The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale will air on July 7, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
#5 MICHAEL “THE MENACE” JOHNSON (18-11-0) vs. JUSTIN “THE HIGHLIGHT” GAETHJE (17-0-0)
This is a five-round main event in the lightweight division. Johnson brings striking and wrestling giving him knockout power with grappling control. Gaethje brings striking and wrestling giving him knockout power and grappling control leading him to an impressive undefeated streak. Now this fight consists of two knockout artists in their division and so this fight will test who has the toughest chin and with that being said I see Gaethje containing heavier strikes that indeed can do serious damage and much more than Johnson has ever faced before. Johnson has fantastic striking power of his own so if he was able to pressure Gaethje and keep him pinned against the cage then I see him taking this fight, but he must not get too over confident as Gaethje can always surprise him with a sneak attack that will surely do some damage to Johnson. My prediction: Gaethje wins via knockout in Round 2.
DHIEGO LIMA (14-5-0) vs. JESSE “JT MONEY” TAYLOR (32-15-0)
This is a three-round co-main event in the welterweight division along with the season finale match of the Ultimate Fighter 25. Lima brings striking and jiu-jitsu giving him knockout power and grappling control. Taylor brings boxing, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling giving him knockout power with extreme grappling control and cardio. As both fighters bring a great combination of striking and grappling the fight looks to go either way, but from all the experience Taylor has I see his jiu-jitsu and wrestling overpowering Lima’s jiu-jitsu, which is not near as great as Taylor’s. Now Lima has efficient striking power he could use to take control of the fight, though, Taylor also has great defense and unless Lima can find the weak spot in his chin this fight might not end well for him. My prediction: Taylor wins via submission in Round 3.
MARC “BONECRUSHER” DIAKIESE (12-0-0) vs. DRAKKAR KLOSE (6-0-1)
This is a three-round fight in the lightweight division. Diakiese brings boxing, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling giving him knockout power with some grappling control and cardio leading him to remain undefeated. Klose brings boxing, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling giving him knockout power and grappling control giving him an undefeated record with a draw. With both fighters coming into this fight undefeated we are sure to see a first loss come to either of these fighters and I believe Klose might be the one to suffer defeat as Diakiese contains much better knockout power and grappling control than Klose. Yes, Klose has great knockout power and grappling control, but compared to Diakiese I just don’t see him being able to stand against the techniques Diakiese possesses. My prediction: Diakiese wins via split decision.
JARED “THE KILLA GORILLA” CANNONIER (9-2-0) vs. NICK ROEHRICK (7-0-0)
This is a three-round fight in the light heavyweight division. Cannonier brings boxing and jiu-jitsu giving him knockout power and grappling control. Roehrick brings Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu giving him knockout power with some grappling control. In this fight are two fighters who can surely throw a punch and when aggression is mixed in Cannonier becomes much more of a force than Roehrick. Though, if Roehrick can bring Cannonier to the ground and use his jiu-jitsu then he could surely take this fight. But at the same time he will have to get around Cannonier’s power and if he does not keep his guard up then Cannonier will indeed catch him in a jab or side hit. My prediction: Cannonier wins via knockout in Round 1.
BRAD TAVARES (14-4-0) vs. ELIAS “THE SPARTAN” THEODOROU (14-1-0)
This is a three-round fight in the middleweight division. Tavares brings striking, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling giving him striking power with some grappling and cardio. Theodorou brings kickboxing, Muay Thai, and jiu-jitsu giving him knockout power with grappling control and cardio. Both of these athletes have impressive records, but when looking into who they have faced I would give this fight to Theodorou all from his Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu combinations that have proven to be a great use for him that I am not quite sure Tavares will be able to stand toe-to-toe with. Unless Tavares can use his wrestling to try and surpass Theodorou then I really don’t see this fight ending well for Tavares ever since the fight was announced. My prediction: Theodorou wins via unanimous decision.
JORDAN “BIG SWINGIN” JOHNSON (7-0-0) vs. MARCEL “MOAZINHA” FORTUNA (9-1-0)
This is a three-round fight in the light heavyweight division. Johnson brings striking and wrestling giving him some striking power and grappling control leading him to a perfect record. Fortuna brings striking and jiu-jitsu giving him striking power and grappling control. With both fighters bringing their own techniques of striking and grappling control the factor of the fight will come down to who uses them more efficient and that I believe is Johnson with his striking power and wrestling combination which appears to be a little more than Fortuna’s striking and jiu-jitsu combination. The only way I see Fortuna being able to take the win is to try to find a way to counter Johnson’s wrestling with his jiu-jitsu, but that will prove to be extremely difficult as Johnson has shown he does not let anyone slip past his techniques that easy. My prediction: Johnson wins via unanimous decision.
