Tag: The Ultimate Fighter

After Unfavorable Portrayal in Season 18, Ronda Rousey Claims She “No Longer Supports” The Ultimate Fighter

(A vote against wholesome, quality entertainment like this is a vote against America, IMHO.)

It would be hard to deny that the MMA commentsphere’s seething hatred of all things Ronda Rousey was ever more intense than during her coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter 18. Whether it was her brash personality, her wild mood swings, or her inability to be humble in victory or classy in defeat, it’s safe to say that “Rowdy” rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way by the time TUF had finished taping. Not that affected her ability to kick ass in the slightest, because well, Rousey is the kind of crazy that cannot be phased by unfavorable media coverage. Or trash-talk. Or the skillset of 99% of her opponents.

In any case, Rousey recently spoke with Sportsnet about her time on the show, and when the discussion shifted to the “infamous” brawl between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen on this season’s TUF Brazil, the women’s champ revealed that not even she supports the reality show that many feel has long overstayed its welcome:

I don’t watch ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ now that I know how much bull is in it. I don’t support it.

They don’t know the first thing about fighting. They only know about reality TV and they treated us like we were ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and not elite athletes that should be respected. 

You hear that? Ronda Rousey just sort-of referred to Miesha Tate as an “elite athlete.” Can we all forgive her for that whole handshake diss now?


(A vote against wholesome, quality entertainment like this is a vote against America, IMHO.)

It would be hard to deny that the MMA commentsphere’s seething hatred of all things Ronda Rousey was ever more intense than during her coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter 18. Whether it was her brash personality, her wild mood swings, or her inability to be humble in victory or classy in defeat, it’s safe to say that “Rowdy” rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way by the time TUF had finished taping. Not that affected her ability to kick ass in the slightest, because well, Rousey is the kind of crazy that cannot be phased by unfavorable media coverage. Or trash-talk. Or the skillset of 99% of her opponents.

In any case, Rousey recently spoke with Sportsnet about her time on the show, and when the discussion shifted to the “infamous” brawl between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen on this season’s TUF Brazil, the women’s champ revealed that not even she supports the reality show that many feel has long overstayed its welcome:

I don’t watch ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ now that I know how much bull is in it. I don’t support it.

They don’t know the first thing about fighting. They only know about reality TV and they treated us like we were ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and not elite athletes that should be respected. 

You hear that? Ronda Rousey just sort-of referred to Miesha Tate as an “elite athlete.” Can we all forgive her for that whole handshake diss now?

Having briefly been employed in the soulless, hackneyed landscape that is reality television, I have to agree with Ronda here. Reality television producers are greasy-palmed, ghoulish characters who will use whatever editing tricks they need in order to fabricate drama, often out of thin air and with no regard to the integrity of the people they are portraying.

Take for instance, when Tate attempted to shake hands with Rousey following a victory in episode 7, only to have Rousey and Marina Shafir flip her the bird in response. Did you know that Rousey was actually giving her a thumbs up, and that those trickster TUF editors blurred it to make it *look* as if she was giving Tate the universal symbol for go fuck yourself? Or that the moment where Rousey defeated Tate in the coaches’ challenge and yelled “Fuck you, bitch!” while flipping her off was actually done using body doubles, 3D image scanners, and performance capture technology? Or that when, even after TUF had wrapped, the producers injected Rousey with a combination of horse tranquilizer and estrogen prior to her TUF 18 Finale interview to make her appear frigid and uninterested? Like I said, bastards all, those reality show producers are.

Which reminds me, has anyone been watching TUF 19? I know the rapport between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar seemed respectful during the premiere, but I literally have not caught a second of the show since. That said, I really hope that one guy who’s struggling to support his wife and three kids wins this season. You know, the one with the tribal arm band and perpetual stubble who didn’t come to make any friends and never leaves it in the hands of the judges. Yeah, go that guy.

–J. Jones

Ronda Rousey on TUF: They Treated Us Like ‘Real Housewives,’ Not Fighters

Ronda Rousey refuses to watch The Ultimate Fighter after being exposed to the show’s inner workings while coaching Season 18 across from her rival, Miesha Tate. 
Rousey, once a fan of the show, recently spoke with Sportsnet Canada, expressing…

Ronda Rousey refuses to watch The Ultimate Fighter after being exposed to the show’s inner workings while coaching Season 18 across from her rival, Miesha Tate. 

Rousey, once a fan of the show, recently spoke with Sportsnet Canada, expressing her belief that the show is “b——t” and saying that she never tunes in to catch the current season’s crop of up-and-coming fighters. 

“I don’t watch The Ultimate Fighter now that I know how much b—–t is in it,” Rousey said. “I don’t support it.” 

The UFC women’s bantamweight champion continued her rant, stating that the show’s producers are to blame for the extensive amount of drama and nonsense which airs on a weekly basis. 

According to Rousey, these producers know nothing about the fight game, and their portrayal of the athletes and coaches is far from accurate. 

“They don’t know the first thing about fighting,” Rousey said. “They only know about reality TV and they treated us like we were Real Housewives of Atlanta and not elite athletes that should be respected. And I don’t support people like that so I don’t watch the show anymore.”

UFC President Dana White confirmed Rousey‘s feelings to Sportsnet, saying that it was “no secret” that the female MMA superstar did not enjoy her time on the show. 

During Season 18, Rousey was painted as the “bad girl,” flipping off Tate and disrespecting her rival in nearly every episode. While the show did not gain “Rowdy” many new fans, it certainly made her more polarizing, a fact which helped her become one of the biggest stars on the UFC roster.  

Currently, former lightweight rivals turned featherweights BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar coach Season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter. Three weeks into the season, the fights have delivered, showcasing some solid all-around talent from the current cast. 

Of course, the show still features some of that fabricated tension, too, so don’t expect Rousey to flip over to Fox Sports 1 any time soon. 

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

4 Potential Breakout Stars from TUF 19

The Ultimate Fighter 19 is already under way, as we are two quarterfinal bouts into the season. Despite the fact that this installment of the show doesn’t come in with great hype, as much of the attention is on the all-female TUF 20 later this year, it…

The Ultimate Fighter 19 is already under way, as we are two quarterfinal bouts into the season. Despite the fact that this installment of the show doesn’t come in with great hype, as much of the attention is on the all-female TUF 20 later this year, it has the potential to be an explosive season.

The cast features middleweights and light heavyweights, with the latter weight class needing some depth in the UFC ranks. There are some good-looking scouts that could end up becoming stars if they take the Kelvin Gastelum-like approach to fighting.

With that, let’s now take a look at four potential stars that could come out of the show based on personality and handy work in the cage.

 

Cathal Pendred

Cathal Pendred had a considerable amount of hype coming into this season due to his time as champion in the Cage Warriors promotion and his association with current UFC rock star Conor McGregor. Not only that, but his intense, take-no-prisoners attitude has won him some respect from fans.

He didn’t have to fight to get into the house, as the opponents the UFC lined up for him all backed out of the fight. However, he finally got to show his stuff in the first middleweight quarterfinal when he used a grinding approach to wear out and beat Hector Urbina.

His resume speaks for itself. He owns wins over three UFC veterans in his time as a pro, including Che Mills and Nico Musoke.

His style isn’t going to get him confused with Edson Barboza anytime soon, but he is very effective. He has decent hands, good takedowns and smart instincts in the cage. He is already a hero in Europe, but he has a chance to be even bigger in the United States.

 

Ian Stephens

Ian Stephens is the least experienced pro in the house alongside Corey Anderson. He owns just two pro wins according to Sherdog.com, but that didn’t keep him from dominating his fight to get in the house.

Stephens used his impressive wrestling base to completely overwhelm former Bellator champion Lyman Good in the elimination round. He showed great explosiveness and wrestling in that bout, allowing him to take Good to the mat with ease.

His style isn’t what will make him a breakout star from the show. It’s his seemingly intense personality and exchange with Dana White in the first episode that had the boss himself impressed with the kid.

After disposing of Good, Stephens told White that, “Bellator champs don’t belong in the UFC.” That tickled White in the right way, replying that he, “liked this kid.”

I am sure there will be promoters and detractors of Stephens, but one thing is certain: He’s in the driver’s seat to stardom if he keeps up the intense attitude.

 

Dhiego Lima

Name recognition is everything when it comes to fanfare in certain sports. That is especially the case in MMA where you are a self-contracted businessman.

Dhiego Lima has that name recognition. He is the brother of Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima and Dhiego has earned a reputation as a top prospect in his own regard.

Lima is an exciting fighter just like his brother, utilizing power strikes and solid jiu-jitsu skills to win fights. He took out a tough fighter in Adam Stroup to get into the house, despite likely being at a size disadvantage to most of the field.

If Lima can be as exciting as he’s been in the regional promotions, he has the personality to put him over the top with MMA fans. His combo of name recognition, personality and skill are something that gets fighters far in their careers. 

 

Dan Spohn

Dan Spohn is a beast. There is no doubting that.

Spohn already has the knockout of the season in the bag after his one-punch, send-’em-face-first knockout of Tyler King, a man clearly larger than him.

In examining Spohn‘s record, he looks like a Bellator reject with three losses in that company. However, upon examination he was finished once and the other two bouts were split decisions that could have easily gone his way.

He is a beast in terms of power. Everything he throws has bad intentions on it, which is something fans can appreciate due to the fact all fans love finishes.

Spohn is a silent assassin. He’s not Julian Lane in terms of wild-and-out personality and he’s no Chael Sonnen in terms of self-promotion. He is just a guy with some gloves in a cage looking to punch your head into the nose-bleed section.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF 20 Tryouts: Projecting the Final 8 Women to Make the Cast

The talk of Twitter Monday morning and afternoon was definitely the tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter 20. That is because it is the first season that features all women and will crown a champion at the end of the season.
From the tryouts, MMA Junki…

The talk of Twitter Monday morning and afternoon was definitely the tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter 20. That is because it is the first season that features all women and will crown a champion at the end of the season.

From the tryouts, MMA Junkie confirmed that there were 36 women who showed up to the open tryouts in an attempt to make the cast of the show.

There are eight spots available on the show since Paige VanZant, Claudia Gadelha and Juliana Lima were all pulled from the program. The eight women were all brought over from Invicta, though there were Invicta fighters at the tryouts.

Here are the eight women on the cast now.

 

Confirmed Cast

Name Record Gym
Joanne Calderwood (UK) 8-0 Dinky Ninjas
Alex Chambers (AUS) 4-1 VT-1 Gym
Carla Esparza (USA) 9-2 Team Oyama
Felice Herrig (USA) 9-5 Team Curran
Emily Kagan (USA) 3-1 Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA
Rose Namajunas (USA) 2-1 The Academy
Bec Rawlings (AUS) 5-3 Gamebred Combat Club
Tecia Torres (USA) 4-0 American Top Team

 

Those eight women are all impressive, but since hearing the names of the women at the tryouts, all I can think about is who will make the show. Given the list of 36 women that were at the tryouts, let’s take a look at the eight women who should snag the final spots in the hopes of making this the most competitive season possible.

 

Riley’s Picks for Final 8 Spots

Name Record Gym
Nina Ansaroff (USA) 6-3 MMA Masters
Heather Clark (USA) 6-4 Xtreme Couture
Aisling Daly (IRE) 14-5 SBG Ireland
Lisa Ellis (USA) 15-8 United Training Center
Justine Kish (USA) 4-0 Blackhouse
Angela Magana (USA) 11-6 Team Four Corners
Michelle Ould (USA) 7-3 Team Quest
Jessica Penne (USA) 11-2 Reign MMA/Kings MMA

The UFC can have a tendency to pick looks over talent when looking at past signing decisions, but this show should literally be the cream of the crop. That being said, of the eight I chose, that doesn’t mean they aren’t good-looking women who can be marketable to the average caveman fan.

Three of the women who should be given a serious look are true veterans of the sport that have been doing this for a long time. Those three are Aisling Daly, Lisa Ellis and Angela Magana.

Daly is an obvious choice, not only because of her experience and skill, but because she is from Ireland. The UFC is making an obvious power play in the country thanks to Conor McGregor and as evidenced by Cathal Pendred and Chris Fields’ inclusion in TUF 19.

Ellis and Magana are experienced against high-level women due to their longevity in the sport. Ellis would complete the first-ever couple to be featured on TUF, as her husband Eddy was on the 16th season of the show. Magana is a crafty vet who has the personality to stir the pot in the house, as she has done in the past through social media and the MMA media.

Speaking of stirring the pot, that’s where Heather Clark comes in, as she has a beef with Felice Herrig. That is not the only reason she should be in, though, as she is tough as nails and has a well-rounded skill set. She would likely want a rematch with Herrig, as she lost a split decision despite a broken arm suffered in the first round.

Then there are a pair of current flyweights that are among the best in that division that would really add to this cast in Nina Ansaroff and Michelle Ould. They would be definite threats to make a serious run on the show.

Ould, who hasn’t competed in almost two years, is still known for knocking off some of the best at 125. If she can keep her weight down on the show, she has the well-rounded tool set to go far in the tournament. The same can be said for Ansaroff, though she has stayed much more busy in recent times than Ould.

The dark horse is Justine Kish. Assuming she had a tryout that matches her recent performances in the cage, she could be a lock for the cast. She is a muay thai champion with underrated grappling skills, and she could make a name for herself on this stage.

The woman who most fans are expecting to make the cast is Jessica Penne. The former Invicta Atomweight champion is a large 105-pounder and would not be at too big of a size disadvantage in the house. Not only that, but she would also be one of the most skilled women of the cast.

Those eight women are the most qualified and have the most intangibles to make this season’s cast. Of course, there were other talented ladies at the tryouts who could find their way into the cast.

Sound off in the comments section on who you think should grab the eight spots open to the cast or if you agree with my picks!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

TUF 19 Episode 2 Results and Recap: Foreigner Strikes First Blood

The elimination fights happened. The teams have been picked. It was time for the real nitty-gritty part of The Ultimate Fighter 19 to commence.
This episode revolved around the first middleweight quarterfinal bout of the season. The matchup saw two nor…

The elimination fights happened. The teams have been picked. It was time for the real nitty-gritty part of The Ultimate Fighter 19 to commence.

This episode revolved around the first middleweight quarterfinal bout of the season. The matchup saw two normal welterweights throw down, as Cathal Pendred of Team Penn took on Hector Urbina of Team Edgar.

Most of the episode saw a buildup to the first fight, as much was examined on both Urbina and Pendred. Pendred, an Irishman, got into the house with a bye, as the opponents they lined up for him either missed weight or backed out before the bout. Urbina, a Mexican-American, talked about being the oldest of several brothers and sisters, as well as being a role model to them.

The fight itself was nothing to write home about. Urbina clearly won the first round with takedowns and powerful striking. However, Pendred took home the second and third round through clinch, control and outlanding Urbina, taking a 29-28 unanimous decision in the process.

Team Penn retained the pick and chose the first light heavyweight fight. They chose their own fighter, Dan Spohn, to fight last pick of Team Edgar Todd Monaghan.

 

Teams

Team Edgar 185 Team Penn 185 Team Edgar 205 Team Penn 205
Ian Stephens Mike King Corey Anderson Anton Berzin
Dhiego Lima Tim Williams Patrick Walsh Josh Clark
Eddie Gordon Cathal Pendred Matt van Buren Dan Spohn
Hector Urbina Roger Zapata Todd Monaghan Chris Fields

 

Notes and Observations:

  • BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar went almost opposite directions when picking a coaching staff for this show. Edgar’s coaches are all the guys he trains with in New Jersey, as he has employed Mark Henry (boxing coach), Ricardo Almeida (jiu-jitsu/wrestling coach) and Ali Abdelaziz (manager/judo coach). Penn, although he brought his boxing coach Jason Parillo, took coaches from other camps in the form of Mark Coleman (wrestling coach) and Andre Pederneiras. It will be interesting to see if the all-star team with Coleman and Pederneiras works out better, or if the “family feel” staff that Edgar brought will end up being advantageous.
  • Cathal Pendred didn’t have to get into the house. The UFC is pushing into Ireland. I hate to be one to look into conspiracy theories, but even if other fighters missed weight or pulled out, the UFC would still find replacements to get a fight into the house. Remember in TUF 9 they found a couple late replacements because guys missed weight or failed medicals? Just a thought…
  • The weigh-in staredown and the general vibe I am getting from the fighters is exciting. You can tell everybody is ecstatic to be there and anxious to compete. Some seasons haven’t had the exciting feel coming from the fighters, but various aspects from this episode revealed this could be a fun season.
  • I really liked what Pendred was doing to land knees on Urbina in the headlock position. Urbina put his hand down to make knees to the head illegal, so Pendred would simultaneously lift Urbina‘s body up which would pull his hand off the mat and smash him with a knee. Very crafty stuff.
  • Don’t expect Pendred‘s fights to be pretty, as was the case with his win over Urbina. He is a natural 170er fighting a bunch of men who are much larger than he is. He is going to have to grind and make fights ugly to be successful.
  • Next week’s fight seems like it will be a straight beatdown. I don’t see a high ceiling for Monaghan, who got destroyed before pulling an armbar out of nowhere, while Spohn is one of my favorites to win the season. In fact, I don’t expect this fight to last long at all. I think Spohn will light Monaghan up quickly and put him away early.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

So Here’s That Absolutely Brutal KO From Last Night’s TUF 19 Premiere [VIDEO]

After sitting through a TUF Finale card that felt longer than Moses’ trek across the desert, I can’t imagine that many of you stuck around to catch the premiere episode of a TUF season headlined by the most nonsensical coaching matchup since Jones vs. Sonnen. You would have missed some stellar action if you had checked out early, however, as last night’s premiere episode of The Ultimate Fighter 19 featured some thrilling wars and even more spectacular knockouts. Knockouts like the one above, which went down in a light heavyweight contest between Daniel Spohn and Tyler King.

In the first fight of the night, Spohn started things off with a body kick that sounded worse than it probably was, prompting King to rush in with his hands down, arms out, and chin up (Marcus Jones style!). Remaining calm, Spohn managed to evade King’s mummy-esque attack, then proceeded to truly mummify him with a blistering right hook. As if the punch that shut King’s lights off wasn’t bad enough, his momentum sent him crashing head first into the mat with a sickening thud. Why Spohn felt the need to add an additional pair of punches to his clearly unconscious opponent is beyond me, but hey, sometimes these things happen in MMA.

The fight’s aftermath was a harrowing moment to say the least, made all the more difficult to watch after we were informed that King’s mother was in the audience. But it’s like Penn said, “This is a rough sport…and maybe sometimes you shouldn’t bring your mom.” Unless you’re Manny Pacquiao, of course.

After the jump: An equally brutal almost-kneebar from the war that was Mike King vs. Nordine Taleb.

After sitting through a TUF Finale card that felt longer than Moses’ trek across the desert, I can’t imagine that many of you stuck around to catch the premiere episode of a TUF season headlined by the most nonsensical coaching matchup since Jones vs. Sonnen. You would have missed some stellar action if you had checked out early, however, as last night’s premiere episode of The Ultimate Fighter 19 featured some thrilling wars and even more spectacular knockouts. Knockouts like the one above, which went down in a light heavyweight contest between Daniel Spohn and Tyler King.

In the first fight of the night, Spohn started things off with a body kick that sounded worse than it probably was, prompting King to rush in with his hands down, arms out, and chin up (Marcus Jones style!). Remaining calm, Spohn managed to evade King’s mummy-esque attack, then proceeded to truly mummify him with a blistering right hook. As if the punch that shut King’s lights off wasn’t bad enough, his momentum sent him crashing head first into the mat with a sickening thud. Why Spohn felt the need to add an additional pair of punches to his clearly unconscious opponent is beyond me, but hey, sometimes these things happen in MMA.

The fight’s aftermath was a harrowing moment to say the least, made all the more difficult to watch after we were informed that King’s mother was in the audience. But it’s like Penn said, “This is a rough sport…and maybe sometimes you shouldn’t bring your mom.” Unless you’re Manny Pacquiao, of course.

After the jump: An equally brutal almost-kneebar from the war that was Mike King vs. Nordine Taleb.

I don’t mean to speak in hyperbole, but the middleweight battle between Mike King and Nordine Taleb* (which served as the final fight of the episode) might have been the greatest elimination fight in the history of the The Ultimate Fighter. It had everything; knockdowns from both sides, some great grappling exchanges, and an amazing amount of heart on display. Although King appeared to be down and out at the start of the decisive third round, he managed to grit out a tough win and nearly pulled off this absolutely insane kneebar in doing so:

If that isn’t one of the greatest MMA reaction gifs of all time, I’ll eat my hat.

So yeah, this season of The Ultimate Fighter is off to a promising start. Maybe get excited for it? I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. Anyways, your TUF 19 teams are as follows:

Team Edgar
Cory Anderson
Patrick Walsh
Matt Van Buren
Todd Monaghan
Ian Stephens
Dhiego Lima
Eddie Gorman
Hector Urbina

Team Penn
Anton Berzin
Josh Clarke
Daniel Spohn
Chris Fields
Mike King
Tim Williams
Cathal Pendred
Roger Zapata

*By the way, if Taleb looked familiar, it’s because he had just picked up a win over Vik Grujic at the TUF Nations Finale. 

–J. Jones