‘The Ultimate Fighter’ 17 finale weigh-in: Headliners put friendship aside

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, April 12, 2013 | 5:20 p.m.

The UFC picked the right event to hold at MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theater.

“The Ultimate Fighter” 17 weigh-in featured plenty of acting. The fighters on Saturday night’s card had to do their best pretending when they squared off with their opponents.

The customary stare-down photos played out like picture day for high school football teams: Everyone tried not to smile.

Most UFC events have a fight or two sprinkled somewhere on the card where friends, or at least casual acquaintances, compete against each other. But it’s spread everywhere at “The Ultimate Fighter” 17 finale, including in each of the top three fights.

Urijah Faber, who made weight at 136 pounds, helped bantamweight main-event opponent Scott Jorgensen (135.5) get his start in mixed martial arts.

“We’re friends, but I’ve got no problem punching him,” Jorgensen said in a video shown at the weigh-in.

Middleweights Uriah Hall (185) and Kelvin Gastelum (186) were Team Sonnen teammates the latest season of “TUF” before they both reached the finals.

“I really liked Uriah,” Gastelum said. “We trained together and everything. It’s a new experience fighting someone like that, and it’s hard to get around.”

Women’s bantamweight contenders Miesha Tate (135.5) and Cat Zingano (136) have the least amount of background with each other among the headliners.

Although the two briefly got to know each other while attending UFC 157 two months ago, they didn’t let that get in the way of an intense encounter Friday.

Zingano stepped carefully toward Tate and curled up her lip while widening her eyes for their stare-down. Tate stayed stone-faced.

The two didn’t shake hands when UFC President Dana White broke them from their pose. As far as immediate implications, Tate vs. Zingano is the card’s most significant bout.

The winner earns the next opportunity to fight Ronda Rousey and a coaching assignment on the 18th season of “The Ultimate Fighter”.

Competitors on the long-running reality show often bond after spending two months living and training together. Four bouts other than Hall vs. Gastelum pair two fighters coming off the latest season so it was no surprise that they were all tame after stepping off the scales.

Rihanna’s Diamonds World Tour forced the UFC to use one of MGM’s showrooms as the weigh-in’s venue instead of Mandalay Bay Events Center, where the fights will start at 2:30 Saturday afternoon.

Find full results from “The Ultimate Fighter” 17 weigh-in below.

Bantamweight bout: Urijah Faber (136) vs. Scott Jorgensen (135.5)

Middleweight bout: Uriah Hall (185) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (186)

Women’s bantamweight bout: Miesha Tate (135.5) vs. Cat Zingano (136)

Heavyweight bout: Travis Browne (239) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (261)

Middleweight bout: Bubba McDaniel (184.5) vs. Gilbert Smith (185)

Middleweight bout: Josh Samman (184.5) vs. Kevin Casey (185)

Middleweight bout: Luke Barnatt (185) vs. Collin Hart (184.5)

Middleweight bout: Dylan Andrews (186) vs. Jimmy Quinlan (185)

Middleweight bout: Clint Hester (185) vs. Bristol Marunde (185.5)

Featherweight bout: Cole Miller (146) vs. Bart Palaszewski (145)

Featherweight bout: Sam Sicilia (146) vs. Maximo Blanco (147)

Featherweight bout: Justin Lawrence (145) vs. Daniel Pineda (145)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.