White said Nelson has “the worst physique in professional sports” and complained about Nelson’s confidence throughout the competition.

But, none of the fighters on TUF 10 who actually had to step into the Octagon versus Nelson made similar critiques.  All of Nelson’s opponents dutifully promised to win, of course; and, Schaub even promised to knock Nelson out.  But, no one questioned Nelson’s confidence or called him a “fat guy.”

The difference between White and Nelson’s opponents is that White has to promote a phenomenal fat guy while Nelson’s opponents have to fight a phenomenal fat guy.  And, if you’re the king of the streets like “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (4-1), a Greco-Roman wrestling champion like Justin Wren (8-2), a decorated kickboxer like James McSweeney (4-4), or a former NFL football player like Schaub, after Nelson etches an “L” into your record, you just got beat-up by that same fat guy you were demeaning as just a fat guy.

White has logged a lot of hours changing the image of the UFC from gritty brawler “Tank” David Abbott (10-14) to clean-cut certified überathlete Fighters.com’s second-ranked heavyweight and UFC champion Brock Lesnar (4-1).

Nelson, his buddha belly, and his curly mohawk crash White’s party.

And, in a sense, White is right. Watching the final episode of TUF 10 with a friend who is aware of MMA, but doesn’t consider it much of a sport, I realized how Nelson turns off fans of mainstream team sports where the rules are conceived to ensure the best athlete wins.  He was appalled that Nelson had reached the finals of a supposed athletic competition.

“Roy is good,” I protested.

“But, wouldn’t he be better if he were in shape,” my friend asked.

I explained, “He is in shape.  Look, he’s training with three former NFL players, doing everything everyone else is doing, and two of those NFL players have had to sit out days of training.  Roy never has.”

My friend was skeptical, even hostile towards Nelson based wholly on Nelson’s physique compared to his confidence.  My friend was rooting for the clean-cut, former professional football player Schaub after watching just one episode of TUF 10.

But, for MMA purists like you and I, Nelson’s physique and dearth of athletic genetics combined with his deep understanding of fighting, proves that MMA, at it’s heart, is a high-skilled athletic endeavor.  Unlike football and unlike action films, fighting is skill-intensive, not based on genetics or looks.  It’s a chess game that tests your will to win by ensuring painful results when you make a bad move.

Watching Nelson knockout Schaub was similar to watching third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4) tap out Lesnar at UFC 81 in Las Vegas in 2008.  As much as onlookers outside of the sport want MMA to be a bunch of thick-headed bar brawlers trading head shots until someone falls, it’s proven time-and-again that, when athletes from other sports step into MMA, they’re quickly humbled by the volume of skills that they have to study and the intensity of training day-in-and-day-out.

On TUF 10, former Tampay Bay Bucs top draft pick “Big Baby” Marcus Jones (4-2) admitted his training in the NFL was nothing close to the intensity and effort of training to fight.

Nelson has done that training for years while also picking up all of the skills necessary to compete at a high level in MMA.  Though spectators ignorant about the sport will look at Nelson and have their misconceptions about MMA confirmed, I look at Nelson and he proves that fighting is as much about skill and heart as genetics.  That’s what attracted many core fans to the sport years ago.  It’s the promise that, even if you’re not born to succeed, you can work hard, study, and overcome your limitations to become successful anyway.

Nelson wasn’t born a 6’6″, 265- pound muscle-bound giant like Jones.  Nelson was born the way you see him today and will kick Jones’s ass with the skills he’s developed through hours of hard work in the gym.

White should spend less time being annoyed with having to now promote Nelson as a certified UFC fighter and devote his effort to promoting Nelson for the symbol of what a high-skilled, heart-testing sport MMA is.  And, whenever one of these magazine cover, chiseled athletes wants to call Nelson just a fat guy, White should serve the guy to Nelson in a clamshell box and watch Nelson descend on him like a Burger King Whopper.

“Marcus is a great dude,” Mitrione complimented his foe after the victory.

Early in round one, Jones lunged forward with a hanging straight right and Mitrione countered backpedaling with a duo of counter straight rights that sent Jones face first into the mat.  Referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight immediately.

Jones had won the first round with a trio of slams and a worthy guillotine choke attempt; but, Mitrione was effective getting back to his feet from beneath the man called “The Darkness”.

“Marcus is much stronger what I give him credit for.  I figured I played in the NFL, I have retard strength too,” Mitrione said.  “I thought he was going to be timid when I touched him; but, he wasn’t.”

Jones nearly retired after losing during the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, so this loss in his official UFC debut could lead to his retirement.

Mitrione, however, made his pro MMA debut with a win in the Octagon and was impressive doing so.

The finalists were determined in the two semi-final fights Wednesday night on SpikeTV.

Nelson TKO’d James McSweeney (3-4) in the first round of their exhibition fight.  Nelson slammed McSweeney in a double-leg takedown and passed to half guard where he trapped McSweeney’s right arm beneath his knee and pounded McSweeney’s head until the referee stepped in.

Schaub TKO’d “Big Baby” Marcus Jones (4-1) in the first round of their exhibition fight.  Though Jones scored an early takedown, Schaub dropped Jones with an overhand right and pounded on Jones until the referee stopped the fight.

The final episode will air for two hours and feature fights that will determine the two athletes who will fight for a six-figure UFC contract at at SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in Las Vegas December 5.

The remaining heavyweights include James McSweeney (3-4), ex-NFL defensive tackle Matt Mitrione (0-0), “Big Baby” Marcus Jones (4-1), “Titties” Darrill Schoonover (10-1), “Big Country” Roy Nelson (13-4),  and Brendan Schaub (3-0).

Wednesday nights episode will feature matchups between McSweeney and Mitrione and Jones and Schoonover, then the winners of those fights in semi-final matchups with Nelson and Schaub.

Though a plotline forced by the show this season has been the return of “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-1) after his first round loss to Nelson,  light heavyweight “Assassin” Houston Alexander (9-4) has confirmed he’ll fight Slice December 5.

Fighters.com will post live coverage of the final fights of season 10 tonight.  Return to Fighters.com tonight for discussion of the final fights and the season.

Wessel threw tight hooks to close distance and clinch with 6’6″ Jones, then attempted to trip the biggest fighter in the TUF 10 competition.  Jones reversed Wessel and threw him to the mat and passed to half mount.

Jones worked and Americana; but, Wessel rolled to his stomach in defense.  Jones took Wessel’s back and worked a rear naked choke.  But, Wessel again rolled into top position, sweeping Jones.

But, Jones quickly and powerfully applied an armbar causing Wessel to tap out.

Jones’s victory is Team Rampage’s, coached by now-retired sixth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7),  first and only win in eight preliminary fights over Team Rashad, coached by Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1).

Team Rashad, coached by Fighters.com’s third-ranked light heavyweight “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1), has earned all seven semi-final spots and verges on a sweep of Team Ramapage coached by now-retired fifth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7).

Seven-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran Jones TKO’d John Juarez (1-1) at XCF in Daytona Beach February 14.  Jones has a six-inch height advantage over Wessel.

But, Wessel has one clash in the big show already under his belt.  He was TKO’d by Antoni Hardonk (8-6) at UFC 92 in Las Vegas last December.

Fighters.com will post live results immediately following the fight next Wednesday night.

“Holy shit!  Now that’s a fight,” shouted UFC President Dana White between rounds of the two-round exhibition, and for two-and-a-half minutes it was a hot one.  White had picked the Hawai’ian Junk who lost by heel hook submission to “Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (8-5) at UFC 76 in Los Angeles in September 2007.

But, Junk was dropped at the end of Mitrione punches four times in round one.  Junk began the round with a right kick to Mitrione’s mid-section; but, Mitrione caught the kick and countered with a straight that put Junk on his back.  Mitrione allowed Junk to stand, but quickly leveled the stocky heavyweight again with a straight right.  Again, Mitrione allowed Junk to erect himself.  Junk launched a leg kick which Mitrione again caught and countered with a straight that took Junk off his feet.

Mitirione’s advantage was his sharp punching and quick footwork no doubt honed as a defensive lineman in the NFL. 

Back on his feet, Junk shot clumsily and Mitrione dropped bomb’s on Junk’s head while Junk scrambled away on his hands and knees.  Mitrione followed, sticking a hard knee in Junk’s thick mid-section as Junk knelt at the cage.  But, again Mitrione backed off and allowed Junk to stand, feeling for good reason his advantage was on his feet.

With a hook punch, Mitrione dropped Junk for the fourth time in the round as Junk sought to clinch.  Junk stood and Mitrione teed off, though the onslaught was mostly shrugged off by Junk and marked the end of Mitrione’s gas tank for the rest of the fight.  Junk shot for a single-leg takedown, but Mitrione scooted away. Junk followed Mitrione with a trio of sweeping hooks among which Mitrione touched Junk’s chin with a straight left.  Mitrione had thrown himself out, but still landed a thudding right hook to Junk’s chin.

Junk clinched and the two spent heavies rested on each other for 45 seconds before Mitrione dipped away from the cage and landed a leg kick.  But, with Mitrione’s hands at his waist, Junk grazed Mitrione with three right hooks before the first round bell dinged.

Fighters.com scored the round 10-9 for Mitrione after Junk salvaged the second half of the round with right hooks.  Otherwise, it could’ve been a 10-8 round for Mitrione.

Mitrione opened round two winging dinky, but quick scoring shots.  Junk countered with a heavy right hook that just grazed Mitrione.  Mitrione scored again with a leg kick.  Junk grazed Mitrione with another right hook, then shot for a double-leg takedown, landing in Mitrione’s full guard.  Junk landed right hooks to Mitrione’s body and nose before referee Josh Rosenthal stood the pair for playing patty-cake on the mat.

Mitrione unleashed a brief second wind after the rest on the mat, scoring with a stinging 1-2 combo and a teep kick.  A Junk right hook backed up Mitrione, who countered with a right cross that jerked Junk’s chin.  Junk followed up with a pair of grazing right hooks.  Mitrione continued scoring with winging shots from all angles while Junk loaded up right hooks.  The pair traded leg kicks before the end of the second round.

Fighters.com again scored the round 10-9 in favor of Mitrione, but the second round was much tighter than the first.

White was generous after the fight, saying, “Those two stood in front of each and threw bombs.  Both took some big shots.”

After the decision was announced for Mitrione giving Team Rashad coached by Fighters.com’s third-ranked light heavyweight “Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-1-1) a 7-0 lead in the contest over Team Rampage coached by now-retired fifth-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7), Jackson dismantled a door at the UFC gym with his bare hands and bare head.

The final exhibition bout of round one between Team Rampage’s last hope “Big Baby” Marcus Jones (4-1) and Team Rashad’s Mike Wessel (8-3) will be fought next Wednesday on SpikeTV.