Following a controversial ending to their first encounter in the Octagon, Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns will exchange blows once again at the live finale for The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada live on December 13 at 9pm ET/PT.

Johnson, who made his impressive UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 10 by knocking out Chad Reiner just 13 seconds into the first round, first fought Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert Burns on July 19.  The fight ended in controversial fashion by TKO loss during the third round.  Burns reportedly poked Johnson in the eye with an open fist despite four separate warnings by the referee.  While many believe that Johnson should have won the fight via disqualification, the bout was awarded as TKO for Burns.  And though Johnson appealed the decision as the poke in the eye was an illegal move, it was ultimately rejected due to lack of remedy.

Next month, however, Johnson and Burns will finally settle the score.  Tickets for the rematch, as well as The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir finale, are now on sale at $350, $250 and $150, plus any additional box office or service fees.

Aside from Johnson and Burns' controversial rematch, also on the card is Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald's bout against Wilson Gouveia in middleweight division.  MacDonald made his UFC debut on October 10, 2006 at Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter with a win over The Ultimate Fighter 3 finalist Ed Herman via triangle choke in the first round.  His other notable wins include victories over UFC veterans Joe Doerksen, Gideon Ray, and Bill Mahood.

On the other hand, Gouveia holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and sports a record of 11 wins and five losses with half of his wins coming via submission.  He defeated Wes Combs at UFC 62, Seth Petruzelli at UFC Fight Night 9 and Carmelo Marrero at UFC 71.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: UFC.com
(Image courtesy of sherdog.com)