Daniel Cormier can fully claim bragging rights over Chael Sonnen after landing three of his fighters in The Ultimate Fighter 33 finals.
The season finale of TUF 33 saw Team Cormier’s Daniil Donchenko (Ukraine) score a thrilling knockout of Team Sonnen’s Matt Dixon (USA) in the semifinals of the welterweight tournament.
It was a tense affair for as long as it lasted, with Donchenko and Dixon following through on a pre-fight agreement to chase a Fight of the Season award worth $25,000 each. The bell sounded and Dixon crowded Donchenko, eager to fight in close, a strategy that ultimately backfired as Donchenko caught Dixon with a sharp elbow that immediately opened a cut on his forehead.
It was anything but smooth sailing from there for Donchenko, who clobbered Dixon with illegal blows to the back of the head while defending a takedown attempt. Referee Mark Smith called for a pause in the action, but did not penalize Donchenko. Dixon took a moment to recover before choosing to continue.
The bout ended shortly after as Donchenko found a home for his right hand, rocking Dixon and sending him retreating to the fence. Donchenko followed up with a tactical swarm of punches until Dixon was left turtling in defense, prompting a referee stoppage.
It’s an all-Team Cormier welterweight final as Donchenko takes on teammate Rodrigo Sezinando (Brazil) this Saturday on the preliminary portion of UFC 319 in Chicago. Joining the UFC hopefuls on the card are the flyweight finalists, Team Cormier’s Alibi Idiris (Kazakhstan) and Team Sonnen’s Joseph Morales (USA).
The final guest coach of the season was TUF 2 champion Rashad Evans, one of the most successful winners in the history of the show. Evans went on to become UFC light heavyweight champion and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Modern Wing in 2019. This Saturday, Donchenko, Sezinando, Idiris, and Morales have the chance to join him in the TUF winner’s circle
The Ultimate Fighter 33 airs live every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Unlike most editions of TUF, coaches Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen will not fight at the conclusion of the season, as both are long retired.
The finalists of the TUF 33 welterweight and flyweight tournaments will compete for a six-figure UFC contract in the show’s live finale fights, which take place this Saturday at UFC 319 in Chicago.
Here are the TUF 33 rosters divided by team:
Eduardo Henrique (13-2), BrazilAlibi Idiris (10-0), KazakhstanImanol Rodriguez (5-0), MexicoTumelo Manyamala (6-1), South AfricaRodrigo Sezinando (8-1), BrazilDaniil Donchenko (11-2), UkraineJeff Creighton (11-2-1), USAAlex Sanchez (15-3), MexicoJoseph Morales (12-2), USAFurkatbek Yokubov (13-4), UzbekistanRoybert Echeverria (10-2), VenezuelaArshiyan Memon (7-0), IndiaDiego Bianchini (9-1), BrazilMatt Dixon (11-1), USARichard Martins (9-1), BrazilAndreeas Binder (10-1, 1 NC), Ireland
Here are the semifinal results and matchups:
Alibi Idris def. Roybert Echeverria via first-round TKO (strikes)
Joseph Morales def. Imanol Rodriguez via split decision
Daniil Donchenko def. Matt Dixon via first-round TKO (strikes)
Rodrigo Sezinando def. Jeff Creighton via split decision
Here are the quarterfinal results:
Joseph Morales def. Eduardo Henrique via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Daniil Donchenko def. Richard Martins via decision
Imanol Rodriguez def. Arshiyan Memon via first-round TKO (strikes)
Jeff Creighton def. Andreeas Binder via decision
Alibi Idiris def. Furkatbek Yokubov via decision
Matt Dixon def. Alex Sanchez via first-round TKO (strikes)
Roybert Echeverria def. Tumelo Manyamala via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Rodrigo Sezinando def. Diego Bianchini via decision