Saturday night, in the final (live) episode of The Ultimate Fighter, my martial arts instructor Forrest Griffin and his opponent, Stephen Bonnar, punched, kicked, elbowed, kneed, and threw each other around the cage for three five-minute rounds.

(Stephen's Pre-Fight Interview)
"I know he smiles when he gets hit hard. That's not going to throw me. I'm gonna make him smile a lot."

The fight was a war. The fighters were skilled, well-conditioned, and evenly matched. There was no "down time" -- no boring pauses where the fighters danced around the ring, slowed down to take a breather, or waited for the ref to get the fight moving again.

(Forrest's Pre-Fight Interview)
Q: "What's your strategy?"
A: "I'm going to tell him some jokes. I'm going to get him on the ground, and tell him some dirty jokes. When he starts laughing, WHAM! I'll smash his face in."

There wasn't much laughing after a cut opened up on Forrest's nose, drenching both fighters in blood. We were afraid the ref would stop the fight (meaning Forrest would lose), but the cut was below the eye level, so Forrest could continue.

(Forrest's Post-Fight Interview)
"During the third round, as we clinched, I said to him, 'Let's finish strong,' so we both turned it up at the end."

I watched the match at a friend's house, and when it was done, none of us knew who had won. We awaited the judges' decision, as the fighters did.

There was a lot on the line. Not only would the winner get a six-figure contract for fighting in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), he'd also get a new Toyota Scion and various other prizes from the sponsors.

The judges announced their unanimous decision: Forrest Griffin won.

I screamed myself hoarse.

(Forrest's Post-Fight Interview)
Q: " . . . and, you receive this Rolex watch . . ."
A: "I can pawn this for a lot!"

Dana White, the president of the UFC, came into the ring a few minutes later. "We have decided," he began, "that there are no losers tonight. We will be offering both of you a six-figure contract."

(Stephen's Post-Fight Interview)
"I really wanted that car. Hey, Forrest, you're gonna have to let me drive it one of these days!"

It was an awesome fight. It was an incredible fight for the first live Mixed Martial Arts fight shown on cable. And it couldn't have happened to two better people -- I know Forrest from training, and from the reality show, Stephen Bonnar is a mature, no-drama, no-whine, all-around nice-guy.

I'm proud to be training with Forrest Griffin.