It's takeaway time, mixed martial arts fans.
During "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 8 finale on Saturday we saw some hard-core KOs, an upset loss to a fighter who'd already been compared to future Hall of Famers and, most shockingly, the public maturation of wild child Junie Browning.
Any MMA fan had to give the show a thumbs-up as Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira's boys owned the night while Frank Mir's crew was forced to do shots of loser juice. And how about a double thumbs-up because there was no repeat of Wednesday's stomach-churning, bone-busting fiasco that befell poor Corey Hill? We learned bones aren't supposed to bend on that night.
On Saturday, we learned a few things as well
1. Nover's no GSP
not just yet
Dana White compared the BJJ black belt Phillipe Nover to Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva, and it seemed like a given that he would get the better of the Mexican-born Arizona resident Efrain Escudero in the lightweight finale. But Escudero (12-0) imposed his will and skill on the Brooklyn nurse (and Team Nogueira compatriot) and set the tempo from the start. His wrestling, his takedowns and his inside leg kicks nullified Nover (6-1-1) and earned Escudero the unanimous-decision win as well as the coveted six-figure contract.
Don't weep for Nover, though; he showed the world that male nurses are not to be made fun of -- unless you want to find yourself trapped in an omoplata.
2. You can't be a Bader hater
In the light heavyweight finale, Team Nogueira's three-time Pac-10 wrestling champ Ryan Bader (9-0) showed Brazilian native/California resident Vinny Magalhaes (3-3) that his standup game is to be feared as much or more than his wrestling.
The Arizona State grad, a two-time All-America pick, toppled Magalhaes of Team Mir with a long right to the temple, a shot that looked something like the one that spelled doom for Randy Couture in his beef with Brock Lesnar in November.
Like Lesnar, Bader, who grew up in Idaho and trains with the Arizona Combat Sports crew, will likely get a title shot sooner rather than later. And why not? If you know what the cracks in his game are, feel free to let us know, because we haven't figured them out yet.
"I'm not just a wrestler," Darth Bader said, in the understatement of the night. Mags would have to agree.
3. He's Quick like Swick
UFC fans saw Mike Swick finish off Jonathan Goulet Wednesday, and those who appreciated the dark artistry of his emphatic, violent close had a similar reaction when Wilson Gouveia (12-5) went to work Saturday.
The Brazilian 185-pound fighter had to hand over 20 percent of his purse to Jason McDonald (21-11) for being overweight, but he got a receipt as he dropped and stopped MacDonald via tapout in the first round of their tussle.
4. Johnson is no Stooge fan
Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (6-2) gave it back and then some to Kevin Burns. Burns gave Johnson a Three Stooges-esque eye poke during their first squareoff at "UFC Fight Night 14" in July. He needed surgery to repair his retina from the Burns foul and has harbored a grudge against the Nevada commission for not declaring his loss a no contest.
On Saturday, Johnson unloaded a head kick with his lead left leg and put Burns out cold on impact in the third round. A top-10 KO of the year, for sure.
5. There's a fine line between Lunatik and genius
Since the show debuted in 2005, "The Ultimate Fighter" has had no shortage of ultra knuckleheads self-destructing in the fishbowl of the TUF house. Lightweight Junie Browning (3-1), with his booze-fueled meltdowns, emerged as the king of all TUF knuckleheads, leaving Chris Leben, Jeremy Jackson, Gabe Ruediger, Joe Scarola and Jesse Taylor scrapping for second place.
But maybe Browning's not such a mess after all his name recognition is off the charts. The Kentucky native kicked off Saturday's show by displaying his vastly improved skill set. Lunatik downed Dave Kaplan in Round 2 with an armbar, then publicly apologized to coach Frank Mir and Dana White for his actions in the TUF house.
If he keeps acting like an adult, he might have to change his nickname.
Michael Woods, the managing editor of TheSweetScience.com, has written for ESPN The Magazine, GQ and The New York Observer.