TUF 20 Finale results: Heather Jo Clark gets last laugh despite Bec Rawlings rally

Heather Jo Clark

LAS VEGAS – A late-fight rally from Bec Rawlings was not enough to overcome rival Heather Jo Clark on the judges’ scorecards.

Clark’s (7-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) early work was the deciding factor as she controlled Rawlings (5-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) against the cage and on the mat despite eating plenty of punches in the final frame.

The women’s strawweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s TUF 20 Finale event at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on FOX Sports 1.

The final scores were unanimously 29-28 for Clark, who clashed with Rawlings on the set of “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” but ultimately had the last word in the cage. Clark picked up her second straight win despite falling short in the quarterfinals of the reality show.

Rawlings, meanwhile, has now lost two straight, and three including her loss in the quarterfinals of the show.

Clark landed a big punch that allowed her to take Rawlings to the mat in the opening frame. Although Rawlings was able to escape, she was unable to net any significant offense as Clark stayed busy against the fence.

In the second, Clark showed marked improvement from the show in her striking skills, landing a right hand that repeatedly snapped Rawlings’ head. An accidental clash of heads created a huge hematoma on Rawlings’ forehead, and she attempted to push the fight to the mat. Instead, Clark reversed on the way down and took her back, forcing her to defend choke attempts.

Rawlings let her hands go in the third and found success with an uppercut. Clark smothered her against the cage to survive the round.

Up-to-the-minute TUF 20 Finale results include:

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)