TUF 17 Episode 7 Recap – Hooters Night

Posted on March 6, 2013 by TUFUFC.com

TUF 17 – Team Jones vs Team Sonnen

Following last week’s victory and the re-gaining fight pick control as planned, team Jones continued to be positive and focus on the task ahead to prepare Clint Hester for his battle against Jimmy Quinlan from team Sonnen. Although the batching of Urijah Hall for his uncalled offensive comments against Adam continued, the team was united and committed to dominate the tournament. Team Sonnen, despite the lost, had the good mood still riding high. The seemed confident on getting the best out of the next match up and having Jimmy Quinlan finishing the fight with his hand raise.

Once again the trend of surprises on The Ultimate Fighter continued when team Sonnen was allowed for a night out to the Hooters Restaurant. It was a fun time with good food, great looking waitresses wearing tight white and orange clothes, and an awesome entertainer in Gilbert Smith. Everyone in team Sonnen enjoyed themselves except Hall who isolated himself from the festivities and ignore the numerous requests to join the rest of the team. Hall admitted to be having a hard time dealing with the mental aspect of the TUF competition.

Team Jones was shaken up a bit as Josh Samman had to be rushed to the hospital because of swelling in his left leg. He did not want to risk it given his history of blood clot which almost cost him his leg. Samman decided not to “tough it out” like most fighters do with lingering injuries and pains from a recent fight and went to get it checked. Tense moments during the ordeal but he received good news and was cleared to fight within a couple of weeks.

During team Sonnen’s practice we learn about Quinlan’s life growing up in Boston and his career as a police officer. Jimmy gave credit to the police academy for positively impacting his life. Coach Sonnen was confident in Jimmy’s ground game and reassured that if he got the fight to the ground Hester would be in a lot of trouble. As always, Sonnen gave a pep talk as it is always important for him to let his team know he cares.

Team Jones Practice – Photograph property of Zuffa LLC

During team Jones’ practice we got to know Clint. A boxer turned mixed martial artist (because his boxing gym closed down) with a unique super hero like trait as he used to protect kids from bullies during his childhood. Coach Jones worked on the striking with Clint and taught him his controversial lateral kick to the knee. Coach Jones liked Clint’s striking skills as well as his ability to implement a recently learned technique but was worried about the fight going to the ground as well as Clint’s conditioning.

FIGHT TIME:

No surprises here, Jimmy wasted no time and went for the takedown. He could not do much with it as Clint was able to get back up. Jimmy took Clint down in various occasions but could not impose any real damage. Clint on the other hand, almost scored a guillotine choke and landed some good body shots. In the end, Jimmy’s take downs were relentless and the first round ended with Jimmy Quinlan in a dominant position.

The second round began with Clint attempting a takedown which took everyone by surprise. He ended up exposing his neck for a guillotine attempt but was able to defend it. Jimmy forced his game plan and the fight took place on the ground. After scrambles and transitions, Jimmy was able to obtain a good position taking Clint’s back. He landed some punches to loosen Clint up and was then able to lock in the rear-naked choke and secure a submission victory as expected by coach Sonnen.

Quinlan Finishes the Fight – Photograph Property of Zuffa LLC

After the fight, although he looked like he barely got a scratch, Jimmy felt as he was bruised all over his head. Nonetheless, he was very excited about taking down the #1 pick for Team Jones. Clint on the other side was disappointed about his performance but hopeful to get the wildcard spot. Coach Sonnen reminded Coach Jones about their bet from last week’s bowling match and handed him the Team Sonnen Jersey. So far this season there has not been any drama between the coaches, will that change?

Next week’s fight was announced and by default we will see Dylan Andrews go against Zak Cummings. Tune in an see who wins the coaches challenge plus a Dana White surprise on the toughest tournament in the world, The Ultimate Fighter.

Fight Results up-to-date:

Team Sonnen (4-2)

Luke Barnatt (1-0, TKO win over Gilbert Smith in episode 2)

Uriah Hall (1-0, KO win over Adam Cella in episode 3)

Zak Cummings

Tor Troeng (0-1, TKO loss to Josh Samman in episode 6)

Jimmy Quinlan (1-0, submmision win over Clint Hester in episode 7)

Kevin Casey (0-1, unanimos decision loss to Collin Hart in episode 4)

Kelvin Gastelum (1-0, submmision win over Bubba McDaniel in episode 5)

Team Jones (2-4)

Clint Hester (0-1, submision loss to Jimmy Quinlan in episode 7)

Josh Samman (1-0, TKO win over Tor Troeng in episode 6)

Bubba McDaniel (0-1, submision loss to Kelvin Gastelum in episode 5)

Gilbert Smith (0-1, TKO loss to Luke Barnatt in episode 2)

Collin Hart (1-0, unanimos decision win over Kevin Casey in episode 4)

Adam Cella (0-1, KO loss to Uriah Hall in episode 3)

Dylan Andrews

Remember you can always get you favorite MMA products from our sponsors www.alloutmmagear.com, your Best Source for MMA and Performance Training products. Follow them on twitter @AlloutFightShop and FB.com/AlloutFightShop.

TUF 17 Episode 6 Recap – Number one Seed

Posted on February 27, 2013 by TUFUFC.com

After last week’s shocking upset of Team Sonnen’s Kelvin Gastelum over Team Jone’s Bubba McDanial, the light heavyweight champ still believes that the next ultimate fighter is part of his team. He reminded Bubba that the wild card is still a chance and that he came out of the fight healthy and would definitely be a candidate for a rebirth back in to the tournament. Team Jones seemed more focus than ever on re-gaining fight pick control.

Team Sonnen, on the other hand, has now to deal with friction between its members. Uriah Hall and Luke Barnatt had a disagreement over a jab during a sparring session and it went as far as Hall wanting to fight Barnatt later in the tournament even though they are teammates. Not the first time we saw Hall upset and wanting to schedule a future match as he already expressed his desire to fight Samman over correcting his “professional cook” comment. Hall seemed to have too much energy in him and needed to fight again as he later disrespected Adam Cella and his girlfriend.

The tension in the house could be felt from all angles but despite this, as a first in The Ultimate Fighter history, the contestants and their coaches were allowed out of the house to the Red Rock Resort & Spa for a night of bowling. Coach Sonnen decided to challenge Coach Jones to a best of three frames bowling competition. The prize? The loser had to wear the other team’s jersey to a practice. Would this be the coaches’ challenge this season? Not likely, but if it was bowling we now know who would win as Sonnen came out victorious on the friendly match.

Troeg vs Samman

It was time for the fight of the week, Josh Samman vs Tor Troeng. Josh came out very aggressive and took advantage of Tor’s low hands position and landed some good punches. Troeng opted for the clinch game as he did not want to get hit anymore but Josh was much stronger and dominated there as well. However, while trying to secure a trip takedown Josh failed and Tor gained top position. Tor did some brief damage with the ground a pound but Josh was able to scramble back to his feet and continued the clinch battle. The fight went momentarily to the center of the octagon where Josh took advantage once again of Tor’s low hands and finishes him via TKO.

Josh was very happy with his performance and he believes a message was sent and no one from the other team would want to fight him now. He also believes he is now the number one seed in the house.

With the victory, Team Jones gained match making control. Coach Jones decided to put his first pick, Clint Hester, against Team Sonnen’s Jimmy Quinlan. It’s a clash of boxer vs. grappler, a match-up that again surprised coach Sonnen. He may have forgotten Clint’s fight to get into the house where he displayed excellent ground control, reason why Jone’s chose him first.

Tune in for another episode of The Ultimate Fighter, the toughest fight tournament in the world, and witness a classic striker vs grappler match of Hester vs Quinlan. Also find out Samman’s future as he visits the hospital with a leg injury.

TUF 17 Episode 4 Recap – Disrespect

Posted on February 13, 2013 by TUFUFC.com

Hall KO Kick – Photo Property of Zuffa LLC

After a brutal knockout on the previous episode, we see Adam Cella returning from the hospital in good spirits. The first thing he does is look for Uriah Hall to congratulate him for a great finish.

The fight for this episode is between Kevin Casey and his chosen open Collin Hart. Casey, who received a cut during his elimination bout, explains that he wanted a fight where he would not obtain any additional damage and move easily into the next round. Thus why he picked the fight with Hart who is not an elite striker like Bubba and the chances of getting cut again are much less. Collin, on the other hand, takes it as a sign of disrespect for an injured fighter to call him out and think of him as an easy path to continue in the tournament.

For the first time in TUF history we had a rap battle in the house. Casey shows his rapping skills and reflects on how it is similar to fighting in the sense of being a way of expression for the individual. He also reflects on his relationship with the Gracie family and how it made him want to become a fighter.

Also for the first time in TUF history the power goes out in the middle of the night at the TUF house. A great opportunity for pranks and the first one of the season happens. Some of the guys from Team Sonnen decide to mess with the sleeping time of Team Jones by throwing some toilet paper in their room. Not well taken by Team Jones, in such magnitude that at during the weigh-ins Collin was so upset that when Casey approaches him to shake hands at the face off Hart shocks everyone by flipping him the bird. The biggest sign of disrespect so far. Kevin promises to teach Collin a lesson in professionalism.

Hart vs Casey – Photo Property of Zuffa LLC

It is fight time. Collin begins very aggressive, scores a take down and does all the work on the first round. Keeps the pressure with the clinch against the fence and wins the round easily. Kevin never got started, only lands a couple of combinations against the fence but never keeps going. He starts the second round landing some good combinations again, gets cut in the forehead, falls into the clinch and Collin scores the take down. From that point Collin dominates the rest of the round with some ground and pound and gets the unanimous decision victory. All that Kevin got out this fight was another cut one on his forehead.

Collin is disappointed with his performance despite the win. He wanted to finish the fight. He gets on the treadmill right away and keeps working as his teammates and coaches celebrate.

Team Jones gets its first win of the season and gains control of the fight pick. They select Bubba Jenkins to face Kelvin Gastelum. Coach Jones considers it an easy fight and win for their team while coach Sonnen believes Kelvin will push the pace and surprise everyone.

Tune in for another episode of The Ultimate Fighter, the toughest fight tournament in the world.

TUF 17 Episode 2 Recap – As Expected

Posted on January 30, 2013 by TUFUFC.com

After finally getting to the TUF house and settling in, the talk among Team Jones members was of discontent with the first fight pick. For them, besides being a bad match up stylistically and physically, Gilbert was not ready mentally or in good fighting shape for this match.

Team Jones’s coaches had their own doubts about their fight choice given Gilberts conditioning and some technical issues after their first training session was over. The situation was uncomfortable for the entire team as their faith was in Gilbert’s hands and no one believed he could win the match. Fight pick control is extremely important in this competition. Team Jones expressed their disagreement to the coaching staff and Gilbert himself. Despite having Coach Jones backing him up, Gilbert felt that there was no real support from the rest of the coaches or his teammates.

On the other hand, Team Sonnen was very confident. Coach Sonnen even visited the house and spoke to Urijah Hall to let him know he was next to fight. They were sure that Luke, given his skill sets and physical advantages, would come out with the victory.

The fight went as Sonnen expected. Gilbert would take down Luke once but then have a hard time trying to do it again and spend all his energy. Although he was doing well and being aggressive, fatigue prevailed and Luke caught him with a knee in the second round to end the fight.

Luke defeats Gilbert – Photo Property of Zuffa

In efforts to try to get control of the fights, Team Jones’s Bubba McDaniel called out Kevin Casey after the fight. A good tactic to try to get team Sonnen to pick the fight they wanted. Sonnen did not fall for it and choice remained the same, Urijah Hall will represent team Sonnen next week against Adam Cella. You can expect an awesome fight between the talented Hall, thought to be the best guy in the house, and the undefeated striker Cella. Tune in for another episode of The Ultimate Fighter, the toughest fight tournament in the world.

TUF 17 – Season Premiere

Posted on January 23, 2013 by TUFUFC.com

TUF 17 Logo – Property of Zuffa LLC

A new season of “The ultimate Fighter” has begun and the excitement and the built up to the first show did not disappoint. It all started with an interesting first meeting for the coaches at the TUF gym. A cordial Chael Sonnen seemed happy to meet Jon Jones. On the other hand, the Light heavyweight champ seemed cautious of the encounter and was not buying Sonnen’s act. Dana, came in to meet the coaches and brought in the contestants. He gave his usual speech to but was not as emphasizing as usual on the importance of giving it all and not leaving it to the judges. Almost as if he knew that these guys were the real deal and would bring the fight every time. We shall see.

Besides a change in the schedule to Tuesday nights, and some improvements on the production side, there was something very different this season. For the first time the contestants were allowed to bring their family and friends to watch them fight for a chance to make it into the house on the elimination bouts. Pressure or comfort?, It looked like comfort to us as the fighters showed composure during this tough trial. It also made the show look as if to be gearing towards the story telling, at least the first episode, to get us to know the contestants better and relate more.

The elimination fights began and throughout the entire scouting time both coaches seemed to be polite and in agreement with the level of skill of the pool of talent showcased. The majority of the fights were finished and Dana White seemed to have liked what he saw as well.

Here is how the preliminary fights turned out:

Adam Cella def. Jake Heun by Submission (Armbar).
Zak Cummings def. Nik Fekete by TKO (Strikes). Might be the quickest TKO in TUF history.
Kevin Casey def. Eldon Sproat Submission (Rear Naked Choke). The Gracie family friend shows submission skills and toughness.
Tor Troeng def. Scott Rosa by Submission (Rear Naked Choke).
Clint Hester def. Fraser Opie by Decision. Clint impresses the coaches, specially Jon Jones.
Bubba McDaniel def. Ryan Bigler by TKO (Strikes). Jones teammate stops the 2^nd fighter from Guam to try for TUF.
Josh Samman def. Leo Bercier by TKO (Strikes).
Kelvin Gastelum def. Kito Andrews by Decision.
Jimmy Quinlan def. Mike Persons by TKO (Strikes).
Uriah Hall def. Andy Enz by Decision. Hall impressed everyone even though he won by decision. He showed all kinds of skills both on the standup and ground games. Dana and the couches think he is the guy to beat, the one that can win it all.
Gilbert Smith def. Eric Wahlin by Submission (Arm Triangle). The Mike Tyson look alike, according to Dana, showed Jiu Jitsu skills by submitting his opponent.
Luke Barnatt def. Nicholas Kohring by Decision.
Dylan Andrews def. Tim Williams by Decision.
Collin Hart def. Michael Jasper by Submission (Rear Naked Choke).

After deliberating with their coaching staff, it looked like the coaches had more or less the same top picks in mind. Before the selections were made, Dana announced the return of the wild card. That means fight hard every time and if you happen to lose you might be brought back. Sonnen won the coin toss and decided to go with the first pick and selected Luke Barnatt. Jon Jones selected Clint Hester.

TUF Teams – Photo Property of Zuffa LLC

Teams were set as follows:

Team Sonnen: (in order of selection):

Luke Barnatt
Uriah Hall
Zak Cummings
Tor Troeng
Jimmy Quinlan
Kevin Casey
Kelvin Gastelum

Team Jones: (in order of selection):

Clint Hester
Josh Samman
Bubba McDaniel
Gilbert Smith
Collin Hart
Adam Cella
Dylan Andrews

Jones team seemed to already have a plan this early in the season to go 7-0 against the Sonnen team. They handed the coaches a list with their fight picks and the other they wanted to fight in. That’s a first on TUF, but ultimately the coaches got to decide the first fight and possibly alter their course. Since Chael got the first fighter pick, therefore Jones got the first match selection. He opted to go with his 4th pick, Gilbert Smith, to fight Sonnen’s 1st pick Luke Barnatt. The strategy?, to put the pressure on the opposite team by taking out their best guy.

The stage is set for an awesome season of The Ultimate Fighter. We look forward to the development of the season with and witnessing the progress of some stand out fighters that promise to be future UFC contenders.