The TUF 28 TUFtermath
It’s week 12 of The Ultimate Fighter Season 28, the last episode before the finale! The women’s semi-finals conclude as Macy Chiasson of Team Gastelum takes on Leah Letson of Team Whittaker! Will Leatson be able to keep it an even split of Team Whittaker vs. Team Gastelum in both finals? Or will Chiasson go on to face teammate Pannie Kianzad this Friday? Let’s find out in this week’s TUFtermath!
The Big Three
#1) End of an Era – This week’s episode brings us the last fight that will ever be aired from the current UFC Gym. The company is building a new facility for future episodes of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contenders Series and The Ultimate Fighter.
#2) Under Pressure – While training with guest coach Ilir Latifi, the pressure of having new techniques pushed onto her the day before weigh-ins got to her. She had to duck out, and take time talking with one of the assistant coaches to get her head on straight. These difficulties extended to her weight cut, where she initialy weighted in at 146.5 lbs. Chiasson was able to make weight after disrobing behind towels, but the stress was clearly wearing on her.
#3) Putting in the Work – Leah Letson continued to put the work in outside of official Team Whittaker sessions, working her kickboxing with Anderson “Braddock” Silva. It’s a testament to her work ethic that she continues to do so much extra work.
The Stock Report
Stock Up: Macy Chiasson.
The Fight
The first round of Macy Chiasson vs. Leah Letson started off fairly strong. Within the first ten seconds, kicks were traded, and as both women worked through their feeling out process, the strikes began to land with more frequency. At around the 1:00 minute mark, Chiasson slipped as she took a punch to the chest from Letson, but was able to recover quickly without taking a lot of damage. It did, however, allow Letson to force her Team Gastelum foe against the cage to try and wear her down. After a little over a minute, Chiasson was able to catch a single collar tie clinch, land a knee, and score a takedown. While Leah Letson was able to get back to her feet, Chiasson stayed on her, clinching and striking against the cage. Soon, Macy was able to get a Thai clinch on Letson, rocking her with a pair of knees. This was the beginning of the end for Team Whittaker’s representative, as Chiasson began a measured finishing assault that culminated in a fight-ending knee to the liver. Macy Chiasson is moving on to the TUF 28 Finale, winning by TKO at 3:04 of the first round.
It’s all over but the TUF 28 Finale now. Team Whittaker’s Juan Diepa will take on Team Gastelum’s Justin Frazier in the men’s heavyweight final. Teammates Pannie Kianzad and Macy Chiasson will square off in the women’s featherweight final. Keep it locked to MMASucka.com for coverage of the TUF 28 Finale!!
