• By MATT RAMSAY
• Special to 2theadvocate.com
• Published: Dec 16, 2008 - UPDATED: 7:00 p.m.

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Apparently, it doesn’t matter what the fighters do in the Octagon on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF), it just matters what kind of ratings they bring to the table. Junie Browning got more airtime than anyone else on the show because, well, he was a drunken buffoon. He even received a spot on the main card.

To Browning’s credit and to the disdain of most MMA fans, Browning was one of the most impressive and most improved fighters on the card.

As for the main event, Phillipe Nover has been referred to as the next Anderson Silva. He has also been compared to George St. Pierre. On the other hand, fans heard very little talk of Efrain Escudero.

Even though Nover showed flashes of brilliance, without a doubt, Escudero is the new Ultimate Fighter.

Main Event

Phillipe “The Filipino Assassin” Nover vs. Efrain “Hecho en Mexico” Escudero

Escudero stated before the fight that he would win the bout for his late father. Despite being the underdog, Escudero came through on his promise in an impressive fashion. His wrestling proved too much for Nover. In fact, Escudero was able to take him down almost at will.

Both men are still very young and have a very bright future ahead of them. With the win, Escudero remains undefeated and moves his record to an impressive 12-0. Nover suffers his first defeat in his pro career and his record now stands at 6-1-1.

Escudero defeats Nover by Unanimous Decision

Efrain Escudero is now “The Ultimate Fighter” of the lightweight division of season eight

Co-Main Event

Ryan “Darth” Bader vs. Vinicius “Vinny” Magalhaes

Bader defeats Magalhaes by Knockout