#2. TUF 29 bio: Brady Hiestand (Team Volkanovski) and Vincent Murdock (Team Ortega)
TUF 29 bantamweight Brady Hiestand is a volunteer firefighter based in Spokane, Washington. He trains at Sik-Jitsu alongside TUF season 15 winner and top UFC welterweight contender Michael Chiesa. 'Maverick' previously praised Hiestand's work ethic and predicted that his teammate would win it all.
Hiestand advanced to the semis after defeating his close friend Josh Rettinghouse via split decision. At 22-years-old, Hiestand is one of the youngest contestants in TUF 29.
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Vincent Murdock was the last overall pick despite being one of the most experienced fighters on the cast. A member of the famed Team Alpha Male, Murdock was once signed to UFC.
Days before his supposed octagon debut, Murdock failed a medical test when his brain scans revealed he was suffering from a fatal brain condition. The bantamweight fighter was diagnosed with a rare disease called moyamoya. Thankfully, he was able to recover after undergoing surgery.
Murdock defeated Dustin Lampros of Team Volkanovski to make his way into the semis. The 30-year-old believes winning TUF 29 is his final shot to take his career to the next level.
#1. Who won and who's fighting on next week's TUF 29 episode?
The classic veteran vs. whippersnapper matchup between Brady Hiestand and Vincent Murdock was not competitive at all. Hiestand breezed through his opponent with ease as he utilized his wrestling and ground-and-pound to get the job done.
The 22-year-old immediately shot for a takedown and completed his attempt with little resistance from Murdock. Hiestand went on to rain down punches and elbows from the top as Murdock tried to defend himself.
Hiestand was able to deliver punishment as he tried to secure a more dominant position. As Murdock rolled to the side, Hiestand continued to unleash heavy shots at the downed veteran to get the TKO stoppage in the opening round.
Shortly after the fight, Murdock revealed that he had blown out his knee early on. According to the Team Ortega vet, the injury prevented him from protecting himself appropriately.
With the win, Hiestand earned a spot in the TUF 29 finale, where he will face his Team Volkanovski teammate Ricky Turcios.
Next week, Team Ortega's Tresean Gore will try to secure the last spot in the TUF 29 middleweight finals against Team Volkanovski's Gilbert Urbina.