Team Cruz’s Vinc Pichel and Team Faber’s Al Iaquinta have reached the semifinals for this season of TUF: Live.
In the two quarterfinal bouts tonight, Vinc Pichel managed to overcome a game but counterfighting Chris Saunders from Team Faber. Pichel opened hard with an inside leg kick and took center of the Octagon. Pichel drove forward with punches and attempted a single, but couldn’t get it. Yet, this would be prove to be his approach over the course of the fight – one that paid dividends later. Pichel again threw strikes and switched to a double and secured it, but not before Saunders hit an outside switch and reversed it as the round ended.
In the second frame, Pichael started to take over and this time scored a solid double. With less than a minute left, Saunders took Pichel’s back in another scramble, but with only one hook and loses it. Pichel fired and landed at close range at the end of the second round. It was enough to take the fight, earning a majority decision on the judges score cards 20-18, 20-18, 19-19.
In the other quarterfinal bout of the evening, Team Faber’s Al Iaquinta easily dispatched fellow teammate Andy Ogle. Iaquinta took center of the cage right from the start. Ogle’s right eye appeared to be bothering him immensely, either from an eye poke or contact, but managed to fought on. Late into the first frame, however, the Brit was dropped and immediately appeared to be in bad shape. He fought through and even attempted to rebound to his feet, but ate an elbow in the process, which sent him crashing to the mat. Referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the action at 4:44 of round one.
Pichel will now face Al Iaquinta in semifinal action. In the other semifinal bout, James Vick will face Mike Chiesa.
“We’ve spared the whole time here,” Iaquinta said of facing his teammate Ogle. As for moving on to Iaquinta in the semifinals: “I’m ready to go, let’s do it.”