UFC on FX 6 Results: Pearson Starches Sotiropolous, Norman Parke and Robert Whitaker Crowned “TUF: Smashes” Champions

It was a fiery night of fighting in the Gold Coast of Austrailia as the Ultimate Fighting Championships closed out another season of The Ultimate Fighter.  In our main event action, Ross Pearson utilized his powerful standup arsenal to finish off the Australian BJJ Black Belt in the start of the 2nd round.  The fight was mostly dominated by Pearson, who showed his usual strong takedown defense and calm under pressure as he fought off G-Sot’s grappling attack, keeping the Aussie on the defensive and on wobbled legs for most of the first despite giving up back control briefly towards the end of the round.  In the second, Pearson continued stalking his prey, while Sotiropololous found some success in his jab and keeping active on his feet, but Pearson continued to impose his power with his excellently precise boxing.  It was meant to be finished, as the third began, Pearson wobbled Sotiropolous yet again before putting him away with more of his explosive firepower.  This was a surefire way for Ross Pearson to welcome himself back to the 155 pound division.  Will he stay there or return to 145?  Time will tell.

In the Welterweight final, countryman Robert Whitaker found his rhythm early, landing stinging combinations and showcased smooth counterpunching skills while overcoming the clinch-based grappling and stout dirty boxing of fellow finalist Brad Scott to win a 29-28 decision.  The fight was close throughout all three rounds, and both men were left bloodied at the end of it all.  Both fighters showcased what it is all about to be an “Ultimate Fighter” finalist, as the action throughout all three rounds was consistent and closely-contested.  Robert Whitaker is The Ultimate Fighter at 170 pounds, but it can be said with confidence that Brad Scott will be back as well.

In the Lightweight final, Norman Parke utilized his superior in-fighting abilities to stymie and confuse Colin Fletcher en route to a unanimous decision victory.  Fletcher showcased solid kickboxing skills and looked to use his reach, but Parke showed superior takedowns throughout all three rounds, and really left Fletcher little room to let off his refined combos.  Parke utilized stifling pressure to kill the clock and any momentum that Fletcher could build, and claimed the championship of “The Ultimate Fighter: Smashes” at 155 pounds with a shutout of all three rounds.

We also finally saw the awakening of Hector Lombard, as he went to battle with Rousimar Palhares and brought the bigger guns, showcasing a bazooka of a left hand and good fight sense as he refused to engage the leglock specialist on the ground, stuck to his specialty in his powerful striking, and put away the craft Brazilian midway through the first round.  After a lackluster first showing, for all of those wondering, yes, this is the Hector Lombard that fight fans around the world have come to enjoy.  Lombard brought his A-game tonight against a strong competitor, and for how short the fight was, it was a good showcase for Lombard, while Palhares loses little ground after being outgunned by such a powerhouse.  Lombard called out Michael Bisping post-fight, clamoring for a showdown with “The Count” which would be one interesting way of bringing about a new top contender to Anderson Silva’s Middleweight Championship.

Chad Mendes stayed on his winning way, laying out short-notice opponent Yaotzin Meza with precise boxing.  Joey Beltran defeated Igor Pokrajac in a contender for Fight Of The Night, as both men threw hands for all three rounds and kept the crowd roaring, but Beltran never seemed to slow, while Pokrajac seemed to fade over time.  Mike Pierce outwrestled Seth Baczynski to score his 5th win in 13 months. 

All of the UFC-awarded bonuses were from the prelims, as Ben Alloway captured the Knockout Of The Night bonus with a front kick to the chin followed by punches on the ground to finish off Manuel Rodriguez.  Nick Penner and Cody Donovan brought home the Fight Of The Night, as both men actively worked for finishes and nearly captured several in an entertaining back-and-forth.  There were no submission finishes therefore there was no Submission Of The Night.

Ross Pearson def. Georges Sotiropoulos via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:41
Robert Whittaker def. Brad Scott via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – “TUF: Smashes” welterweight final
Norman Parke def. Colin Fletcher via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) – “TUF: Smashes” lightweight final
Hector Lombard def. Rousimar Palhares via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:38
Chad Mendes def. Yaotzin Meza via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:55
Joey Beltran def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mike Pierce def. Seth Baczynski via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ben Alloway def. Manuel Rodriguez via knockout (kick, punches) – Round 1, 4:57
Mike Wilkinson def. Brendan Loughnane via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Cody Donovan def. Nick Penner via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:35

LowKick.com Awards:

Performance of the Night: Hector Lombard had a lot of people wondering if he could finally pull the trigger after all of the criticism that came from the loss to Tim Boetsch, and he did so in brilliant fashion, showcasing the type of killer instinct that all Lombard fans knew he had in him.  It is fair to say that the Olympian has truly arrived in the UFC, and with his calling out of Michael “The Count” Bisping, we could see Hector Lombard on the fast track to the Pay-Per-View main event scene.  This win over Palhares sent the message to all prospective opponents, beware the Hector Lombard left hand.

Finish of the Night: It was a vintage Ross Pearson performance that led to a workhorse style finish.  Pearson used superior boxing over three rounds to pound George Sotiropolous to all sides of the UFC Octagon, until Sots could take no more.  Pearson had a game opponent in this boxing affair, and used superior conditioning to work for the finish.  While it was not the most spectacular, it was brilliant in how it was put together, which is why Ross Pearon gets LowKick’s Finish Of The Night.

Special Nod of the Night: Nothing terribly out of the ordinary tonight in terms of upsets, so we renamed this for someone who deserves a Special Nod.  Mike Pierce fought his 5th fight in 13 months when he took the place of the injured Kyle Noke to earn a short-notice victory over Seth Baczynski.  This is no ordinary feat, and shows how hungry Pierce is to climb the ranks, earning his 8th victory in the UFC by sticking to his strengths and keeping Baczynski on his back or trying to defend the takedown for all three rounds.