judges decision. Kendall Grove was adjudged TUF 3 middleweight tournament champion but UFC president, Dana White gave Herman a contract as well.

TUF 3 Light Heavyweight Final: Michael Bisping defs. Josh Haynes via TKO (strikes) at 4:14 of round 2.

Bisping dismantled Haynes from start to finish, eventually finishing him towards the end of the second round. The victory crowned Bisping as TUF 3's light heavyweight tournament champion and as the first ever non-American to win a TUF title.