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It wasn't the worst of UFC shows, but it wasn't exactly memorable save for the main event. The pacing of the show was remarkably slow, which made the fights seem more tedious than they actually were. That's a shame since both finals for The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday night ended with finishes. The event itself was capped off with Nate Diaz turning in a vintage performance against Gray Maynard, stopping the former lightweight contender with strikes in the first round.
Where he goes from here is anyone's guess, but if there was a way to get back on top in the lightweight division, this was it. The same, coincidentally, can be said for the winners of this season's reality show. They all have their work cut out for them, but this was the right way to take their next career step.
NATE DIAZ CRUSHES GRAY MAYNARD
I love how Nate walks out with his jeans on. Always ready to throw down! #UFC #TUFFinale #mma
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) December 1, 2013
RAAAAAAAWR 209 MUTHA FUCKA @NateDiaz209
— Bec Rowdy Hyatt (@RowdyBec) December 1, 2013
Daaaamn son. Nate Diaz with the violence. #TheUltimateFighter #
— Marcelino Evil (@KCBanditMMA) December 1, 2013
Wayyyy late stoppage. Unreal showing by Nate! #UFC #MMA #TUFFinale
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) December 1, 2013
Wow! Could have been stopped a bit earlier maybe.
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) December 1, 2013
Daaaaaamn! @NateDiaz209 put it down! Good shit homie!!!!
— Danny Castillo (@lastcall155) December 1, 2013
That was the street fight I was hoping for lol! #TUF18Finale @TUFonFS1 @ufc @danawhite #209style @NateDiaz209
— Timmy Gorman (@TimmyGormanMMA) December 1, 2013
Love Watching Nate Diaz fight !!! The dude is Fun
— Edward Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) December 1, 2013
WOOW!!!! Congrats Nate phenomenal
— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) December 1, 2013
Dang Nate Diaz freakin brawler status!!!
— Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1) December 1, 2013
Dayyum love Nate Diaz
— Jessica Penne (@JessicaPenne) December 1, 2013
@NateDiaz209 swinging from @GilbertMelendez nutz
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) December 1, 2013
He's soooo cute & loyal to his teammate...
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) December 1, 2013
JULIANA PENA CRUSHES PEGGY MORGAN
YEAH JULIE!!!!! Way to fight, I never doubted you for a moment! Your truly amazing!! @VenezuelanVixen
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) December 1, 2013
Damn Mario 1 second
— uriah hall (@UriahHallMMA) December 1, 2013
Pena is awesome. That said she needs to fight in a sports bra. The rash guard is amateur hour. #TUF18Finale @FOXSports1 @ufc
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) December 1, 2013
@VenezuelanVixen -I want that feeling! #CongratsGirl 💙👊
— Ashlee Evans-Smith (@AshleeMMA1) December 1, 2013
Good brawl ladies! @UFC @VenezuelanVixen @JessRakoczy
— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) December 1, 2013
Hey @SpencerLazara.... I told ya so... Congrats @venezuelanvixen @SIKJITSU #itsnotinthewater
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) December 1, 2013
Congrats to @VenezuelanVixen on winning tuf. Big props to my hometown girl jessica rackozy
— josh hill (@gentlemanjhill) December 1, 2013
Bad stoppage imo. #TUFFinale
— Mike Brown (@mikebrownmma) December 1, 2013
Should have just let it go
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) December 1, 2013
Pena was to big, aggressive and physical in there for rakoczy. Baffles me she didn't know how to escape the mount.
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) December 1, 2013
CHRIS HOLDWORTH BLOWS PAST DAVEY GRANT
Thanks to all my friends, family, and supporters for keeping me focused and helping accomplish my dreams. @ufc #ufc #teamtate #alphamale
— Chris Holdsworth (@holdsworth135) December 1, 2013
Love watching dreams come true! Couldn't be happier for @holdsworth135 right now! #HWPO #TUF18Finale #teamalphamale pic.twitter.com/U1KLVRUKRd
— Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) December 1, 2013
Have to take my hat off to @holdsworth135 he did what he had to do & my 💚 go's out to @DaveyGrantMMA
— Chris beal (@RealDealCbeal) December 1, 2013
One down one to go!! Congratulations @ChrisHoldsworth and lets go @Venezuelanvixen!!!
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) December 1, 2013
Congrats Champ!!! @holdsworth135 @ufc @TeamAlphaMale @UrijahsUltFit
— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) December 1, 2013
What's that 12 - 0 for @DUANEBANGCOM and team alpha male? Can't hate in that at all excited to see @JoeJitsu dec 14 next
— isaac vallie-flagg (@IKEVF) December 1, 2013
Congrats @holdsworth135
— sarah moras (@sarahcheesecake) December 1, 2013
Been telling people for years that @holdsworth135 is someone to watch out for. Glad he's made it to the big show.
— Ulysses Gomez (@uselessgomez) December 1, 2013
Unlucky @DaveyGrantMMA make no mistKe though. You have a. Huge career ahead of you. Proud of you mate!
— michael (@bisping) December 1, 2013
At least they got the best two guys in the #TUF18Finale congrats to @holdsworth135
— LC Davis (@lc_davis) December 1, 2013
THE SHOW GENERALLY
What to watch?!?! Bloodsport or the prelims of TUF?? It's a tough one lol
— Travis Browne (@travisbrowneMMA) December 1, 2013
Did Ronda just say that woman's Mma is the most exciting in the UFC?? What is she smoking???
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) December 1, 2013
My eyeballs hurt for commercials
— Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) December 1, 2013
DUKE AND MORGAN FIGHT IN LACKLUSTER AFFAIR
These are some tall ass broads #TUFFinale
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) December 1, 2013
@jessamynduke good fight!! Gotta learn to use that body of yours!! #Athlete
— Travis Browne (@travisbrowneMMA) December 1, 2013
Congrats the "The Gun!" @jessamynduke for an awesome performance against a very game @peggymorganmma @ufc @UFCONFOX @TUFonFS1 #wmma 👊
— Ashlee Evans-Smith (@AshleeMMA1) December 1, 2013
I haven't seen a move like that since recess. #TUFFinale
— Justin Buchholz (@jbmma155) December 1, 2013
Good women's bouts but Im really hoping we see an @ufc stoppage tonight in this last one. No more decisions
— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) December 1, 2013
Wow @peggymorganmma is tough as hell
— Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) December 1, 2013
I hate when two fighters look like its a light sparring day in the gym when it's the biggest fight of your life! #ultimatefighter
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) December 1, 2013
Headlock...no can defend
— Mitch Clarke (@MitchClarkeMMA) December 1, 2013
ROXANNE MODAFFERI AND RAQUEL PENNINGTON OPEN THE MAIN CARD
I wish I could have won, but I'm pleased with my performance tonight in the @ufc . Thanks everyone, for your love & cheering.
— Roxanne Modafferi (@Roxyfighter) December 1, 2013
Congrats @RockyPMMA on ur win. And good job @Roxyfighter you have shown a lot of improvement since the show
— josh hill (@gentlemanjhill) December 1, 2013
Congrats to both @RockyPMMA and @Roxyfighter on a great fight! #TUFFinale .
— Shannon Knapp (@shanknapp) December 1, 2013
That was good between the ladies... both talented but both seemed to lay off the trigger a bit. @ufc Jitters maybe
— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) December 1, 2013
Roxanne you don't have to put on the red light you're in the UFC tonight ! #TUF18Finale
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) December 1, 2013
If balls were money, @Roxyfighter would be a millionaire. Gutsy finish to that third round not tapping. #ufc #TUFFinale #mma
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) December 1, 2013
Kind of sucks not being in Vegas right now getting ready to elbow someone in the face
— sarah moras (@sarahcheesecake) December 1, 2013
MAXIMO BLANCO ILLEGALLY KNESS AKIRA CORASSANI
Fuck me blanco man what u at.. Fucked my BIG $$$ bet up.!!
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) December 1, 2013
Hey @bisping Of all people you are the expert about throwing illegal knees. It's a good thing you are commentating tonight. #ironic
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) December 1, 2013
Blanco a beast tho....ppl bashing him, don't even know what its like to fight, if u thinking about ur move, next move u already messed up!
— Abel Trujillo (@AbelTrujillo1) December 1, 2013
How uncivilized for a CAGE FIGHTER. #TUFFinale #priderules
— Justin Buchholz (@jbmma155) December 1, 2013
What's with all these illegal knees....... If your a pro be aware of your opponents position
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) December 1, 2013
Signs the fight is over ... "What happened" #TUF18Finale
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) December 1, 2013
U lost bro! @AkiraCorassani won he had hand and knee on the ground!!
— WSOF MARLON MORAES (@MMARLONMORAES) December 1, 2013
— Jackson's MMA (@JacksonsMMA) December 1, 2013
Wow nice celebration after getting DQd
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) December 1, 2013
RANI YAHYA IS CONTROLLED BY TOM NIINIMAKI
Yahya's Jiu Jitsu is Twisters board game for MMA ! #TUF18Finale
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) December 1, 2013
Great ground transitions between 2 high level grapplers #TUF18Finale
— Mike Ciesnolevicz (@MikeCies) December 1, 2013
JARED ROSHOLT AND WALT HARRIS PUT ON DECENT SHOW
I thought Walt Harris won that :/ #TUF18Finale
— Bec Rowdy Hyatt (@RowdyBec) December 1, 2013
Great job by my boy @thebigticket205 in the @ufc tonight. Keep working hard buddy.
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) December 1, 2013
Let's go @thebigticket205! #TUFFinale
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) December 1, 2013
booos? Really? They must not remember how bad heavyweight prelim fights were a few years ago....
— Kaitlin Young (@kaitlin_young) December 1, 2013
@DerekBrunsonMMA I want my money!
— Kenny Monday (@KennyMonday) December 1, 2013
Congrats on the W @Stonefacemma welcome to the big show!! Excellent performance
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) December 1, 2013
Hell yea @Stonefacemma you deserved that Victory!!! Congrats bro!!!
— Abel Trujillo (@AbelTrujillo1) December 1, 2013
Harris is climbing up on the Coleman Index. If Rosholt gets one takedown, he'll win.
— Daniel Downes (@dannyboydownes) December 1, 2013
Rosholt has made some serious improvements in the striking department since his @TitanFighting days. #TUF18
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) December 1, 2013
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