Nevada has been able to test athletes randomly for a while now, but only recently got an increase in their department’s funding that has allowed them to begin such testing in earnest, according to Chiappetta. The state commission decided to take advantage of all the fighters coming to the state, and save the money it might have cost to go to them, in effect. As the MMAFighting report explains:
(Test this man! No one has that much style naturally)
Nevada has been able to test athletes randomly for a while now, but only recently got an increase in their department’s funding that has allowed them to begin such testing in earnest, according to Chiappetta. The state commission decided to take advantage of all the fighters coming to the state, and save the money it might have cost to go to them, in effect. As the MMAFighting report explains:
“According to Kizer, the commission currently has a deal in place with Quest Diagnostics which allows the lab to send testers on-site to obtain samples. After the conclusion of the UFC 146 press conference, the fighters were taken in groups of two to an MGM Grand VIP lounge to submit their sample. Kizer could not say when the results would be made available, saying they may not be publicly released until after the event’s May 26 completion. Of course, that would likely change if any of the tests came back positive and put one of the night’s big fights into jeopardy.”
As you might remember, after some difficulties keeping to Nevada’s required drug testing late last year, Alistair Overeem was given a license that required he undergo two more random tests from the commission. The surprise one he submitted to yesterday will count as one. We wouldn’t even deign to imagine that Alistair uses any banned performance enhancing substances, but we just hope he doesn’t have any banned recreational substances passed off to him while party rocking from bad influences.
Check out the video (for the press conference, not the urine collection, you weirdos!) below:
This season’s TUF features live fights each week but everything before that are taped highlights of how the fighters and their teams and coaches have spent the past week. By the looks of what we saw on episode 3, a good amount of what Team Cruz did before getting ready for the next bout was making fun of how Dominick Cruz mind fucked the whole of Team Faber last week.
Cruz coach Lloyd Irvin gleefully recounted how, after choosing overall number one pick Justin Lawrence to fight this week, Dominick Cruz told Faber that he could choose who, from his team wanted to fight. Faber was shocked by Cruz giving up matchmaking power that he had earned after James Vick KO’s Daron Cruickshank and asked his team who wanted to fight.
No one raised their hands. And, as Irvin pointed out, many of them were all but looking up at the sky, whistling. A flustered Faber gave the pick back to Cruz, who chose the most accomplished fighter in the house, Cristian Marcello.
Faber lets us know, during an interview, that he really is trying to contain his rage at Cruz. “I’m doing my best to hold it together,” he says. “But, you know, I want to punch the guy right in the face,” bro. Ok, I added the “bro,” in. But no matter what Faber is saying, his surferspeak always makes it sound like he’s inviting you to go catch a few waves or telling you about the killer party he’s throwing next weekend, and could you please pitch in for the keg.
From the little we’d seen thus from Lawrence, the fact that he trains at Blackhouse, and Marcello’s pedigree and experience, this seemed more like a TUF Final than a first round bout.
But before we get to the fight itself – Chris Tickle’s annoying ass, ladies and gentlemen. Episode 3 featured the Team Cruz fighter, being a smart ass in teasing Team Faber members, acting all sensitive when teased him, trying to spar with ear rings in, destroying parking lot signs, using perhaps the most quickly passing case of diarrhea to avoid training and (yes, really) wearing a fucking gas mask during an interview.
Back in the house, Tickle worked hard to tell Team Faber members how stupid they looked in not raising their hands when their coach asked them who they wanted to fight. But Justin Lawrence made it clear that it wasn’t just Team Faber guys who were annoyed by Tickle.
As reels ran showing Tickle’s hilarious, totally disruptive and incredibly creative “prank” of pulling out Urijah Faber’s parking space sign out of the ground, Lawrence delivered the play by play with about as much excitement as one could imagine him having to describe clipping his own toe nails. Lawrence says Tickle is “obnoxious.”
This season’s TUF features live fights each week but everything before that are taped highlights of how the fighters and their teams and coaches have spent the past week. By the looks of what we saw on episode 3, a good amount of what Team Cruz did before getting ready for the next bout was making fun of how Dominick Cruzmind fucked the whole of Team Faber last week.
Cruz coach Lloyd Irvin gleefully recounted how, after choosing overall number one pick Justin Lawrence to fight this week, Dominick Cruz told Faber that he could choose who, from his team wanted to fight. Faber was shocked by Cruz giving up matchmaking power that he had earned after James Vick KO’s Daron Cruickshank and asked his team who wanted to fight.
No one raised their hands. And, as Irvin pointed out, many of them were all but looking up at the sky, whistling. A flustered Faber gave the pick back to Cruz, who chose the most accomplished fighter in the house, Cristian Marcello.
Faber lets us know, during an interview, that he really is trying to contain his rage at Cruz. “I’m doing my best to hold it together,” he says. “But, you know, I want to punch the guy right in the face,” bro. Ok, I added the “bro,” in. But no matter what Faber is saying, his surferspeak always makes it sound like he’s inviting you to go catch a few waves or telling you about the killer party he’s throwing next weekend, and could you please pitch in for the keg.
From the little we’d seen thus from Lawrence, the fact that he trains at Blackhouse, and Marcello’s pedigree and experience, this seemed more like a TUF Final than a first round bout.
But before we get to the fight itself – Chris Tickle’s annoying ass, ladies and gentlemen. Episode 3 featured the Team Cruz fighter, being a smart ass in teasing Team Faber members, acting all sensitive when teased him, trying to spar with ear rings in, destroying parking lot signs, using perhaps the most quickly passing case of diarrhea to avoid training and (yes, really) wearing a fucking gas mask during an interview.
Back in the house, Tickle worked hard to tell Team Faber members how stupid they looked in not raising their hands when their coach asked them who they wanted to fight. But Justin Lawrence made it clear that it wasn’t just Team Faber guys who were annoyed by Tickle.
As reels ran showing Tickle’s hilarious, totally disruptive and incredibly creative “prank” of pulling out Urijah Faber’s parking space sign out of the ground, Lawrence delivered the play by play with about as much excitement as one could imagine him having to describe clipping his own toe nails. Lawrence says Tickle is “obnoxious.”
Fighters on past seasons of TUF were prohibited from bringing all sorts of personal effects with them, including cell phones, bring books, read newspapers, watch television or listen to the radio. Looks like they were unaware of the “gasmask” loophole. Tickle sits in the van with his team on the way to the training center looking like a dufus wearing a gas mask. “I brought this from home,” he explains. O RLY?
Inside the training center, Tickle has already lost the respect of his coaches, who are convinced that he will do anything to avoid training hard. First, he is late to getting in the ring because of how long he takes to tape his feet. Next, he forgets to take out his earrings, so he has to take his gear off to take them out.
After much prodding and a couple delays, Tickle is finally in the cage training when he informs Cruz that he “has diarrhea,” and has to stop training and leave the cage. Cruz is not pleased and he and his coaches discuss the problem that has already become Tickle. After training, Cruz takes aside Tickle and explains how important it is for him to train hard every day, all practice long, because he will likely soon be fighting himself, and because he has potential.
In an interview, Tickle explains how this made him very upset. “I’ve never had a coach in my career,” he says, perhaps explaining a whole lot. “I don’t care if you like me. I’m here to fight and win.” And make poopy.
As Team Faber comes into the gym, a couple of them, including John Cofer walk in funny and say that Tickle walks like that. Where Cruz’ coaching, advice and encouragement annoyed Tickle, this makes him fucking livid.
“I don’t walk like that, bro,” he tells Cofer. He then chases down Cofer in Team Faber’s locker room and repeatedly talks about how offended he is by Cofer being a “smart ass,” but does absolutely nothing about it. Cofer later tells his coach, “I know who I want to fight.”
In an interview, Tickle, still looking incensed says, “since I was 8 years old I don’t put up with anyone’s shit. And I never will.” Either he’s trolling or he just took it to a dark place, no joke. Something happened to him before he was 8 that he’s using to create hate for Cofer. Yikes.
Faber blames Cruz personally for Tickle taking his parking sign. So he defaces Cruz’ giant portrait to make him look like Count Dracula, or something, he says. Later on, Team Cruz one-up him by making a thong out of string to cover up what they call Faber’s “giant chin butt.” Funny, I’ve never noticed that before. I’m sure you hadn’t either.
Faber plays it cool when he sees that. “Cool, a Faberkini,” he says. Stay chill, Urijah. Stay chill.
Marcello prepares for Lawrence by trying to be unpredictable on the feet – faking shots and coming at him with strikes. He seems to want to knock out Lawrence, even though the kid looks to be a far better striker. Seem like a crazy idea?
Well, as Faber coach Justin Buchholz says, “Don’t discount crazy.”
Meanwhile, Cruz is training Lawrence to get ready to make Marcello pay for shooting in and to be prepared for unorthodox BJJ takedowns. Assistant coach Wilson Reis is there to show Lawrence what Cruz is talking about.
Back at the TUF house, Marcello says, “I have something he don’t have,” pointing to photos of his children and wife. “They give me strength, they give me power.”
Weigh in time!
Both Lawrence and Marcello make weight and have what is edited to be one of the longest staredowns ever. Marcello gets in Lawrence’s face Chute Box style and even tries the “made you flinch,” move. Lawrence does not flinch. They both smile.
Fight Time!
We’re live now and the coaches are giving their fighters their pre-fight advice. “We need to kill, Cruz tells Lawrence.
Lawrence circles, keeping his distance. Lawrence feints constantly and Marcello stalks from a safe distance. Lawrence lands an inside leg kick and overhand right. Lawrence perhaps gets a bit too close and Marcello chases him down with wild strike attempts. Lawrence turns and runs to get out of harm’s way. More feinting from Lawrence before he lands a push kick that drops Marcello.
Marcello gets back to his feet and Lawrence barely misses with a couple overhand rights. Marcello shoots in, gets stuffed.
More circling from Lawrence. Push kick from Marcello. In the last fifteen seconds, Lawrence throws a side kick that doesn’t connect but backs Marcello up. Marcello returns fire with a cross-left hook combo that doesn’t connect but also backs up Lawrence. The round with the two fighters each throwing kicks simultaneously.
Round 2 – Lawrence stays a little more in range at the start and is a little more active with kicks and punches. Thirty seconds in Marcello uses that shorter range to go for a high shot and work double underhooks.
He drives Lawrence back into the cage but lets go to swing a wild right hand that misses. Lawrence lands a punch to Marcello’s head. Marcello throws two head kicks that are blocked by Lawrence. Cruz tells Lawrence to begin countering off of those.
A spinning back kick from Lawrence whiffs. Marcello lands a left hook and then a right cross. Faber yells for him to keep his chin down. Marcello throws a kick, Lawrence changes levels and dumps Marcello but does not follow him to the ground.
Marcello stands up. Lawrence lands a jab then a rear push kick to the body. A jab from Lawrence. Marcello seems to feels a sense of urgency with three minutes left in the fight starts and begins stalking Lawrence more aggressively. He walks into a jab that drops him.
Marcello stands up and is immediately hit with another jab. Lawrence with a right hand. Lawrence lands a left hook. Lawrence hits a jab to the face of Marcello, and then a push kick to the body. These shots seem to be taking their toll on the wind of Marcello.
After a couple minutes of his corner yelling for him to feint the right hand cross and then throw his power hook, Lawrence finally does just that, as Faber had feared he would in training, and knocks Marcello out.
TUF host Jon Anik asks Lawrence how he’s reacting to being the number one pick overall in the post fight interview. “There is added pressure from being number one…but that’s something I’ve got to get used to,” Lawrence says.
Marcello uses his post-fight interview to pitch himself to Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for this summer’s big Rio card. “Give me the opportunity to fight in Brazil,” he asks. The oldest fighter in the house calls Lawrence a “great kid.”
Team Cruz goes to 2-0.
They go RIGHT TO picking the next match up. A camera man falls down from the excitement and fast pace.
No shenanigans from Cruz this time around as he picks Myles Jury and Al Iaqunita from Team Faber to go at it next week.
Jon Anik’s silky voice talks us in to episode two of The Ultimate Fighter 15, telling us we’re less than an hour away from tonight’s live fight. We’re about to see what happened this past week in TUFlandia but right now there are two hooded fighters warming up with their backs to the camera in their respective lock rooms.
Could it be? Yes…those two (at present) nameless and faceless fighters will fight each other tonight but we will have to wait and see who they are. Cheesy, but kinda cool. Another new element of this debuting hybrid taped/live TUF format. Also, there’s a fight clock on the bottom right hand of the screen, ticking down.
The 16 winning fighters from last week’s elimination round pull up to the TUF mansion and once again we see a new crop of young fighters enthusiastically explore their new digs with the type of giddiness that can only lead us to believe that they’ve never watched past seasons and thus don’t realize how completely miserable it can be to be locked in that house. Happens every season.
Jon Anik’s silky voice talks us in to episode two of The Ultimate Fighter 15, telling us we’re less than an hour away from tonight’s live fight. We’re about to see what happened this past week in TUFlandia but right now there are two hooded fighters warming up with their backs to the camera in their respective lock rooms.
Could it be? Yes…those two (at present) nameless and faceless fighters will fight each other tonight but we will have to wait and see who they are. Cheesy, but kinda cool. Another new element of this debuting hybrid taped/live TUF format. Also, there’s a fight clock on the bottom right hand of the screen, ticking down.
The 16 winning fighters from last week’s elimination round pull up to the TUF mansion and once again we see a new crop of young fighters enthusiastically explore their new digs with the type of giddiness that can only lead us to believe that they’ve never watched past seasons and thus don’t realize how completely miserable it can be to be locked in that house. Happens every season.
Michael Chiesa has a more legit reason to be excited as he reveals that he’s “kinda homeless right now,” and so is just happy to have a place to stay. Whoah, some perspective there. Chiesa better go piss in someone’s fruit basket or something real soon or he won’t fit into the TUF lifestyle.
Team selection time now for coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber. UFC Prez Dana White gets to the coin toss. Faber wins it and chooses to select the first matchup as opposed to choosing the first fighter.
Cruz chooses Whitethletic Justin Lawrence, the Blackhouse gym member that tore up James Krause last week with a TKO. Faber chooses Serra/Longo Al Iaqunita with the second pick. Cruz chooses 8 second sensation Sam Sicilia next.
Faber grabs Pride veteran/ringer Cristiana Marcello next. Cruz goes with Myles Jury. Faber goes for fellow Abercrombie & Fitch model look-alike Daron Cruickshank. Cruz chooses Mike Rio next.
Faber, on the recommendation of Joe Lauzon, chooses Joe Proctor. Cruz selects James Vick next. Faber tries out his “long hair don’t care” catchphrase for the second week in a row and chooses Michael Chiesa. Cruz take Vincent Pichel next. Faber grabs John Cofer.
Cruz then chooses Chris Tickle, who I’m sure has never used childhood teasing of his name as fighting fuel. Cruz starts the mind fucking early in taking Tickle. Remember, in episode 1, Tickle said that he wanted to be on Faber’s team. Cruz says he thinks he “threw a wrench in Faber’s plan.” Tickle me Chris has an attitude. He is pissed to be picked 13th and tells Faber that its “his loss, brother.” You tell ‘em.
Faber chooses Andy Ogle next. Cruz chooses the anti-Tickle, Jeremy Larsen, who says, “I’m just happy to be here. Doesn’t bother me at all.” Faber chooses Chris Saunders as his final pick.
Team Faber’s first training session takes place Saturday, 9am. Faber asks how many of his fighters have a wrestling base, as he does, and encourages them to have a purpose in mind with each practice. Cofer, Saunders and Ogle all have early praise for their team’s unity and for Faber.
Two hours later, Team Cruz fills the gym as their coach uses the time to observe them since, he says, he only had one round to view them before. Cruz sets up style stations with his assistant coaches leading to see how good the fighters are in each area.
At first Cruz was all like, “Tickle dissed me by saying he wanted Faber but I’m cool with it,” but soon his real feelings become clear as he pairs Tickle me Chris with his number one pick, Lawrence, to “see what he is about.” Lawrence manhandles Tickle.
Cruz is high on his team saying that they are going to “suck things up like a sponge.” Let’s all just pretend he said, “soak.”
Fight selection/Faber confrontation time. Things move fast, here. It’s 2pm on Saturday and both teams sit down on mini-bleachers in the training center. Faber and Cruz sit about a foot and a half apart.
Faber, like a boss, turns and tells Cruz, “My dad called and says you’re a bold-faced liar now.” Yeah, that statement doesn’t make a whole lot of sense on its own, but stay with Faber, he’s got a point.
Apparently, Faber’s dad has called Faber to tell him that in a recent UFC Magazine* interview, Cruz said that his parents gave Faber a gym. The proud Team Alpha Male leader does not like the invoking of his family into the rivalry by Cruz. “Gave you [a gym]? I never said they gave you a gym,” Cruz protests. “I mentioned that you may have had help with a gym from your parents.”
Faber closes with, “Stay away from the family issue, dude.”
Faber announces that he’s selected his team member Daron Cruickshank to take on James Vick. Faber calls it a “guaranteed win,” for his team. Cruz compares Vick’s body type to his own.
On Sunday afternoon Team Faber’s Michael Chiesa is pulled out of practice for a phone call. It’s his mom. She tells him that his father died the night before. Chiesa explains that his father had been battling a type of cancer called acute myeloid leukemia. Chiesa says he owes everything to his dad and that his dad made him promise that if he were to die while on TUF, that he wouldn’t leave. Back at the house, Chiesa shares the horrible news with his friend and training partner back home, Sam Sicilia.
Sicilia points out that Chiesa’s dad got to see his son get on national television and win a fight. Chiesa meets with Dana White the next day, who tells him that he will be allowed to fly home for a day to visit and be with his family. That’s good to hear.
Tuesday, back in the training center, James Vick prepares for his fight. And don’t get it twisted, just because he may look a tad lanky and goofy, the kid says he grew up poor, fast, hard and serious. Cruz is training Vick to keep a fast pace and says the strategy is to keep the fight on the feet against Cruickshank.
BJJ master Lloyd Irvin gets his hands on Vick, encourages him to “embrace the war,” and also shows him a pretty dope looking far side, arm-in choke on a turtle up opponent.
Cruickshank is in the gym with Team Faber next. “Some people are born a fighter and some people are raised a fighter. I would say, I’m both,” Cruickshank says, ending the nature vs. nurture debate forever.
Faber has Cruickshank work on defending specific submissions that they think Vick will go for with his long frame – and looky here, they work on a bunch of arm-in submissions. Cruickshank is confident, to say the least, calling Vick “one dimensional…he thinks he’s a boxer,” he says. “I’m 10-2. I’m a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do. What’s he done?”
And if there’s anything we’ve learned from MMA is that if you have a Tae Kwon Do blackbelt, you are unbeatable. Well, at least words never come back to bite anyone in the be-hind…
Chiesa comes back to the house, saying he got the closure he needed back home. His dad toughed it out to stay alive long enough to watch his son fight on episode 1, then went downhill. No joke, thank God that this season is live.
Weigh in time. Cruickshank weighs in at 155.5 and Vick at 154. The cocky Cruickshank smiles at Vick but Vick ain’t having that shit and he keeps his hands up and game face on.
Fight time! A fight fan can get used to this – because the fights are live, we get to watch the coaches give their last-minute pep talk to their fighters, live. Cruz tells Vick, “You know you belong here,” because it doesn’t seem like anyone else does. Faber tells Cruickshank to keep things moving in there.
Anik tells us that the winners of this season get a contract with the UFC and a year long sponsorship deal with TapOut. Why didn’t anyone think of that before? Great idea.
Round 1
Big height difference between Cruickshank and his 6’3 opponent, Vick. Lot of feeling out between the two. Thirty seconds in, the only two strikes that have been thrown are from Cruickshank; a lead left kick to the body and a lead left leg kick. Cruickshank puts together a punch combo, the ending uppercut lands. Spinning back kick from Cruickshank.
Vick’s corner is calling out combos, which, to this point, he isn’t throwing. Vick is stalking Cruickshank, but not throwing much, until he tries a whiffing super man punch. Another spinning back kick from Cruickshank but then he decides to go away from what was working for him and shoots in for a takedown.
Vick throws the right knee counter and it lands flush, knocking out Cruishank cold. Team Cruz goes nuts for the underdog, made good.
A country boy can survive. James Vick gets the surprised KO win over Daron Cruishank. Photo courtesy of UFC.com
Anik in the Octagon to interview Vick who starts off his comments with a “yes sir,” and ends it with a “I’m happy and everything’s going good.” Nothing like a Southern twang to make the underdog persona complete.
Anik asks Cruickshank “what happened there at the end of the fight.” Jon, I love ya, and I suppose you have to ask, but I guess you didn’t see Daron out on his back about, um…10 seconds ago with referee Herb Dean speaking soothing words into his ear. Unsurprisingly, Cruickshank responds, “I don’t remember too much so, I’m going to have to watch it.”
Cruickshank has a chance to get back in to competition if another fighter gets injured, but humbly says he’s just looking to get his teammates ready for their fights during the rest of his time on TUF.
Next week’s matchup time!
Team Cruz has the hammer and chooses Justin Lawrence but wait…he doesn’t choose who his fighter is going to fight! Nuts. Does anyone remember a coach giving up matchup control, even half, before like this?
Cruz has something up his sleeve and is looking to sabotage the “Alpha Male,” somehow…but how? Faber is shocked and has trouble coming up with a selection.
So, he turns it over to his team. “Who’s ready to scrap now, guys?”
Big. Fucking. Mistake. No one on Faber’s team raises their hand. Wow. Big balloon deflating moment. Biggest hand raising, or lack there of, shocker since season 5 when BJ Penn asked fighters to raise their hands if they wanted nothing to do with opposing coach Pulver.
Faber turns it back over to Cruz, who knows exactly who he wants Lawrence to face, and chooses Cristiano Marcello. This is going to be a hell of a fight.
Over the better part of a decade, The Ultimate Fighter reality fighting competition show has seen a number of different format changes and gimmicks, from coaches set to fight for titles and nominally famous singer eye candy hosts, to veterans given a second chance in the UFC with title shots as the prizes. But three things have always stayed constant – the show airing on Spike, seasons being taped months before airing, and fighters in the house being treated to all you could drink liquor buffets while simultaneously being asked to maintain the UFC’s high standards of sober living.
We can only hope that the last item doesn’t change this year, but the first two already have. With the new season of TUF being aired on FX, the UFC has decided to try something new and air all fights live every Friday night. Friday night 32 UFC hopefuls, TUF head coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, Prez Dana White and a variety of other Nevada judges, referees and oddly placed celebrities in the crowd, gathered in the UFC training center in Las Vegas for 16 fights to determine who got to be in the TUF house for the next three months.
Here’s the action, tater nation, in the present tense, as fast as we could type it all.
Over the better part of a decade, The Ultimate Fighter reality fighting competition show has seen a number of different format changes and gimmicks, from coaches set to fight for titles and nominally famous singer eye candy hosts, to veterans given a second chance in the UFC with title shots as the prizes. But three things have always stayed constant – the show airing on Spike, seasons being taped months before airing, and fighters in the house being treated to all you could drink liquor buffets while simultaneously being asked to maintain the UFC’s high standards of sober living.
We can only hope that the last item doesn’t change this year, but the first two already have. With the new season of TUF being aired on FX, the UFC has decided to try something new and air all fights live every Friday night. Friday night 32 UFC hopefuls, TUF head coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, Prez Dana White and a variety of other Nevada judges, referees and oddly placed celebrities in the crowd, gathered in the UFC training center in Las Vegas for 16 fights to determine who got to be in the TUF house for the next three months.
Here’s the action, tater nation, in the present tense, as fast as we could type it all.
Uncle Dana tells the fighters, in what seemed like a pre-recorded segment, that they will be fighting live each week. The fighters seem shocked, but excited. Apparent Rollie Fingers love child Chase Hackett, for example, tells the camera during a later interview. “It’s going to be a blast…[time to] leave it all in there.”
Each fight in this elimination stage is set to be just one, five minute round long. “Make it the best fucking minutes of your life,” White says, making sure to begin meeting his f-bomb quota from the get-go.
For each fight, there is a $5,000 bonus for finishing fights and White explains that after the season is done, fans will vote to decide who had the best knockout, submission and fight of the season, with the winners getting $25,000 each. Additionally, the winners of the season, fighters and coach, will get themselves a purty new Harley Davidson.
First fight is up – Joe Proctor (7-1) vs. Jordan Rinaldi (5-0)
Proctor trains with UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon, so I think it’s ok for us to call him “mini Lauzon,” “Boston Joe II,” or something to that effect. Anything’s better than being nicknamed after Jennifer Lopez. Rinaldi says he will win TUF because he’s “talented, technical and blessed.” Fighters everywhere who consider themselves talentless, sloppy and cursed, tremble.
The opening horn sounds and we can hear White, Cruz and Faber mumbling in the background. Proctor becomes the first to put together combos a minute and a half in. Catches a kick from Rinaldi, gets the takedown and locks in a mounted guillotine. He gets the tap at the 2:52 mark of the first round.
“Boston Joe II” is the first man in the house.
Next up – Cristiana Marcello (12-3) vs. Jared Carlsten 3-0
Anik says that Marcello is the oldest fighter in this season of TUF. He’s also got to have the shortest shorts shorts on the show. At least I hope so (unless Dakota Cochrane whips out something from his old film wardrobe later in the show). Those red bad boys are snug floods.
Fighters get at it with body work, kicks and knees from the clinch up against the cage. Marcello gets the takedown and mounts quickly, locking in a grapevine. Cruz mentions that Carlsten competed against one of his assistant coaches for this season, Lloyd Irvin, 12 years ago.
Ok, so I guess there’s no real color commentary, but Cruz, Faber and White are hooked up to microphones. The trio is beginning to find their voice, speaking in more than mumbles.
Marcello takes Carlsten’s back, flattens out his hips and locks in the rear naked choke. Tap out at the 2:22 mark. Royler’s revenge.
Next up -Erin Beach (3-1) vs. Sam Sicilia (10-0)
Sicilia is one of 9 undefeated fighters trying to get into the TUF house. Looks like for good reason, as it takes him just 8 seconds to knock Beach out with an overhand right.
Doing TUF live is going to allow for live post fight interviews, looks like. Dig it. Jon Anik interviews “Mini Lauzon” Proctor about his fight. “I was nervous as hell…this is my dream and I wasn’t going to let is pass by me,” Proctor says.
Next up – Austin Lyons (9-1) vs. Chris Tickle (7-4)
Lyons used to be 260lbs in highschool, we’re told. Wish they had that year book photo to show on the air. Oh well.
Tickle channels his inner Serena Williams by screaming with each strike he throws. It works. 24 seconds in, off the power of consecutive right hands, Tickle gets the TKO win and 5k bonus. He’s in the house.
The cameras go to White and Faber and Cruz, who have the photos of all the fighters in front of them on a table, cage side. They discuss what they’ve seen thus far.
The show that brought you a house full of jocks has added another highschool element, as Anik reveals the disproportionately haughty sounding “winners circle.” Camera pans over to what looks like a miniature, three leveled, bleacher. Ever see “Spinal Tap?” It looks like someone may have made a similar dimension mistake for the “winners circle,” as they did for the stonehedge set piece in that movie. After their fights the winners from tonight are to go and sit there, we’re told. Excitement seminar in session!
Next up – Brendan Weafer (6-3) vs. Andy Ogle (8-1)
Weafer and Ogle exchange strike attempts and clinch briefly before the shorter Ogle uses his lower center of gravity to get an inside trip takedown. Weafer uses his feet on the hips of Ogle well to keep Ogle away from him. But Ogle crowds Weafer against cage.
Weafer works for the triangle, controlling Ogle’s posture. Ogle lets his left hand go outside the guard completely, the triangle is on but Ogle is pushing Weafer against the cage and not allowing him to scoot back on his shoulders and fully lock it in. Ogle uses his outside arm to strike, Weafer is trying to keep Ogle’s posture down.
Weafer is able to circle away from the cage and comes under Ogle’s left leg to keep him from standing and slamming him. Weafer works the sweep from triangle now, doesn’t get it. Ogle is able to posture up momentarily and tries to strike.
We haven’t seen a triangle choke locked in for that long without being escaped or having caused a tap, maybe ever. A moment later referee josh Rosenthal stands the fighters up while Weafer has Ogle in the triangle with less than a minute left.
That’s an unfortunate second first – Can’t immediately ever remember seeing a fight stood up while one fighter is in a submission, defending, before.
Back on the feet, Ogle drops Weafer, pulls a guillotine choke and the fight finishes with Weafer defending the choke.
All three judges score the round and fight 10-9 for Ogle. Dana White reads the result in the cage. Ogle turns to Dana, hugs Dana. Ogle jumps on Dana, wraps legs around Dana and locks in the full body embrace. Really.
This might be more awkward for Dana White than all the times he had to field questions about Dakota Chocrane’s gay porn past in the last few weeks.
Anik interviews Sicilia – the guy who just won by KO in 8 seconds, and Tickle, who won in 24. Sicilia says “that 8 seconds just changed my life.” Tickle is the first fighter to express a preference for a coach on TUF saying, “I like Faber.” Anik turns to the camera and says, “I hope Dominick Cruz is listening to this,” and smiles. Shameful. If there’s one thing we don’t approve of at Cage Potato, it’s shit-starting.
Next up – Vinc Pichel (6-0) vs. Cody Pfister 7-3
Well, the fight for most confusing name spelling-to pronunciation compatibility might be a draw here. Pfister wants the takedown badly, gets it and works to pass immediately. Pichel is just as active working for submissions off his back. Pichel locks in an omoplata which he uses as a sweep which Pfister in turn turns into his own omoplata attempt. Sweet.
Pichel works a reversal and lands another omoplata. They get to their feet. Pfister changes levels and gets another takedown. Pichel gets up. Pfister gets the back of Pichel from the standing position.
Pichel shakes him to the ground and is back in Pfister’s guard, landing big elbows that open up a cut on Pfister. Pichel gets Pfister’s back in a scramble and finishes the rear naked choke without hooks in at the 1:21 mark.
Next up – Mark Glover (5-1-1) vs. John Cofer (7-1)
Glover’s training and interview montage bring back one of my production pet favorites – subtitling, in English, the words of a British person. They are not always that hard to understand, but it’s still fun to fuck with them that way, considering they invented the language.
John Cofer makes pottery. They call him, “The potter.” You know, sometimes its ok not to have a nickname, guys.
Cofer presses Glover up against the cage for a bit, Glover frees himself. Glover works kicks and knees, Cofer catches one of those knees and takes glover down. Glover backtracks to the cage to get up, Cofer picks him up and slams him back to mat.
Cofer traps Glover’s right arm behind his own back and hits him, bully style. Glover gets it free and tries to walk up the cage again, then looks for a switch. They get back to their feet, they trade knees then a taunt from Glover and jumping knee that Cofer eats before getting the clinch against the cage again.
Glover pushes away with 2 minutes left. Cofer lands a good left to the head of Glover at the end of a combo. Glover tries knees from the clinch, Cofer grabs a knee again and gets the takedown. This time Glover wraps full guard and tries for a guillotine. Glover gives it up and looks to walk up the cage again.
Glover up to his feet, Cofer still has a leg. Glover lands a knee and breaks away. Just under a minute left. Glover throws a couple kicks, Cofer grabs one and gets the takedown with under 30 seconds left. Glover back to his feet, but with Cofer behind him with his arms tied around his waist as the horn sounds.
Big “Wrath of the titans,” presence tonight on TUF. Wait, you might say, didn’t that movie come out a couple years ago? No, that was “Clash of the titans.” “Wrath of the titans,” is a very different sequel, soon available on blu-ray.
Kevin Harvick, who is a nascar driver, the on-screen graphic tells us. Wait, so the fighters and coaches still have to give up their cell phones when they enter the house and training center, but things are aired live and celebrities are in the audience? Ironic or just incongruent? Neither? Not really sure what either word means, actually.
Back for the official decision. It goes to Cofer, 10-9. Cofer’s in the house.
Next up – Chase Hackett (4-1) vs. Chris Saunders (9-2)
This is twice now that we’ve seen a curly mustached fighter in the UFC and on FX – first Ian McCall, and now Hackett. Hackett describes himself as a “stay at home son,” and his fighting style as “handsomeness.” So interesting how back in 1875, men with McCall and Hackett’s style of facial hair would have likely been serious, solemn, individuals.
Hackett lands a kick to the head, Saunders goes down. Hackett follows Saunders to the ground. Saunders recovers and gets up, pulls arm-in guillotine choke from full guard.
Hackett evidentially trains with Bellator (until last night) champion Joe Warren and Faber takes the opportunity to point this out and poke fun at Warren, calling him the “most dangerous man in the world,” and then laughing.
One can only imagine that Hackett heard the rib of his teammate and uses his anger to fight out of the guillotine. Up on their feet, the pair trade right hands to the head. Hackett works for a single leg, gets it. Saunders back up to his feet and looks for his own takedown but doesn’t get it.
They trade jabs and then Saunders catches a kick, then tries another takedown. Hackett with the double underhooks against cage. Hackett lands punches on separation. Saunders appears to get his second wind and gets active with wide but hard punches.
It’s clear Dana White does not like Hackett. He is criticizing his effort inside the cage. Saunders pulls guillotine from guard. Hackett gets out with 15 seconds left. They trade shots from inside Saunders’ guard until the horn.
Dana White reads the decision – all three judges score the fight 10-9 for Saunders.
Another break for White, Cruz and Faber to talk about what they’ve seen. White makes another dig at Hackett, saying it looks like he’ll be living with his mom a lil while longer. Oh you saucy bitch, Dana. Looks like TUF has finally added that much needed “Real Housewives,” cattiness to its own reality format.
But seriously, it is interesting, cool and mostly refreshing to get to hear guys like White, Cruz and Faber talk about fights as they watch them in an unguarded way.
James Vick (4-0) vs. Dakota Cochrane 11-2
This is it, folks. If Cochrane can’t pull out this win, we may never again get the chance to see how homophobic TUF cast members would be in the house. Cochrane did gay porn years ago to pay off student loans but says he is hetero. He’s even got a fiancé and kids. So, not gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Cochrane shoots in fast, Vick defends, goes for a judo toss (no, I don’t know Judo or Japanese well enough to distinguish between all of them), doesn’t get it. Cochrane tries for another double, doesn’t get it. They stay clinched up against the fence. They both try for takedowns, don’t get them, stay in the clinch.
Vick goes for an arm-in choke but it is, as the coaches point out, not on the correct side to execute. Referee Rosenthal sees that a submission is being applied and watches closely since submissions are clearly prime stand-em-up opportunities. Cochrane breaks free.
Not one takedown has been executed to this point even though perhaps more have been attempted than in any prior fight tonight. Cochrane changes levels and tries for another takedown, gets stuffed at 1:30.
Dana White calls for the break, “we need to break them to determine a winner,” as both guys work actively to improve position from inside the clinch. Rosenthal breaks them up with 45 seconds left in the round. Cochrane tries to get busy with two punch combos, then goes for a double, Vick goes for an arm-in guillotine, Cochrane reverses into full guard. Vick looks for submissions as the horn sounds.
Closest fight thus far.
The judges score it a split decision, in favor of Vick. No romo.
Next up – Johnavan Vistante (4-1) vs. Michael Chiesa (7-0)
Chiesa with a quick takedown, works to get the back as Vistante tries to sit up. Chiesa with Vistante’s back. Chiesa peppering Vistante with punches from on top, with his hooks in from the back. Flattens hips and works for the choke. The choke doesn’t appear to be under the chin but Vistante taps.
Next up – Mike Rio (8-1) vs. Ali Maclean (9-5-1)
Faber looks at the long-haired Rio and the closely cropped blonde Maclean, says, “Long hair don’t care. This is Tito Ortiz vs. Clay Guida.” A water boy comparison from Dana White and then the UFC President and TUF coaches are reminded that they’re watching fights as Rio and Macclean light each other up a few times with punches.
Rio takes stiff jabs from Maclean and the coaches wonder out loud why the three time national champion wrestler doesn’t try to take the fighter from Belfast down. After some more jabs and kicks, Rio has enough of that and gets a takedown, works to sidemount. Rio opens up with punches, Maclean tries to get back to his feet but Rio controls him and keeps him on ground. Rio gets to Maclean’s back and lands punches. Maclean stands, Rio immediately suplexes him, gets hooks in from the back. “Bloody is the nose of Maclean,” one imagines Mike Goldberg would say right now. Rio gets the rear naked choke tap out at the 1:30 mark.
Next up – Justin Lawrence (3-0) vs. James Krause (14-4)
Lawrence, who trains out of Blackhouse, throws some side kicks and spinning kicks to the head of Krause that whiff on Krause but look pretty. Faber says, “ooh we’ve got a karate guy.” Stiff jab from Krause, but Lawrence gets a takedown is very active with a flurry of punches to the downed Krause. Krause gets up but Lawrence is relentless and chases him with knees and hooks to the jaw. A big left lands, drops Krause and Lawrence follows him to the ground with a couple more punches before the bout is stopped. Lawrence is the most effectively explosive fighter yet tonight.
Next up – Drew Dober (8-3) vs. Daron Cruickshank (10-2)
Cruickshank lands a big body kick, changes stance, throws side kick. Dober ducks under and goes for the takedown. Cruickshank defends, and on separation, he is a maniac, landing multiple head kicks and punches in a matter of seconds before landing his own big takedown, working immediately to sidemount and mount.
Dober recomposes his guard. Cruickshank lands a big elbow from inside the guard, Dober works backwards to the fence, stands up. Cruickshank continues to be aggressive on separation, throwing head kicks and punches, Dober goes for a takedown, Cruickshank defends. Cruickshank now looks for his own takedowns, gets a single leg.
Dober stands up, Cruickshank is aggressive with strikes on separation again. Dober lands a left hand, then hits Cruickshank in the balls. The ref breaks it up to give Cruickshank time to recover. White takes this opportunity to tell Faber and Cruz, “just so you guys know, your corners suck. Neither one of them are telling the guys how much time is left.”
The coaches decide to “push back” on that criticism telling White to give them clocks, pointing out that most of them use their phones as stop watches and that White and the show’s producers made them give up their phones.
The fight restarts and White’s cat-fight ends. Cruickshank and Doe trade punches until Cruickshank gets a takedown, Doe, stands and lands his own double, fight ends with Cruickshank back on his feet looking for another takedown.
Cruickshank gets the unanimous decision from the judges and is in the house.
Next up – Jeremy Larsen (8-2) vs. Jeff Smith (9-1)
The cage side salon-talk continues at the start of the bout as Cruz comments that Smith, though known as a submission guy, seems to have come good stand up, after he lands a body kick. Faber replies that Larsen “has a grim reaper tattooed on his shoulder though, so you have to take that into account.”
Faber thinks that fighters that try to rock the tough-guy look are lame, man. Smith lands the takedown, opens up a cut on the left side of Larsen’s head. Larsen stands up. Smith pulls a guillotine, then uses the grip to sweep Larsen over. Larsen stands back up.
Larsen catches a kick from Smith and takes him down. Smith immediately shoots an arm bar, Larsen defends. Larsen works into the sidemount. Smith scores a nifty reversal and they are back on their feet.
Larsen lands a big left hook to the head of Smith, followed by a takedown. Smith goes for a toe hold, Larsen defends. Smith grabs a knee bar with two minutes left. Larsen appears to almost tap, then escapes, works to sidemount on Smith.
Knees to the body of Smith from Larsen. Larsen lands elbows to the far side of Smith’s body while maintaining pressure from the cross side position. Larsen tries to mount, Smith catches his leg, Larsen escapes quickly, ends the fight in cross side.
Larsen wins the unanimous decision. Larsen’s in the TUF house.
Next up – John Tuck (6-0) vs. Al Iaquinta (5-1-1)
Tuck with a body kick, caught by Iaquinta, Tuck tries to jump into an arm bar, misses. They go back to the ground. Tuck works for arm bar more methodically now. Iaquinta defends, stands, his arm extended but he doesn’t tap. Tuck releases the arm, grabs Iaquinta’s right leg then gets behind him and takes his back. Slick.
Iaquinta stands up with the fighter from Guam on his back. Iaquinta escapes. Both men measure each other for awhile but neither lands cleanly until Iaqunita lands a good body kick, followed by two good leg kicks, and then a lead high kick.
Tuck has a toe that is totally fucked, bent the wrong way, he has changed stances. This is affecting his fight for sure, as he’s now heavy on his feet and only throwing big arm punches, one at a time.
Iaquinta takes Tuck down and the Serra/Longo fighter pounds on Tuck from Tuck’s half guard with punches. White, Cruz and Faber are all grossed out by Tuck’s toe. One of them makes a vomiting noise.
The horn sounds, Tuck immediately points to his toe for the ref to see. Doctors come in the cage to examine, point and stare. Great fight, best of luck to Tuck with that injury.
Iaquinta wins the decision, but really wins because he has 10 functioning toes. Eewww
Next up – Akbarh Arreola (19-6-1) vs. Myles Jury (9-0)
Akbarh, out of Mexico, is on a huge win streak, and it’s probably in his interest to keep on wining here since I can’t imagine it will be easy for him to successfully get on another international flight with that name any time soon.
Jury gets the takedown, in Arreola’s full guard. Jury lands some thudding body shots from inside the guard. Akbarh works for an arm bar, doesn’t get it, back in full guard. Jury with short elbows. Ref stand up at 2:52. Jury gets the takedown. White says, “Akbarh had better get some wrestling.” Hopefully he can pick some up at the store on his way home.
Interesting stories from Faber and Cruz about these fighters. Cruz says he commentated on a fight Jury fought in Brazil and Cruz talks about how some of his teammates have trained with Akbarh.
Another stand up from the ref at just under 1:30. Another takedown from Jury. This is why stand ups are not effective. One guy wrestles well, the other guy does not. No way you can stop that fight being on the ground.
Cruz tells how both these men were training partners for a long time and that it went back and forth in training between the two. Akbarh tries to get up but can’t, Jury ends the fight on top in the guard.
Jury gets the unanimous decision victory. Myles Jury is the final fighter in the house.
Faber, Cruz and White gather in front of the “winner’s circle/stonhedge”. Poor planning. The mini bleachers set up don’t even fit all the fighters as one awkwardly tries to kneel to listen to White talk and almost falls over. Live television, folks. Things get wild and crazy.
“You know how hard you’ve worked. This is only the beginning,” White tells the new cast of TUF. “We’ve got 13 weeks of busting ass in here…welcome to The Ultimate Fighter.”
On next Friday’s episode, Cruz and Faber will pick their teams and two fighters will be paired up and fight. Live fights every Friday night, folks, on FX at 10pm EST/PST.
(The California State Athletic Commission’s methods may have not been considered normal, but at least now no one can say they just gave Barnett a slap on the wrist.)
Current Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix participant and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett was issued a conditional license to fight in the state of California once again by the California State Athletic Commission Monday during a special meeting called to consider his case. Barnett failed a pre-fight drug test for steroids in 2009 as he readied to fight Fedor Emlianenko in the now defunct Affliction fight promotion. His license to fight in California was subsequently suspended and a later appeal for it to be lifted was denied.
Since that time, Barnett has been licensed and fought in both Ohio and Texas. However, Strikeforce has the next round of their heavyweight tournament scheduled to take place in California in mid-May, and Barnett is slated to face off against Dan Cormier. The commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for April but, as they explained today, that would not have been enough time to allow Strikeforce to effectively promote the card. So a special meeting was requested and approved for Barnett. Before today’s meeting, Barnett was subjected to, and passed, another drug test.
(The California State Athletic Commission’s methods may have not been considered normal, but at least now no one can say they just gave Barnett a slap on the wrist.)
Current Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix participant and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett was issued a conditional license to fight in the state of California once again by the California State Athletic Commission Monday during a special meeting called to consider his case. Barnett failed a pre-fight drug test for steroids in 2009 as he readied to fight Fedor Emlianenko in the now defunct Affliction fight promotion. His license to fight in California was subsequently suspended and a later appeal for it to be lifted was denied.
Since that time, Barnett has been licensed and fought in both Ohio and Texas. However, Strikeforce has the next round of their heavyweight tournament scheduled to take place in California in mid-May, and Barnett is slated to face off against Dan Cormier. The commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for April but, as they explained today, that would not have been enough time to allow Strikeforce to effectively promote the card. So a special meeting was requested and approved for Barnett. Before today’s meeting, Barnett was subjected to, and passed, another drug test.
According to California statutes, the burden to show fitness for licensure fell on Barnett. He made his case by emphasizing time passed since his last positive test (he also tested positive for anabolic steroids in Nevada in 2002), the tests he has subsequently passed, and his charitable and coaching work. Barnett mentioned everything from his organizing with the Red Cross a benefit concert for victims of the recent Japanese tsunami, to his support of women’s MMA to his coaching of youth wrestling, but still denied ever having “intentionally or knowingly” taken steroids.
After opening remarks from California Deputy Attorney General Karen Chappelle and Barnett’s attorney, “The Baby-Faced Assassin” made his own. “This is truly an international sport. I can fight anywhere in the world but I want to fight in California…. Hopefully I can convince you to allow me back in this great state and do what I love,” Barnett told the commission.
However, other remarks in his statement, describing his “utter shock” at his positive test in 2009 appeared to confuse several members of the commission as well as draw the ire of Ms. Chappelle. When questioned by the commission why he would have been shocked by his 2009 positive test, Barnett said that he had never “intentionally or knowingly” taken steroids. A commissioner followed by asking if Barnett was contending that the 2009 test results were not accurate.
While Barnett said that he “could not speak to the test” he maintained that he had never knowingly taken steroids and that there was a whole host of possibilities that could explain the results, including tainted supplements.
Ms. Chappelle seemed to feel that Barnett’s answers were somehow attempting to call in to question the validity of the 2009 test. She pointed out that her office had subpoenaed drug experts from the testing laboratories to prepare for an appeal process in 2009 but that, when he had the chance, Barnett chose not to appeal the test results. She said it was her understanding that Barnett would simply apologize for the 2009 positive test in this meeting and ask to be licensed once more.
Barnett’s attorney attempted to clarify and save face, stating that Barnett simply wanted to appear to ask to be able to fight on the strength of the fact that he has passed several tests since 2009, and has done community work.
The commission had three main options with Barnett: They could once more deny his application to fight in California. They could grant him an unconditional license to fight, or they could grant him a conditional license to fight, whereupon they could attach particular mandates to his license.
Barnett was grilled for a bit longer on the details of his community work and how, exactly, he feels he is smarter and better prepared to avoid future positive drug test results, but ultimately, the commission decided to go with the third option.
Commission Chair John Frierson explained succinctly, “we need good fighters in the state of California…I speak with the Governor often and he always asks me, ‘why don’t we have more big fights?’,” before entering a motion to grant a conditional license to Barnett.
Eventually, the motion was seconded and voted in favor of and Barnett was granted a license to fight in California, on the condition that he be subjected to random biological fluid tests prior to any fights in the state, with the timing to be at the discretion of the state’s staff.
Strikeforce executive Scott Coker was in attendance at the commission hearing but did not speak.
After the decision was rendered, Barnett once more addressed the commission, saying, “I intend to make everyone on the commission…believers. I hope to see you at fight and I hope to change your opinions.”
Commission Chair Frierson replied, “Please don’t let us down. We need good fights and we need good people.”
(After making his UFC featherweight debut Friday, Miller will finally be able to put his embarrassing past fighting as a morbidly obese fat man [above] behind him.)
Cole Miller is in Sydney, Australia cutting weight for the first time in years. The young UFC fighter has competed at lightweight (155 pounds) since he entered the organization in 2007, but before that time he often fought at 145 pounds.
The UFC didn’t used to have a 145-pound division and even after it purchased the WEC – which did feature lighter weight classes – Miller says he was intent on staying in the promotion in order to take advantage of its larger fight bonuses (which, incidentally, he’s won several of), so he stayed at lightweight.
But now the promotion has lighter weight divisions and this Friday Miller will once again return to fighting where he says he belongs: at featherweight.
(After making his UFC featherweight debut Friday, Miller will finally be able to put his embarrassing past fighting as a morbidly obese fat man [above] behind him.)
Cole Miller is in Sydney, Australia cutting weight for the first time in years. The young UFC fighter has competed at lightweight (155 pounds) since he entered the organization in 2007, but before that time he often fought at 145 pounds.
The UFC didn’t used to have a 145-pound division and even after it purchased the WEC – which did feature lighter weight classes – Miller says he was intent on staying in the promotion in order to take advantage of its larger fight bonuses (which, incidentally, he’s won several of), so he stayed at lightweight.
But now the promotion has lighter weight divisions and this Friday Miller will once again return to fighting where he says he belongs: at featherweight.
He arrived in Sydney on his own dime earlier than the UFC flew out the other fighters on the card to acclimate to the time zone change and resulting jet lag. “You spend almost an entire day in the air, not eating the food you should, getting dehydrated. And then you land and it takes another day to get used to the time change,” Miller says.
Still, the 6-foot-1 fighter doesn’t seem worried about making the 145 featherweight limit Thursday. “This will be the first time in a long time that I’m cutting weight but I’m not concerned about it,” Miller tells CagePotato. “[Does it] suck? Sure. It’s shitty because weight cutting is shitty. But it’s not an extreme weight cut. There’s no sauna. It’s a smart weight cut. I’ve been doing things the right way, with proper weight training and proper nutrition.”
Entering fight week at 10 pounds over his required weight, Miller (18-5) didn’t fret about having to cut the amount needed to make the featherweight limit . While losing ten pounds in a week may seem like a lot to us civilians, it is pretty much the bare minimum amount of weight that can be classified as a “cut” for professional fighters. But as a UFC lightweight, Miller says he was not cutting any weight at all, and therefore fought guys who, despite officially being in his weight class, could be as much as twenty pounds heavier come fight night after rehydrating from the prior day’s weigh-in.
Miller has total confidence in his skill set, but says that fighting fighters so much bigger and stronger than him got old.
“Yeah, the biggest thing was the strength,” Miller points out. “You don’t notice it solely in the fights. I notice it in training as well. You’re sparring with guys that weigh over 180lbs and here I am walking around at 164lbs with minimal dieting…My technique was the one thing keeping me competitive [at lightweight].”
“Magrinho” certainly didn’t decide to move down a class because he figured he would have an easier road to a title (“I feel that, skill wise, 145 and 155 are equal. If anything, usually the lower the weight the greater the technical ability of the guys there,” he says) and he also didn’t do it at the prodding of his coaches at the famously expert weight-cutting American Top Team.
“No, it’s something I always wanted to do. After the Matt Wiman loss I said, ‘Forget this, I’m going to featherweight,’ but it was my coaches that said not to be rash,” Miller explains. “I’m just fighting at 145 now because that’s my weight. I have the potential to do better there and climb the ladder better, simply because that’s actually my weight.”
Insisting that he won’t be fighting his own body after a tough weight cut, Miller will be primed to take on a tough young adversary in the form of Steven Siler (19-9) Friday night. Siler owns a UFC debut win and a submission on The Ultimate Fighter over Cole’s younger brother, Micah. Between his opponent’s impressive record and his “W” over his sibling, there’s little chance the elder Miller is overlooking his opponent.
“Obviously [Siler] is tough. He’s got a lot of wins. He’s got a decent amount of losses as well but that tells me that after each loss he comes back,” Miller credits Siler. “I know he’s got to respect my skill set. I’m training hard. I’m not underestimating him at all. If anything, I feel like I’m 0-0 in the UFC now. This is a new slate for me. Anything I’ve done in the past doesn’t even matter anymore. I need to go out here and make a statement.”
