Note: All quotes and material were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report through a one-on-one between Luke Harris and Bleacher Report’s Riley Kontek.
This episode begins with the coaches challenge. Patrick Cote wins the axe throw, Kyle Noke wins the crossbow challenge and Cote out-saws Noke for the victory. Nice chunk of change for us Canadians!
Messing with the Australian photos was purely out of boredom. At this point in the season, most of us were done fighting, so there wasn’t much else to do.
I borrowed lipstick (from Elias’ nighty-night kit) and Kajan Johnson went to town with the markers and drew a phallic symbol on Brendan’s face just to mess with him. He also drew Dan Kelly an Amish beard and hat. Honestly, it was all in good fun. Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Chad Laprise were also in on it, with Chad leaving a love note for Richard Walsh and Oli making confetti shaped like little penises.
OK, I admit, it got a little out of control, but we were bored. I never expected the Australians to actually get upset. The Aussies gutted the moose in return, which we thought was pretty funny. Kajan got the rise out of Brendan O’Reilly that he was looking for. Brendan confronted me, and I told him that I’d tell him who the culprit was…after the show.
This week’s fight is Oli vs. Richard. I really like Richard, but Oli is a beast. I believe all the hype on Oli. He’s very good in every aspect of MMA and has a similar pedigree to myself in grappling. He’s also a southpaw, which can present additional problems for his opponents.
Watching Richard prepare, he’s doing all the right things. He is looking to keep the fight standing and defending his back if he hits the ground. Richard is a very cognitive fighter and uses visualization to prepare for his fight. Regardless of the result of this fight, I see Richard doing well in this MMA wherever he decides to take it. He has a great work ethic. He’s a great fighter, and I’m sure a great coach.
Like I said, Olivier is like Dexter. He has a switch that he turns on right before a fight and changes from a fun-loving guy to a killer. I’m sure years of competing in judo and BJJ have developed this, and it works for him.
I helped Olivier cut weight for this fight like the last one, and it went perfectly. Richard looked like a bodybuilder on the scale. He’s a true 170er, while Oli has competed mostly at 155 pounds.
The fight started with Richard coming out aggressive and slightly getting the better of Oli in the striking exchange. In my opinion, Oli‘s a bit crazy, but he wanted to test his stand-up. Oli then took a single leg and pushed Richard to the cage. I knew it was the beginning of the end as Oli climbed to Richard’s back and secured a rear-naked choke.
Oli has a way of taking his opponents down and catching them as they try to scramble to their feet. Like myself, his strength lies in his transitions. Richard was dejected after the fight, as can be expected. He shaved his beard and looked like a completely different person. Richard will be back.
Three Canadians are in the finals so far; let’s see if we can make it four next week!
*Tune in next week to hear Luke’s thoughts on the continued tension between teams, more in-depth stories from the house, and his thoughts on the fight between Sheldon Westcott and Vik Grujic. Follow Luke on Twitter @HayabusaHarris, and follow his gym @Hayabusa_TC.
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