Coach Dominick Cruz and his coaches are giddy on how good they think James Vick will be. At one point they are off in a corner of the gym almost snickering at how no one but them knows how good the lanky young fighter is.
“He’s making it to the finals,” Cruz says.
Cruz says that Vick listens well and is an open book.
Dana White comes in and for some reason is the one to make the announcement that Cruz has torn his ACL and is out of the fight with Faber, though he will stay on as coach. We all knew at this point that Cruz had injured himself this week, but I guess I expected that this week’s episode would have footage and put a little more drama into it.
It is just as well because we need all the time we can get for tonight’s two matchups of Cruz’ James Vick vs. Joe Proctor and Justin Lawrence vs. Faber’s Mike Chiesa.
Coach Dominick Cruz and his coaches are giddy on how good they think James Vick will be. At one point they are off in a corner of the gym almost snickering at how no one but them knows how good the lanky young fighter is.
“He’s making it to the finals,” Cruz says.
Cruz says that Vick listens well and is an open book.
Dana White comes in and for some reason is the one to make the announcement that Cruz has torn his ACL and is out of the fight with Faber, though he will stay on as coach. We all knew at this point that Cruz had injured himself this week, but I guess I expected that this week’s episode would have footage and put a little more drama into it.
It is just as well because we need all the time we can get for tonight’s two matchups of Cruz’ James Vick vs. Joe Proctor and Justin Lawrence vs. Faber’s Mike Chiesa.
Fight Time!
Proctor vs. Vick
Rd 1
Vick backs up Proctor with jab and left kick feints for a minute then lands a one-two-three to the body combo. More feints and pawing jabs from Vick as he stalks Proctor.
At just under a minute, Proctor shoots in for a double leg takedown but gets stuffed by Vick. Proctor lands a clean over hand right to Vick’s chin.
Vick forces a Thai plum and lands knees to the body and his own overhand right. Vick lands an uppercut, Proctor lands a cross, hook combo. Vick responds with his own cross that lands. Proctor fires back, lands and Vick hits back with a head kick that is mostly blocked.
Vick lands a right cross from a distance, using his reach. Proctor comes in closer, throws a body kick but is countered with a left hook. Another uppercut from Vick lands. Proctor lands a straight cross, Vick swings and misses with a head kick.
Rd 2
Vick keeping Proctor at the end of his long arms with feints. And a left body kick and left jab.
Proctor shoots in and gets a big slam but Vick stands right back up. Proctor grabs hold of Vick’s next from the side with a rear-naked choke type grip, Vick defends and gets a single leg takedown – landing in side mount.
Vick looks indecisive and uncomfortable from the side mount and stands up, letting Proctor go. Proctor lands a nice right hand to the face. Vick lands an uppercut to the head and two knees to the body.
Proctor counters an uppercut from Vick with a straight cross with thirty seconds left. Proctor finally making Vick pay for keeping his hands so low and lands two more right crosses.
–
Decision time!
Vick wins both rounds on all judges’ scorecards. “I feel like everything is coming together for me at the right time.”
Fight Time!
Chiesa vs. Lawrence
Rd 1
Lots of feints and then the young Lawrence begins making mistakes. First, he throws a head kick with no set up at the wrestler Chiesa, who uses that to slam him onto the ground. Lawrence snaps back up to his feet where he is pressed up against the cage by Chiesa.
From there, Lawrence turns and gives up his back while trying to escape, gets taken down with Chiesa on his back. Lawrence successfully turns into Chiesa and puts him on his back, in full guard.
Chiesa shoots his hips up for an armbar attempt. Lawrence stands and defends. Chiesa slaps on a triangle attempt and again Lawrence defends. He is in Chiesa’s half guard now, raining punches down.
Chiesa recomposes to the full guard and locks it up high. From the full guard Chiesa throws non-stop combinations of sweep, keylock and guillotine attempts at Lawrence, who defends. Lawrence backs Chiesa up on the fence but Chiesa manages to throw another triangle attempt on with under one minute left. Chiesa throws elbows to Lawrence’s head from the triangle position until the horn sounds.
Rd 2.
Lawrence comes out with a body kick and almost gets taken down again for it. Coach Cruz immediately begins yelling out that he should use “boxing only” on his feet to avoid making Chiesa’s job of taking him down easier.
Lawrence doesn’t and immediately throws a head kick. Now Lawrence is swinging with his fists – he lands a big overhand right and then a left hook that stuns Chiesa. Lawrence lands another left hook but follows up with a body kick that Chiesa grabs and nearly takes him down with again.
Lawrence frees himself up and Cruz yells out that he throw no more kicks. Lawrence lands another big overhand right, followed by a left hook-overhand right combo to the head of Chiesa.
Chiesa throws a double jab, Lawrence backs straight up, and the second jab lands. Chiesa throws a spinning reverse elbow but Lawrence closes the distance, jams him up and the elbow doesn’t land. Chiesa throws and lands a flying knee to the head of Lawrence.
Lawrence is finding his range now, mixing up head and body punches in combos. One body shot lands flush and drops Chiesa to the mat, face first!
Lawrence follows up and throws punches at the turtled-up Chiesa. Lawrence then chooses to grab the torso of the downed Chiesa, giving Mike a chance to go for a submission.
Chiesa grabs ahold of Lawrence’s left arm and torques a keylock. Lawrence stands and defends. Lawrence back in Chiesa’s full guard. Chiesa lands elbows, Lawrence stands with five seconds left and throws punches. The horn sounds.
Dana White is in the cage, announces that we are going to a sudden death victory round three!
Rd 3
Chiesa throws a knee, Lawrence grabs it and slams him to the mat. Lawrence is in Chiesa’s full guard. Chiesa sits up and sweeps Lawrence over.
Chiesa is in mount and begins raining down punches on Lawrence. Lawrence covers up but makes no attempt to escape and most of Chiesa’s punches get through.
The referee stops the bout one minute into the third round. The gym erupts in cheers and hooting from Team Faber.
Chiesa tells Jon Anik that this was the toughest fight of his career.
This season’s TUF features live fights each week but everything before that are taped highlights of how the fighters and their teams and coaches have spent the past week. By the looks of what we saw on episode 3, a good amount of what Team Cruz did before getting ready for the next bout was making fun of how Dominick Cruz mind fucked the whole of Team Faber last week.
Cruz coach Lloyd Irvin gleefully recounted how, after choosing overall number one pick Justin Lawrence to fight this week, Dominick Cruz told Faber that he could choose who, from his team wanted to fight. Faber was shocked by Cruz giving up matchmaking power that he had earned after James Vick KO’s Daron Cruickshank and asked his team who wanted to fight.
No one raised their hands. And, as Irvin pointed out, many of them were all but looking up at the sky, whistling. A flustered Faber gave the pick back to Cruz, who chose the most accomplished fighter in the house, Cristian Marcello.
Faber lets us know, during an interview, that he really is trying to contain his rage at Cruz. “I’m doing my best to hold it together,” he says. “But, you know, I want to punch the guy right in the face,” bro. Ok, I added the “bro,” in. But no matter what Faber is saying, his surferspeak always makes it sound like he’s inviting you to go catch a few waves or telling you about the killer party he’s throwing next weekend, and could you please pitch in for the keg.
From the little we’d seen thus from Lawrence, the fact that he trains at Blackhouse, and Marcello’s pedigree and experience, this seemed more like a TUF Final than a first round bout.
But before we get to the fight itself – Chris Tickle’s annoying ass, ladies and gentlemen. Episode 3 featured the Team Cruz fighter, being a smart ass in teasing Team Faber members, acting all sensitive when teased him, trying to spar with ear rings in, destroying parking lot signs, using perhaps the most quickly passing case of diarrhea to avoid training and (yes, really) wearing a fucking gas mask during an interview.
Back in the house, Tickle worked hard to tell Team Faber members how stupid they looked in not raising their hands when their coach asked them who they wanted to fight. But Justin Lawrence made it clear that it wasn’t just Team Faber guys who were annoyed by Tickle.
As reels ran showing Tickle’s hilarious, totally disruptive and incredibly creative “prank” of pulling out Urijah Faber’s parking space sign out of the ground, Lawrence delivered the play by play with about as much excitement as one could imagine him having to describe clipping his own toe nails. Lawrence says Tickle is “obnoxious.”
This season’s TUF features live fights each week but everything before that are taped highlights of how the fighters and their teams and coaches have spent the past week. By the looks of what we saw on episode 3, a good amount of what Team Cruz did before getting ready for the next bout was making fun of how Dominick Cruzmind fucked the whole of Team Faber last week.
Cruz coach Lloyd Irvin gleefully recounted how, after choosing overall number one pick Justin Lawrence to fight this week, Dominick Cruz told Faber that he could choose who, from his team wanted to fight. Faber was shocked by Cruz giving up matchmaking power that he had earned after James Vick KO’s Daron Cruickshank and asked his team who wanted to fight.
No one raised their hands. And, as Irvin pointed out, many of them were all but looking up at the sky, whistling. A flustered Faber gave the pick back to Cruz, who chose the most accomplished fighter in the house, Cristian Marcello.
Faber lets us know, during an interview, that he really is trying to contain his rage at Cruz. “I’m doing my best to hold it together,” he says. “But, you know, I want to punch the guy right in the face,” bro. Ok, I added the “bro,” in. But no matter what Faber is saying, his surferspeak always makes it sound like he’s inviting you to go catch a few waves or telling you about the killer party he’s throwing next weekend, and could you please pitch in for the keg.
From the little we’d seen thus from Lawrence, the fact that he trains at Blackhouse, and Marcello’s pedigree and experience, this seemed more like a TUF Final than a first round bout.
But before we get to the fight itself – Chris Tickle’s annoying ass, ladies and gentlemen. Episode 3 featured the Team Cruz fighter, being a smart ass in teasing Team Faber members, acting all sensitive when teased him, trying to spar with ear rings in, destroying parking lot signs, using perhaps the most quickly passing case of diarrhea to avoid training and (yes, really) wearing a fucking gas mask during an interview.
Back in the house, Tickle worked hard to tell Team Faber members how stupid they looked in not raising their hands when their coach asked them who they wanted to fight. But Justin Lawrence made it clear that it wasn’t just Team Faber guys who were annoyed by Tickle.
As reels ran showing Tickle’s hilarious, totally disruptive and incredibly creative “prank” of pulling out Urijah Faber’s parking space sign out of the ground, Lawrence delivered the play by play with about as much excitement as one could imagine him having to describe clipping his own toe nails. Lawrence says Tickle is “obnoxious.”
Fighters on past seasons of TUF were prohibited from bringing all sorts of personal effects with them, including cell phones, bring books, read newspapers, watch television or listen to the radio. Looks like they were unaware of the “gasmask” loophole. Tickle sits in the van with his team on the way to the training center looking like a dufus wearing a gas mask. “I brought this from home,” he explains. O RLY?
Inside the training center, Tickle has already lost the respect of his coaches, who are convinced that he will do anything to avoid training hard. First, he is late to getting in the ring because of how long he takes to tape his feet. Next, he forgets to take out his earrings, so he has to take his gear off to take them out.
After much prodding and a couple delays, Tickle is finally in the cage training when he informs Cruz that he “has diarrhea,” and has to stop training and leave the cage. Cruz is not pleased and he and his coaches discuss the problem that has already become Tickle. After training, Cruz takes aside Tickle and explains how important it is for him to train hard every day, all practice long, because he will likely soon be fighting himself, and because he has potential.
In an interview, Tickle explains how this made him very upset. “I’ve never had a coach in my career,” he says, perhaps explaining a whole lot. “I don’t care if you like me. I’m here to fight and win.” And make poopy.
As Team Faber comes into the gym, a couple of them, including John Cofer walk in funny and say that Tickle walks like that. Where Cruz’ coaching, advice and encouragement annoyed Tickle, this makes him fucking livid.
“I don’t walk like that, bro,” he tells Cofer. He then chases down Cofer in Team Faber’s locker room and repeatedly talks about how offended he is by Cofer being a “smart ass,” but does absolutely nothing about it. Cofer later tells his coach, “I know who I want to fight.”
In an interview, Tickle, still looking incensed says, “since I was 8 years old I don’t put up with anyone’s shit. And I never will.” Either he’s trolling or he just took it to a dark place, no joke. Something happened to him before he was 8 that he’s using to create hate for Cofer. Yikes.
Faber blames Cruz personally for Tickle taking his parking sign. So he defaces Cruz’ giant portrait to make him look like Count Dracula, or something, he says. Later on, Team Cruz one-up him by making a thong out of string to cover up what they call Faber’s “giant chin butt.” Funny, I’ve never noticed that before. I’m sure you hadn’t either.
Faber plays it cool when he sees that. “Cool, a Faberkini,” he says. Stay chill, Urijah. Stay chill.
Marcello prepares for Lawrence by trying to be unpredictable on the feet – faking shots and coming at him with strikes. He seems to want to knock out Lawrence, even though the kid looks to be a far better striker. Seem like a crazy idea?
Well, as Faber coach Justin Buchholz says, “Don’t discount crazy.”
Meanwhile, Cruz is training Lawrence to get ready to make Marcello pay for shooting in and to be prepared for unorthodox BJJ takedowns. Assistant coach Wilson Reis is there to show Lawrence what Cruz is talking about.
Back at the TUF house, Marcello says, “I have something he don’t have,” pointing to photos of his children and wife. “They give me strength, they give me power.”
Weigh in time!
Both Lawrence and Marcello make weight and have what is edited to be one of the longest staredowns ever. Marcello gets in Lawrence’s face Chute Box style and even tries the “made you flinch,” move. Lawrence does not flinch. They both smile.
Fight Time!
We’re live now and the coaches are giving their fighters their pre-fight advice. “We need to kill, Cruz tells Lawrence.
Lawrence circles, keeping his distance. Lawrence feints constantly and Marcello stalks from a safe distance. Lawrence lands an inside leg kick and overhand right. Lawrence perhaps gets a bit too close and Marcello chases him down with wild strike attempts. Lawrence turns and runs to get out of harm’s way. More feinting from Lawrence before he lands a push kick that drops Marcello.
Marcello gets back to his feet and Lawrence barely misses with a couple overhand rights. Marcello shoots in, gets stuffed.
More circling from Lawrence. Push kick from Marcello. In the last fifteen seconds, Lawrence throws a side kick that doesn’t connect but backs Marcello up. Marcello returns fire with a cross-left hook combo that doesn’t connect but also backs up Lawrence. The round with the two fighters each throwing kicks simultaneously.
Round 2 – Lawrence stays a little more in range at the start and is a little more active with kicks and punches. Thirty seconds in Marcello uses that shorter range to go for a high shot and work double underhooks.
He drives Lawrence back into the cage but lets go to swing a wild right hand that misses. Lawrence lands a punch to Marcello’s head. Marcello throws two head kicks that are blocked by Lawrence. Cruz tells Lawrence to begin countering off of those.
A spinning back kick from Lawrence whiffs. Marcello lands a left hook and then a right cross. Faber yells for him to keep his chin down. Marcello throws a kick, Lawrence changes levels and dumps Marcello but does not follow him to the ground.
Marcello stands up. Lawrence lands a jab then a rear push kick to the body. A jab from Lawrence. Marcello seems to feels a sense of urgency with three minutes left in the fight starts and begins stalking Lawrence more aggressively. He walks into a jab that drops him.
Marcello stands up and is immediately hit with another jab. Lawrence with a right hand. Lawrence lands a left hook. Lawrence hits a jab to the face of Marcello, and then a push kick to the body. These shots seem to be taking their toll on the wind of Marcello.
After a couple minutes of his corner yelling for him to feint the right hand cross and then throw his power hook, Lawrence finally does just that, as Faber had feared he would in training, and knocks Marcello out.
TUF host Jon Anik asks Lawrence how he’s reacting to being the number one pick overall in the post fight interview. “There is added pressure from being number one…but that’s something I’ve got to get used to,” Lawrence says.
Marcello uses his post-fight interview to pitch himself to Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for this summer’s big Rio card. “Give me the opportunity to fight in Brazil,” he asks. The oldest fighter in the house calls Lawrence a “great kid.”
Team Cruz goes to 2-0.
They go RIGHT TO picking the next match up. A camera man falls down from the excitement and fast pace.
No shenanigans from Cruz this time around as he picks Myles Jury and Al Iaqunita from Team Faber to go at it next week.
(It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, with one lucky winner picking up a six-figure UFC contract and an immediate shot at Aaron Riley. / Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/TUF)
In case you weren’t able to watch Friday night’s marathon premiere of The Ultimate Fighter Live — or read our thoroughly detailed recap — here’s the short version: The porn-star will not be moving into the house, Jon Tuck nearly got his toe ripped off, and half of the 16 one-round fights ended via stoppage. Follow us after the jump, and we’ll show you every single one of those stoppages, in a series of GIFs courtesy of IronForgesIron. Enjoy, and let us know who you think will go all the way…
(It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, with one lucky winner picking up a six-figure UFC contract and an immediate shot at Aaron Riley. / Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/TUF)
In case you weren’t able to watch Friday night’s marathon premiere of The Ultimate Fighter Live — or read our thoroughly detailed recap — here’s the short version: The porn-star will not be moving into the house, Jon Tuck nearly got his toe ripped off, and half of the 16 one-round fights ended via stoppage. Follow us after the jump, and we’ll show you every single one of those stoppages, in a series of GIFs courtesy of IronForgesIron. Enjoy, and let us know who you think will go all the way…
(Joe Proctor def. Jordan Rinaldi via guillotine choke)
(Cristiano Marcello def. Jared Carlsten via rear-naked choke)
