(Video courtesy of Hulu.)
Apologies in advance for dropping the ball on last week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Jones vs. Sonnen, which we completely forgot to recap for reasons that are not immediately obvious (if only we could get Danga to set down the bong for like thirty seconds…). Long story short: Chael Sonnen emerged victorious from a Coaches Challenge that involved stacking tires with excavators (?) and Team Jones’ Dylan Andrews secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a majority decision victory over Zak Cummings. For this week’s “Wild Card” matchup, Team Jones’ Bubba McDaniel and Team Sonnen’s Kevin Casey were selected.
To find out which fighter secured the final spot in the TUF 17 bracket, as well as the rest of last night’s highlights, join us after the jump.
– In a final effort to make us sympathize with noted codpiece Bubba McDaniel, last night’s episode began with McDaniel telling us his “I’m a poor little sad sack” story about how he can’t see his daughter because he is too far in debt.
I don’t know why I just downplayed a story as sad as that for laughs, and I apologize. God I’m dead inside…
– Back at the house, Josh Samman is inspired by McDaniel’s failed call out of Casey earlier in the season and proceeds to call out Jimmy Quinlan, who responds with a terrible fisherman pun that I probably would have made at some point in this recap had he not done it for me. Although Quinlan expresses a desire for the matchup, Uriah Hall throws his name into the proverbial hat and Quinlan eventually agrees that he’d rather see Hall “beat the piss out of” Samman than do it himself.
– The massive cut on Casey’s head is still tender, so he uses some kind of Kendo mask to make sure it doesn’t reopen in training. Coach Sonnen states that he doesn’t just want to see Casey win but live up to the potential he failed to reach in his preliminary fight against Collin Hart.
– It’s Thanksgiving time at the TUF household, y’all, and Sonnen and Jones are in the building. During a heartfelt toast, Sonnen is forced to admit that “It’s a severe disappointment to find out what a good guy” Jones is, and jokes about animosity not being his style. You guys, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. After Jones beats Sonnen in the worst way possible as he promises to do, of course.
Meanwhile, Bubba is pissed off that he can’t partake in the festivities and lashes out at his housemates gluttony in the confessional. Because he should be given the second chance that none of his other eliminated teammates received and some of their mashed potatoes. I recant my previous apology.
– Fight time! Round 1: After a brief opening exchange, Casey pulls guard and works for a guillotine before the two pop back up to their feet. Casey secures a trip takedown and easily passes Bubba’s guard, but is unable to do much other than control McDaniel’s posture (or as GSP fans call it, “complete and utter domination” TROLOLOLOL). Bubba throws up a couple unsuccessful triangle attempts and gets to his feet, but gets taken down again with less than 30 seconds left in the round. 10-9 Casey
Round 2: Jones urges Bubba to stay out of the clinch in the second, and is obliged for three whole seconds before Bubba does just that. This does not make assistant coach Mir very happy. Bubba continues to do some body work from the clinch until Casey drops into a completely telegraphed guillotine attempt, showing obvious signs of tiring as he does. McDaniel goes to work from on top for the rest of the round, landing body shots and elbows on a helpless Casey. 10-9 McDaniel and we are going to a third round.
Round 3: Well, the UFC promised a “shocking” ending to this fight and that’s what we’re given. Not in the Uriah Hall “Did he died?” kind of way, but more in the Nick “Wouldn’t Get Up From Butt Scoot” Serra kind of way, as Casey gives up on the stool in between rounds. During the freaking wild card fight. Redemption: Failed.
– Anyways, McDaniel starts celebrating like he owns the place and asks Dana if he gets one of those tasty $5000 finish bonuses. Dude, just be happy your back in the tournament. Dana ends up giving him one anyway.
Sonnen is shocked that a cardio machine like Casey gassed out, but once they get back to the locker room, it appears that something out of the ordinary is wrong with him. Turns out, Casey once suffered a kidney failure during a fight back in 2010 and thought it was happening to him again. Casey leaves in an ambulance to undergo some preliminary tests.
Now, onto the quarterfinal matchups, which are as follows:
– Collin Hart vs. Kelvin Gastelum
– Luke Barnatt vs. Dylan Andrews
– Josh Samman vs. Jimmy Quinlan
– Uriah Hall vs. Bubba McDaniel
Next week, we will be treated to a pair of fights: Hart vs. Gastelum and Barnatt vs. Andrews. Tune in to find out who will punch their ticket to the semis.
Team Sonnen
Luke Barnatt – quarterfinalist, defeated Gilbert Smith
Uriah Hall – quarterfinalist, defeated Adam Cella
Zak Cummings
Tor Troeng
Jimmy Quinlan – quarterfinalist, defeated Clint Hester
Kevin Casey
Kelvin Gastelum – quarterfinalist, defeated Robert “Bubba” McDaniel
Team Jones
Clint Hester
Josh Samman — quarterfinalist, defeated Tor Troeng
Robert “Bubba” McDaniel — quarterfinalist, defeated Kevin Casey
Gilbert Smith
Collin Hart – quarterfinalist, defeated Kevin Casey
Adam Cella
Dylan Andrews — quarterfinalist, defeated Zak Cummings