The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale: 11 UFC Matches To Make For The Winners
What next for the victors of TUF 19?
Reed Saxon/AP/Press Association ImagesAnother season of TUF has come and gone - where do we go from here? It wasn't the storybook ending B.J. Penn, or UFC fans in general, might have hoped for The Prodigy. Even if you aren't a Penn fan, you have to respect a guy who is one of only two fighters to hold belts in multiple weight classes, and who fought above his natural weight for a large part of his career. Most of us, however, were suspect when Penn announced that he wanted to fight a third time against the man who took his lightweight title. Was he motivated? Could he beat Frankie Edgar now, years after the first two losses? Could he make the featherweight limit? Would he keep his power? Did he feel he had found a weakness in Edgar? Should he even be in the cage at this point? Those questions were answered Sunday night, but it was the last one that really resonated, with a thunderous "NO!" - the game has passed B.J. Penn by, and he had no business being in the octagon with Frankie Edgar. Edgar looked sharper, faster, and hit harder than Penn. Penn's power - his entire offence - seemed to have dried up. He looked out of place; commentators and fans alike questioned what he was doing. On the ground, he was entirely defensive, failing to work for submissions despite trying to lure Edgar into his guard. On the feet, he seemed to have changed his stance, his style; he wasn't pressing forward as much, wasn't launching wild shots - or any shots. It was super conservative, and maybe there was a game plan behind it, but all it did was make the fight feel more lopsided. If there was a game plan, it was never executed. The loss doesn't take away from Penn's legacy - that is without question secure - but it was a sad note to end on, with Penn being finished for the first time. Even Edgar, who no doubt respects Penn, seemed disappointed in the bittersweet win, saying after the fight that I said I wanted to finish him because hes never been finished and (because of) how tough he was, but I almost feel bad about it. UFC President Dana White, watching from ringside, left midway through the bout, not wanting to watch a fighter he considers a friend take a one-sided beating. Thus ends the career of B.J. Penn; another fighter who stayed on for one (or two) fights too many. His legacy is safe but for the sake of his health, it's time to hang them up. It was a depressing end to an otherwise exciting TUF finale, and there's still a lot of fights ahead for many of the names on the card. There are two new TUF champions to look at, and a monster at heavyweight. So lets sit back and play matchmaker for the second time this week. Here are 11 matches to make for the winners at the TUF 19 finale.