The UFC matchmakers did their best to put together pairs of
fighters that could produce fireworks, and this middleweight tilt
is one more on the board. Cameroon’s Gautier (7-1, 1-0 UFC) knows
one speed, while Valentin (10-5, 1 NC; 0-2 UFC) needs to slow him
down and engage the grappling if he wants to leave with his head
attached to his shoulders. The third man in the Octagon for this
ESPN prelim opener will be referee Herb Dean. The fighters do not
touch ‘em up. Valentin hops forward behind knees that he does not launch, doing
so three times as Gautier does not bite once. The Swiss competitor
lands a low kick, and Gautier is ready to brawl. He lets loose a
flurry of punches staring with a left that stuns Valentin and
bounces him off the fencing. Gautier lashes out again with another
clean series of punches, and Valentin tries to run away and falls
over. Valentin gets his bearings again and shakes his head to wave
Gautier on, but this is the worst idea he can have as Gautier
gladly obliges him. Valentin keeps his guard up, and Gautier still
whips punches around them. “The Silent Assassin” loudly crashes
forward with a slew of punches concluding with a vicious uppercut,
and a subsequent knee makes Valentin think twice about his career
decisions to that point. Gautier unleashes right-hand bombs that explode on Valentin’s chin
again and again until Valentin’s legs give way beneath him. The
Cameroonian batters the downed Valentin with standing-to-ground
punches until Dean has seen enough and forces his way between
them. This was one-way traffic for the Manchester Top
Team-trained athlete, who is quick to embrace the defeated Valentin
and his team before seeking his own. That makes it seven knockouts
in eight wins for the middleweight out of Cameroon.

The third time proved to be the charm for short, squat middleweight
Finney (10-0, 0-0 UFC), who measures around 5-foot-7 while likely
cutting weight to reach 186 pounds. After three wins on Dana
White’s Contender Series, “The Punisher” is getting a shot in the
Las Vegas-based league. He draws Swiss grappler Valentin (10-4, 1
NC; 0-1 UFC), who has completed nine of his 10 wins inside the
distance. The third man in the Octagon will be referee Mike
Beltran, who steps back as the athletes of drastically different
sizes decide not to touch ‘em up. Finney puts on pressure early,
only to duck away from a right hand. Finney crashes forward,
lifting the Swiss man over his shoulder and slamming him down
elsewhere in the cage like a middleweight Matt Hughes. Valentin
climbs back up with the wall behind him, and he elbows the shorter
man on the side of the dome. In the meantime, “The Punisher”
punishes his foe with a high-amplitude slam that puts Valentin on
his seat against the wall. Valentin turns to the side in hopes of
standing, and he gives up his back in the process. Finney partially
completes a mat return, and Valentin gets back up easier this time
and twists out of the back take. Instead, Finney puts him back down
on his back, and he hangs on tight. Valentin uses a two-in-one
wrist lock to hunt for a sweep, but the burly Finney stifles it
completely. When Valentin stands up, Finney elevates him and pick
him all the way up, but he is unable to hurl Valentin on the first
effort and has to expend additional energy to sling him down again.
Valentin calmly wall-walks with his back to the cage, and Finney
sells all the way out to the ankle and hits a takedown on his
second try. Finney hangs on from above as the round ends. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Finney Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Finney Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Finney

Finney rushes out of his round and then pulls back before getting
to the center of the cage. This allows Valentin to peck at him with
a few reaching kicks, which prompts Finney to re-engage his
grappling. The shorter man lifts Valentin up in the air and drops
him down to the mat, and Valentin isolates the kimura grip for a
sweep that he cannot get. Valentin settles for an elbow to the side
of the melon, and Finney settles himself down to establish top
control in the guard. Valentin throws his legs up in pursuit of a
triangle choke, and Finney stacks him up and pushes out thanks in
part to Valentin grabbing the cage with his toes. Finney returns to
the guard, smothering and occasionally reaching with one or two
strikes. Valentin sets up an armbar, and Finney lifts him up the
air and tries to drive him all the way through the cage floor. The
Swiss man hits the ground with a thump, and his submission grip is
gone. Finney takes his back when Valentin urges to get to a single
knee, and after two punches, he climbs up high on the back and
slides out the back door. Valentin returns to his knees, grabbing
the fence clearly to stand up and getting shouted at. With rules
like these, who needs referees? Valentin is able to regain his
balance thanks to the foul, and Finney doggedly pursues the double
and tries to lift Valentin again. The tepid round closes. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Finney Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Finney Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Finney

Valentin marches out of his corner on a mission, and he quickly
puts hands on the burly wrestler. Finney responds, expectedly, with
a double-leg entry. The try pushes Valentin from one side of the
cage to the other, and the second effort from Finney ushers
Valentin to his seat. Valentin calmly works his way to his side,
and Beltran stands them up after a lull in any activity. Finney
rushes at his opponent, pursuing yet another takedown, and he
wrenches Valentin to a knee but no further. Valentin hacks at him
with elbows, and he forces a stalemate to bring in Beltran again.
Seeing that Finney is bearing down on him after the reset, Valentin
lashes out with an elbow, and Finney easily ducks under him and
completes the takedown. Valentin drops to both knees and tries to
punch under and around the guard to put any number on the board he
can. The fans are not amused by Finney’s performance, nor is
Beltran, who breaks up another shot and restarts them. Finney
charges like a bull straight into another takedown shot, and
Valentin’s defense against the wall plus a few elbows are more
effective than anything Finney has offered this round. Time
expires, and this exhausting, horrible middleweight contest is now
part of MMA history. May we never speak of it again. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Valentin (29-28 Finney) Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Finney (30-27 Finney) Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Finney (30-27
Finney)

Only one competitor reps Team Shevchenko in the two finals matches,
and Loder (6-1, 0-0 UFC) has the weight of his team on his
shoulders. While Loder outworked Omran Chaaban in the semis,
Valentin (10-3, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) blew through the opposition with two
first-round stoppages to come in as the odds-on favorite. Things
will get underway under the watchful eye of referee Mark Smith, and
he watches the middleweights slowly work towards one another
without touching gloves to get started. Loder moves forward, and he
lifts Valentin up and deposits him to the mat. Valentin threatens
with a triangle choke off his back, allowing him to flip over and
get to his hands and knees. Loder holds on from the side, and
Valentin rolls over and ends up falling to his back. Loder attacks
with a scarf hold and an armlock, and Valentin rolls all the way
through the submission to miraculously take Loder’s back. Valentin
gets his hooks in, and Loder scrambles madly to work his way to his
knees. Valentin slides another hook in, and he flattens Loder out
while sneaking a rear-naked choke under the chin. Loder ignores the
choke and punches his opponent in the side of the head, and he
stops punching and hand-fights. Loder sits up as the choke falls
off, and he is dragged to his back as Valentin looks for another
rear-naked choke. Through sheer force of will, Loder turns himself
around in the body lock, and he winds up in top position. Loder
slowly does work on top, opening up with the occasional elbow while
Valentin keeps his guard closed. Loder opens the guard up with
ground strikes, and Valentin responds with elbows off his back.
Loder grinds the remainder of the round out. Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Loder Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Loder Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Loder

Loder reintroduces himself to start the round with a winging right
hand, using it as a way to close the distance. Valentin knows what
is coming, but he cannot stop it. A takedown from Loder dumps him
on the ground, and he claims side control and starts to set up the
crucifix position. With Valentin’s right arm between his legs and
the left arm stuck on the other side, Loder is able to hammer
Valentin with elbows. Valentin bucks and kicks, trying to push off
the fencing and move any way he can, but Loder is flat on top of
him battering him with elbows. Smith keeps a close eye on the action, and the elbows start to mark
Valentin’s face up and rip open a tiny cut on the cheek. Valentin
defends his face but is taking damage, and that is all he is able
to do. Loder does not let him off the hook, elbowing him with
impunity until Smith has to call a halt to the match. Just like that, "The Man of Steel" notches the slight upset and
crowns himself the winner of TUF’s Season 32 at 185 pounds. In the
cage, he is greeted with his trophy held by ring girl Red Dela
Cruz, and not even coach Valentina Shevchenko appears to be in the
building to celebrate her fighter pulling off the win.

Robert Valentin

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