Saturday, December 4, 2010

TUF 12 Finale recap: Brookins becomes The Ultimate Fighter, Bonnar wins unanimous decision

By Mike Johnston

Another season of The Ultimate Fighter is in the books and Jonathan Brookins is the newest TUF champ as he defeated Michael Johnson by unanimous decision. After a first round that saw Johnson dominate Brookins, the Florida native took control and won the final two rounds with superior wrestling and conditioning. Brookins, a natural featherweight, has potential to be a threat in either the lightweight or featherweight division.

In the co-main event, fan-favourite Stephan Bonnar won a unanimous decision over Igor Pokrajac. The win was Bonnar’s second consecutive win. Each fighter was deducted a point, Pokrajac for illegal knees in the second round, while Bonnar was deducted a point for punches to the back of the head with seconds remaining in the bout.

Also on the main card, Demian Maia earned a unanimous decision over Kendall Grove. Rick Story won a unanimous decision over Johnny Hendricks. And, in a highly controversial decision, Leonard Garcia snuck away with a split decision over Nam Phan. After the fight, even Garcia didn’t believe he should have been awarded the decision. Also, in preliminary action, Cody McKenzie picked up yet another victory via his patented guillotine choke.

Canadian fans were, as always, vocal on the internet while the fights were ongoing. Rich from Brampton, Ontario said: “Nam Phan should have won for sure. That was some of the worst judging I’ve seen in a long time.”

Amanda from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan said: “I’m happy for Jonathan Brookins. He seems like the most humble fighter to come out of the UFC in a long time.”

Kurt from Ottawa said: “I’m glad to see that Bonnar looks to be back on track. I hope they give him more marquee matchups.”

Dennis from Mississauga, Ontario said: “Ricky Story is the man. He is a serious threat at welterweight.”

For more complete results visit ufc.com. For more MMA news and notes follow me on Twitter @MikeyJ_MMA.

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