Vinc Pichel Vs. Damien Brown Damien Brown will be high on confidence given that he has not just taken on the likes of Cesar Arzamendia and Jon Tuck, but has also defeated them in the very recent past. Brown is an Australian fighter and won’t be too far away from home when he fights Vinc […]
Vinc Pichel Vs. Damien Brown
Damien Brown will be high on confidence given that he has not just taken on the likes of Cesar Arzamendia and Jon Tuck, but has also defeated them in the very recent past. Brown is an Australian fighter and won’t be too far away from home when he fights Vinc Pichel in Auckland on June 10th in the UFC 110 Fight Night in Auckland.
Brown is a good all rounder and has sharp striking skills which makes him a force to be reckoned with no matter who he is up against. His ground game is also solid and he has been in top physical shape and has been able to fight quite frequently with four competitive fights just in the previous year.
On the contrary, Pichel has not been anywhere as active as Brown. Pichel has been out of action for the previous three years. A sabbatical of such a lengthy duration can make anyone rather rusty upon their return irrespective of how often and how hard you have been training. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why Pichel is an underdog in the fight and Brown is a strong favorite.
However, even though he has been out of action for a substantial period of time, it is not to say that Pichel was not getting results before his temporary retirement. He was on a great run until he was put on the sidelines in 2014 after back to back losses at the hands of Garret Whiteley and Anthony Njokunal. Pichel certainly is an exciting fighter to watch and a fan favorite. He is aggressive and heavy handed.
Prediction – Despite being out of action for three long years, we predict an upset here with underdog Vinc Pichel to win by unanimous decision.
Luke Jumeau Vs. Dominique Steele
Fighting in the 170 lbs category are Luke Jumeau and Dominique Steele who will face on in Auckland Fight Night on June 10th. Luke Jumeau (11-3) is also known as The Jedi and he has been on the raise since he lost at the hands of Jingliang Li and Jake Matthews. Since these two defeats, Jumeau has been able to turn his form around and has looked solid in his last six wins, which have all been victories. His most recent fight was against highly experienced Vik Grujic whom he took on and knocked out in the second round.
Jumeau has five wins by knockouts to his name. Will he be able to add Dominique Steel to this list?
Dominique Steele is actually entering the Octagon to face Jumeau after his previous two fights have been losses. However, these were both unanimous decisions and both were really close calls which could have gone his way on a different day. Prior to the two unanimous losses, Jumeau took on Dong Hyun Kim and knocked him out with a spectacular slam. Jumeau’s strengths are his set of heavy hands and he also has some deadly low kicks in his arsenal which can be really devastating when he connects.
Dominique Steele, will be hungry for a win. He has suffered four knock outs in the recent past and has a lot to prove to himself if not to everyone else. His strategy will be to stay in the fight and run the clock down while tiring out Jumeau and slowly raking up technical points in order to win by decision.
Prediction – while Jumeau is a little bit of a favorite, we think Steele really can change his form with this match with a win by unanimous decision.
UFC Fight Night 110’s card is shaping up nicely with the addition of a lightweight fight between Damien Brown & Vinc Pichel. Brown will square off with Pichel on June 10 at Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. UFC announced the fight on Wednesday night. UFC Fight Night 110 takes place June 10 at Vector Arena in Auckland, New […]
UFC Fight Night 110’s card is shaping up nicely with the addition of a lightweight fight between Damien Brown & Vinc Pichel. Brown will square off with Pichel on June 10 at Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. UFC announced the fight on Wednesday night. UFC Fight Night 110 takes place June 10 at Vector Arena in Auckland, New […]
This final episode of the TUF 15 season included perhaps more out-of-the-ring action than any prior episode. We got more of Cruz and Faber cracking wise at each other, but also legit blows thrown inside of the house and a surprise announcement or two.
The winning fighter and coach will each win a Harley Davidson motorcycle and so the guys are taken to a Harley super store to try bikes on and leather for size. They are hosted by Theo “Juice” Rossi, who has inexplicably still managed to survive cooperation with the government (Watch Sons of Anarchy to get the reference. And yes, I have trouble telling the difference between quality screenplay and reality.)
Back in the house, Tickle decides to throw a water bottle on the balls of a sleeping Daron. Daron, with weeks of pent up aggression from being eliminated, wakes up into a sprint like a Navy Seal or something, finds Tickle and fires off a punch and kick combination on the goofball.
Tickle acts outraged, like he doesn’t understand that getting awoken from slumber by getting hit in the balls absolutely deserves an ass-kicking. Daron worries that he might get kicked off of the show for fighting in the house because that’s what has happened in past seasons.
Naw, its cool, dawg, says UFC President Dana White. Well, not really. But he does announce to the guys in the gym, later that all of them will be fighting on next week’s finale in Vegas. All, except for Mike Rio, who busted his rib, and Andy Ogle, who is on medical suspension after his last KO loss.
The passionate Ogle is distraught at the idea that he won’t get to fight after making it so far. White assures him that he will “be back.” That isn’t good for everyone’s favorite warrior-poet, who literally runs after White as the Prez is leaving the building, wraps his arm around him and asks to be put on the Nottingham card in September.
This final episode of the TUF 15 season included perhaps more out-of-the-ring action than any prior episode. We got more of Cruz and Faber cracking wise at each other, but also legit blows thrown inside of the house and a surprise announcement or two.
The winning fighter and coach will each win a Harley Davidson motorcycle and so the guys are taken to a Harley super store to try bikes on and leather for size. They are hosted by Theo “Juice” Rossi, who has inexplicably still managed to survive cooperation with the government (Watch Sons of Anarchy to get the reference. And yes, I have trouble telling the difference between quality screenplay and reality.)
Back in the house, Tickle decides to throw a water bottle on the balls of a sleeping Daron. Daron, with weeks of pent up aggression from being eliminated, wakes up into a sprint like a Navy Seal or something, finds Tickle and fires off a punch and kick combination on the goofball.
Tickle acts outraged, like he doesn’t understand that getting awoken from slumber by getting hit in the balls absolutely deserves an ass-kicking. Daron worries that he might get kicked off of the show for fighting in the house because that’s what has happened in past seasons.
Naw, its cool, dawg, says UFC President Dana White. Well, not really. But he does announce to the guys in the gym, later that all of them will be fighting on next week’s finale in Vegas. All, except for Mike Rio, who busted his rib, and Andy Ogle, who is on medical suspension after his last KO loss.
The passionate Ogle is distraught at the idea that he won’t get to fight after making it so far. White assures him that he will “be back.” That isn’t good for everyone’s favorite warrior-poet, who literally runs after White as the Prez is leaving the building, wraps his arm around him and asks to be put on the Nottingham card in September. White instantly grants his request.
That’s how you do it, kids. Train and fight like hell, with all your heart, and run towards fights even when you’re recovering from serious injuries. Can’t wait to see Ogle scrap again.
Back in the training room, Coach Dominick Cruz agonizes over the possibility of Vick getting put on his back against Chiesa. In the Faber room, Chiesa is struggling on his feet during sparring.
“I’m two fights away from fulfilling my dream and I want this thing so damn bad that when I have a bad day, everything comes piling in on me,” Chiesa says emotionally.
Faber tells Chiesa not to worry, that he has often had some of his worst training days right before fights and that they don’t affect his performances.
Fight Time!
James Vick vs. Michael Chiesa
Rd 1
Both men are cautious, feel each other out with jabs, feints and leg kicks. Chiesa wanting to stay clear of Vick’s striking and Vick not wanting to give Chiesa an opportunity to close the distance and take him down.
A minute and a half in, off of a missed right cross from Vick, Chiesa does duck under slightly and close the distance, securing double under hooks and a body lock. Vick doesn’t go down easy, however, works to get his own under hook and pushes Chiesa against the cage. Vick gets a takedown!
They land in Chiesa’s open guard and Chiesa uses a left under hook to help him stand back up. Vick goes for another takedown but can’t land it cleanly. They are back up on their feet, in free standing range.
Chiesa starts coming forward more confidently and lands a left cross. Vick fires back with a three punch combo but only lands glancingly and to Chiesa’s forehead. Chiesa lands another left cross! Vick marches forward and goes to the body with punches.
Vick lands a cross, then a jab, then an uppercut a few moments later and two more straight punches. Vick lands his long jab and goes back to the body with a left hook. Chiesa lands another straight left hand. Vick throws a body kick that Chiesa catches. He tries to turn that into a takedown but Vick gets his hips out of the way and defends.
Chiesa counters a leg kick with a hook and follows up with two straights. Vick presses forward and lands a left uppercut to the head of Chiesa. Chiesa half falls, half takes a desperation takedown shot. He’s on his knees.
Vick gets side control, then is forced back into half guard and then half butterfly guard by Chiesa. Chiesa turns in to get back up and Vick grabs a front headlock with arm in. Vick goes for an arm-in guillotine and reverses Chiesa into mount. Vick has the choke in tight with seconds left. Chiesa holds on until the horn.
Rd. 2
Chiesa shoots and scores the takedown early. From there, he moves into the mount with relative ease.
Looks like Coach Cruz’ worst nightmare of Vick being on his back might be coming true. Chiesa unleashes a barrage of strikes, Vick doesn’t defend and the referee steps in to call the bout.
What a comeback in this fight for Chiesa and what a season of perseverance through adversity all season long after the death of his father just weeks ago. It may be the most compelling personal narrative out of any TUF season. And it isn’t over. In just one week, Chiesa will fight again, for the title of The Ultimate Fighter.
Al Iaquinta vs. Vinc Pichel
Rd. 1
Al comes out firing and moving very aggressively. He follows that up by shooting for a single from very far away. Vinc defends well but then Al switches to a double leg and scores the takedown.
Vinc stands up but gives his back. Al gets one hook in and drags Vinc back to the ground while taking his back. Vinc defends Al’s rear naked choke attempts and stands up.
Al looks to be the much quicker fighter, with better footwork, effectively staying away from most of Vinc’s power strikes. Al also is throwing more combinations with the hands and finishing them off with low kicks.
Al shoots in and hits another double leg. Vinc controls Al’s posture with a high full guard before standing back up with seconds left in the round. The horn sounds with Al pressing in for another takedown.
Rd. 2
Al lands a left jab followed by a high kick. Vinc wades in, moving his head and feinting, and walks in to an uppercut. Al’s combinations continue to come fast but his finishing leg kicks are starting to land more solidly, with Vinc not checking most of them.
Al starts to move side to side in an even more slick fashion and is making Vinc miss big with punches, by slipping and weaving well. Al fakes a leg kick, throws a super-man punch and then shoots for a takedown. He’s stuffed by Vinc.
Vinc lands a low kick, followed by a right hand. Al shoots in for a takedown, presses Vinc against the cage. Vinc defends, circles away from the cage, to his right, and lands a solid knee to Al’s mid section. The round ends with Al makind Pincel miss with his punches more, by bobbing.
Al gets the decision nod and is in the finals against Chiesa!
As the episode ends, Al and Mike square off. Nuts that they will be fighting one another in just one week at the Palms in the finale. Cruz gets a water bucket thrown on him by his team. Slips, falls and injures his other acl.
That’s the season, folks! Please join us here next week for our live play by play blog of The Ultimate Fighter 15 Live Finale from The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada.
We’ve got two quarter final match ups today so let’s jump right in. From Coach Dominick Cruz’ team we have Vinc Pichel taking on Coach Urijah Faber’s Chris Saunders. After that, Team Faber teammates Al Iaquinta and Andy Ogle lock up. At the end of the episode, injured Cruz’ replacement to face Faber at UFC 148 for the interim bantamweight title will also be announced.
We’ve got two quarter final match ups today so let’s jump right in. From Coach Dominick Cruz’ team we have Vinc Pichel taking on Coach Urijah Faber’s Chris Saunders. After that, Team Faber teammates Al Iaquinta and Andy Ogle lock up. At the end of the episode, injured Cruz’ replacement to face Faber at UFC 148 for the interim bantamweight title will also be announced.
Vinc Pichel vs. Chris Saunders
Rd 1
Both men exchange leg kicks, no major punches landed. Pichel presses in on Saunders and looks for a double leg takedown against the cage. Saunders reverses position and looks for his own takedown against the fence.
Saunders gets the takedown and ends up in Pichel’s full guard. Both men throw strikes at one another from there for about a minute before Pichel is able to get back to his feet and in a free standing range.
Pichel finds his range with a jab and a cross, moving forward, and shoots in for another double leg attempt against the cage. He doesn’t get it and the two stay against the fence for a few moments, exchanging knees and elbows.
Pichel goes for another takedown, appears to get it but Saunders hits a switch and momentarily lands on the side of a turtle up Pichel, raining down punches. Pichel gets up to his feet. Pichel lands another jab-cross combination and Saunders returns fire with a left hook.
With ten seconds left, Saunders presses Pichel against the cage and works for another takedown. Pichel defends and lands an elbow to the head from the clinch right before the horn sounds.
Rd 2
Pichel follows up another straight right with by pushing Saunders against the cage and looking for a double leg. They fight there for some time before Pichel pulls Saunders down to the ground. Saunders pops back up immediately and gets, first, to the side and then to the back of Pichel but Pichel stands back up.
Saunders keeps his grip around the waist of Pichel while they are on their feet as Pichel tries to break free. Pichel’s nose is bloodied. Saunders attempts a suplex but Pichel lands on his feet.
Saunders gives up on the grip and they are back to a free standing position. Saunders shoots for a single leg takedown and does not get it. They break and Pichel goes on the attack.
He lands a right cross then left knee to the head. Pichel has Saunders reeling, but still composed, as he works knee after knee into his gut. Pichel changes levels and gets a double leg takedown with a minute and a half left in the round. Saunders gets back to his feet thirty seconds later but is immediately pulled back down.
Saunders reverses position and gets on top of Pichel, then jumps to his back. Pichel is on his feet but bent over, defending chokes from Saunders. Eventually Pichel is able to turn in to Saunders and begin work from inside his full guard. Saunders gets back up to his feet.
Pichel doesn’t slow his attack at all and he ends the round landing a cross, left hook and knees to the body.
Decision time!
Pichel wins by majority decision. Two judges saw it his way and one judge scored it a draw.
An elated Pichel gives Saunders credit in his post-fight interview with Jon Anik. “You go in here thinking, ‘I’m just going to whoop his ass,’…but it was definitely a battle.”
Back to the tape, we see how Coach Faber dealt with having two of his teammates prepare to fight one another. He tells All Iaqunita that on the day of the fight he will randomly assign assistant coaches to his corner to avoid it being “weird.” Faber also announces that he is going to stay out of the coaching.
Ogle’s plan against Al is to stick and move and Iaquinta is confident that he is the hardest working guy on the show, and that will make the difference. Time to get it on.
Fight Time!
Al Iaquinta vs. Andy Ogle
Rd. 1
Both men cautiously measure each other out, with spurts of glancing punch combinations and low kicks for about a minute and a half. Iaquinta then lands a high kick and follows up with a punch combo to the head of Ogle.
Ogle becomes more aggressive but Al finds a regular mark with rear leg low kicks. Ogle lands an overhand right. Al stalks Ogle around the cage.
Al lands an uppercut and then a rear push kick. In another exchange, Al lands a right uppercut followed by a left hook to the head. Ogle gets back at All with a left upper cut, overhand right combination.
Ogle gets dropped hard by a punch with under a minute left but survives the follow-up ground striking and gets back to his feet. Its clear he doesn’t have his legs under him yet, though, and when Al hits him again, this time with a nasty elbow, he drops even harder. Al follows up with a couple ground strikes before Referee Steve Mazzagatti can get to him to stop the fight with just seconds left in the round.
Al moves on to the semi-finals. The usual outburst of cheering is absent out of respect and worry for Ogle’s safety from he and Al’s Team Faber teammates.
Next week’s matchups plus the announcement of Faber’s opponent are next!
The first semi-final matchup will be James Vick vs. Mike ChiesaAl and Pichel will also square up.
And for the interim bantamweight title belt, Urijah Faber will face…cut to highlight film of Renan Barao. The highlight is scary, showing Barao knocking out and submitting fools, but when they cut back to Faber he is laughing.
I doubt it’s at Barao, but that was just good timing. Dana White apologizes to Faber, presumably for not telling him earlier who he would be fighting, saying that they didn’t want the news to leak out. Barao enters the gym.
The two square up and the injured Cruz has to watch all this shit, inches away. He can’t be happy. Dana asks him if he’s alright as the show fades out.
(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)
