Andrew Sanchez suffocates Khalil Rountree in shutout victory
LAS VEGAS — Andrew Sanchez had a game plan, and he was sticking to it.
"The Ultimate Fighter" season 23 officially came to an end on Friday night as Sanchez ground and pounded former housemate Khalil Rountree for three rounds to earn a lopsided decision victory.
Sanchez, who is a natural middleweight, didn't want to test the waters on the feet with a powerful striker like Rountree, so he went for the takedown early ... and often.
It was a stifling attack as Sanchez put Rountree down on the ground at will over all three rounds, and his opponent really had no answer.
.@ElDirteSanchez takes Rountree down and keeps him down. Lands a big right hand at the end of the round! #TUFFinale https://t.co/PSQyaNfd4c
— #TUFFinale (@ufc) July 9, 2016
Rountree tried to unleash a couple of combinations whenever the fighters were standing. But Sanchez would swoop underneath his strikes and take the fight back to the ground almost immediately.
Rinse, wash and repeat for three rounds as Sanchez put on a dominant performance to become the new "Ultimate Fighter" champion at 205 pounds.
The lopsided scorecards came back with Sanchez winning 30-25, 30-25 and 30-26.
Sanchez was definitely the most impressive competitor on the reality show this past season. He continued his reign of dominance on Friday night as he dispatched Rountree and officially earned his spot in the UFC.
