Pannie Kianzad’s has succeeded in her quest to become the first female fighter from Iran to compete in the UFC.
The former Invicta standout claimed the first spot in The Ultimate Fighter 28 featherweight finals with a unanimous decision win over Julija Stoliarenko on episode 10 of the season. Kianzad earned a 29-28 and a pair of 30-27 scores after an entertaining striking battle with Stoliarenko.
For her part, Stoliarenko was hoping to become the first Lithuanian fighter to make the walk to the Octagon, which may still be a possibility when the season finale card rolls around.
Unsurprisingly, the plan was for the submission-minded Stoliarenko to use her striking to set up takedowns and then search for her signature armbar, a technique that earned her three consecutive first-round finishes in her most recent pro bouts before filming TUF. While she did have some success on the feet, especially when it came to counter-punching, the takedowns never materialized and Kianzad was able to defend every shot attempt.
After a close first round, Kianzad began to pull away in the second, badly bloodying and bruising Stoliarenko, who continued to press forward with a smile on her face. Kianzad found her rhythm and staggered Stoliarenko with a 1-2 combo, which turned out to be the most significant sequence of the bout.
Round three was more of the same as Kianzad continued to land combinations and avoid takedowns. Despite a spirited effort from Stoliarenko, she could not keep up with Kianzad’s output.
With the win, Kianzad joined heavyweight teammate Justin Frazier in representing coach Kelvin Gastelum in the finals, which are set to take place at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas. The next two episodes of the show will reveal who meets them for the chance to become the TUF 28 tournament champion. So far, coach Robert Whittaker is without a representative.
In other storylines, Maurice Greene started smoking cigarettes to relieve some of the stress of the house and he expressed regret over his drinking, a problem that he said has plagued his family. Gastelum and his coaching staff forced Greene to go through re-focus drills to get him back on track.
The teams were also given a day to hang out at a water park and later during a sushi dinner, Katharine Lehner and Ben Sosoli teamed up to tackle Whittaker’s “$50-eat-a-wasabi-and-ginger-sandwich” challenge.
Here are the semifinal matchups and results so far:
Justin Frazier def. Michel Batista via TKO (punches) in round one
Juan Espino vs. Maurice Greene
Pannie Kianzad def. Julija Stoliarenko via unanimous decision
Here are the complete first-round results:
Maurice Greene def. Przemyslaw Mysiala via KO (uppercut) in round one
Pannie Kianzad def. Katharina Lehner via unanimous decision
Justin Frazier def. Anderson da Silva via unanimous decision
Julija Stoliarenko def. Marciea Allen via submission (armbar) in round one
Michel Batista def. Josh Parisian via TKO (ground and pound) in round two
Leah Letson def. Bea Malecki via unanimous decision
Juan Espino def. Ben Sosoli via unanimous decision
Macy Chiasson def. Larissa Pacheco via first-round TKO (ground and pound)
On next week’s episode, Team Whittaker’s Juan Espino fights Team Gastelum’s Maurice Greene in a heavyweight semifinal bout for the right to meet Justin Frazier at the finale.
Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter is being coached by UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and top contender Kelvin Gastelum. Gastelum will challenge Whittaker for the middleweight title at UFC 234 on Feb. 10 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
The finalists of the TUF 28 heavyweight and featherweight tournaments will compete for a six-figure UFC contract at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas.
Here is the TUF 28 roster divided by team:
Team Gastelum
Heavyweights
Justin Frazier
Maurice Greene
Josh Parisian
Ben Sosoli
Featherweights
Marciea Allen
Macy Chiasson
Pannie Kianzad
Bea Malecki
Team Whittaker
Heavyweights
Michel Batista
Juan Espino
Przemyslaw Mysiala
Anderson da Silva
Featherweights
Katharina Lehner
Leah Letson
Larissa Pacheco
Julija Stoliarenko
Advancing to the finals: Frazier, Kianzad
Advancing to Round 2: Greene, Kianzad, Frazier, Stoliarenko, Batista, Letson, Espino, Chiasson
Eliminated: Mysiala, Lehner, Da Silva, Allen, Parisian, Malecki, Sosoli, Pacheco