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“The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” Welterweight Final

Brad Scott (8-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Robert Whittaker (9-2, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: The 170-pound final of the “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” pits Team U.K. member Scott against Team Australia representative Whittaker.

Before his stint on the reality show, Scott authored a six-fight winning streak competing for various promotions, most recently punching out Mok Rahman in the third round at Cage Warriors Fight Night 4. All told, the Trojan Freefighters export has won eight of his nine professional outings, finishing each of his victories by knockout or submission.

However, Scott was not nearly as dominant on the reality show, as he went the distance to dispatch both Xavier Lucas and Ben Alloway to earn a spot in the final. Scott has shown a knack for controlling the tempo of his bouts through tie-ups and takedowns, and the Brit is opportunistic when it comes to taking his opponent’s back on the canvas.

An eight-time veteran of the Australia-based Cage Fighting Championships promotion, Whittaker came up short in his bid for a title at CFC 21, losing a five-round verdict to Jesse Juarez in May. Like his UFC on FX 6 foe, the 21-year-old PMA Super Martial Arts Centre product has a track record for finishing, stopping all nine of his victims by either knockout or submission.

Whittaker continued that trend on the show by scoring first-round knockouts of Luke Newman and Lucas -- who re-entered the tournament -- to punch his ticket to the final. In addition to the considerable power in his right hand, Whittaker demonstrated an ability to maintain composure after absorbing heavy fire from Newman in the early going of their first-round contest.

If Whittaker is to continue his string of impressive knockouts, he must control the distance against Scott to prevent cardio-draining clinches against the fence. Scott is also competent from his back, as he does a good job controlling posture in hopes of forcing a restart.

The Pick: The worst-case scenario for Whittaker sees Scott taking his back, pounding away and hunting for chokes. However, the Aussie has the look of a man on a roll. Whittaker wins by knockout or TKO in round two.

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