Bryan Battle capped off the return of The Ultimate Fighter with a win over Gilbert Urbina to earn the season’s middleweight title.
It wasn’t always easy for Bryan Battle, but he grinded his way to a submission win over Gilbert Urbina to win The Ultimate Fighter: Season 29 middleweight championship at UFC Vegas 35.
Urbina had the upper hand in the opening minutes of the fight, utilizing his strong takedowns to go with solid punching power to put Battle off-balance. Battle was able to rebound in a bit way towards the end of the first round, getting Urbina’s timing down on the feet and landing the more damaging shots despite losing his mouthpiece halfway through the round.
Battle opened the second round with a big takedown, transitioning to Urbina’s back and sinking in the rear-naked choke to win the fight.
Bryan Battle realizes a dream and earns a UFC contract after a grueling season of The Ultimate Fighter
Battle came into the fight planning to face another opponent, Tresean Gore before he pulled out of the bout due to an injury. Urbina stepped up and took the fight on short notice for a chance at the TUF middleweight title.
Urbina earned a second chance after falling to Gore in the season’s middleweight semifinals. He is the third Urbina brother to compete on the show and went further than either of his brothers; Hector and Elias. Before being asked to compete for a chance at a UFC contract, Urbina enjoyed successful tenures in Legacy and Combate Americas, with a professional record of 6-1.
Battle was the last pick by Team Volkanovski, competing with a chip on his shoulder from the first episode of the season. He put on dominant performances over Andre Petroski and Kemran Lachinov for a spot in the finals.
With the win, Battle not only earns a UFC contract but also introduces himself to the MMA fanbase as a potentially dangerous middleweight for years to come.