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The Ultimate Fighter: Season 12 Episode 6: “Win or Die”

October 20, 2010 By

Previously on TUF, Cody proved he was not afraid to trade barbs with Koscheck. Team Koscheck finally gets a win when Nam Phan takes out Spencer Paige. But did their post-fight antics go too far?

To start, Kos is already pushing buttons. This time his victim is Michael Johnson, who he claims is looking a little fat. But yet again, his jokes fall short.

Team Kos is happy to finally get fight control, and is happy with the potential of his three remaining fighters. The coaches assemble the team to talk about the strategy of picking fights. They’re stressin’ either way.

Back at the house, Mike complains about Team Kos and their premature celebration. He points out that they could end up going 6-1, and to celebrate the way they are is obnoxious. To amp it up even more, Kos shows up to hang with his team and decides to rub it in either further. He gets out on the balcony and Mike is just unhappy with his presence – he wants to know why he’s pickin’ on him and being a dick. He is right about one thing – they are going to bump head a lot more.

Finally, Koscheck makes his fight pick and chooses Marc Stevens to fight Cody McKenzie. As they’re enjoying the stare-down, Marc tries to no avail to get Cody to laugh. Instead, Cody turns out and gently taps the top of his hand under Kos’s chin (which annoys Sevak). After some thought, Kos realizes how much it annoys him…and wants even more for Marc to win so he can repay the favor.

In the locker room, GSP is trying to talk some sense into his guys about the Kos situation. He is no coward, and has faced adverse situations, but he tells them that the best way to deal with Kos is just walk away. If you don’t let him get to you, he cannot get any pleasure out of seeing you squirm.

At training, Cody talks about his background and goals. He is an unorthodox fighter, who just sees Marc as someone in the way of his paycheck. A decision is not even an option; the goal is a knockout.

Marc, AKA Mini-Koscheck, sees Cody as a scrapper, but also as just another fight under his belt. Experience is definitely on Marc’s side.

At the weigh-ins, Dana discusses the fight choice: Kos’s first pick vs. GSP’s sixth pick. While Cody has an impressive record, Marc won his first fight at TUF via KO. He gives the edge to Marc Stevens.

FIGHT DAY

ROUND 1
McKenzie comes out swinging wildly immediately. McKenzie then goes to kick but Stevens catches it and drives him backwards and down to the ground. But right away McKenzie latches his arms around for the choke and sinks the guillotine. Stevens is asleep quickly.

Winner: Cody McKenzie via Submission (Guillotine)

I hope you didn’t blink and miss that. Kos is horrified. Marc was caught and put to sleep in no time flat.

However, GSP warns the guys not to behave the way Team Kos acted. Do not act cocky, do not brag. Be the nice guy and you will not be expected to be aggressive in the cage.

The mood in Team Kos’s locker room is s.i.l.e.n.t. So much for their fight-pick gameplan. Now Team GSP gets the next pick and no one knows who’s fighting whom.

But the wait is short, and Team GSP chooses Jonathan Brookins to fight Sevak Magakian. Kos had not planned for this, but even Jonathan thinks that Sevak is one of the toughtest fighters in the house. It will be a challenge.

After the next fight is announced, Jonathan is doing his yoga and meditation. He believes that not only does it prepare him for fights, but a little soul-searching never hurt anybody. As such a mellow person, many wonder how he could enjoy fighting so much. But it’s really the competition he enjoys. GSP is rolling with him, talking about what a sponge he is…but suddenly GSP is bleeding. They went head to head and GSP ended up with a lovely cut on his eyebrow. Yup, stitches!

According to Kos, Sevak is a wild man. He’s the alpha male, outspoken and outgoing, which is why they get along so well. Sako, who has trained with Sevak for 8 years, says he will not quit unless you knock his head off. Power in his punches, good Jiu Jitsu, good strength and a big heart – all things he has. Will it be enough?

FIGHT DAY

ROUND 1
Both tentative at first, but Magakian gets the first solid punch in. After feeling each other out, Brookins easily gets Magakian down and has side control. He’s looking for a submission, as Magakian tries to maneuver out. Magakian manages to stand, but Brookins gets on his back and wraps his legs around tight. Neither advances the position, but Brookins does get a few uppercuts through. Finally, Brookins manages to work his right arm under Magakian’s chin. He continues to tighten harder and harder. Magakian’s knees buckle him to the ground; he taps.

Winner: Jonathan Brookins via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)

Dana: That was some sick Jiu Jitsu. Amen.

It must suck to be yellow today. Once again, they are pretty much silent.

Next week: The final preliminary fight. Can Dane overcome the stigma of being the last pick? Or will Sako unleash his inner psycho? GSP and Koscheck hit the diamond for the coaches’ challenge. Dana and the coaches make their picks for the wildcard.

Filed Under: News, Opinion, The Ultimate Fighter, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Ultimate Fighter: Season 12 Episode 5: “Disrespectful”

October 13, 2010 By

Previously on TUF, Alex Caceres continued to run his mouth at the house, until Sevak had heard enough. Desperate for a win, Team Koscheck focused on strategy and put all their hopes on Andy Main, who was eventually submitted by veteran Kyle Watson. Can Team Koscheck pull their act together or will Team GSP continue to dominate?

To start the show, Kos talks about how he took advantage of the perks of being on the show – learning from the coaches, in particular, his coach Chuck Liddell. To help the guys out, he brings Jon Fitch for a visit in the hopes of some inspiration. Fitch is impressed the attitude of the guys, and their willingness to learn. You can’t coach someone who thinks they know everything. Training ends as they chant, “Hard work. Pays off.”

Back at the house, Mike is doing his laundry as Alex is deciding how he’s going to formulate more pranks. Unfortunately, Alex’s latest prank doesn’t hit the intended target (Nam), but nearly nails Mike instead. Alex had replaced Nam’s fabric softener with bleach… which Mike had just thrown in the washer with his darks! The guys are growing weary of Alex’s pranks…

GSP brings in a special guest trainer from France to help the guys. He basically warns them that this could be the best experience of their lives – or the worst. Jean-Charles Skarbowsky, a former Muay Thai champ lives his life his own way. Despite being a smoker and a heavy drinker, he is still known for literally picking opponents apart. Each guy gets in the ring with Skarbowsky, and each of them is easily thrown to the floor. And he was drunk!

Alex is running is mouth. Again. Even his own teammates are sick of him.

Finally, we move on to GSP’s next fight pick. They choose Spencer Paige to take on Nam Phan. According to Coach Danaher, Paige is one of their more skilled fighters and calls a win – if he can keep it standing. Kos doesn’t want to jinx it, but he is very happy with the matchup and has high hopes for Phan.

After the picks are made, Nam discusses his training regimen. He runs for an hour, daily, which leaves many of the other fighters dumbfounded and confused. But will they be so dumbfounded when Nam is the one who isn’t gassed after 2 rounds? Maybe they could learn a thing or two from him.

As far as GSP is concerned, Paige is one of the more dedicated, better trained fighters on Team GSP. He has good striking which will be his advantage. But, of course, Paige feels the pressure of keeping the win streak going.

As Team Kos arrives at the gym, Cody and Kos exchange a few barbs, leaving Kos scratching his head. Cody is certainly an odd duck.

Nam talks about peoples’ perceptions they have of him – the mistaken perceptions. He doesn’t look like a stereotypical fighter, and generally people think he’s just some college student. He likes this and wants to use it to his advantage. As practice is winding down, Chuck Liddell comes strolling in and each of the guys is star struck. This is just after his loss to Rich Franklin, but the team just feels boosted by his presence. Sevak asks him for just one piece of advice. He boils it down easily: Love what you do. They better be doing this because they love it. His hardest decision is whether or not to hang it up and retire. Though of course he jokes that he might just have one more fight left in him for Tito. :)

At the weigh-ins, Kos tries to poke fun at GSP, offering to leave MMA right then if he kisses him. But GSP is smart and doesn’t play into the game.

Regarding the fight, Dana is impressed with Paige’s stand up. However, he also sees that Phan is well-rounded, with decent striking. It should be a fairly even fight. Kos makes a visit to Team GSP and again tries to pick on him. Cody comes to GSP’s defense, which surprisingly irks GSP who is a grown man and needs no defending.

FIGHT DAY
ROUND 1
Immediately Paige comes out with a big body kick. Paige is far more aggressive, though Phan is checking some of his shots. Paige keeps landing solid body kicks. Finally, Phan counters with a right that rocks Paige. Paige lands a few nice shots, but he is not being selective with what he throws. Phan has Paige backing up though and lands a couple shots himself. A nice couple jabs from Paige followed by a body kick and a leg kicks. Paige’s shots are landing 3:1 over Phan’s. Phan finally lands a couple solid jabs to Paige’s back. A spinning kick from Paige misses. Paige loses balance a little after a nice body kick from Phan. Good combos from Paige. Phan catches one of Paige’s kicks and throws Paige onto his back. Phan pounces and rains down several unanswered punches from up high. Paige is covering up, but Phan is not letting him up. Paige tries to push him off, but many of Phan’s punches are getting through. Phan finally gets down on Paige and has side control. Phan tries to swing around for north-south position and is looking for Paige’s arm as the round ends.

ROUND 2
Paige is first to strike again with several jabs, but Phan counters with a body kick. Again, Phan has Paige backpedaling and gets him into a corner. Phan lands several solid shots that clearly have Paige hurt. Paige attempts a spinning back kick that barely grazes Phan. Paige’s shots are looking weak and careless. Phan with a couple strong body shots. Paige with another spinning kick that sets him off balance and he falls. Immediately back up. After a short exchange, the same thing happens. Howver this time, Phan doesn’t let him up and Paige tries to take him down from the ground. Phan just punches him from there and Paige realizes he can’t do much. They return to standing where Paige once again tries the spinning kick and the spinning backfist – both fail. Paige is starting to look angry. Nice combo from Phan. Great head kick from Phan, but it is mostly checked. Paige, stop with the spinning kicks! The round ends with a whole lotta nothing.

Winner: Nam Phan via Decision

Spencer was definitely winning the first round…until maybe the last minute of it. Then he fell apart around the time that Nam caught his kick. Spencer claims he broke his hand at some point (guess that explains all the kicks).

Team Kos finally gets a win, and the boys go ape-shit. Hey, at least Kos won’t go 0-7 for the season. Initially, Kos’s bragging is only directed at GSP, who can take it. But as Spencer is having his hand checked out, Team Kos begins banging on the walls, rubbing in their victory. Spencer simply hangs his head.

Next week: 6 lightweights have yet to fight; 4 will get the chance in a 2-fight episode. Team GSP is fed up with Kos’s mouth. One hour. Two fights. Who will move on?

Filed Under: News, Opinion, The Ultimate Fighter, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Ultimate Fighter: Season 12 Episode 4: “Love to Hate”

October 6, 2010 By


Previously on TUF, Alex Caceres scores the first victory of the season, but let it go to his head. Team Koscheck pulls the first prank of the season, but fails to get a rise out of GSP. Mike Tyson visits to see Aaron Wilkinson get submitted by Michael Johnson. Who will be the next in line?

Johnson and Wilkinson was a sick fight. Aaron was grossly underestimated, and definitely had Michael up against the ropes at times. But the third round found a new Mike who came out like a shotgun for the win. Back in the locker room, GSP comments that if all the fights go this way, they’re gonna give him a heart attack! Tyson is also with them in the locker room, playing guru. “Success breeds confidence.” The more they win, the more confident they will be. However, they also need to watch how they conduct themselves both in and out of the ring (oh, the irony!).

At Koscheck’s training camp, Kos is definitely feeling the heat of a 0-2 start. He deems that they must get busy living or get busy dying. Well, they have some business to catch up on. Sevak and his teammates seem to be pumped up and motivated to overcome their losses. Kos promises them that they harder they work now, the bigger the payoff (hmmm…I think I need to borrow that line).

Back at the house, several guys are having a bitch-session about the disrespect shown by Alex during Mike and Aaron’s fight (his yelling, “F**k him up” and whatnot). Alex overhears this and comes over to defend himself. First it starts out as a lot of yelling between Alex and Jeff, but then Sevak gets heated to the point where he’s out of his seat and ready to go toe-to-toe with him. Thankfully, Nam grabs Sevak by the waist and gets him into the house. After the chaos, Alex makes light of the whole situation, acting like he can do no wrong.

GSP and Kos are at the gym, and Kos tries to get under GSP’s skin…unsuccessfully…again.

Up 2 to nothing on Kos, GSP makes the next fight pick, which will be Kyle Watson vs. Andrew Main. Dana thinks this will be interesting, as they are both Jiu Jitsu guys. This’ll be the oldest guy in the house versus the youngest guy in the house. Watson has the experience, while Main has the youth. Kos isn’t looking past Watson, but he sees a team win.

Watson spars with GSP, discussing his approach. He is very analytical, playing out scenarios and strategies. According to Coach Danaher, this could go a number of ways – played out on the ground, or even a win standing up. Watson agrees, asserting that he doesn’t see Main submitting him.

Once again, Kos tries to push GSP’s buttons by coming in wearing GSP-style Speedos. He gets nothin’ out of him. When will Kos just realize that he won’t win this, and give up?

At training, Kos is pumped for this fight. Coach Camarillo watches some video of Watson to assess him, finding that he is slow, methodical and technical. Main works with Teddy Lucio to work on his weakness – striking. His game plan is to use his speed and power to his advantage to get Watson down. Each team has their guy winning…duh.

Main talks about how important it is for them to get control – going down 0-3 would put them in a serious hole. They need the control to start picking more advantageous fights. Kos sits them down for a pep talk, and gets Main alone to make sure he understands the gravity. “Go out there and lay it on the alone. Believe in yourself.” Game plan? Get on top. Nice and simple.

Danaher points out that this is the first fight where psychological pressure may come into play. Main has the pressure of getting a much-needed win for Team Koscheck. As the oldest, Watson is the unofficial team captain, and therefore has more to prove. It will all come down to how they each handle the stress of it all. To help overcome this, GSP has Watson go through “dress rehearsals,” going through the motions of entering the ring, hearing instructions, etc. to get him prepared for those very intense moments. Definitely an interesting tactic.

FIGHT DAY

(Gotta pull for my Jersey boy in this one! Thankfully Main doesn’t look like he belongs on Jersey Shore!)

ROUND 1
They both feel each other out initially, but keep it standing with a few exchanges. Main seems to get the better of the shots. Finally, one of the exchanges ends up in the clinch with Watson in control. It’s not long before Main reverses it and tries to take Watson down. He starts out looking for a choke. As Watson tries to work a better position, Main swings around jumping on his back. While still standing, Main is on Watson’s back facing and leaning on the cage. Main rains down several punches, while also looking for the choke. Watson keeps his chin down, not allowing his hooks under. Main starts to slide off Watson’s back, and as they fall, Main gets a hold of an arm. In a tough position, Watson tries to get out of the near armbar and does. Main is on his back with Watson hovering above with the occasional downward jab. Finally, Watson is on top of Main nearly in full guard. He tries to go for side control, but Main fends him off pretty well. Watson gets in a few nice elbows, alternating some hammers. The round ends with Watson finally getting side control.

ROUND 2
Main strikes first with a body kick, but both are tentative. Finally Main gets aggressive and is chasing Watson around the ring and clipping him a few times. Watson counters by taking Main down. However, all he does is lay on him. Main starts to look for a triangle, but Watson uses this to get side control. Main rolls over and tries to stand, but Watson keeps him down and has half-mount. Watson is pretty much doing zero with his position. He finally sets up and gets in a nice head shot. Main tries to up-kick and is warned. Main rolls, giving up his back. Watson mounts his back, getting his legs wrapped well, but unable to get the underhooks in. He lands several unanswered punches, and manages to wedge the forearm under. He gets the hooks in tight and squeezes. Soon enough, Main is out.

Winner: Kyle Watson via Submission (Rear Naked Choke)

Team Koscheck is now down 0-3 and Kos is far from happy. GSP was happy to see that Watson could come back from being in such a tough spot, though Watson felt that it was not his best performance.

Main is disappointed that he didn’t completely follow the game plan; Kos is heartbroken, but realizes that getting mad will solve nothing.

Next week: A careless prank by Alex backfires. Team GSP gets schooled by a guest coach, while Jon Fitch helps out Team Koscheck. Chuck Liddell also visits his buddy Kos, ending with another lightweight clash.

Filed Under: News, Opinion, The Ultimate Fighter, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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