UFC President Dana White has been ecstatic because for the first time ever, the gambling consumer was able to make wagers on TUF fights. Online and in Las Vegas, odds were laid for each week's fights, a new development that was a consequence of the show's switch to a live format. While a fun if relatively unimportant development, the major problem this year was how wildly off the mark said oddsmakers were. It wasn't just that there were upsets, although there were those, too. There were a lot of them and often when there was a prohibitive favorite.
So, as we get to predictions for tonight's events, let's be careful about being overly certain about the fighters from the show. Most professional fighters at that stage in their career still have liabilities they've yet to shore up. Things can go wrong for them - especially with a jump in competition - and the fight can change complexion a lot more easily than if there were experienced combatants with twenty or more fights on their record competing.
What: The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale
Where: The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
When: Friday, the Facebook preliminary starts at 5:45 p.m. Eastern, the four-fight FUEL card starts at 6 and the five fight FX card starts at 9.
Predictions on the five FX fights below.
