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| THE "ULTIMATE FIGHTER 3" FINALS ARE SET! |
| MMA News Written by MMARR | |
| Friday, 16 June 2006 | |
 NEW YORK, NY, June 16, 2006 – After twelve episodes of hard-hitting elimination bouts, The Ultimate Fighter 3 finals are finally set. In the Middleweight Final, Kendall “Spider" Grove takes on Ed "Short Fuse" Herman, while Michael Bisping and Josh Haynes will fight in the Light Heavyweight Final... Spike TV To Telecast Fights Live On Saturday, June 24 At 9:00PM. From Las Vegas Spike TV will air a 12-hour marathon featuring all twelve episodes from its hit series The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Saturday, June 24 from 9:00am-9:00pm. The live finale is the culmination of the 13-week series featuring sixteen mixed martial artists from all parts of the globe in a fierce battle for a coveted contract with the UFC. ABOUT THE FINALISTS: Middleweights KENDALL “SPIDER” GROVE The 23 year-old nicknamed "Spider" was born and raised in Maui and attended Baldwin High School where he was an All State wrestler in the 170lb division and was a standout wide receiver on the football team. After high school, Kendall moved to Las Vegas to pursue his dream of being an Ultimate Fighter and currently has a 9-3 professional MMA record. Before The Ultimate Fighter began taping, Kendall lived with Season 2 champion Joe Stevenson. He is hoping to follow in his former roommate’s footsteps. The outdoor enthusiast surfs and plays paintball in his spare time. A member of Team Ortiz, Kendall forged an alliance with Team Shamrock’s Solomon Hutcherson to gain insight into potential future opponents, dubbing it "Team Dagger". This paid off for Kendall in his first Middleweight bout, as he forced Team Shamrock’s Ross Pointon to tap out via rear-naked choke. After Solomon was eliminated, Kendall was able to manage without his alliance-mate, defeating Kalib Starnes in the semifinals. ED “SHORT FUSE” HERMAN Born in Vancouver, Washington, Ed graduated from Columbia River High School and was an all-state wrestler in the 168lb. division and a standout defensive lineman on the football team. The 25 year-old Herman began training in mixed martial arts, and is now a member of the legendary MMA squad, Team Quest, out of Portland, Oregon. Herman’s regular training partners include UFC legend Randy Couture and The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 participant and rising star Chris "The Crippler" Leben. Ed currently holds an impressive 16-2 professional record, and when he’s not training, Ed teaches kids mixed martial arts at the Team Quest gym in Portland and trains local police in Portland on the latest and most effective mixed martial arts moves. He currently lives with his girlfriend, and is motivated by the memory of his best friend who recently died in a fishing accident in Alaska. A member of Team Shamrock, Ed spent much of the season promising to make Tito Ortiz pay for not drafting him when teams were selected. Thus far, Ed has made good on his promise, defeating Team Ortiz’s Danny Abbadi via armbar in his first bout on the show, and taking out Rory Singer in the semifinals. Herman aims for the Team Ortiz hat trick when he faces Grove in the finals. Light Heavyweights MICHAEL “THE COUNT” BISPING If World War II had not occurred, Michael would probably be living as a Count in Poland, as his family ancestry traces back to royalty in his native land. Instead, the 26 year old is living the self-described “working class” life in England. Michael attended Blackburn College, majoring in Electrical Engineering, but is aspiring to become The Ultimate Fighter. Born in Cyprus, Michael began learning jiu-jitsu at eight years old and lists Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture as his favorite UFC fighters. He has two children ages three and five – they provide all the motivation he needs in the Octagon. When he’s not practicing mixed martial arts in Liverpool, he works as a DJ on the weekends. A member of Team Ortiz, Michael defeated Team Shamrock’s Kristian Rothaermel via TKO (referee’s stoppage) in his first bout, which he dominated from start to finish. In the semifinals, Bisping defeated countrymen Ross Pointon to advance to the finals. JOSH HAYNES No stranger to the world of MMA, this 28 year Medford, Oregon native trains with Team Quest and UFC fighters Nate Quarry and Randy Couture. Josh is a graduate of Grant’s Pass High School in Medford and studied Computer Science at the University of Southern Oregon. Josh also spent six years in the Army and was stationed in Ft. Benning, Georgia. Over the years, he has built an impressive MMA record of 21-4. At the same time, he has also built an excellent professional career, applying his computer science degree as a hospital network engineer. Josh decided it was finally time to pursue his dream, quitting his job to train full-time. He started fighting at 330 pounds, and has dropped over 100 pounds to fight at 215. His oldest son was diagnosed with brain cancer at birth, and having watched his boy endure multiple surgeries already, Josh stays completed focused and driven to do whatever is necessary to become a success and take care of his family. A member of Team Ortiz, Haynes defeated Team Shamrock’s Tait Fletcher in a controversial decision in his first bout. In the semifinals, Haynes defeated Jesse Forbes. TUF 3 Finale Card Josh Haynes vs. Micheal Bisping Kendall Grove vs. Ed Herman Kenny Florian VS Sam Stout Preliminary Bout: Keith Jardine (11-3-1) VS Wilson Gouveia (6-3) Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White of Zuffa, LLC and Kevin Kay of Spike TV are the show’s executive producers. Brian J. Diamond is Vice President, Sports & Specials, Spike TV and serves as Executive in Charge of Production for Spike TV. |
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