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Tag: TUF

  • UFC/TUF Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia season premiere recap

    This season, both the women’s strawweight division and the men’s light heavyweight division will be competing. At the end of the season if both Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha, they’ll be fighting on the TUF 23 Finale LIVE with Joanna Champion defending her strawweight title. First up though are the qualifying fights for the teams on TUF 23. Let’s do this!

    115 pounds: Mellony Geugjes (0-1) vs. Amanda Cooper (1-1)

    Geugjes is in the red trunks and Cooper the black. Geugjes claimed in her pre-fight interview that she got into MMA because people refused to fight her any more in kickboxing. Cooper certainly didn’t refuse. Geugjes jumps into her guard after tripping her 23 seconds in and it was a big mistake – Cooper quickly trapped an arm and rolled and tapped Geugjes at the one minute mark.

    GEUGJES ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA SUBMISSION.

    205 pounds: Eric Spicely (8-0) vs. Kenneth Bergh (3-0)

    Spicely is in the red trunks and Bergh the black. Other than his face there doesn’t seem to be an inch of Bergh’s body from the knees up that isn’t tattooed. Spicely quickly double legs him to the ground and takes his back – tapping Bergh out to a rear naked choke in 33 seconds.

    SPICELY ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA SUBMISSION.

    115 pounds: Ashley Cummins (3-3) vs. Lanchana Green (2-1)

    Cummins is in the red and is an Invicta veteran. Green is in the black and runs her own gym with her boyfriend in England. Cummins secures a takedown to side control and Green tries and fails to back her off, eating elbows to the face as they spin. Green tries to grab a leg and sweep but ends up eating left hands to the head. Cummins takes the back with hooks in at2:47 then winds up on top again in half guard. Green keeps surviving but she’s eating lots of rights and elbows. Cummins gets a full mount at 4:18 then takes the back again. Green survives the RNC because the horn saves her.

    Green survives two takedown attempts and suddenly Cummins starts getting creamed with knees when she doesn’t break away cleanly from the fence. The ref warns her multiple times to fight back and finally steps in to save Cummins. It’s pretty much the story of Cummins career in a fight that doesn’t even officially count on her record. She always looks good until she makes a mistake – and then “Smashley” gets smashed.

    GREEN ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA TKO.

    205 pounds: Khalil Rountree (4-0) vs. Muhammed Dereese (5-0)

    Rountree has white trunks and Dereese is in the black. Dereese credits his Islamic background for why he’s a fighter instead of in jail. Rountree says MMA is what gave him direction and got him in shape. Dereese gets a takedown 12 seconds in and Rountree gets a warning for shots to the back of the head. Dereese hits a leg trip, takes the back, gets the back and Rountree escapes the submission. Dereese goes for the takedown again and Rountree is lighting him up. Wild action in round one.

    Rountree lands a nasty head kick and pours it on with kicks to the body on the ground until the referee steps in and saves Dereese.

    ROUNTREE ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA TKO.

    115 pounds: Alyssa Krahn (3-1) vs. Jamie Moyle (3-1)

    Moyle is the second straight Team Syndicate fighter competing on the show (Rountree was the first). Krahn wants to represent women’s MMA in Canada. Krahn is in the red trunks, Moyle the black. Krahn outwrestles her early on but gives up her back late and gets taped out to a rear naked choke at 4:10.

    MOYLE ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA SUBMISSION.

    205 pounds: Myron Dennis (12-4) vs. Jamelle Jones (6-2)

    Dennis is in the red trunks and Jones the black. Dennis says he’s light-skinned dynamite. Jones says he was a three time collegiate All-American. Dennis lights Jones up standing until the ref stepped in to save him – which was the right call since Jones seemed uncertain where he was. Dennis tells Dana White to get his checkbook out because he’s not a cheap date!

    DENNIS ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA TKO.

    115 pounds: Ashley Yoder (4-1) vs. Jodie Esquibel (5-1)

    Yoder is a Team Quest fighter with Dan Henderson who discovered fighting after her brother passed away in an accident. Esquibel has been friends with Holly Holm for 16 years and her fiancee is former UFC star Keith Jardine – she’s also another Invicta FC veteran. Yoder is in the red trunks and Esquibel the black. Esquibel is landing big kicks and right hands and you can see her striking skill, but Yoder is getting advice from Hendo who tells her to get a single leg – and she does. She’s unable to get the RNC before the horn. After an action packed second round Dana White believes it’s going to a third, but “Big” John McCarthy says it’s over.

    YODER ADVANCES VIA SPLIT DECISION – DANA AND THE COACHES ARE APPALLED.

    205 pounds: Norman Paraisy (13-4-2) vs. Elias Urbina IV (3-0)

    Paraisy was a competitor on season 11 of TUF who quit between rounds of his fight with James Hammortree. He says that mistake made him a better man and now he’s back to prove he can do better. He’s in the white trunks. His brother Hector is in UFC with a record of 17-9-1 (1-1 in two UFC bouts). This fight is cut down to highlights. Dana scores the first round for Paraisy, says the second round both guys were gassed, but Urbina did enough to get it to the third – and ultimately to the judges.

    URBINA ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA DECISION.

    115 pounds: JJ Aldrich (2-1) vs. Kristi Lopez (2-0)

    This is cut down to highlights of Aldrich (who is a training partner of Rose Namajunas) beating the snot out of Lopez over the course of two rounds.

    ALDRICH ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA DECISION.

    205 pounds: Abdel Medjedoub (3-0) vs. John Paul Elias (3-0)

    Elias’ wife is Carly Lauren – Miss October 2013 in Playboy. This one is also cut down to highlights. Dana White says Medjedoub took Elias down and smothered him for the entire fight. The judges agree.

    MEDJEDOUB ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA DECISION.

    115 pounds: Tatiana Suarez (3-0) vs. Chel-C Bailey (2-0)

    Suarez is a cancer survivor. She’s in the red trunks. Bailey is friends with Bryan Caraway and Miesha Tate, who are there to offer her advice and support for the fight. Bailey has black trunks. Grappling is the story of round one, allowing Suarez to control position and attack effectively. Even Tate seems pretty clear Bailey didn’t win the first round. Suarez is relentless with the takedowns in R2, and she’s got a full mount with some nasty strikes in the last ten seconds. The winner seems clear.

    SUAREZ ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA DECISION.

    205 pounds: Phillip Hawes (3-0) vs. Andrew Sanchez (7-2)

    Hawes is a training partner for Jon Jones. Sanchez was a four time All-American and apparently can play ukelele judging by the pre-fight clip. Even though the hype was on Hawes, Sanchez was able to outwork him over two rounds.

    SANCHEZ ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA DECISION.

    115 pounds: Irene Cabello Rivera (6-2) vs. Kate Jackson (7-2-1)

    JACKSON ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA TKO.

    206 pounds: Cory Hendricks (3-0) vs. Marcel Fortuna (8-1)

    Hendricks is a WSOF veteran in the red trunks. Fortuna is the only Brazilian among the men and he’s in the black trunks. Hendricks stuffed almost all of the takedowns in the first round and landed a lot of hard leg kicks. The judges decide Fortuna did enough with takedowns in the second round for there to be a third.

    HENDRICKS ADVANCES VIA DECISION – THEY DON’T SAY IF IT WAS SPLIT OR NOT.

    115 pounds: Amy Montenegro (7-2) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)

    Montenegro is in the red trunks and Harper the black. Harper says she learned martial arts as a survivor of domestic abuse. She goes for Montenegro’s back and trips her to the ground. Montenegro gets back to her feet and delivers a nice elbow to the face, then goes for a single leg of her own. She loses it and Harper gets the back with both hooks in. She goes hard for a sub, Montenegro gets on top and tries to power bomb her way out of it but is ultimately forced to tap.

    HARPER ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA SUBMISSION.

    205 pounds: Josh Stansbury (7-2) vs. Trever Carlson (10-2)

    Stansbury has been here once before but lost a TUF 19 elimination fight when he broke his leg. He’s in the red trunks. Carlson is in the black and works in a gold mine. Stansbury ends up on top pounding the heck out of Carlson 40 seconds into the fight, Carlson tries to roll to save himself as Herb Dean warns him about shots to the back of the head, Stansbury moves to side control and traps the head, but Carlson keesps on surviving. Eventually though he sinks in the americana and Carlson taps.

    STANSBURY ADVANCES TO THE HOUSE VIA SUBMISSION.

    Team Selections with Gadelha going first:

    * Gadelha picks Tatiana Suarez.
    * Jedrzejczyk picks JJ Aldrich.
    * Gadelha picks Andrew Sanchez.
    * Jedrzejczyk picks Joshua Stansbury.
    * Galdeha picks Kate Jackson.
    * Jedrzejczyk picks Jamie Moyle.
    * Gadelha picks Eric Spicely.
    * Jedrzejczyk picks Khalil Rountree.
    * Gadelha picks Amanda Cooper.
    * Jedrzejczyk picks Ashley Yoder.
    * Gadelha picks Abdel Medjedoub
    * Jedrzejczyk picks Myron Dennis.
    * Gadelha picks Lanchana Green.
    * Jedrzejczyk picks Helen Harper.
    * Gadelha picks Cory Hendricks.
    * Jedrzejczyk picks Elias Urbina IV.

    First fight: Jedrzejczyk picks Rountree vs. Hendricks. Hendricks has a foot injury though and may not be able to compete. Interesting that the two Syndicate MMA guys have to face each other right off the bat next week.

  • Retrospective: The Ultimate Fighter, season two

    Due to the rousing success of TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) season one, specifically the TV ratings for the finale, which featured the famous Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar match, TUF season two was produced quickly and came on the air only a few months later. The finale for season two would set a ratings record doing a 2.0 (2 million viewers), edging out the season one finale, which did a 1.9 (1.9 million viewers). (You can read “Retrospective: TUF Season One” here)

    Season two was basically the exact same as season one. Season two was also the only season (until recently) where all the house fights were considered professional bouts by the NSAC. Typically, the “in-house” fights are only considered “practice” and don’t effect a fighter’s record. These fights counted.

    The Ultimate Fighter – Season TWO

    Airdate: Spike TV, August 22, 2005 – November 5, 2005

    Weight Classes: Heavyweight and Welterweight

    Coaches: Matt Hughes (blue), Rich Franklin (green)

    Team Hughes: Joe Stevenson (w), Josh Burkman* (w), Sammy Morgan (w), Luke Cummo (w), Mike Whitehead (h), Dan Christison (h), Rob MacDonald (h), Tom Murphy (h) *Burkman was replaced by Jason Von Flue due to injury on episode 2

    Team Franklin: Jorge Gurgel (w), Marcus Davis (w), Anthony Torres (w), Melvin Guillard (w), Keith Jardine (h), Seth Petruzelli (h), Rashad Evans (h), Brad Imes (h)

    The Finale:

    • Joe Stevenson beat Luke Cummo by unanimous decision in three rounds to become the TUF welterweight winner
    • Rashad Evans beat Brad Imes by split decision to become the TUF heavyweight winner
    • In the main event, Diego Sanchez beat Nick Diaz by unanimous decision

    This season was pretty uneventful. It really became clear about half way through that Chris Leben should have been hired to be on every season, just to hang out, get drunk, and cause problems. These fighters seemed to get along much better. However, there were some interesting things that happened this season:

    • Heavyweight Kerry Schall was eliminated due to a knee injury
    • Eli Joslin chose to leave the show, citing his reasons as not being able to handle the camera environment at the house (as an aspiring fighter, this made me so mad)
    • Dan Christison joined the show to replace the injured Schall
    • Josh Burkman was forced to leave the competition after breaking his arm in his match with Melvin Guillard
    • Jason Von Flue joined the show to replace Burkman
    • Evans caused controversy by showboating in his fight against Tom Murphy
    • Coach Hughes sent Von Flue over to Team Franklin for reshuffling, which made Von Flue mad
    • Even though Cummo and Imes were both the last picked for their respective divisions, they both made it to the finale

    There wasn’t much memorable that happened, but I do remember when Rashad won the heavyweight finals. It made me fall in love with him as a fighter. Here was this smooth talking undersized athlete taking on this monstrous rugged cowboy. Rashad was clearly too small to be a heavyweight, but he won anyway. I’m not sure when he took the nickname “Suga” but I gave that name (Sugar) to my third dog in his honor.

    Where are the champions now?

    Joe ”Daddy” Stevenson: Stevenson’s last fight in the UFC was a loss to Javier Vazquez on June 26, 2011. It was his fourth loss in a row. He was cut by UFC and has since lost two more times putting his losing streak at six. He most recently fought one year ago on January 30, 2015, for Swarm Entertainment at Super Brawl 1 losing by split decision to Dominique Robinson. My guess is that there was never a Super Brawl 2. His current record is 31-16 and rumor has it that he’s retired from active fighting at age 33, which is probably a smart decision.

    “Suga” Rashad Evans: Evans’ is still in the UFC. He is 36 and was most recently seen being defeated by Ryan Bader at UFC 192 on October 3, 2015. Rumor has it that he will be facing Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC on FOX 19 on April 16, 2016. His record is 19-4, and he actually had a brief light-heavyweight title reign taking the strap from season-one alum Forrest Griffin, only to have the title taken from him in his first defense against Lyoto Machida. 

  • UFC TUF 22 episode 12 results & recap: The season comes to an end

    The Notorious Quote of the Week: “I didn’t think I’d see you again! You’re around!!! Good to see you my friend. I didn’t think I’d see +HIM+ again.”

    Lightweight: Saul Rogers (Team Europe) vs. Marcin Wrzosek (Team Europe)

    The first of two semi-finals. Wrzosek has the lighter trunks on, Rogers the darker grey. Rogers is showing off his striking game early, forcing the Polish Zombie to step backward, and then he hits a takedown at the one minute mark into guard. Wrzosek scoots his back to the fence looking to get up as John McCarthy looks on. It’s deathly quiet in the gym save for the rattling of the cage and their feet bouncing on  the canvas. Rogers takes his back against the fence at 1:52. Wrzosek gets up and gets taken back down again at 2:10. He’s up again and backs away clean at 2:52. Zombie is being a little more aggressive but Rogers is still landing the better shots and gets another single leg at 4:16. He spins to take the back a half minute later but can’t do anything and Wrzosek escapes right before R1 ends.

    Rogers is still the more fluid of the fighters in the first minute of R2. He’s acting, not REACTING. You can see it from the motion of his head and shoulders – his muscle memory from years and years of big fights and top level training. He scoops the leg for another takedown at 1:01. Rogers is warned to watch the back of the head as he overwhelms Wrzosek with strikes from behind, forcing him to cover up and drawing impressed whistles from a few people watching. Wrzosek tries to escape and can’t. Rogers sits on one leg and pounds his face, grabs a front headlock, then transitions to the back again. All Zombie can do is cover up. Zombie loses his mouthpiece and McCarthy calls time to let him put it back in but doesn’t stand them up or change their position. He escapes, Rogers takes him down, and jumps to his back immediately. He sinks in the rear naked choke and it’s over at 4:07. They hug.

    SAUL ROGERS IS GOING ON TO TONIGHT’S TUF 22 FINALE.

    Urijah Faber brings Jose Aldo to the final training session for his team – their last chance to prepare Julian Erosa for his fight with Artem Lobov. Aldo: “He is a great friend mine. We were once opponents but after that we became friends. We always stay in touch. Urijah always has something to teach me and I always have something to teach him.” Aldo shows off positional techniques for how to get dominant positions on the ground, even explaining the technique to go from a triangle to a shoulder lock.

    Afterward they play a little soccer in the gym for fun, with some MMA takedowns mixed in. It’s pretty lighthearted – they’re all laughing and having a good time.

    Meanwhile for Team McGregor it’s all business for Artem Lobov. He says he wants the hat trick and the third knockout. “This is what pays – knockouts pay.” McGregor says he wants Lobov reacting every time Erosa goes for single shots. He wants him to cut off the cage. “He has good ring knowledge, he just needs to use it. He will use it early and he will knock him out.” Lobov talks about how they were all once so broke they had to share a hotel room for McGregor’s fight and he slept on the floor.

    McGregor waxes nostalgic as training winds down, saying he got personally attached even without trying to, and he’ll leave the show with a lifetime of memories. McGregor walks into the gym for the other semi-final fight and sees Jose Aldo sitting on Faber’s bench, and he’s laughing and smiling, but Also just sits there quietly.

    Lightweight: Artem Lobov (Team Europe) vs. Julian Erosa (Team USA)

    There are under ten minutes left so this isn’t getting out of the first round. McGregor reminds Lobov to be “flowey.” Dana White runs down the rules. Herb Dean signals both men and the fight is underway. Erosa is in the blue and Lobov the gray trunks. Lobov is following his usual MO – he’s head hunting and pressuring his opponent. Lobov rocks him at 57 seconds with a big left, hits him with another huge shot when he tries to get up, and Herb Dean is there to wave it off immediately. McGregor is so happy he rips his pants jumping over the fence!

    ARTEM LOBOV ADVANCES TO TONIGHT’S TUF 22 FINALE.…BUT THE SHOW ISN’T OVER.

    Dana White: “Saul lied on his visa application and has problems getting into the country and can’t fight on the Finale. Ryan Hall will now get the opportunity!” So the fight is Ryan Hall vs. Artem Lobov on Friday instead.

  • UFC TUF 22: McGregor vs. Faber episode 11 results & recap

    The Notorious Quote of the Week: “That takedown is there whenever you want it. Keep your chin tucked!” Yes… but WHO was he giving that advice to? Hmmm.

    Last week, both Artem Lobov and Saul Rogers from Conor McGregor’s team advanced to the semi-finals. This week’s show is another two fight episode and we’re starting right away with two Team Europe guys going head to head.

    Lightweight: Marcin Wrzosek (Team Europe) vs. David Teymur (Team Europe)

    Both fighters are wearing gray trunks. You may recall Wrzosek earned the nickname ‘Polish Zombie’ for his ability to absorb damage and keep coming forward. He doesn’t need that early though because he drops Teymur with a right hook two minutes into round one, then wrestles him back to the mat 17 seconds later after Teymur tries to get up. Teymur finally gets up clean at 2:58 and this time he hits a takedown. He gets up with a minute left and they both swing hard. The gym is eerily silent since McGregor isn’t saying anything to show favoritism to either fighter. Wrzosek gets another right hook in right before R1 ends.

    Wrzosek and Teymur mix it up 25 seconds into R2. Teymur lands an explosive takedown at 48 seconds. The ref warns Teymur to stay busy. Wrzosek briefly gets caught in a choke when trying to stand, but winds up escaping it and ending up on top and having full mount for a split second. He pounds away at the ribs as both fighters are reminded to work for the finish. Wrzosek gets swept. This is an incredibly back-and-forth fight. They’re stood up with two minutes left. Wrzosek gets another takedown quickly. Teymur is warned about the back of the head. He scrambles up with 91 seconds to go. Both men are head hunting. Wrzosek pushes him into the fence and they trade knees, and he backs away in time to avoid a high kick. Teymur throws a late leg kick and Wrzosek takes him down before R2 ends. That might have been enough.

    19-19, 20-18 and 20-18 for the majority winner – Marcin Wrzosek. And now we have one last chance for Team USA to send a fighter to the semis – Julian Erosa goes against Abner Lloveras. There’s no slowing down for weigh-ins or drama at the house – we go right back to the cage.

    Lightweight: Abner Lloveras (Team Europe) vs. Julian Erosa (Team USA)

    Erosa is in the blue trunks and Lloveras the gray. Lloveras has the striking advantage early and Erosa is forced to circle on the outside and try to dance in and out of range. He finally lands a good overhand right at 1:53 but he’s getting hit with rights in each exchange. Lloveras seems to be a split second quicker on the trigger each time he gets into range. You can see that Erosa’s cheeks are bruising and swelling up. Lloveras puts him against the fence at 4:05 but Erosa shows great balance avoiding the single leg takedown until 3 seconds left. We’re on to round two.

    Lloveras is right back to the jab to open R2. Erosa’s only answer seems to be to get into a slugfest since he’s unable to block or avoid the strikes. Lloveras gets him off his feet for a second at 1:40. Erosa suddenly catches Lloveras with a couple of good shots and opens a cut over his left eye. Lloveras is backpedaling as he bleeds, which shouldn’t necessarily influence the judges, but it just might. For his part Erosa is not letting Lloveras off the hook. Lloveras fails a a takedown attempt at 3:35. Erosa drops Lloveras with a big punch at 4:10 and tags him with several knees as he gets up. Faber is screaming at Erosa to finish him. He has completely turned this fight around and Lloveras looks gassed as we head to an overtime third round.

    Lloveras is desperate for a takedown to open R3. It’s not “there all day” though the way McGregor thought it would be. Lloveras is crunched with a left hook and presses Erosa into the fence again. They couldn’t really stop the bleeding at all between rounds. Lloveras tries and tries for the leg trip but has to break at 2:02. Faber screams for kicks to the body. Erosa’s left hand looks better and more accurate the further we get into the fight. Lloveras fails on another takedown at 3:37 as McGregor screams for 3’s and 5’s in combos. Now it’s Lloveras who seems unable to stop a single strike from landing and HIS only answer is takedown attempts. He gets Erosa off his feet for just about a second as we go to the final minute and it’s a moral victory at best. Erosa continues to pressure him and land hands and knees. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t get this one from the judges.

    Third round: 10-9 Lloveras, 10-9 Erosa and 10-9 for EROSA. McGregor: “That’s disgraceful.” So finally one guy from Team USA is going to move on. Faber: “We got a horse in the game. Thank goodness!”

    Dana White comes out to announce the semi-finals: Saul Rogers vs. Marcin Wrzosek and Artem Lobov vs. Julian Erosa. Join us next week!

  • TUF 22 – McGregor vs. Faber – Episode 10 Recap – A fighter returns, a favorite eliminated…

    It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.

    Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! There will be no “Fighters to Watch” this week though as it’s a two fight episode.

    The Notorious Quote of the Week: “Dana recognized that these fighters were getting frustrated, and brought a lot of nice friendly women in to have fun with them.” Hmmmm.

    Team McGregor finished the first round 6-3. Chris Gruetzemacher was eliminated because he had the weakest performance, but one of the quarter finalists may be out. Dana White comes out to make an announcement. “Martin (Svensson) has a broken elbow – he’s out.” He brings Gruetzemacher up to the front and has him face off with Artem Lobov. Conor McGregor predicts Lobov will finish him in the first round.

    For those not keeping track the rest of the quarterfinals are Saul Rogers (McGregor) vs. Ryan Hall (Faber), Marcin Wrzosek (McGregor) vs. David Teymur (McGregor) and Julian Erosa (Faber) vs. Abner Lloveras (McGregor). Dana White holds a pool party for the fighters at the house, complete with girls in bikinis and alcohol flowing freely.

    Faber: “This little reminder about what’s on the outside is going to help them perform and do the things they want.” McGregor: “Dana recognized that these fighters were getting frustrated, and brought a lot of nice friendly women in to have fun with them. And that’s what happened – we had fun today.” The first quarterfinal is five days away, and the camera immediately cuts to “five days later” and the warm-ups.

    Lightweight: Artem Lobov (Europe) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (USA)

    Lobov is in the gray trunks and Gruetzemacher the blue. “Gritz” is the aggressor early, pushing the pace and throwing kicks. Of course we know Lobov throws strikes from unorthodox angles and with a ton of power, and we see him land a really nice combo at 1:35. Moments later John McCarthy calls for time due to a knee to Lobov’s cup. McGregor tells Lobov to be a “little more flow-y” but the blood is already flow-ing from Gruetzemacher’s face. Gritz tries to clinch him on the fence for elbows. McGregor: “What’s he got? NOTHIN’.” His blood winds up all over Lobov’s left shoulder. Gruetzemacher is still attacking though, throwing body kicks and leg kicks and getting right in Lobov’s face. Gritz lands a clean hard elbow at 4:20. For the last two minutes of R1 he was the dominant striker, despite what McGregor is saying.

    Gritz goes right back to the leg kicks and body kicks to open R2. Lobov is still ripping off power shots but has yet to stun or drop Gritz with any of them. A frustrated Lobov is now throwing kicks of his own. Gritz has started to open up Lobov’s face with his strikes 1:45 in. Lobov is slowing down and not just because his legs hurt – he’s spent all his time swinging for the fences hoping to put Gritz away. He finally drops Gritz with one at 2:46 but Gritz gets back up. McGregor: “Play with him he’s badly hurt!” A left hook drops Gritz at 3:15 and McGregor runs and jumps the fence to hug him and celebrate. LOBOV ADVANCES TO THE SEMIS VIA KNOCKOUT.

    Ryan Hall vs. Saul Rogers is up after the commercial break.

    Lightweight: Saul Rogers (Europe) vs. Ryan Hall (USA)

    Rogers is in the gray trunks and Hall the blue. Rogers opens up with his hands right away. Hall is doing his best to stay at range and he throws a couple of good head kicks, though he gets dumped on his back on one. Rogers doesn’t go to the ground with him. Rogers dumps him again on a body kick at 1:22. The fighters are warned to keep the fingers out of the eyes at 3:10. Rogers goes for a takedown at 3:40 and doesn’t get it. Hall dives for a takedown at 4:05 and doesn’t get it. Hall looks like his right eye may be swelling up from the strikes of Rogers. On to round two!

    There are only ten minutes left so this one isn’t going to a sudden death round. They touch gloves and Rogers quickly pops him with a right hand. Faber is calling for Hall to pressure Rogers. Hall goes for a takedown but Rogers ends up on top in full guard. Hall is warned to watch shots to the back of the head. Hall scoots to the fence. Rogers backs off and lets Hall stand at 1:30. Hall shoots and misses, Rogers tags him for a flash knockdown, Hall fails to pull guard and Rogers takes him down at 2:10. He pops his head out of a possible triangle but Hall is still fishing for a submission. Rogers backs out at 2:38. His right hand is landing all day. Hall dives for a leg lock to no avail. Hall pulls guard at3:39. Rogers can run out the clock on top if he wants. He’s warned to get his fingers out of Hall’s eyes. They stand with under 15 seconds left. Rogers should take this. He lands one last uppercut at the bell.

    19-19, 20-18 and 20-18 for ROGERS BY MAJORITY DECISION. Two of the four semifinalists are now from Team McGregor. Hall has a big hematoma on his head in the post fight interview. We move on from this week to see if “Mystic Mac” can run the table and have an all Team McGregor finals. Join us next week!

  • UFC TUF 22: McGregor vs. Faber episode 9 recap: Watermelon drops of doom

    The Notorious Quote of the Week: “As a warm up for the Aldo fight, I’d kill him! But they wouldn’t do it. They wouldn’t sacrifice your old ass for a fight.”

    Last week, Team McGregor took a 5-3 lead. The final first round fight tonight is Abner Lloveras from Team McGregor and Jason Gonzalez from Team Faber. Here we go!

    McGregor praises his team for being mentally strong. He notes that nobody has crumbled, or had an emotional breakdown, or begged to go home. “It’s a good experience to be here doing this show. We’re having a good time.” Abner Lloveras says (and I quote) “My game plan is to work on my well rounded.” McGregor says that he’s so experienced he doesn’t need to give Lloveras much advice. Lloveras: “You really need to trust in yourself and work out a lot in the gym to be a better fighter.”

    The focus shifts to Team Faber. Urijah: “Jason is 90% standup so Abner’s game plan will be to take this fight down and get a submission.” TJ Dillashaw: “Gonzalez picks up on it really quick. He’s got a good style and he stays striking long.” Gonzalez: “I’m just coming in there well prepared for whatever comes at me.”

    It’s time for the annual COACHES CHALLENGE. They drive out to a tent in the middle of the desert, while Dana White gets to cruise in via helicopter. The helicopter is actually key though – they have to fly over the top of a giant bullseye and drop five watermelons. The coach with the most points at the end wins $10,000 and $1,500 for each member of their team. Confidence is high for “Mystic Mac” as we go to break.

    Faber gets 25. McGregor gets 25. Faber gets 10. McGregor gets 10. Faber gets 50. McGregor gets 10. Faber gets 0. McGregor gets 25. Faber hits a bullseye on his very last shot for 100 to take 185-70 lead. McGregor can’t win now even if he hits the bullseye – it’s all over. McGregor: “F–k the challenge. I feel sick as a dog over that. I don’t like losing. Congratulations to that little buffet twerp.”

    Gonzalez talks about his family being from Nicaragua and living through the civil war there. Lloveras talks about his wife and baby daughter. “I have them on my mind always and I will for sure fight harder to give them a good life – hopefully.”

    Lloveras is my Fighter to Watch for this episode, and not just because he’s in the fight. He’s an Olympic level boxer, a black belt in muay thai, and a brown belt in jiu-jitsu. He’s the oldest guy on the show but at 19-7-1 he’s also among the most experienced. Gonzalez is also a Fighter to Watch, because he’s young and strong and anybody praised by Dillashaw for his striking is doing something right.

    No weigh-ins today – we’re going straight to the fight. Lloveras: “P–ies don’t come here to fight. We’re big boys and we need to show that.”

    Lightweight: Abner Lloveras (Europe) vs. Jason Gonzalez (USA)

    Lloveras is in the gray trunks and Gonzalez the blue. Lloveras is as predicted looking for takedowns and Gonzalez does a good job of stuffing the attempts, just missing with a high kick on the break that could have ended the fight. He pours it on as Lloveras backs away and lands a big knee to the body. He hits another jumping knee and Lloveras clinches up for a leg trip – he gets it at 2:55 and is quickly in full mount. He loses it and gets it back at 3:45. Big elbows and big rights from on top. Lloveras did more in those last two minutes than Gonzalez did the first three so I’d give him the round.

    If this is going three then Gonzalez is going to win this round, but for the first minute he’s getting beaten to the punch and is in danger of being single legged again. Lloveras gets his takedown at 1:10 but Gonzalez gets right back up and avoids a back mount. Lloveras gets a takedown again at 1:40 and another full mount. It’s not going well for Gonzalez. Gonzalez manages to push off the fence and roll to escape but Lloveras gets the mount again at 2:30. Gonzalez tries again to push off and gets up at 3:15. Lloveras goes right for a single leg but has to reset before he can get it at 3:42. That’s pretty much a wrap as Gonzalez is exhausted from fighting to get up and breathing hard. He pushes off at 4:20 and stands but is taken down with ease five seconds later. The judges should make this unanimous.

    20-18 X3 for Abner Lloveras. Not shocking at all. Team McGregor finishes the first round of fights with a 6-3 lead.

    The gimmick moment of the show has arrived as one winner has to be cut. It would be more fair to cut one of McGregor’s guys since he has more men in the hunt, but it’s Dana White’s call in the end as to who didn’t “perform.” He sits down with Faber and McGregor. Mystic Mac immediately calls for Gruetzemacher to be cut, and defends Svensson by saying it may have been boring but at least Svensson got a submission.

    White agrees. He says Lloveras has terrible ground and pound skills, but he got the submission and the win; meanwhile Gruetzemacher had points where he could have gone for broke and didn’t so he blew it. Now McGregor has to match up his own guys against each other, but before he can do that he and Faber get into a pissing war about who makes more money and who would win if the two of them got in a fight – which is where this week’s Notorious Quote of the Week comes from.

    Time for the announcement of the quarterfinals. Dana White informs Gruetzemacher that he’s cut, but tells him to stay ready in case anybody on either team gets injured – if they do he’s back in. The first fight is Artem Lobov vs. Martin Svensson. There’s little doubt in my mind Svensson wins that. The second fight is Saul Rogers vs. Ryan Hall. That’s more of a coin flip. The third fight is Marcin Wrzosek vs. David Teymur. I’ve got “The Polish Zombie” in that one. Last but not least it’s Julian Erosa vs. Abner Lloveras, and I heavily favor the latter in that bout. Ryan Hall is now the best hope of Team Faber winning at the end and he’s no better than a coin flip.

    We move on from this week to see if “Mystic Mac” can run the table and have an all Team McGregor finals. Join us next week!

  • UFC TUF 22: McGregor vs. Faber episode 8 results & recap

    It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block. Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! We’ll also spice things up with some predictions for week two about who could go all the way this season – two “Fighters to Watch” for each recap.

    *****

    There’s no Notorious Quote of the Week or Fighters to Watch this week. They crammed two fights into this episode so there really wasn’t enough time to glean anything worthwhile from the filler material.

    Weigh-ins for Artem Lobov and James Jenkins open the show. Both fighters make weight. Faber predicts the entire fight will be a stand-up war and “a bloody mess.” Jenkins wants to “prove his worth and let it all hang out.” Lobov says he has the same game plan every single fight: “Hit him as hard as I can, as much as I can.”

    Lightweights: Artem Lobov (Europe) vs. James Jenkins (USA)

    Lobov is in the gray trunks and Jenkins the blue. Jenkins is 8-1 and Lobov is 11-10-1. That means Lobov is more experienced and more vulnerable at the same time. Both fighters get a warning for extended fingers 55 seconds in. Jenkins is trying to push Lobov into the fence and work him over, but that’s easier said than done. Lobov keeps his hands low and slams them into his face when Jenkins isn’t expecting it. He starts bleeding pretty badly and time is called at 2:44 to check the cuts. Jenkins says he’s okay to continue but Lobov keeps creaming him with the left. Lobov lands the kill shot right and pounds it out for a stoppage at4:05. Lobov looks at Dana White: “Did I promise you a good fight? A Russian Irishman always keeps his word!”

    Team McGregor takes a 4-3 lead and we quickly move to the next fight announcement. David Teymur (McGregor) vs. Johnny Nunez (Faber) is up next. We don’t even see the weigh-in so we can assume both men made weight.

    Lightweight: David Teymur (Europe) vs. Johnny Nunez (USA)

    For unknown reasons, Conor McGregor doesn’t show up for his team for this fight, and Dana White says that after 15 minutes of waiting they had to go ahead.

    Teymur is in the gray and Nunez is in the blue. Nunez dives hard for a takedown at 1:03 but it’s not there. Nunez is warned about shots to the groin, gets thrown by Teymur, Teymur starts pouring it on on the ground and the ref warns Nunez to fight back. Nunez stands back up after another warning with three minutes left in the round. Teymur is warned multiple times not to grab the fence, the fighters reset, and Nunez rocks Teymur with a shot and dives on top. Now when Teymur gets up, Nunez is getting the takedowns right away. He gets full mount with a minute left. Teymur gets half guard back as Nunez tries to posture up for elbows. A wild first round that could have gone either way.

    Case partially completes a takedown at 1:18 of R2 but Teymur scrambles his way to the fence. The ref warns him about kneeing a grounded opponent as Teymur gets back up. Nunez gets another takedown at 1:56. Teymur is warned about shots to the back of the head. Teymur struggles to get off his back and can’t. At the three minute mark you can see his mouth wide open, breathing real hard, sucking wind. Nunez does get a warning to stay busy. Teymur gets up at 4:13. He lands a few good body kicks in the final 20 seconds but I’ve got Nunez winning the round clearly. The first round might have gone to Teymur with the judges though… AND IT DOES. R3 after commercial!

    McGregor shows up just in time for the third round. Teymur gets on Nunez right away and he covers up on the ground for the first thirty seconds as the ref warns him to fight back. Nunez gets up at 1:09. The fact Teymur couldn’t pound him out shows just how tired he is. Actually they’re both gassed. The ref resets them at the center for inactivity at 2:07. Teymur lands a shot, Nunez dives for the legs, and time is slipping away for Nunez. He eats a kick to the head after they both stand up. Another warning to work as they wind up agains the fence.

    Teymur gets multiple warnings not to grab the cage. They break with 90 seconds left. Teymur misses with a spinning head kick and Nunez finally gets a takedown at 3:55 right to side control. He takes the back with short time left and transitions to full mount. Both of these guys have come back from seemingly being totally spent and totally out of it. It wasn’t a pretty fight but it was a grueling scrap. Did Nunez do enough late to win R3 and the fight?

    All three judges score R3 10-9 for a unanimous decision to David Teymur. Team McGregor takes a 5-3 lead.

    The final first round fight is Abner Lloveras from Team McGregor and Jason Gonzalez from Team Faber. Join us next week!

  • UFC TUF 22 ep. 6 recap: Cody Garbrandt mixes it up with Conor McGregor

    It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.

    Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! We’ll also spice things up with some predictions for week two about who could go all the way this season – two “Fighters to Watch” for each recap.

    The Notorious Quote of the Week is about TJ Dillashaw: “Where’s the little snake? Where’s the little weasel? That’s how people do – they just run over you.”

    Saul Rogers won the second fight in a row for Team Europe on last week’s show. Conor McGregor picked ‘The Sultan’ Mehdi Baghdad to face Julian Erosa this week – we’ll see if Baghdad can make it three in a row.

    Erosa is not taking it well that Baghdad promised to beat him up in the face off last week – and Faber is telling him to feed off those “fighting words” and get more pumped. Baghdad is ALREADY pumped. He talks about his K-1 kickboxing credentials, and brags he’ll “cut him like I cut my filet mignon” with his elbows. McGregor says the only thing Baghdad can do to get better is improve his footwork.

    T.J. Dillashaw is here to help out the U.S. team train following his most recent title fight. Faber talks about Duane Ludwig leaving after being with Team Alpha Male for a year getting Dillashaw to the world title, and Dillashaw following him to Colorado. Except at this point in the filming he hasn’t QUITE left. He and Faber are chummy and all Dillashaw will say is “Faber and Ludwig don’t see eye to eye” and that he has a close bond with Ludwig.

    Weigh-in time! Baghdad is 155.5 and Erosa is 156. Ryan Hall says Erosa is one of the toughest guys on their team. Dana White says his style is “unorthodox and weird” but says Baghdad is a world class muay thai striker. Both teams are sitting around waiting for a photo shoot and Conor McGregor starts talking smack about Dillashaw again. “Little snake in the grass he is. He’s a little snake in the grass.” Faber: “I think you just don’t want to fight either of us.” He accuses Faber of cutting down Chad Mendes in the process when Faber says he wouldn’t get tired fight McGregor. Faber immediately corrects him “on TWO WEEKS notice” but McGregor is having none of it. “Maybe you’re all snakes!” Then things get HOSTILE right before the commercial.

    The extended cut after the commercial break has a lot of four letter words and a lot of pull-aparts and a lot of words bleeped out as coach Cody Garbrandt from Faber’s camp finally got ticked off and one of them walked over and shoved McGregor in the chest! Good thing it was a coach and not a fighter because a fighter would have been kicked off the show for it. Dillashaw was off getting coffee when the whole thing went down. McGregor can’t resist stirring the pot some more even after everybody gets settled down and tries to create some hostility between Dillashaw and Faber. Dillashaw stays cool as a cucumber: “I don’t need your fake ass belt.”

    I know he’s only a coach and not one of the competitors but I’m designating Garbrandt as a Fighter to Watch this week. He’s currently undefeated at 7-0, having won his first six fights by KO or TKO, and he racked up a lot of those wins BEFORE coming to Team Alpha Male. This is a bantamweight who could end up fighting T.J. Dillashaw somewhere down the line.

    After the break Baghdad puts on his headdress and says he’s representing all Arabic people as well as his country of France. He’s my other Fighter to Watch as a former RFA Lightweight Champion and K-1 France Champion. Faber is reminding Erosa to be the guy to strike first and control every position the fight goes to. Baghdad is 11-3 and Erosa is 14-2, so we’ve got two very experienced guys going into this fight.

    Lightweight: Mehdi Baghdad (Europe) vs. Julian Erosa (USA)

    Erosa is in the blue and Baghdad the gray. Baghdad is trying to pressure and Erosa has no problem with it, popping Baghdad with jabs. Baghdad does catch him with a good right hook though. You can really see where the “unorthodox” comes from with Erosa – he’ll lean his body one way and then strike from the opposite side. It would be really confusing to stand in front of him and figure out where the shots were coming from. He’s not just a power puncher too – he’s also got some crisp leg and head kicks, and he lands a sneaky knee when Baghdad tries to clinch. It’s a fairly even fight through the first three minutes, but slowly leaning toward Baghdad due to him being the aggressor. Baghdad lands really hard shots when he does close the distance and pin Erosa against the cage, but he just can’t keep him there for long.

    As in the first round Baghdad is trying to be the man who comes forward early and wins Octagon control, but it still seems like Erosa is giving as good as he’s getting from my vantage point. McGregor is screaming at Baghdad to let his hands go two minutes in. If anything it seems like Erosa’s striking is getting better the longer the fight goes, but Baghdad’s right hook is really nasty. Erosa lands a nice kick to the face in the last minute and Baghdad responds with one in kind. It’s a shame there won’t be a third round with only 8 minutes left. Dana says Julian probably landed more but Baghdad probably hit harder – and this is why you don’t leave it to the judges in a fight. Faber gives McGregor a pair of American sandals.

    20-18, 19-19, 20-18 for the winner by majority decision – Julian Erosa.

    Faber announces his picks for next week’s fight is Thanh Le (USA) vs. Martin Svensson (Europe). Come back to see what happens next week and if McGregor can stir the pot up a little bit more!

  • UFC TUF 22: McGregor vs. Faber episode 5 results & recap 10-7

    It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.

    Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! We’ll also spice things up with some predictions for week two about who could go all the way this season – two “Fighters to Watch” for each recap.

    The Notorious Quote of the Week is Conor McGregor at the bar: “Is this the menu? That’s it? Just give me everything – thanks.”

    Marcin Wrzosek handed the U.S. team their first loss last week with a two round decision. Team Europe is going to try to capitalize by having Saul Rogers face Billy Quarantillo. Rogers is more experienced so UFC is promoting it as an “upset” if Quarantillo wins.

    McGregor on why he picked Rogers: “I paid attention to whose energy is right, whose body is right, who’s ready to go.” He felt Saul was showing all the signs of being ready. Meanwhile at the house Tom Gallicchio makes no excuses for losing his fight last week. He admits he was beaten by the better man.

    Saul Rogers talks about his two kids, and he says the one thing he hopes to impart to them is “Whatever you love doing stick with it” because that’s his approach to fighting. He also says he doesn’t make a game plan for opponents – he just tries to be as sharp as he can be for each opponent.

    McGregor shows his team some takedown techniques, and says the position of the head when you’re clinched up is the key. Everybody’s happy with the drilling but apparently after the commercial break he takes them all out for SAKE BOMBS.

    Billy Quarantillo talks about how he got hooked the first time he learned a submission, and that he feels like Rogers won’t want to stand and trade with him. Faber: “Billy has a lot of tenacity and he tries really hard, but his technique is far behind.” Faber gives him some personal instruction on how to move off his back and get good positions.

    Martin Svensson and Mehdi Baghdad are both thrilled to be learning from the best fighter in the world. Going out for drinks turned out to be a c–ktease – nobody gets crazy. I have to be honest that 20 minutes into the show this isn’t a great episode.

    Rogers and Quarantillo are my “Fighters to Watch” this week just because nobody else is standing out or doing noteworthy. Svensson may have had more lines than anybody else this episode but all he says is McGregor is great and Rogers is great. Yawn.

    McGregor is teaching Team Europe more techniques for staying balanced on your feet when someone has your leg high in the air. Saul weighs in at 156. Quarantillo weighs in at 155 even. Both teams are equally confident in their man.

    Finally something interesting is happening – Chris Gruetzemacher is starting to crack under the pressure of being on the show. He says he misses his coaches, his lifestyle, his ability to take time away FROM training when he wants. He’s saying he wants out in the worst way.

    Lightweight: Saul Rogers (Europe) vs. Billy Quarantillo (USA)

    Rogers is in the gray trunks, Quarantillo the blue. There are 22 minutes left so we’re in for at least two full rounds. Quanantillo’s first takedown is stuffed and Rogers is on top in half guard as it goes to the ground. Rogers hammers away with unchecked lefts to the head as he tries to get up, and nearly throws him back to the ground. Quarantillo is warned not to grab the fence. Rogers is on top again in half guard with 2 minutes gone and stands up to drop bombs, then he’s the one warned not to grab the fence. Rogers takes the back as they scramble and McGregor warns him not to rush and keep his position – but he does and winds up on top of Quarantillo as he tries to keep distance with butterfly guard. Rogers finally pushes his way back into full guard and almost finishes R1 in side but Quarantillo gets back up right before the bell. 10-9 Rogers.

    Rogers has a takedown 21 seconds into R2. Quarantillo is warned about fingers in his face. He tries to heel hook Rogers but Rogers just gets back on top in guard. I don’t feel like we’re going to a third round unless Quarantillo does something crazy… and soon. Rogers takes his back halfway through the round, Quarantillo stands up off it, and Rogers takes him right back down. He’s got side at 3:15. Rogers is really pouring it on with hammers and elbows against the fence with 30 seconds left. Quarantillo never did anything.

    Dana White: “He manhandled Billy. He showed he’s one of the favorites to win this thing.”

    20-16, 20-17 and 20-17 all for Saul Rogers. McGregor announces Mehdi Baghdad (Europe) vs. Julian Erosa (U.S.) as his pick. Join us next week!

  • UFC TUF 22: McGregor vs. Faber results & recap for episode 3

    By Steve Juon, WrestlingObserver.com

    It’s a whole new season and Conor McGregor is the reason, as he and Urijah Faber go toe to toe as coaching foes on The Ultimate Fighter. They won’t duke it out after the season is done, but there’s still pride on the line, not to mention Conor’s reputation as the newest badass on the block.

    Join us each episode for “The Notorious Quote of the Week” as Conor puts his mouth where UFC’s money is! We’ll also spice things up with some predictions for week two about who could go all the way this season – two “Fighters to Watch” for each recap.

    The Notorious Quote of the Week: “Man Urijah is an absolute p—y. Stop being a p—y. Man up and make the fight (with Dillashaw). You’ve got nothing else left.”

    Last week U.S. fighter Ryan Hall beat European fighter Frantz Siloa to retain control for Team Faber. This week’s fight is Sascha Sharma (Team Europe) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (Team U.S.). Here we go!

    Martin Svensson is sporting a black eye at the same time he’s saying the training is going really well. I’ve got him on my “Fighter to Watch” list this week because of the amount of energy he expends in the workout sessions.

    Apparently the Team McGregor strategy is to have a light workout in the morning without their coach, then an intense session with technical instruction including McGregor in the evening. Dana White says he acts like he doesn’t give a f— when the truth is that he really does.

    Chris Gruetzemacher says his dad was shot and murdered when he was only five. It’s part of what made him focused and convinced him to be a fighter, and make the most of his athletic ability while he still has the time to. He’s my other “Fighter to Watch” this week.

    Sascha Sharma talks about how his dad emigrated from India to Germany decades ago, and how he had an infection in childhood that left him paralyzed for a time. He had to train to walk, he had to train martial arts to feel better, and after that he couldn’t give it up.

    Faber comes over to the TUF house to watch the T.J. Dillashaw fight where he finished Renan Barao standing, beating Barao for the second time (July 25, 2015). Afterward Sharma is 155 and Gruetzemacher is 154.5 on the scale. Dana thinks Gruetzemacher has it in the bag because he trains with Benson Henderson.

    * Lightweight: Chris Gruetzemacher (USA) vs. Sascha Sharma (Europe)

    Sharma is in the gray trunks and “Gritz” as Faber calls him is in the blue. Sharma pushes Gritz into the fence as McGregor calls for him to throw knees and to be patient in the fight. Gritz takes him to the ground and Sharma goes for a triangle submission – but Gritz breaks it and lands a couple of hard and heavy rights on the ground. Sharma gets up and pushes Gritz into the fence again. Sharma single legs him to the ground but can’t keep him down. 2:30 gone. These two are going really hard for what looks to be a long fight with a half hour of TV time left. Sharma pulls guard at 3:15 then tries to land upkicks but Gritz talks the half guard to land elbows. Gritz is passing furiously and Sharma is scrambling furiously – an intense amount of energy is being expended on both sides. Gritz ends up on top in guard and Sharma tries to get a triangle or armbar again but can’t. On to R2!

    Sharma lands a right hand and shoots immediately to open R2, but when he can’t get it he flops to his back hoping to suck Gritz in. Gritz is more than happy to get on top and throw some elbows, then take a full mount at 51 seconds, but Sharma is able to escape it – not without getting bloodied. McGregor loses his cool when he goes to his back again and starts screaming “Stay on your f—ing feet!” Sharma rolls and Gritz nearly gets an armbar out of it. McGregor is screaming at Sharma to “end up on top out of it” and he does. Sharma gets swept though and Gritz is in side control. McGregor: “You need to find your patience in there. A patient man always prevails.” Sharma manages to hold on and go for some upkicks when Gritz repositions, but Gritz gets big damage late and a mount too.

    Dana White announces a sudden victory third round and McGregor screams at him to stay on his feet before we go to commercial.

    Sharma ignores McGregor’s advice and goes to the ground immediately, causing an exasperated McGregor to scream “WHAT THE F—?!” Gritz spins to take the back while throwing rights, but Sharma tries to trap his head for a choke. He’s too exhausted to lock it on though and Gritz gets on his back again throwing rights at his head. It’s a war of attrition and Gritz is winning. He passes to side and takes the back again. McGregor screams “up on your feet” but he’s too whipped to even try. Gritz pushes him back down into half guard. McGregor realizes they’ve lost the fight even with two minutes left. Faber: “Don’t do anything too crazy just keep eating him up.” INDEED. Sharma spins on top with just over a minute left. Gritz motions like he’ll stand up but sweeps with a half minute left. McGregor: “Very very poor. My God.” Sharma is a bloody mess.

    McGregor: “When he shot from the bell in the t’ird round and then pulled guard, there’s nothing more you can do. There’s nothing more you can do for the kid. There’s only so much words can do.” He accuses Sharma of “crumbling under the pressure.” All three judges score the third 10-9 for Gritz which makes Team U.S. 2-0 so far. Faber: “For not being emotionally invested you sure got emotionally invested.” Faber announces Tom Gallicchio (USA) vs. Marcin Wrzosek (Europe). Join us next week!