11-Bout Roster Finalized for ‘TUF 13’ Finale

Strikeforce veteran Shamar Bailey will meet Canadian Ryan McGillivray in a preliminary welterweight match at “The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale on Saturday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The UFC has finalized an 11-fight lineup for the event, which will air live on Spike TV.

Bailey (Pictured; file photo) enjoyed a brief run in Strikeforce, splitting bouts against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 6 alum John Kolosci and American Kickboxing Academy representative Justin Wilcox. Spawned by the same Integrated Fighting Academy camp that houses UFC welterweight mainstay Chris Lytle, the 28-year-old will carry a two-fight losing streak into the bout. Bailey has not competed since September, when he succumbed to a first-round cut-induced technical knockout against Kurt Kinser at Legends of Fighting 41 in Indianapolis. He was a quarter-finalist on the “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13.

Based at the Legends Training Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, McGillivray was a regular in the Maximum Fighting Championship promotion earlier in his career. The 24-year-old submission specialist has not fought since September, when he tapped out journeyman Markhaile Wedderburn with a second-round armbar at The Fight Club 11. McGillivray has secured nine of his 11 career victories by submission, six of them in the first round. He has been finished only once in 16 professional outings. Like Bailey, he reached the quarter-final round on Season 13.

Meanwhile, Chris Cope will lock horns with Chuck O’Neil in a featured welterweight tilt at “The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale.

Another Strikeforce veteran, Cope trains out of The Arena gym in San Diego. The 28-year-old has not competed since Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Werdum” in June, when he stopped the American Kickboxing Academy’s Ron Keslar on a second-round head kick and follow-up punches at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Cope tasted defeat for the first time as a professional in January 2010, when the once-beaten Josh Samman knocked him out at a Moon Management event in Florida. He reached the Season 13 semi-finals, losing to eventual finalist Ramsey Nijem.

O’Neil will carry a three-fight winning streak into his promotional debut. The 25-year-old Falmouth, Mass., native last appeared under the Cage Titans Fighting Championship banner in July, when he submitted Anthony Kaponis with a first-round rear-naked choke and captured the organization’s welterweight crown. O’Neil -- who advanced to the Season 13 semi-finals before bowing out to Tony Ferguson -- has trained alongside UFC veterans John Howard, Tom Lawlor and Joe Lauzon.

Finally, the once-beaten Clay Harvison will go to battle with undefeated Team Jorge Gurgel representative Justin Edwards in a preliminary welterweight duel.

Rooted at the X3 Sports camp in Marietta, Ga., just outside of Atlanta, Harvison cut his teeth on the Georgia-based Wild Bill’s Fight Night circuit. The 30-year-old last appeared at Wild Bill’s Fight Night 28 a year ago, when he needed less than a minute to dispatch Aric Nelson on first-round punches. Harvison holds a December 2008 submission victory over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 6 alum Blake Bowman. None of his seven fights as a professional have reached the second round.

Edwards has not fought since he submitted Marcus Ajian with a first-round guillotine choke nearly a year ago under the CNG Promotions banner in Cincinnati. He has finished all six of his opponents, the last five of them by submission. Edwards has notched four victories in less than a minute.

A lightweight showdown pairing Clay Guida with former WEC champion Anthony Pettis will headline “The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale. Nijem and Ferguson will meet in the welterweight final.

“The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale
Saturday, June 4
Palms Casino Resort
Las Vegas


“The Ultimate Fighter 13” Welterweight Final
Ramsey Nijem vs. Tony Ferguson

Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida
Ed Herman vs. Tim Credeur
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Fabio Maldonado
Chuck O’Neil vs. Chris Cope
Jeremy Stephens vs. Daniel Downes
Josh Grispi vs. George Roop
Shamar Bailey vs. Ryan McGillivray
Clay Harvison vs. Justin Edwards
Scott Jorgensen vs. Ken Stone
Reuben Duran vs. Francisco Rivera