With American Top Team reeling and the Blackzilians streaking, who would snag the last 50-point fight going into the final round? That was the big question going into episode eight of The Ultimate Fighter 21.
Following the last fight between Vicente Luque and Nathan Coy, Blackzilian owner Glenn Robinson decided that the only fighter yet to compete, Felipe Portela, would fight next for the Blackzilians. It was on Portela to keep the momentum and keep home-gym advantage.
On the other end, ATT owner Dan Lambert and his coaches knew they needed to get a win going into the final round. So, they went with the only guy to secure a win so far in Hayder Hassan, who fought three episodes ago in a winning effort against Andrews Nakahara.
The focus on the build-up to this fight was their previous encounter, as Hassan faced Portela in Titan FC. In that bout, Hassan knocked out Portela in the first round.
In one of the best, if not the best, fight of the season thus far, Hassan was able to secure a two-round majority decision. It was his takedown defense and superior striking that was able to score him the win, though Portela showed great toughness in absorbing the shots that he did.
After the fight, Robinson questioned the referee and judges, making excuses for Portela and claiming victory for the Blackzilians. Regardless of his opinion, the score now sits at 200-100 for the Blackzilians, as we have the final four fights worth 100 points each coming up next.
Season Results
| Winner | Loser | Points | Leader |
| Kamaru Usman (B) | Mike Graves (A) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 25-0 |
| Luiz Firmino (B) | Uros Jurisic (A) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 50-0 |
| Valdir Araujo (B) | Steve Carl (A) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 75-0 |
| Carrington Banks (B) | Sabah Homasi (A) | 25 | Blackzilians lead 100-0 |
| Hayder Hassan (A) | Andrews Nakahara (B) | 50 | Blackzilians lead 100-50 |
| Jason Jackson (B) | Marcelo Alfaya (A) | 50 | Blackzilians lead 150-50 |
| Vicente Luque (B) | Nathan Coy (A) | 50 | Blackzilians lead 200-50 |
| Hayder Hassan (A) | Felipe Portela (B) | 50 | Blackzilians lead 200-100 |
Notes and Observations
- I have to say, I am pretty surprised the UFC used footage from Titan FC on the broadcast of this episode. The show is on Fox Sports, while Titan FC is aired on CBS Sports. That said, it was nice to see, to show fans what happened in the first encounter between Hassan and Portela.
- I have said it a couple of times, and I will say it again. I love the atmosphere during the fights this season. Most seasons, it’s dead silence and all you hear is the coaches. This season, you have both gyms causing a ruckus in the gym. It’s fun to see and hear, making the fights feel like they have more meaning.
- Glenn Robinson said that the fight should have went three rounds and I very much disagree. Although I think the fights should be three rounds to begin with, Hassan clearly won both rounds and it wasn’t even that close. All the Blackzilians were complaining about that, as well as the cage grabbing and other things. They have been winning all season, but now that they have tasted defeat, they haven’t been gracious in defeat.
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