The televised fight card will open with the season’s most controversial contestant, Junie Browning, against fellow castmate and nemesis Dave Kaplan.  Also fighting on the Spike TV card will be the previously announced rematch of UFC welterweights Kevin Burns and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and a middleweight clash between Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald and Wilson Gouveia

The undercard also includes “The Ultimate Fighter” cast members John Polakowski vs. Rolando Delgado, George Roop vs. Shane Nelson, Tom Lawlor vs. Kyle Kingsbury, Jules Bruchez vs. Eliot Marshall, and Shane Primm vs. Krzysztof Soszynski.

About The Finalists:

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Efrain Escudero – TEAM NOGUEIRA

Professional Record: 10-0

The 22-year-old mixed martial arts fighter sports a perfect 10-0 professional record as a member of Southwest MMA in Tucson, AZ.  Escudero, who is close friends with training partner and former UFC fighter Drew Fickett, grew up in Yuma, AZ and was a state champion wrestler at Cibola High School in the 140lb. weight class.  Currently studying Criminal Justice and Sociology at Grand Canyon University, Escudero is on pace to graduate in 2009 with aspirations for a career in law enforcement following his time in Octagon®.  A submission specialist, Escudero lists Georges St-Pierre as among the fighters he admires most.

Road To The Finals:

Episode 4: submitted Shane Nelson via triangle in the second round.

Episode 12: submitted Junie Browning in the second round

Phillipe Nover – TEAM NOGUEIRA

Professional Record: 5-0-1

The first ever New York City resident to appear on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Nover was born and raised in Brooklyn.  Training at Universal Defense Systems with Ralph Mitchell, Nover is as diverse as the city he lives in, as he is of Polish and Filipino descent.  The 24-year-old attended Kingsborough Community College and currently worked at Coney Island Hospital as a registered nurse in the ER.  Nover acknowledges his professional life is quite the dichotomy – healing by day but fighting by night.  He began training in martial arts at age nine and attended Leon Goldstein High School in Brooklyn. Nover currently holds a rank of brown belt under his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Teacher Alexandre “Soca” Freitas and fights out of Team Insight.

Road To The Finals:

Episode 8:  defeated Dave Kaplan via rear naked choke in Round 1

Episode 11: defeated George Roop via kimura submission in Round 1

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Vinny Magalhaes – TEAM MIR

Professional Record: 2-2, 1 No Contest

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Magalhaes is the second competitor on the eight seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter” from Brazil (Jorge Gurgel – Season 3).  The 24-year-old is currently training with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.  A three-time World Jiu-Jitsu champion (’02, ’05, ’07), Magalhaes has spent the last ten years perfecting his jiu-jitsu skills, while also taking time to master the English, Spanish and Portuguese languages.  Prior to coming to the states in 2005, Magalhaes was studying for a physical education degree in Brazil, but has since changed his career path and now trains full-time in order to become a UFC champion.

Road To The Finals:

Episode 7: defeated Jules Bruchez by submission via armbar in Round 1

Episode 12: defeated Krzysztof Soszynski by submission via armbar in Round 1

Ryan Bader – TEAM NOGUEIRA

Professional Record: 7-0

The budding 24-year-old mixed martial arts star was a two-time state wrestling champion at McQueen High School in Reno, NV and was ranked third in the nation during his senior year.  Bader continued his education at Arizona State University where he was a 2-time All-American and 3-time All-Pac-10 wrestler.  A justice studies major with a minor in business at ASU, Bader was a roommate of “The Ultimate Fighter 7″ finalist, CB Dolloway.  Bader, who has previously worked as a sales and marketing representative for a telecommunications company in Phoenix, trains with Arizona Combat Sports.  Currently living in Chandler, AZ, Bader enjoys lake-related sports in his spare time.

Road To The Finals:

Episode 3: knocked out Tom Lawlor in the first round

Episode 11: won a unanimous decision over Eliot Marshall http://www.canoe.ca

Chuck Liddell UFC Fighter ESPN

Chuck Liddell, the UFC’s Light Heavyweight Champion, is a fierce competitor.  soft-spoken, articulate, and very smart. It’s my pleasure to welcome Chuck to the HeadBlade team. The following information was taken from Chuck’s website with his permission: Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell was born on December 17, 1969 in Santa Barbara, California. Chuck currently lives in San Luis Obisbo, California and owns and operates with his partner, Scott Adams, San Luis Obispo (SLO) Kickboxing School. Chuck became interested in martial arts when he was 12 years old. At that time, he began to train in the martial art of Koei Kan Karate. Chuck continued to train in Karate through high school and college. While at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, California, Chuck was captain of both the football and wrestling teams. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, University recruited Chuck for their Division I/Pacific 10 conference wrestling team. Chuck eventually attended Cal Poly University and was a four-year starter on the wrestling team. Chuck graduated from Cal Poly with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business/Accounting in 1995.