With American Top Team down three fights to none against the Blackzilians, would they finally capture the ever-elusive win in the fourth episode of The Ultimate Fighter?
Given their options, ATT owner Dan Lambert, shocked by Steve Carl’s poor performance in the previous episode, decided that Steve Montgomery was the guy to turn things around for his team. Montgomery, a 6’4″ southpaw who is massive for the division, is a matchup nightmare for many fighters in the division, which made the picks logical.
Unfortunately for Montgomery and ATT, he suffered a seizure in preparation for his weight cut, as he overloaded with water and didn’t put electrolytes into his body. It was a huge blow to an already low-morale ATT, but fortunately, Montgomery suffered no brain damage or anything like that.
However, Montgomery, for concern of his health by UFC president Dana White, was removed from the house. It’s a smart move, as fighter safety is always the highest concern.
The Blackzilians had already chosen Carrington Banks to compete before Montgomery’s unfortunate accident. They picked Banks thinking ATT would choose Nathan Coy, but ATT would go with Sabah Homasi on late notice to carry the banner.
The fight was probably the most exciting of the season and extremely close. In normal Blackzilian fashion, as we have seen on this season, Banks looked for takedowns and a grinding approach to go for the win. Fadai was the aggressor on the feet.
After three rounds, the judges awarded Banks the win in a razor-thin bout. It kept the shutout going for Glenn Robinson’s group, leaving ATT down 100-0 going into the next tier bouts.
That is the end of the 25-point fights, which leads into the start of next week’s 50-point round. For ATT, it’s a chance to make up ground on the Blackzilians, who have dominated the competition thus far.
Season Results
| Winner | Loser | Points | Leader |
| Kamaru Usman (BLK) | Mike Graves (ATT) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 25-0 |
| Luiz Firmino (BLK) | Uros Jurisic (ATT) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 50-0 |
| Valdir Araujo (BLK) | Steve Carl (ATT) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 75-0 |
| Carrington Banks (BLK) | Sabah Homasi (ATT) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 100-0 |
Notes and Observations
- Personally, I scored the bout 29-28 for Homasi, and here’s why. Banks was able to achieve some takedowns in the bout, but was never able to keep Homasi down OR land any damage. Otherwise, Homasi‘s aggression on the feet, control of the cage and output seemed to be better than that of Banks. It was close, but I definitely feel Homasi was the victor.
- Once again, Dana White criticized the lack of urgency and killer instinct of both fighters. This is four straight episodes where White was critical of the performances. That’s what happens when you have a cast full of grinders, I guess.
- You want to fix the problem they are having this season with the fights? Stop making the casts of this show lightweights and welterweights all the time. How many times have we had this makeup of casts in this weight class? They are the most occupied divisions in the UFC and really don’t need much bolstering right now. You know who does need bodies? Heavyweight, light heavyweight, flyweight and the women’s divisions all need added population at this point, but the UFC continues to feature the same weight classes on this show.
- We found out through the interviews that Sabah Homasi is a “female entertainer.” I believe that means he is a male stripper, but as Dan Lambert said, whatever he has to do to pay the bills is his business.
- I definitely feel for Steve Montgomery having that seizure, as I have had friends that have had those issues. Dana White said on the show that he could very well get his chance in the UFC after the show ends, but as of right now, Montgomery is back to the regional scene. He will be fighting in Florida on May 23 for a regional promotion.
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