Author: By Dan Downes

We start our episode by revisiting the intra-Canadian relationship between Mike Ricci and Michael Hill, who are slated to fight one another in the quarterfinals. Ricci says that he has nothing against HIll, and pretty much attributes calling out Hill to ego: After beating Team Nelson’s #1 pick (Dom Waters) he wanted to fight their #2 overall pick, Michael HIll.

It’s hard to argue with Ricci’s thought process — those darn left-brain accountants! Everyone in the house is a competitor and obstacle to winning the contract. Having said that, it’s also hard not to peg Ricci as the bad guy because he’s pleading his case while wearing sunglasses indoors. Hill (who seriously must never wear a shirt) calls Ricci a phony and warns that he’ll regret his betrayal.

We cut to Team Carwin’s training session for the first quarterfinal match between teammates Bristol Marunde and Neil Magny. Based on team sparring sessions, Bristol honestly assesses his chances and admits that he can’t stand toe-to-toe with Neil. He plans on getting in close and using dirty boxing to get the win. Neil knows this will be Bristol’s strategy but he’s not worried. He plans on going about business as usual.

Magny vs. Marunde
As the first round begins, Neil sticks a couple jabs and a low kick. Though he knew of Neil’s reach advantage going in, Bristol still struggles with the distance. Bristol finally pushes Neil against the fence and takes him down. He’s not able to advance his position and Neil soon escapes and breaks the tie-up. Neil continues to land straight punches and dodge Bristol’s wide counter attempts. Neil push kicks, Bristol grabs it, trips him, and puts Neil on his back, but the round soon ends.

Bristol comes out more aggressively to begin the second round, but Neil continues to control the distance, landing straight shots. Bristol tries to counter, but his haymakers can’t find their marks and he falls out of his stance. Neil lands a short counter right hook that stuns Bristol, but he doesn’t rush in despite Dana’s cries. Bristol catches another push kick, puts Neil on his back and ends up in full guard. Bristol stacks Neil against the fence and punches, but Neil is able to push Bristol back and threatens with upkicks. Bristol passes around Neil’s long legs, but soon loses position and ends up with his back against the cage. This time, Neil gets a takedown. The two find themselves back on their feet and Bristol swings wildly, looking for a KO as time expires.

Neil takes the UD with 20-18 across the board. Coach Carwin is impressed with the performance and says Neil has “all the potential in the world!” Despite the loss and some new cuts on his face, Bristol is still happy with himself and “feels great.”

Smith vs. Araujo
We quickly switch gears to the second quarterfinal fight of the evening between Igor Araujo and Colton Smith. The coaches reveal their strategies: Shane Carwin says that Igor has a much better stand-up game than Colton and will use that to “devastate” his opponent. Roy Nelson sees the fight going to the ground and expects Colton to use top control and wrestling to secure victory. There’s a bit of a scuffle at the weigh ins due to an insult getting lost in translation. (Apparently a certain maternal expletive is much more offensive in Brazil.) Coach Carwin tries to break the two up, while Coach Nelson sits on the bench and hopes to see a brawl. This causes Shane to state that Roy is a “dick.” No word on how that translates into Portuguese.

With a fistfight averted, the two eventually wind up in the cage ready for a fistfight. In what has to be a UFC first, the Brazilian fighter is actually wearing longer shorts than the American. Igor rushes Colton, gets the tie-up, but quickly ends up with his back on the fence. Colton takes Igor down and attempts a D’Arce choke. Igor tries to sweep, but Colton stuffs it. Colton attempts the D’Arce again, then takes Igor’s back. Igor rolls through for a kneebar, but can’t finish and winds up in guard again. Colton moves to front headlock position and continues to control. He throws some short punches but nothing of note. Igor returns to his feet with about a minute left. Colton takes Igor’s back again, Igor rolls through and the round ends with Colton on top.

The second round mirrors the first. Colton quickly earns the takedown, works a couple different positions and attempts his D’Arce choke another 153 times. All three judges score the fight 20-18 for Colton Smith. The two combatants hug it out and “respect” one another (I wonder what Mama Araujo thinks about that?). Dana praises Colton for absolutely dominating his opponent. Igor tells us, “This morning, I lost my fire,” and speaks about a dream he had in the morning where his wife and kids appeared and told him that they love him no matter what.

The episode ends with a sneak peak for next week. Will Joey Rivera make it to the semifinals? Does Jon Manley earn another first round finish? Do Michael Hill and Mike Ricci make up and get an apartment together? Find out next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

Team Carwin (5-6)
Sam Alvey (0-1, lost to Joey Rivera by decision in episode 3)
Bristol Marunde (1-1, defeated Julian Lane by decision in episode 4, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 10)
Mike Ricci (1-0, defeated Dom Waters by decision in episode 9)
Neil Magny (2-0, defeated Cameron Diffley by decision in episode 2, defeated Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 10)
James Chaney (0-1, submitted by Jon Manley in episode 8)
Eddy Ellis (0-1, lost to Colton Smith by majority decision in epsiode 6)
Igor Araujo (1-1, defeated Nic Herron-Webb by majority decision in episode 5, lost to Colton Smith by decision in episode 10)
Matt Secor (0-1, lost to Michael Hill by split decision in episode 7)

Team Nelson (5-4)
Dom Waters (0-1, lost to Mike Ricci by decision in episode 9)
Michael Hill (1-0, defeated Matt Secor by split decision in episode 7)
Cameron Diffley (0-1, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 2)
Colton Smith (2-0, defeated Eddy Ellis by majority decision in episode 6, defeated Igor Araujo by decision in episode 10)
Jon Manley (1-0, submitted James Chaney is episode 8)
Nic Herron-Webb (0-1, lost to Igor Araujo by majority decision in episode 5
Joey Rivera (1-0, defeated Sam Alvey by decision in episode 3)
Julian Lane (0-1, lost to Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 4)

That’s right boys and girls, it’s time for another internationally acclaimed edition of the Downes Side! As a kid, I always thought that Saturday morning cartoons were too tame. Lucky for me, the UFC has set about making things right in the morning hours with UFC on FUEL TV 6 live from Macao.

The main event of the evening (which will air around 8:30 am Pacific time) showcases a middleweight bout between two of the most exciting fighters in the sport. A former kickboxing and Strikeforce champion, action film star and spin kicking machine Cung Le looks to add a second UFC victory to an already impressive career. His opponent, former UFC champion Rich “Ace” Franklin makes his return to middleweight for the first time since 2008 and looks to earn some more glory before he hangs the gloves up.

Takeya Mizugaki (15-7-1) vs Jeff Hougland (10-5)

The first fight of the evening (or morning depending on your hemisphere) takes place in the bantamweight division with two fighters looking to rebound from losses. Former title contender Takeya Mizugaki lost a close decision to Chris Cariaso at UFC 144. He’ll face off against submission specialist Jeff “Hellboy” Hougland who saw his nine-fight win streak ended by Yves Jabouin in May.

Mizugaki is harder to finish than the Team Challenge at a restaurant by my apartment. He’s a hard out and I don’t think that Hougland has the ability to put him away. That being said, Mizugaki does have the tendency to take unnecessary damage and allow himself to be pushed around. Hougland has the strength advantage that will give him the edge in the tie-ups, plus he’ll be more active on his feet in the standup exchanges. He’ll hustle his way to a UD. Mizugaki will be disappointed, but at least he won’t have indigestion.

Tiequan Zhang (15-3) vs Jon Tuck (6-0)

We move to the featherweight division as local(ish) boy Tiequan Zhang takes on the undefeated Jon Tuck. If you ask me, Zhang really hasn’t been the same since Danny Downes delivered him his first career loss at WEC 53. Since that time, he has dropped two of his last three, the most recent a 2nd round KO at the hands of Issei Tamura. Jon Tuck looks to make a name for himself other than “the guy with a nasty toe injury against Al Iaquinta at TUF 15.”

According to Wikipedia (so you know it’s true), Macao’s roller hockey team “is the most powerful in Asia.” What does that have to do with this fight? Well, Tiequan Zhang will have to find another pastime after Tuck knocks him out. Zhang is a strong grappler from top position, but he often gasses and leaves openings in his defense. As long as Tuck avoids Zhang’s guillotine, he’ll get the win with a 2nd round knockout. But seriously, how about that Danny Downes guy?

Takanori Gomi (33-8) vs Mac Danzig (21-9-1)

We move up another division to lightweight as former PRIDE star Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi faces off against Mac Danzig. After faltering against Nate Diaz and Clay Guida, Gomi rides some momentum after an incredible comeback victory at UFC 144 against Ejii Mitsuoka. Winner of the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Mac Danzig generally gets it done with a mix of submissions and knockout power.

Once known for his brutal knockouts, The Fireball Kid’s power has been fading as of late. While he still has the ability to deliver that game-changing blow with one strike, he won’t connect. Danzig should use the same gameplan that led him to victory against Efrain Escudero in this fight. He’ll move around, tag his opponent and use the clinch to negate Gomi’s power punching. All this will wear Gomi down. Gomi’s submission defense has always been suspect, and he’ll give up the RNC in the third.

Dong Hyun Kim (15-2-1) vs Paulo Thiago (14-4)

We head to the welterweight division for Dong Hyun Kim and Paulo Thiago. The “Stun Gun” looks to get back on track after a strange rib injury contributed to his 47-second loss to Demian Maia. Not to be outdone, Paulo Thiago lost his last fight against Siyar Bahadurzada in 42 seconds. He too needs to figure something out since he has lost three of his last four.

One of the bigger 170-pound fighters in the division, Dong Hyun Kim utilizes his judo and wrestling to grind his opponents down. Thiago does have decent counter striking, but I don’t see how he negates Kim’s grappling advantage. Kim will pressure Thiago, get him against the fence and secure the takedown. Once there, he’ll use his strength and ground and pound to batter his opponent for 15 minutes. Kim grinds his way to a UD

Thiago Silva (14-3) vs Stanislav Nedkov (12-0)

Time for the co-main event of the evening between Thiago Silva and Stanislav Nedkov. After being out of action for over a year, Silva had a rough return to the Octagon against title contender Alexander Gustafsson in April. Nedkov had some troubles in his UFC debut in October until tagging Luiz Cane with a solid cross hook counter to earn a first-round TKO. Both fighters are aggressive, strong and like to trade punches. This one has fight of the night written all over it.

While both men may be known for their striking, they are also well-rounded. Nedkov was a wrestling champion in Bulgaria (no word on how good their roller hockey team is) and a BJJ black belt. Silva also holds a jiu-jitsu black belt and a solid array of takedowns and ground and pound. The only place where there’s a mismatch is experience, and that will make all the difference. As the fight progresses, Nedkov will fade. This accompanied by his already shaky defense will give Silva the third-round KO

Rich Frankiln (29-6) vs Cung Le (8-2)

Time for the main event of the evening! Stepping into the Octagon for the 20th time, Rich Franklin looks to add to his accomplished UFC legacy. After losing his UFC debut to Wanderlei Silva, Le used his kicking skills to outpoint Patrick Cote in July. If you, unlike Nick Diaz, enjoy your fights with a heaping dose of spinning [expletive], well, Cung Le is the fighter for you.

Rich Franklin may have slowed down the last few years but he still has some gas in the tank. As fighters age, we worry about their ability to take a punch, but the glass jaw of old age hasn’t hit Franklin yet. With regards to Le, it may be entertaining to see a guy fight like a character from Tekken, but flash does have its downside. Le has struggled with his cardio in the past and it will strike again here. Franklin may struggle getting his range in the first round, but he’ll be able to adapt and start landing that strong left hand in the second and third rounds. Bpxing will be the difference and Franklin takes out a fatigued Le in the third.

That wraps up another cromulent edition of the Downes Side. If you’d like to be dazzled in 140 characters or less, be sure to follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes. Also, don’t forget to leave your thoughts, comments, predictions and obscure Macao facts on the page as well. (Fun Fact #2: One of the biggest attractions in Macao is the wine museum.)

The episode begins with the post-fight drama from the Manley/Chaney fight from last week. James Chaney pulls Dana aside and asks to talk to him. He explains that he wanted to win so badly that he panicked and he did anything he possibly could to win. Which, in this case, included biting his opponent. He apologizes for embarrassing the sport and the company. Dana says that what he did was “despicable” but respects him for admitting it. Apology accepted. We then see James Chaney talk to Jon Manley about what happened. Wait…nope, that didn’t happen.

Back at the house Julian Lane and Colton Smith are having an intellectually stimulating discussion about the military which abruptly gets ruined after Julian says something that insults Colton. Clearly hurt, Colton uses some hurtful words of his own and accuses Julian of being Junie Browning. Well, a man can only take so much and Julian freaks out again. He gets up, challenges Colton, blah, blah blah, they hug it out. Part of me assumes that Julian reacts this way to everything in his life. He asks for his burger medium-rare and it comes out medium? You better believe he comes at the line cook and yells, “Let me bang bro,” again.

Back to the tournament… our final match pits Team Nelson #1 pick Dom Waters and the accountant, “Spider-Man” Mike Ricci. A former Marine and high school wrestler, Dom Waters is never nervous going into a fight because of his military training. Coach Roy Nelson is impressed with Dom’s “pure, raw strength” and cautions Dom to avoid Ricci’s left hand.

We then hear from Michael Hill who tells us again how nice it is to have another Canadian on the team and that he considers Ricci a friend. We usually make a big deal about the fights and the drunken idiocy, but it’s nice to see the TUF house used for its real purpose — to foster bromance (Team Purple never forget). The Mike Ricci story tells one of a poorly behaved child who often found himself in fights. Wanting to learn how to better defend himself from angry family members of past foes, he purchased a Renzo Gracie book and taught himself. His life changed, though, that fateful day when he crossed paths with Georges St.-Pierre (which is true for most people who meet him). Since that glorious day he has been training at the TriStar gym and honing his skills.

Coach Shane Carwin says Ricci is “a more technical, more sound fighter than anyone else in the house.” He’s concerned about Dom’s power. He also calls Ricci a pretty boy, but seems to be ok with that. Ricci concedes that Dom may have the power, but he thinks that speed will lead him to victory.

As Dom and Ricci step on a scale, a couple other housemates weigh in on the fight. Eddy Ellis (sporting two nifty black eyes) gives the edge to Ricci. Despite the fact that Dom is his teammate, Michael Hill still roots for Team Canada. It’ll take more than a silly fight to break these two up. Neil Magny tells us that Ricci dresses very nicely and “should be working on Wall Street.” There’s a little more smack talk, but it’s the usual, “I shouldn’t be underestimated,” and “I’m ready for war,” platitudes that you would expect.

FIGHT TIME

Ricci, fighting out of a southpaw stance, opens round one with some strong left leg kicks. He changes up levels nicely, mixing in leg, body and head shots. He’s also landing his left hand to the body. Ricci lands a liver kick that hurts Dom Waters, but doesn’t go in for the finish. Both fighters are respecting each other’s power and don’t appear to be opening up too much. Ricci lands a couple jabs, gets out of the pocket and prevents Dom from landing big haymakers. WIth just over a minute left, Ricci throws a body kick, but doesn’t retreat it fast enough to avoid the counter. Dom rushes him, and they tie up against the fence. They pummel for position, but Dom keeps Ricci pinned up until the round ends.

In the opening segment of the second round, Ricci overcommits on a cross which allows Dom to shoot a double and get a takedown. As Ricci tries to stand up, he exposes his back but Dom fails to lock his hooks in. Ricci tries to break the tight grip, but Dom puts him on his back again. Ricci gets some separation, scoots to the cage and stands up. Dom throws a couple knees, but nothing of consequence lands. Ricci continues to go for that standing kimura, but it’s not working. They continue stalled on the fence and Dom doesn’t open up despite Roy Nelson’s entreaties to, “Just let go and punch the [expletive] out of him.”

In a surprise to everyone, the judges actually score this fight correctly and we’re heading to a third round. Ricci looks tired. Dom shoots at the beginning of the frame. Ricci tries to sink a guillotine, but Dom just lifts him up and slams his way to side control. Ricci is able to reverse, though, and takes top position for himself. He throws some strikes, but his priority is to prevent Dom from standing up. Dom gives his back up and Ricci moves into position. With 90 seconds left, Dom needs to do something. Instead, Ricci puts Dom on his back again and the fight ends with both guys looking exhausted.

Ricci wins the unanimous decision. Dana says that Ricci was picking Dom apart in the first and doesn’t understand why he didn’t go for the finish when he hurt him with that liver kick. Dom apologizes for losing, then immediately rescinds that apology. He tried his hardest and has nothing to apologize about. Ricci has a new level of confidence and seems to really believe he can win the whole competition now.

It’s time to make the quarterfinal matches and Dana adds a little twist to it by bringing each fighter in individually and asks them whom they would like to fight. The big news here is that Mike Ricci, aka Benedict Arnold (who actually retired to Canada), announces that he’d like to fight Michael Hill, his *gasp* fellow Canadian! When Michael Hill comes in, he says that he’ll fight anyone except his boy Mike Ricci. Roy Nelson then informs him of what Ricci said and you can tell the guy is heartbroken. “I thought was at least someone has my back in the house, but you can’t trust your own fellow bro.” If we can’t trust our own fellow bros, we’re no better than animals.

The quarterfinals are set and they’ll be:

Bristol Marunde vs Neil Magny
Igor Araujo vs Colton Smith
Joey Rivera vs Jon Manley
Mike Ricci vs Michael Hill

Coach Carwin is shocked that with four Team Nelson fighters and four Carwinites to choose from, Dana is pitting teammates against one another in the quarterfinals. Roy Nelson, on the other hand, reacts with the same lovable indifference we’ve come to expect. We then get a sneak peak into next week’s episode. Who wins the first two quarterfinal matches? How does Igor cross the line? Does Mike Ricci makes things worse by taking HIll out for a nice seafood dinner and never call him back? Find out next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

Team Carwin (4-4)
Sam Alvey (0-1, lost to Joey Rivera by decision in episode 3)
Bristol Marunde (1-0, defeated Julian Lane by decision in episode 4)
Mike Ricci (1-0, defeated Dom Waters by decision in episode 9)
Neil Magny (1-0, defeated Cameron Diffley by decision in episode 2)
James Chaney (0-1, submitted by Jon Manley in episode 8)
Eddy Ellis (0-1, lost to Colton Smith by majority decision in epsiode 6)
Igor Araujo (1-0, defeated Nic Herron-Webb by majority decision in episode 5)
Matt Secor (0-1, lost to Michael Hill by split decision in episode 7)

Team Nelson (4-4)
Dom Waters (0-1, lost to Mike Ricci by decision in episode 9)
Michael Hill (1-0, defeated Matt Secor by split decision in episode 7)
Cameron Diffley (0-1, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 2)
Colton Smith (1-0, defeated Eddy Ellis by majority decision in episode 6)
Jon Manley (1-0, submitted James Chaney is episode 8)
Nic Herron-Webb (0-1, lost to Igor Araujo by majority decision in episode 5
Joey Rivera (1-0, defeated Sam Alvey by decision in episode 3)
Julian Lane (0-1, lost to Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 4)

The episode opens up revisiting the Matt Secor/Michael Hill decision debacle of last week. Dana bashes both the judges for terrible decision making and the fighters themselves for their poor performances. On the bright side, he does admit that he’ll save a bunch of money this season due to the lack of finishes.

Michael Hill tells us that he could care less about a $5000 bonus — he’s here to get to the finals. Coach Roy Nelson echoes these sentiments and says that he doesn’t really appreciate Dana’s attitude. This is no surprise, as TUF 10 fans may recall Nelson sagely ignoring his coaches and lay-and-praying his way to the finals, inspiring spoken word poet and opposing coach Rampage Jackson to ask “That’s like havin’ the moon on you/how you gonna get the moon off you?” Anyway, Big Country’s view is that there’s a bigger picture here and the TUF contestants shouldn’t jeopardize that for a few thousand dollars.

We cut to the TUF house where Dana decides to visit the fighters personally. After making an entrance that reminds me of this scene in Zoolander, the UFC president lays down the law. He tells the guys that if they thought they were guaranteed spots at the TUF Finale, they were sorely mistaken. There were more expletives, but that was the gist of it. Mike Ricci doesn’t have any interest in Dana’s speech. He tells everyone, “Don’t let Dana ruin your focus.” Michael Hill, though, takes the words a bit more personally and decides “to hit the bottle.”

Last season I often commented on the lack of booze- and testosterone-fueled antics. Well, this episode makes up for it spades. Michael Hill gets in Neil Magny’s face and delivers the  usual drunken, “Let’s fight bro.” Julian Lane, however, takes it to a whole new level. In his drunken stupor, he picks a fight with Dom Waters and will not let it go.

Alternating between crying, yelling and bashing his head against inanimate objects, he delivers one of the all-time greatest TUF drunken belligerent freakouts, which is saying something. Since I always see the silver lining, I think he found his new T-shirt slogan:

        It don’t matter that I’m out, MAN! Don’t mean that I ain’t in!

No doubt a tribute to the lyrics of Coldplay’s “Lost!” this line sums up so much about TUF, the sport of mixed martial arts and the everyday struggle of man. As the dust settles the next day, Dom Waters doesn’t hold any hard feelings, Julian admits that he was a jackass and Matt Secor “thought it was [expletive] hilarious.”

After That…
From drunken revelry we transition to the fight announcement. Roy awkwardly delivers the next preliminary contest, which will feature James Chaney and Jon Manley. Coach Carwin informs us that Chaney’s nickname is “The Snake” because he slithers up behind you and chokes you out. Sure it’s kind of a reach, but we’ve also been subjected to “Nap-Time jiu-jitsu” this season, so it could be worse.

At the Team Nelson training session, we learn more about Jon Manley. He’s given up everything for a shot at MMA glory. While it may be admirable from a sporting point of view, I hope he doesn’t use this video explaining how he doesn’t have a job and he sold his car on his eHarmony account. Manley goes on to say that he’ll use his “never say die’ attitude to get the victory, which never ever sounds like a sound strategy. He’s also, “Ready for war!” which is a refreshingly new perspective.

At the Team Carwin sessions, we hear how everyone thinks that James Chaney might be a serial killer. Not necessarily a compliment, but I don’t think they mean it as an insult, either. Whilst holding a coffee cup that screams morning talk show, Chaney tells us that he hears the crazy thing a lot and blames his face. He also informs us that since he sleeps on a mattress in his friends’ garage that he’s in no hurry for the season to end. I wonder how long he needs to stick around the TUF house to earn squatters’ rights….

Next up we have the coaches’ challenge. This time it is a track and field competition that involves shot put, javelin, discus, long jump and a 400 meter run. Roy speaks what’s on everyone’s mind and says that this clearly favors Shane Carwin. Shane tries to play it off like he’s not qualified, but come on. Track and field against the mascot for Bog Boy donuts? Let’s be real. To no one’s surprise, Carwin sweeps all the events and wins the run easily with an unnecessary head start. While a few of the guys try to extrapolate a larger meaning from a guy with a belly losing a footrace, I have to agree with Roy Nelson — it has no impact on their future match.

Right before the fight we learn a couple quick things:
1)    Manley actually likes James Chaney.
2)    Chaney likes to dress like Johnny Cash on fight day and gives us some weird ZZen stuff
3)    Dom Waters prefers cliched animal analogies

Fight Time
The first round begins as the antithesis of last week’s fight. Both guys come out swinging and stand right in front of one another trading blows. Manley gets the better end of the exchanges, though, and Chaney’s corner tells him to quit standing there. Chaney ties up, but Manley winds up getting the takedown. Chaney throws a triangle attempt up and locks it in. Manley picks Chaney up and carries him over to the cage. Chaney keeps his cool and slowly brings Manley down to the ground with the submission locked in tight. Jon keeps fighting, though, kneels on Chaney’s face and angles off to alleviate some of the pressure. After a few short punches, Chaney relinquishes the hold and Manley gets side mount. He soon moves to full mount and locks in a guillotine. Chaney’s face starts to turn purple and he taps out.

Dana is ecstatic at having a finish, Shane Carwin admonishes his fighter’s strategy, but that pales in comparison to the other results. Manley utters two sentences rarely, if ever, heard before in the Octagon: “He bit me. He #&(*@ bit me!” and shows the two fresh puncture wounds that prove it. Now, Manley’s first reaction is the same as mine — Chaney lost his mouthguard and while he was getting choked, his teeth were pinched against Manley’s skin, right? Nope. James Chaney readily admits that he bit Jon Manley on purpose, in the hopes of getting Manley to loosen up on the guillotine. Manley sees the poetic justice in the fact that a guy called the Snake bites, but I doubt many others will be that forgiving.

On a somber note we get a sneak peek into next week’s fights. Who will win between Mike Ricci and Dom Waters? Why is Coach Carwin so upset? Does James Chaney reveal that he’s part vampire? Find out this and more next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

Team Carwin (3-4)
Sam Alvey (0-1, lost to Joey Rivera by decision in episode 3)
Bristol Marunde (1-0, defeated Julian Lane by decision in episode 4)
Mike Ricci
Neil Magny (1-0, defeated Cameron Diffley by decision in episode 2)
James Chaney (0-1, submitted by Jon Manley in episode 8)
Eddy Ellis (0-1, lost to Colton Smith by majority decision in epsiode 6)
Igor Araujo (1-0, defeated Nic Herron-Webb by majority decision in episode 5)
Matt Secor (0-1, lost to Michael Hill by split decision in episode 7)

Team Nelson (4-3)
Dom Waters
Michael Hill (1-0, defeated Matt Secor by split decision in episode 7)
Cameron Diffley (0-1, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 2)
Colton Smith (1-0, defeated Eddy Ellis by majority decision in episode 6)
Jon Manley (1-0, submitted James Chaney is episode 8)
Nic Herron-Webb (0-1, lost to Igor Araujo by majority decision in episode 5
Joey Rivera (1-0, defeated Sam Alvey by decision in episode 3)
Julian Lane (0-1, lost to Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 4)
 

The episode opens in the Team Nelson after Colton Smith’s latest win over Eddy Ellis. After seeing how poorly the straw pulling strategy went last time, Roy decides to go with a new method — pick a number. Dom Waters winds up winning the strategically exhausting contest and asks his coach to pick for him. Roy refuses, saying it’s not his fight. This leads to Dom passing control to Michael Hill.

We then cut right away to fight announcement time. To the surprise of very few, Michael Hill decides to call out Matt Secor, and he does have sound justifications. “I called out Secor because he’s been trash talking. He called me a girl, a thief.” How can you blame the guy? Secor called him a girl! Coach Carwin looks forward to the fight because he hopes the outcome will either make Secor shut his mouth or force Michael Hill to wear a shirt.

During the Team Nelson training session, Forrest Griffin shows the guys some striking drills while Cameron Diffley again reminds us that he’s Forrest’s jiu-jitsu coach. Michael Hill tells us that he’s wasted other athletic opportunities in his life before and he’s not going to waste this one. Coach Nelson admits that Hill lacks experience, but anticipates that his raw strength and power will push him past Secor.

At the Team Carwin training session, we glimpse into Matt Secor’s game plan. The team plans on using Hill’s aggressiveness against him to earn easy takedowns. Secor even suggests that he’ll keep running his mouth during the fight to get Hill to lose focus. He also refers to his opponent as “the Backstreet Boy” of the house and he doesn’t like Hill’s nipple ring. It may come off as superficial, but I’m sure we’ve all seen guys fight for worse reasons… right?!

As the build-up to the fight continues, so does the trash talking. Michael Hill decides to go the animal analogy route. Secor is the pet dog of the house “because he’s always barking” and calls himself a lion. I assume it’s because he considers himself to be big and powerful and not because he’s a member of the local Lions Club. Secor admits that he doesn’t harbor any ill will towards Hill, he just finds the guy “a little douchebaggy.” He goes on to call Hill one-dimensional and says that his own grappling skills will make the difference. He also claims he has more heart than Hill; in fact, he has two hearts! Again, I think he means that he he really likes the Phil Collins song, or it’s a reference to his late father looking over him, not that he literally has two hearts, a condition I have to think the Nevada State Athletic Commission would frown upon.

Fight Time
Round one starts with a whimper. Secor waits for Hill to rush in, while Hill tries to resist doing just that. The first big exchange occurs when Secor throws a kick, Hill grabs it and takes him down. Hill smothers Secor in half guard for a while, then gets back into full guard. Both fighters throw short, ineffective punches and the stalemate continues. After Hill thwarts a triangle choke attempt, referee Josh Rosenthal decides to stand them up. With just 15 seconds left, the round ends.

The second round begins and they don’t dance this time as Secor shoots right away. Hill defends and takes side mount. The two roll around and Hill finds himself with a front headlock. Secor pushes Hill against the cage, trips him and takes top position. As Hill tries to stand up, he exposes his back and Secor pounces on the mistake. The rest of the round continues in this position. Secor tries to get the rear naked choke and Hill defends. There’s some ineffectual ground and pound, but both fighters appear to be content hanging out until the round ends.

So far, the judges get it right and the fight heads into a “sudden victory” round. Hill throws a couple big right hands and even works a spinning backfist into the exchange. Unfortunately, his aggressiveness brings him too close, and Secor pulls guard. Hill is able to escape, but Secor soon shoots again and gets another takedown. Much like the second round, Hill exposes his back, Secor takes it and rides him out until the round ends.

Dana walks in and announces that Michael Hill wins by split decision. Shockingly, we have another controversial decision. Everyone involved has their criticisms of the fight, but no one seems to believe that Michael Hill actually won the decision. Coach Carwin subtly admonishes both fighters for their tentativeness while Dana White takes a less subtle approach, calling the first round, “The [superlative expletive] round in TUF history.” He goes one to say, “Nobody fights like they want to win. This isn’t [expletive] summer camp.” Roy Nelson weighs in with sage insight by adding, “The thing is, about the judging is, you know, they’re the judges.”

As the episode ends we get a sneak peek into next week’s episode. Will Roy Nelson pass out during the track and field challenge? Does anyone get kicked off the show when “all hell breaks loose” inside the house? Does someone from the NSAC show up to let Matt Secor punch him in the face as penitence? Find out next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

Team Carwin (3-3)
Sam Alvey (0-1, lost to Joey Rivera by decision in episode 3)
Bristol Marunde (1-0, defeated Julian Lane by decision in episode 4)
Mike Ricci
Neil Magny (1-0, defeated Cameron Diffley by decision in episode 2)
James Chaney
Eddy Ellis (0-1, lost to Colton Smith by majority decision in epsiode 6)
Igor Araujo (1-0, defeated Nic Herron-Webb by majority decision in episode 5)
Matt Secor (0-1, lost to Michael Hill by split decision in episode 7)

Team Nelson (3-3)
Dom Waters
Michael Hill (1-0, defeated Matt Secor by split decision in episode 7)
Cameron Diffley (0-1, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 2)
Colton Smith (1-0, defeated Eddy Ellis by majority decision in episode 6)
Jon Manley
Nic Herron-Webb (0-1, lost to Igor Araujo by majority decision in episode 5
Joey Rivera (1-0, defeated Sam Alvey by decision in episode 3)
Julian Lane (0-1, lost to Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 4)

In the meantime, be sure to follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes the
show @TUFonFX and check out some of my other work here.

The episode begins with the fallout from last week’s fights. Dana walks into Nic Herron-Webb’s locker room to tell him that he thinks he was [expletive]. Roy agrees that Nic was robbed, but offers the old saying “you can’t let it go to the judges.” While Dana is comforting (in his own way), Roy takes the opportunity to criticize Nic’s performance. A few of the Team Nelson members don’t understand why Roy is kicking the guy while he’s down. Julian Lane tells us that he thinks Roy doesn’t understand how to be a coach because he’s still a fighter.

At the house the guys discuss the styles of their respective coaches. The ever open-minded Matt Secor tells us that his coach Shane is, “The most caring dude ever,” and the fact that Roy doesn’t use the same kid gloves in defeat means that he’s only in this for himself. Who knew that guys who fight grown men in a cage for money could be so sensitive?

The shenanigans at the house continue when Julian Lane and Colton Smith steal Team Nelson’s chicken out of the refrigerator and eat it. The justification they give is that, “we were hungry,” and frankly, it’s like Les Mis in a McMansion. The great TUF chicken scandal escalates as Matt Secor accuses Michael Hill of the theft and Hill takes offense. This leads to the usual usual frat house-style confrontation:

Party One: Excuse me sir, I find your accusations to be warrantless.

Party Two: Well, I apologize if offense was taken, but I firmly stand behind my statements.

Party One: Do you? Seeing that we have come to an impasse, I believe the only logical conclusion is that we should engage in fisticuffs to determine the winner of our disagreement.

Party Two: To be honest, I find this recourse to perpetuate the classic ad bellum logical fallacy, but I would happily engage in a physical altercation.

I may have taken some liberties with the encounter, but you get the idea.

After a break, it’s time for the fight announcement. Coach Carwin tells us that his fighter Eddy Ellis will take on Team Nelson’s Colton Smith. Carwin believes that Eddy will be able to take Colton down easily and work his ground and pound. Coach Nelson says that Eddy isn’t outstanding at any one skill and that Colton’s outstanding wrestling will make the difference.

Back at the the house we hear the Eddy Ellis story. He started competing in MMA when he was 16 years old. When discussing his professional record (17-15-1), he admits that it’s not the best. He says that he took fights for the experience instead of winning. I take that as code for, “I liked the money,” but I could be wrong (but I’m probably not). He also credits his wife for making him a better fighter and I’m sure every married man would agree.

At the Team Carwin training session we run into to UFC vet Eliot Marshall again. This time he’s showing some ground and pound skills which will aid Eddy in his game plan. Eddy doesn’t see this fight ending up on the ground, though. He predicts that he’ll hurt Colton on the feet, stuff his takedowns and further frustrate him until he gets the finish.

Next we hear from Colton Smith. Raised in Iowa, he calls himself a “bad kid” whose mother used sports to keep him out of trouble. He excelled in wrestling and expanded those skills when he joined the Army where he is now a combatives instructor at Fort Hood. He feels that though Ellis has had a lot of wars inside a cage, Smith’s military experience gives him the edge because he knows what a real war is like. This is repeated approximately 70 times by Smith and his coaches. During his training sessions, though, he feels uncomfortable with the coaches’ strategy for him. Along with Julian Lane, he decides to just do what he wants and stick to the tactics that have carried him thus far.

Fight Day
After some more bravado from the two competitors, it’s fight day. Round one begins with Colton quickly getting the double underhooks and a takedown. When he tries to open up and deliver some damage, Eddy is able to stand up and escape. After a couple short exchanges, Colton shoots again. He brings Eddy to the mat, but the two are up standing again shortly. As Colton comes forward, he eats a big right cross from Ellis that wobbles him. Eddy puts Colton on his back and soon moves to take his back. Colton defends an armbar attempt, stands up and is bleeding noticeably from his right brow. Another brief exchange and Ellis catches Colton with a crisp standing elbow. Wobbled again, Colton is back on his back and defending. He’s able to stand up and put Eddy against the fence, but with 30 seconds left the round soon ends.

In between rounds, Roy tries to give Colton some directions. He tells him to stop standing and trading with Eddy and go to his single leg takedown. Colton responds with, “Uh, could you say it one more time?”

Round two begins and Colton shoots immediately. He’s able to advance his position and starts dropping some nasty short elbows. He winds up cutting Ellis and continues to smother him. This continues for most of the round until Herb Dean bizarrely stands the two up with about 50 seconds left. There are a couple of exchanges and Colton even manages to daze Eddy, but the round ends with everyone expecting a third.

Everyone that is…except the judges. Dana can’t believe it, but Colton Smith winds up winning a majority decision victory due to two judges scoring the second round 10-8. Back in the locker rooms, Eddy doesn’t want any empty pats on the back and Colton wants some pictures of the cut over his right eye.

The episode ends and we get a preview of next week. What words of wisdom does Forrest Griffin have to share? Why is the next fight the most controversial of the season? Who’s the culprit that steals Roy Nelson’s Cheetos? Find out next week on The Ultimate Fighter!

Team Carwin (3-2)
Sam Alvey (0-1, lost to Joey Rivera by decision in episode 3)
Bristol Marunde (1-0, defeated Julian Lane by decision in episode 4)
Mike Ricci
Neil Magny (1-0, defeated Cameron Diffley by decision in episode 2)
James Chaney
Eddy Ellis (0-1, lost to Colton Smith by majority decision in epsiode 6)
Igor Araujo (1-0, defeated Nic Herron-Webb by majority decision in episode 5)
Matt Secor

Team Nelson (2-3)
Dom Waters
Michael Hill
Cameron Diffley (0-1, lost to Neil Magny by decision in episode 2)
Colton Smith (1-0, defeated Eddy Ellis by majority decision in episode 6)
Jon Manley
Nic Herron-Webb (0-1, lost to Igor Araujo by majority decision in episode 5
Joey Rivera (1-0, defeated Sam Alvey by decision in episode 3)
Julian Lane (0-1, lost to Bristol Marunde by decision in episode 4)

In the meantime, be sure to follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes the
show @TUFonFX and check out some of my other work here.