TUF 4 Finale: The Comeback | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy

Ariel Helwhiney
5 days ago
5 min read

Introduction

The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale: The Comeback. November 11, 2006. The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. Matt Serra defeated Chris Lytle by split decision to win the TUF 4 Welterweight Tournament and earn an automatic title shot against Georges St-Pierre. That title shot led to one of the biggest upsets in MMA history at UFC 69 in April 2007.

Travis Lutter defeated Patrick Cote by armbar in round one to win the TUF 4 Middleweight Tournament and earn a title shot against Anderson Silva. The card produced what became one of MMA's most iconic moments: Scott Smith, dominated by Pete Sell and apparently about to be stopped, threw a single desperation left hook that connected flush and knocked Sell cold at 3:25 of round two.

Quick Stats

Date: November 11, 2006 (Saturday)

Venue: The Joint, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Broadcast: Free on Spike TV

Main Event: Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle — TUF 4 Welterweight Final

Result: Matt Serra def. Chris Lytle — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 (30-27, 30-27, 27-30 for Lytle)

Co-Main: Travis Lutter def. Patrick Cote — Submission (Armbar) — R1, 2:18 — TUF 4 MW final

Notable: Scott Smith miracle KO of Pete Sell; Serra earns GSP title shot; Lutter earns Silva title shot

The Build-Up

TUF Season 4: The Comeback featured fighters who had previously been cut from the UFC or missed their initial shot at the organisation. The format replaced two designated coaches with multiple guest coaches across the season. The WW and MW tournaments ran simultaneously, with the winners earning automatic title shots.

The WW final pitted Matt Serra — a BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie who had defeated Pete Spratt and Shonie Carter (avenging his 2001 spinning back fist KO loss at UFC 31) — against Chris Lytle, a professional boxer with submission skills. The winner would fight Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Main Event

Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle — TUF 4 Welterweight Final

Matt Serra's grappling was superior but Chris Lytle's boxing made the fight competitive. Serra tended to hold and use foot stomps; Lytle worked on the feet. Two judges scored it 30-27 for Serra; one scored it 30-27 for Lytle. Serra won by split decision and earned a title shot against Georges St-Pierre.

Georges St-Pierre had just won the Welterweight Championship at UFC 65 against Matt Hughes. Serra was a massive underdog when their UFC 69 title fight was made. In April 2007, Serra stopped GSP by TKO in round one — one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.

Co-Main Event

Travis Lutter vs. Patrick Cote — TUF 4 Middleweight Final

Travis Lutter submitted Patrick Cote with an armbar at 2:18 of round one to win the TUF 4 Middleweight Tournament and earn a title shot against Anderson Silva. Lutter came in over the 185-pound limit for that title fight at UFC 67 in February 2007. The bout proceeded as a non-title catchweight. Lutter lost to Silva in the second round.

Full Results

Full Card

Martin Kampmann def. Thales Leites — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00

Charles McCarthy def. Gideon Ray — Submission (Armbar) — R1, 4:43

Scott Smith def. Pete Sell — KO (Punch) — R2, 3:25 — one of MMA's most famous miracle-comeback finishes

Pete Spratt def. Jeremy Jackson — Submission (Neck Injury) — R2, 1:11

Jorge Rivera def. Edwin Dewees — TKO (Punches) — R1, 2:37

Din Thomas def. Rich Clementi — Submission (RNC) — R2, 3:11

Co-Main — TUF 4 MW Final

Travis Lutter def. Patrick Cote — Submission (Armbar) — R1, 2:18 — Lutter wins MW; earns Anderson Silva title shot

Main Event — TUF 4 WW Final

Matt Serra def. Chris Lytle — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 (30-27, 30-27, 27-30) — Serra wins WW; earns GSP title shot

Standout Performances

The TUF 4 Finale was a free Spike TV broadcast without formal UFC PPV bonus awards.

Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell is the most famous finish of the night. Sell was dominating and had Smith hurt on the ground in round two, apparently about to stop the fight. As Sell moved in to finish, Smith threw a desperate left hook that caught Sell flush on the chin and KO'd him at 3:25. It remains one of the most dramatic single-punch knockouts in the sport’s history.

Martin Kampmann's unanimous decision over Thales Leites was a preview of two fighters who would define the middleweight division for years.

Records & Milestones

Matt Serra wins TUF 4 WW — leads to one of MMA's biggest upsets: Serra TKO'd Georges St-Pierre at UFC 69 in April 2007 to claim the Welterweight Championship.

Travis Lutter wins TUF 4 MW — came in over weight for his Silva title shot at UFC 67; the bout proceeded as a non-title catchweight; Lutter lost in round two.

TUF Season 4 had no coaches fight — the season used multiple guest coaches rather than two designated opponents, making it the only early TUF season where this tradition was absent.

Legacy & Impact

The TUF 4 Finale’s most significant legacy is Matt Serra’s win and where it led. In a sport full of upsets, Serra stopping Georges St-Pierre at UFC 69 in April 2007 by TKO in round one stands as the most commonly referenced single upset result in UFC history. It started in this arena, on this night.

Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell gave the sport one of its most shared clips. The image of Smith absorbing punishment, apparently done, then throwing a single punch to end the fight became the defining visual of the card. Both fighters went on to long UFC careers built partly on their willingness to be in exactly this kind of fight.

FAQ

Who won the TUF 4 tournaments at The Comeback Finale?

Matt Serra won the welterweight tournament, defeating Chris Lytle by split decision. Travis Lutter won the middleweight tournament, submitting Patrick Cote with an armbar in round one.

What did Matt Serra win by defeating Chris Lytle at the TUF 4 Finale?

An automatic title shot against UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. Serra used that shot to stop GSP by TKO in round one at UFC 69 in April 2007 — one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.

What happened in Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell at the TUF 4 Finale?

Pete Sell dominated the fight and had Smith hurt on the ground in round two, apparently seconds from a stoppage. As Sell moved in to finish, Smith threw a desperate left hook that connected flush and knocked Sell out at 3:25 of round two. It remains one of MMA's most famous single-punch comebacks.

What happened to Travis Lutter's Anderson Silva title shot?

Lutter came in over the 185-pound middleweight limit for his title fight at UFC 67 in February 2007. The bout proceeded as a non-title catchweight match. Lutter lost to Silva by TKO in round two.

Why did TUF Season 4 not have a coaches fight?

TUF Season 4 used multiple guest coaches rather than two designated season coaches who would fight after the show, breaking from the tradition established by TUF 1, 3, and subsequent seasons.

References

The Ultimate Fighter 4 — Wikipedia

TUF 4 Finale — Tapology