‘The Ultimate Fighter 18’ Finale Preview

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“The Ultimate Fighter 18” Men’s Bantamweight Final

Chris Holdsworth (4-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Davey Grant (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Holdsworth entered the “Ultimate Fighter” house with high expectations and has largely delivered. The Team Alpha Male-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt punched his ticket to the 135-pound final with first-round submission triumphs over Louis Fisette, Chris Beal and Mike Wootten. That effort is right in line with Holdsworth’s performance prior to his reality show appearance. He is unbeaten in eight fights -- four pro and four amateur -- with all but one of those victories coming inside of a round.

Grant, meanwhile, had a somewhat easier path through the bracket. After submitting Danny Martinez and Fisette in his first two bouts, the Englishman was given a free pass to a showdown with Holdsworth after Anthony Gutierrez failed to make weight. The 27-year-old North East Top Team/SBG Manchester representative is a former bantamweight titleholder for the Made 4 The Cage, Shock n Awe and Total Combat promotions. Before joining the Season 18 cast, Grant had signed with the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, one of Europe’s top MMA organizations.

The 5-foot-11 Holdsworth uses his reach well, staying long with his strikes before moving into takedown range. The Las Vegas resident is aggressive in his approach, whether that means staying in his opponent’s face or transitioning to dominant positions on the mat. Holdsworth is adept at landing takedowns from the clinch and moving into side control or mount. From there, he can hunt for submissions or take the back when his foe attempts to escape.

Grant is three inches shorter than Holdsworth. However, as he demonstrated in a July 2012 victory over the 5-foot-11 James Pennington, “Dangerous” has the physical strength to hold his own against a larger adversary. Grant possesses a dangerous submission game, with seven of his eight professional triumphs coming by way of rear-naked or guillotine choke. Additionally, he has decent power in his hands, solid knees and can land in combination at times.

Exchanges could be limited here, but Holdsworth has to this point demonstrated a knack for controlling distance with his standup. Expect plenty of transitions, scrambles and battles for position on the canvas. Grant has decent submission defense, but allowing Holdsworth too many opportunities to finish could lead to his demise.

The Pick: Holdsworth takes this by submission in round two.

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