The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale Date: November 30, 2013 Arena: Mandalay Bay Events Center City: Las Vegas, N.V. Women’s Bantamweight bout: Jessamyn Duke (-210) vs Peggy Morgan (+190) Fight Breakdown: The TUF 18 Finale on FOX Sports 1 will feature a battle between two female fighters featured on season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, as pro model turned pro fighter Jessamyn Duke takes on the powerful Peggy Morgan. Duke is the favorite heading into this bout at -210 ($210 to win $100), while Morgan is the underdog at +190 ($100 to win $190) at Several Bookmakerss. JESSAMYN DUKE (2-0-1 NC MMA, 0-0 UFC) is coming off a knockout loss to Miriam Nakamoto at Invicta FC 5 earlier this year, but the result of the fight was later turned to a no contest. Duke was down on both knees when receiving the second of the knockout blows from Nakamoto. She was out after the first knee, so the second knee was not necessary, and ultimately ended up costing Nakamoto a win on her record. However, from the perspective of the fight fan, we know that Duke lost that fight. She went on to appear on season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter reality series. Duke has decent takedown defense, but when taken down, she is very active off her back. She has a good rubber guard, and she works submissions off her back effectively. In fact, she secured a first round triangle choke victory to earn a spot in the TUF house, where she went on to lose a close decision to Raquel Pennington in the quarterfinals. Duke is a talented Thai boxer who moves well on her feet, and throws very good kicks. She has good footwork, and is a polished striker. Since her time on TUF, she has been training with Ronda Rousey in Los Angeles, so it’s safe to assume that her grappling has gone up a level or two. Duke’s conditioning is average; she tends to start fading as the fight goes on, but it is possible that she has made improvements in that department, so I would say her cardio is a question mark heading into this bout. PEGGY MORGAN (2-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) went into The Ultimate Fighter house with a first round TKO stoppage in the elimination round, but came up short against Sarah Moras in the quarterfinals. Though not on her official record, the Moras loss is the first she defeat she has tasted in her mixed martial arts career. Morgan is the biggest, tallest bantamweight on the UFC’s women’s roster. She is a very strong fighter who likes to use her heavy hands. She likes to do damage on the feet, but more so on the mat in a vicious ground and pound attack. Her footwork is okay, and she throws decent punches. She works good takedowns, but I’m not sure if it’s because she’s a good wrestler, or if it’s simply a benefit of her size advantage. She will be making her official debut at bantamweight against Duke. She fought at featherweight before competing on The Ultimate Fighter, and even at 145 pounds, she had a size advantage against her opponents. In her fight to get into the TUF house, she fought a natural 125 pounder, and got an easy pass in. As Dana White put it in the first episode of the season, Morgan looks like a 155 pounder. Going into the fight against the natural 135-pounder in Jessamyn Duke, it’s safe to say Morgan will have the size advantage. I think she will also have the edge in cardio. Fight Prediction: This will be a fun, back and forth fight, and I think Duke will get the better of the exchanges. She has the advantage when it comes to the submission game, so if the fight hits the mat, it could be a wrap for Morgan. If it plays out on the feet, it could go either way, but I do give the edge to Duke, as I believe she is not only the superior grappler of the two, but also the superior striker. Gabe’s Pick: Jessamyn Duke by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Jessamyn Duke (-210) parlayed with Chris Holdsworth (-210) for +118 4.75 to win 5.6u
