» Fighter: Kevin Burns

“Rumble” Anthony Johnson (6-2) KO’d Kevin Burns (7-2) with a third-round head kick in a fairly evenly-matched rematch at the TUF 8 live finale Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Both fighters came out trading leg kicks. A body kick by Burns was answered by a body kick-jab combination by Johnson. Burns shot for the double-leg takedown and landed in Burns’s closed guard. Burns climbed his legs up Johnson’s back but Johnson stood out of it and threw a few punches into Burns’s midsection until he moved into side control. Burns’s legs moved up again, this time securing a triangle choke. Johnson was able to slide out, however, back into Burns’s full guard. Referee Mario Yamasaki stood them up. Johnson landed a left body kick and jab-straight. Burns was flipped onto his back when Johnson caught a kick, but Yamasaki allowed him to stand back up.

Johnson and Burns again opened the round trading kicks. Johnson shot for the single leg, but although Burns defended, he got the takedown. Burns worked a kimura with Johnson in his half guard, but Johnson slipped out, ending up in full guard. They spent the rest of the round in this position, throwing short strikes to the body, and Johnson landing a few elbows into the face. Burns attempted another triangle choke and an armbar, and ate a hammerfist for his efforts.

Round three began with strikes, and ended soon after when Burns was felled by a left head kick, out cold. Johnson’s revenge for his TKO loss in July via eye-poke was completed at 0:28 of round three.

TUF 8 lightweights Phillipe Nover (4-0) and Efrain Escudero (6-0) and light heavyweights “Darth” Ryan Bader (5-0) and “Pezao” Vinicius Magalhaes (3-3) secured a spot in the finals in Wednesday night’s episodes of the reality television series.

Following the broadcast the UFC announced the full lineup for the live finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir 13 December in Las Vegas.

Also on the card are a previously reported bout between middleweights “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald (19-10) and Wilson Gouveia (11-5), and a rematch between Kevin Burns (7-1) and “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-2).

Rounding out the main card is a lightweight match-up between TUF 8 competitors Junie Allen Browning (2-0) and David Kaplan (0-0).

Read More About Nover v Escudero, Bader v Magalhaes To Determine Season 8’s Ultimate Fighters…

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has denied “Rumble” Anthony Johnson’s (5-2) appeal to have his controversial TKO loss to Kevin Burns (7-1) changed to a No Contest.

NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer stated, “Based on advice from the Nevada Attorney General’s office, the appeal was rejected due to lack of remedy.”

The 19 July welterweight bout was stopped in the third round by referee Steve Mazzagatti when Johnson was poked in the eye and he fell to the mat.

The TKO victory was awarded to Burns, despite a previous warning not to eye-poke.

Johnson has undergone surgery to repair a detached retina and has since fully recovered.

“Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) def. “Sandman” James Irvin (14-5) via KO (punches), 1:01 of round one.

“The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) def. Reese Andy (7-3) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 29-28).

“The Answer” Frank Edgar (9-1) def. Hermes Franca (18-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27).

Cain Velasquez (4-0) def.  Jake O’Brien (10-2) via TKO, 2:02 of round one.

“The Fire” Kevin Burns (7-2) def. “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-2) via TKO, 3:35 of round three.

“Doberman” CB Dollaway (7-1) def. Jesse Taylor (6-3) via submission (Peruvian necktie), 3:58 of round one.

Timothy Credeur (10-2) def. Cale Yarbrough (0-1) via TKO (punches), 1:54 of round one.

Rory Markham (16-4) def. Brodie Farber (13-4) via KO (head kick), 1:37 of round one.

Nate Loughran (9-0) def. Johnny Rees (10-1) via submission (triangle), 4:21 of round one.

“Bad” Brad Blackburn (15-9-1) def. James Giboo (11-3) via TKO (strikes), 2:29 of round two.

Shannon Gugerty (11-2) def. Dale Hartt (5-1) via submission (rear naked choke), 3:33 of round one.

Friday the UFC announced that welterweights “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-1) and Kevin Burns (6-1) will fight on UFC Fight Night 14 in Las Vegas 19 July.

Johnson KO’d former TUF finalist Tom Speer (9-3) in 51 seconds in April.

Johnson’s only loss is via rear naked choke to “No Love” Rich Clementi (32-12-1) at UFC 76 last September.

Burns won “Submission of the Night” with a triangle choke of “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) in round two of his Octagon debut earlier this month in London.

Watching Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes(42-7) TKO’d at 1:02 of the second round by younger, stronger, faster, and more complete (currently) sixth-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) last night at UFC 85 in London, I couldn’t help but recall the country boy whoopin’ Hughes put on the original Ultimate Fighter Royce Gracie (14-3-3) two-years ago.

Hughes stalked Alves for a takedown at the first bell, settling for bottom position by pulling guard, but never finding the submission opportunity he thought he could force.

Again, Hughes took the Brazilian to the mat mid-way through the first and smothered the kickboxer; but, Alves utilized butterfly guard to neutralize Hughes’s offense.

The only damage done on the mat in round one was after the confident “Pitbull” bulldogged the veteran to the mat and hammered a crevice in Hughes’s nose with an elbow strike.

Hughes, like Gracie at UFC 60, was impotent. Alves wasn’t falling for the tried and true tricks, wasn’t physically overwhelmed by the stocky farm boy from rural Illinois, and wasn’t intimidated by the future Hall of Famer’s legacy.

The second round was short; the end poignant.

Hughes ducked for the takedown that’s served as a sure-shot for ten years; and, Alves flew the distance between him and Hughes, colliding into Hughes’s right jaw with his left knee.

One punch later and referee Herb Dean waved off the fight, and, officially, the Matt Hughes era.

Alves never doubted the outcome, but remained humble while pleading from the Octagon, “Mr. Dana White, I’ve been a good boy, please give me a title shot!”

“He got me, no doubt,” Hughes admitted.

For Hughes, there remains a grudge match with fourth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5), then a lot of prayer and consultation with his family for the proudly Christian husband and father of two.

Read More About Alves Amazing, Werdum Top Heavyweight Contender…

Newcomer “The Fire” Kevin Burns (4-1) will make his Octagon debut at UFC 85 in London against “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-6), the UFC announced Wednesday. 

Burns is a late replacement for “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (14-8), whose injured rib forced him off next weekend’s card.

Burns, from Des Moines, has never fought to a decision.  He won his last two fights, at the Glory Fighting Championships, via submission.

The upcoming bout will be Carneiro’s fourth in the Octagon.  The American Top Team member dispatched his last opponent Tony DeSouza (10-4) with a second-round TKO at UFC 79.  His most recent loss was to Fighters.com’s second-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (17-2).