The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale – Hung Lo Awards
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Saturday night in Sin City was the setting for the Season 8 Ultimate Fighter finale. The 3-hour event on SpikeTV was great, all the fights were competitive and fast-paced. Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira coached their teams of young, roudy, up-and-coming Light-Heavyweight and Lightweight fighters. There was no shortage of drama, beef, and drunken confrontations this season, and it came to a culmination at the Las Vegas Hard Rock to determine who are this season’s 155 and 205-pound kings.
For those of you who watched, it was a night of non-stop action that we’ve been accustomed to seeing in the TUF finales. Efrain Escudero and Phillipe Nover fought to a very scrappy decision for the Lightweight honors, with Escudero winning two rounds to one on all the judges score cards. Ryan Bader became the newest TUF 205 pound finalist by connecting with Vincius’ temple through his armpit with an overhand right from the nosebleed section, not unlike JFK’s “single bullet theory”.
As you probably know, we like to present an alternative take on MMA festivities, so today we bring you the Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale: Hung Lo Dojo Awards.
Best Game Plan goes to: future rap star Junie Browning. We’ve all heard about Junie’s primetime drunken escapades, and how many chances Dana gave him to get his act together. Before the fight, Joe Rogan indicated he’s read that “Junie really did this on purpose, and he wanted to be the crazy guy on the show to get attention.” If this is true, Junie will clearly be among the smartest players in reality show history. Not since Johnny Fairplay faked his grandma’s death to stay an extra week in Survivor have we seen such cunning strategery. Junie dismissed this notion in the post-fight interview, saying it wasn’t planned, but “if I was gonna get pissed, it might as well be entertaining.”
David Kaplan - from Karaoke to the Cage
The Best Fighter Walk Out award goes to: David Kaplan. He clinched this award with his song choice alone “Tenderness” by General Public; however, his Gono-esque shades and baby Rampage chain will be remembered by most as the least intimidating fighter entrance in MMA history.
Word has it that Kaplan learned most of his walk out moves from his last job, as winner of NBC’s “The Singing Bee.” We didn’t know the UFC was using other reality shows as recruiting sources for talent. Some other C-listers most likely to find themselves in the cage are Danny Bonaduce, Brett Michaels, and Saaphyri from Charm School.
out but not quite ugly
Best Pre-Fight Trash Talk award goes to Anthony Johnson for his scathing observation and remark: “He’s got his little double chin, I’m going to make him double ugly.” Rumble Johnson tried his best, with a head-kick summoned by none other than Cung Le. Burns was knocked out cold, but unfortunately for Johnson’s prophecy, his face was still intact. Great fight for both guys.
Anthony Johnson also receives the Hung Lo Dojo Best Victory Speech Shout Out award for his thankfulness of Dr. Styles, his plastic surgeon. Plastic Surgeon? Someone check if Botox is a performance enhancer, because “Rumble” is seemingly unstoppable, with anything other than a socket-seeking finger.
The Best Cameo Quote of the night goes to Forrest Griffin while discussing fight strategy for his upcoming title defense. “If the arena should catch on fire, I have a plan for that. If the cage breaks, I have a plan for that. I have a plan for everything.”
The Best Investment award goes to American Top Team’s Wilson Gouveia for not making weight. Wilson tipped the scales at 189 and was forced to submit 20% of his purse to his opponent Jason MacDonald. Goveia then forces MacDonald to submit himself by bloody elbows just after the 2-minute mark.
The Spirit Award goes to: Mike Goldberg, who extended himself further than normal with his off-the-cuff metaphors and riveting color commentary. The following are excerpts from Goldy’s performance last weekend:
- [on Junie Browning] “He has made Chris Leben look like a man who you would let your daughter date…” wow.
- [on the comparisons between Nover and GSP/Anderson Silva] “That’s like saying I’m a Joe Rogan.” At which a puzzled looking Rogan shook his head in comedic disapproval, and administers a few forehead taps to keep his lustful partner awake.
All in all, it was a great night of fights. Congratulation to the contract winners Ryan Bader and Efrain Escudero for becoming the newest “Ultimate Fighters.” Also congrats to the Hung Lo Dojo award winners, their hard work won’t go unnoticed.
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