UFC
UFC NEWS: Josh Grispi vs. George Roop on tap for TUF 13 Finale in June
Feb 14, 2011 - 11:25:26 AM UFC NEWS: Josh Grispi vs. George Roop on tap for TUF 13 Finale in June

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

A featherweight bout between Josh Grispi and George Roop is headed to The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale this June, according to multiple published reports.

The 22-year-old Grispi is out to regain some momentum after he was completely derailed by Dustin Poirier in his UFC debut at UFC 125 in January. The exciting young fighter had won ten straight fights, including four in the WEC, heading into his UFC debut, and was even tapped to face Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo in the UFC's first ever 145 lb. Title fight.

But an injury to Aldo took him out of the fight, and Grispi was dominated by Poirier in a wholly unexpected fashion.

Roop is out to keep his spot on the UFC's roster following a loss to Mark Hominick at UFC Fight for the Troops 2 in January. Roop, who entered the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter's eighth season, dropped to featherweight after a 1-2 mark in the UFC and entered sister promotion World Extreme Cagefighting.

A 1-1-1 mark in the WEC, coupled with the loss to Hominick, puts Roop on his last legs in this fight, and a loss will surely mean his exit from the organization with what would be a 1-4 mark inside the Octagon.

The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale takes place from the Pearl at the Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas on June 4, and will feature the finals of the upcoming season's welterweight tournament.

Penick's Analysis: This is a big fight for both guys. Grispi needs to prove that the hype was still somewhat warranted heading into his UFC debut, and he needs to get back on track after a dominating loss. Roop needs this to keep his spot. It should be a very exciting fight as well, and having it on Spike TV is a great move.