Nine years ago, Jesse Taylor found himself ready to fight in the finale of season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter. Taylor had fought and defeated Mike Dolce, Dante Rivera, and Tim Credur to earn himself a spot in the show’s finale.
Prior to the finale however, while still on the show, the UFC allowed fighters to take a limo out for a night of celebration. It was that night which ultimately saw Taylor kicked off the show for kicking out a window of a rented limo, and being belligerent with hotel staff members as he repeatedly shouted at them that he was a UFC fighter.
UFC President Dana White sat down with Taylor the following day, where the pair watched the security footage of the incident. White then kicked Taylor off the show, removing him from the finale, and instructed Taylor to “go home, get your life together, call me in a few months.” Several months later, Taylor got his shot in the UFC when he fought CB Dollaway in July of 2008 after informing UFC President Dana White that he had joined AA. Unfortunately for Taylor, he lost the fight in the first round and was released from the promotion.
Now, nine years later, Taylor has once again secured himself a spot in the TUF Finale, this time by defeating fellow UFC vet James Krause. He will now meet Diego Lima tomorrow night in the ‘TUF Redemption Finale’ where the pair will fight for $250,000.
Taylor spoke following the win, saying:
“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Taylor stated on the broadcast following his big win. “It’s incredible. I’ve finally finished the job. It’s been nine years in the making, but I feel exuberant.
“I couldn’t be more proud of myself. I couldn’t ask for more. It’s a total dream. It still hasn’t set in yet. It’s been a dream-like experience.”
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw sat cageside Friday night as his former Cal State Fullerton wrestling teammate, and TUF Redemption Team Dillashaw member, Jesse Taylor defeat Dhiego Lima to become the winner of TUF Redemption. Taylor’s win comes nine years after he was set to compete in the TUF Finale after advancing to the finals in The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Griffin.
