LAS VEGAS – The semifinals of “The Ultimate Fighter LIVE” on FX took place Friday night, setting the championship bout for next week’s TUF Live Finale.

Al Iaquinta, Urijah Faber‘s No. 1 pick, beat Dominick Cruz team member Vinc Pichel by unanimous decision. And in a feel-good story that will continue right into the finals, Team Faber’s Mike Chiesa once again needed to mount a comeback, but stopped Team Cruz’s James Vick with a second-round knockout.

The wins by Iaquinta and Chiesa mean Faber has two of his fighters in the live finale, making him the automatic winner between he and Cruz. And that means Faber gets a new car as well as a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Cruz’s team started the season 2-0, but Faber’s squad came back to win five of the next six fights in the opening round.

Here’s a look at what the major players in Friday’s final regular-season episode had to say after the show.

UFC president Dana White
“There’s no doubt that Vick won that first round, but I think the biggest mistake he made was going for that submission at the end of it. I think he should have tried to finish it. He’s a young, tough, bright kid and has a big future in front of him. Chiesa was doing a lot of things to try and make stuff happen in the second round, and that’s what he did. The odds said he was supposed to lose twice, and here he is. This kid has got a ton of heart.”

“The first round (between Iaquinta and Pichel) was tough to score. I actually think Pichel did more damage, but the judges gave Iaquinta the round because of his two takedowns. (Iaquinta) definitely came out and won the second round and got that fight. Al has looked good in both his fights. He looked like he was in great shape. Still moving, still punching and his wrestling was on. This is going to be one hell of a final.”

Michael Chiesa
“I feel great. It has been quite a journey. A lot of ups and downs, but I feel like I’ve earned my spot in the finale and I’m very excited to seize the moment.”

Al Iaquinta
“I couldn’t have done it without a great team (and) great roommates. Everyone really helped me out. The coaching staff was just awesome. Everything was a dream come true. When I left, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Now I have the toughest fight of my life ahead of me and I’m ready for it.”

“The Ultimate Fighter LIVE” Episode 12 is set to air Friday at 10 p.m. Eastern on FX, and HeavyMMA.com has you covered.

Tune in for a live running recap of the episode and live coverage of the two semifinal fights in the tournament of 16 fighters coached by UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and top contender Urijah Faber. Last week, Vinc Pichel and Al Iaquinta advanced to the semifinals with wins over Chris Saunders and Andy Ogle, respectively. They joined James Vick and Mike Chiesa in the final four.

On Friday, Vick, From Team Cruz, will meet Faber’s Chiesa and Pichel, from Team Cruz, will fight Team Faber’s top pick, Iaquinta. The winners of those two fights will fight to be the next “Ultimate Fighter” next week.

Episode Recap

The competitors and coaches head over to the Red Rock Harley-Davidson with Dana White to check out some bikes to begin this week’s episode. All the guys seem to enjoy the opportunity, and Vinc Pichel says that it motivated him even more to win the season and take home a motorcycle of his own.

Tickle is up to his old stunts again, trying to pull pranks. He attempts to toss a water bottle into the groin of a sleeping Cruickshank, who fires back. He throws a kick and a few punches, but no damage is done. Both fighters are concerned that they may be reprimanded, but neither are.

Dana White sits everyone down to discuss some good news once back in the UFC gym. He announces that all fighters will be competing on the finale of the season due to its change in format from other seasons. However, Andy Ogle and Mike Rio will not be, as each have injury issues. Ogle is noticeably upset, but Dana promises him a future card in the future when the UFC returns to England.

Training for the semi-finals, Chiesa is shown in the cage sparring, but he is struggling. Finally, he says he is done and heads to the bathroom. He is clearly upset about the death of his father, and he says he does not feel that any of his stuff is working.

Faber sits him down and says that bad practice days are bound to happen, and that Chiesa needs to have a short memory when those days happen.

James Vick vs. Mike Chiesa
Round 1: Touch of gloves gets this fight underway. Leg kick by Chiesa comes up short. Both of these guys are timid. Vick opens up with a kick and a punch to the body, and he continues to work the body shots. Chiesa struggling, but lunges forward with several punches, landing on a few of them. Vick closes in with a combination, but Chiesa wraps him up. Clinching against the cage, Chiesa is looking for the takedown, but Vick does well to defend. Vick trips Chiesa down, but Chiesa gets back up. Another trip, but Chiesa immediately is up again. Nice combination from Chiesa, but Vick comes right back with a combo of his own. Good counter from Chiesa. He slips, but maintains his footing. Vick catches a kick, but Chiesa pulls away. Vick with a couple of straight rights. He lands an uppercut and a body shot. Head kick from Vick with 90 seconds to go. Chiesa looks helpless on the feet. He catches a kick, but fails to earn the takedown. Vick continues moving forward with his strikes. Superman punch by Chiesa, but it doesn’t land flush. Vick comes forward again, and Chiesa goes to his knees, looking for a takedown. Guillotine attempt from Vick. That is deep, and he rolls to mount. Bell rings. Heavy.com scores the round 10-9 for Vick.

Round 2: Chiesa comes out with several long jabs, but still struggles to get any momentum. Vick fires back. Chiesa sneaks in a long straight left, but Vick is still out-maneuvering him on the feet. Leg kick checked by the Team Faber fighter. Chiesa lunges forward again. He reaches for a takedown and gets it. Vick trys to grab a guillotine, and his corner screams at him to let go of the head. He doesn’t, and that allows Chiesa to move to mount. Shots from Chiesa, and Vick is in big trouble. He stops defending, and this fight is over. Great finish for Chiesa after a very unsuccessful first round.

Official Decision: Chiesa def. Vick via knockout at 1:55 of Round 2

Following the fight, both the winner and loser address what just happened. Chiesa is obviously thrilled, while Vick says he is humiliated.

Looking back at last week, the next fight is focused on. Faber says that Pichel only has a lucky chance to win this contest, while Cruz believes that the fighters are very evenly matched. Fight coming up shortly.

Vinc Pichel vs. Al Iaquinta
Round 1: Early leg kicks land for Iaquinta, who definitely seems like he is comfortable on the feet. Pichel attempts to get some action going, but Iaquinta counters nicely, finishing with a leg kick. Cruz and Faber shout instructions cageside, and Iaqunita looks to take the fight to the floor. Trouble for Pichel if he completes this takedown. Iaquinta drags him down against the cage, trying to pry his opponent away from the fence. He does so nicely, while moving to his opponent’s back. He has a hook in, but Pichel stands and shakes his opponent off. Cruz yells for Pichel to land his uppercut. Iaquinta continues to counter nicely, but Pichel catches him with a shot, and it appears as though Iaquinta is bleeding around his right eye. Still he lands another leg kick, which may, along with the takedown, give him this round. Pichel lunges forward again, looking to land with power, but another combination to a leg kick scores for Iaquinta before the round closes. Heavy.com scores the round 10-9 for Iaquinta. 

Round 2:  Pichel throwing early and often, but Iaquinta is defending nicely. He counters with a combination of his own, and Pichel is momentarily slowed. Leg kick lands for Iaquinta, which, at this point, has been a major difference. They trade leg kicks, though a mouth piece is out. It’s Iaquinta’s, and action is briefly stopped so he can put his mouthpiece back in. Action restarts, and Iaquinta immediately lands to very solid leg kicks. He blocks a head kick, and Pichel decides to kick to the body. Iaquinta has found his range, has his hands low, and is ducking in and out of punches, making Pichel look a bit silly. Iaquinta fakes a superman punch and shoots in for a takedown, but PIchel avoids nicely. Another leg kick lands for Iaquinta, and another. Pichel has 90 seconds to figure out how to get to Iaquinta. Long left lands for, Iaquinta, followed by another leg kick, and Pichel tries to fire back, but his combination misses again. Takedown attempt from Iaquinta. Pichel has his back against the cage, but is landing big shots to his opponents. Pichel escapes, and the two begin trading on the feet. Iaquinta dodges in and out, landing most of the shots, and the one-sided round comes to a close. Heavy.com scores the round 10-9 for Iaquinta.

Official Decision: Iaquinta def. Pichel via unanimous decision

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva (Matt Erickson/HeavyMMA)

All fighters on weight for Saturday’s card in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – All fighters made weight with no issues on Friday for their fights at UFC 146, and the truly big card is official

Friday’s official weigh-in event took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, site of Saturday’s pay-per-view card. UFC 146 is the first all-heavyweight main card in the promotion’s “modern” history.

The main event is a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior dos Santos, who weighed in at 239 pounds, and former champ Frank Mir, who was 261. Dos Santos, from Brazil, is defending his title for the first time since winning the belt against Cain Velasquez in November.

The co-main event features former champ Velasquez looking to get back into a title fight. He came in at 240 for his fight against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, who makes his UFC debut after a five-fight run in Strikeforce. Silva was 264.

The preliminary card features several fights that might otherwise make the cut for the main card on a pay-per-view. Former welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy was 170 for his fight against Duane Ludwig, who was 171. Hardy has dropped four straight fights and returns for the first time since an August loss to Chris Lytle. And Jason “Mayhem” Miller and C.B. Dollaway each are in need of wins when they meet in a middleweight fight.

The complete weigh-in results are below:

Main Card
Junior dos Santos (239) vs. Frank Mir (261)
Cain Velasquez (240) vs. Antonio Silva (264)
Roy Nelson (254) vs. Dave Herman (233)
Stipe Miocic (245) vs. Shane del Rosario (246)
Stefan Struve (255) vs. Lavar Johnson (248)
Preliminary Card (FX)
Diego Brandao (145) vs. Darren Elkins (145)
Edson Barboza (155) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
Jason Miller (185) vs. C.B. Dollaway (186)
Dan Hardy (170) vs. Duane Ludwig (171)
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Jacob Volkmann (155) vs. Paul Sass (156)
Kyle Kingsbury (205) vs. Glover Teixeira (204)
Mike Brown (146) vs. Daniel Pineda (145)

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LAS VEGAS – The UFC’s giant heavyweight showcase card is just a day away, and on Friday the fighters on UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir will step on the scale to become official.

The weigh-ins for UFC 146 take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, site of Saturday’s pay-per-view. The weigh-ins are open to the public and start at 7 p.m. Eastern. If you’re not in Las Vegas to watch them in person, you can catch the action here at HeavyMMA through the live streaming player below.

UFC 146 is the first all-heavyweight main card in the promotion’s history. The main event is a heavyweight title fight between champion Junior dos Santos, defending his belt for the first time, and former champion Frank Mir. The co-main event features the first fight for former champ Cain Velasquez since he lost his title to dos Santos. Velasquez faces Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

The five-fight main card airs live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. Eastern. The night’s seven-fight preliminary card features a four-fight FX prelims special at 8 p.m., and three fights will stream live at the UFC’s Facebook fan page starting at 6:45 p.m.