Tag: MMA

Although the wild card is kind of a purgatory fight, I guess it’s technically part of the first round so now we’re officially on to Round 2 aka the quarterfinals. In the season’s first small miracle, we’ve got four representatives from Team Lesnar and four from Team dos Santos so no breaking ranks quite yet.

Forgoing any pomp and circumstance, Dana White simply announces the matchups he (presumably) picked and they are as follows:

 

Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos

Clay Harvison vs. Ramsey Nijem

Chris Cope vs. Shamar Bailey

Chuck O’Neil vs. Zach Davis

Tony Ferguson vs. Ryan McGillivray

 

Some interesting pairings in there including the grudge match between Chris “Cock-a-Doodle-Do” Cope and Shamar “Sleeping Beauty” Bailey plus a rematch between O’Neil and Davis. Although that first contest might not be much of one considering this gem from Brock Lesnar: “Should be an interesting fight, a wrestler versus…Chris.”

Meanwhile, the other two bouts might just feature the most dangerous fighters in the house. All in all, some quality material right there.

Tune in next week when we’re back live for the first two quarterfinal clashes.

Nothing spectacular to report from the weigh-ins other than some dudes in skimpy clothing so let’s just breeze on by that.

Dana White doesn’t have many nice things to say about Javier Torres based on the competitor’s first fight and I can’t say as I blame the UFC prez. He was dutifully impressed by Chuck O’Neil, though, so it’s easy to see where he’s going with this bout.

A back-and-forth first round establishes Torres as the more fluid and comfortable striker, and seemingly the stronger of the two fighters based on the ease with which he was able to fend of O’Neil’s clinches/takedown attempts.

Nevertheless, it’s Cold Steel who is the constant aggressor while Javier looks very pretty dancing and juking around, but is mustering little-to-no offense. Consequently, I’d give the first to Chuck, 10-9.

The second is far easier to score as Torres continues to get the better of the striking in the early going and then scores a nice trip. But he can’t keep O’Neil on the ground and, as soon as he scrambles back to his feet, Team Lesnar’s entrant (O’Neil) finally scores his own elusive takedown.

From there, it’s clear Javier is a fish out of water—O’Neil sits in half guard and alternates between pounding on Javier’s ribs, then working his left arm for a kimura. This goes on for a couple minutes until Torres finally thrashes free.

And rolls right into a fatal D’Arce choke that ends the bout.

Chuck O’Neil defeats Javier Torres by submission (D’Arce choke) at 4:30 of the second round.

Fantastic slow play by Dana White there: “I’m not sure how many people know this, but…”

Yeah, we ALL know that Brock Lesnar tried out for the Minnesota Vikings. That’s one of the first nuggets everyone learns about the Minnesota Mountain. It’s part of his uber-athletic lore so it seems awfully convenient that the TUF producers choose his season for the football coaches challenge.

As Dana says, however, the football drills are more about agility than specialized coordination that would give Brock a decisive edge—unless he was trying out to be the Vikes’ placekicker or quarterback. He’ll should feel more comfortable, but that’s about it.

And, sure enough, they both breeze through the agility portion before getting gummed up with the field goal.

You know the Brazilian Junior dos Santos played soccer at some point so it makes sense that he’s the first to sneak the pigskin through the uprights. What doesn’t make sense is how coordinated fighters both look so awkward trying to throw a football.

C’mon fellas!

JDS is the first to pierce the target and then starts hotdogging it down the field with a comfortable buffer between Lesnar and the $15,000 that’s at stake. Considering ESPN just revealed that Brock is the highest paid mixed martial artist, I’d say that’s a righteous outcome.

Especially when the man-child dos Santos reveals he gave money to Team Lesnar and acts the fool with his teammates.

I’ll say it again, it’s impossible not to like Junior dos Santos.

Poor Len Bentley.

Perhaps that dude doesn’t know that these Ultimate Fighter episodes are broadcast for all the world to see…including Brock Lesnar.

I’m guessing the Vanilla Gorilla ain’t gonna take too kindly to Bentley’s words of praise for the big fella. You know, like saying Brock is “selfish,” saying he’s “rude,” calling him out on having fewer fights than Len, claiming Lesnar only coached for the cameras, saying everything out of his mouth was annoying, etc.

And all through a look of dismissive arrogance that’s probably a lot easier to maintain when speaking into a lens rather than the man’s face.

Of course, it’s tough to take anything Len said seriously when he opened the salvo with a proclamation that he’d fight Brock Lesnar, that he wasn’t scared.

Well, scared or not, that’d be a colossally stupid scrap to pick—Bentley isn’t a world-beater based on what he’s shown and Brock isn’t some slow oaf at 265 pounds. It would make for some excellent unintentional comedy, though.

Oh, and it bears mentioning that Len didn’t fire any of that tough talk up when staring the former champ in the grill.

Shocker.