UFC 85: “Bedlam†is set for tomorrow, Saturday June 7, from the O2 Arena in London, England. The main card action is set to begin at 3 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV).
To get us pumped for the afternoon festivities, Mania himself will attempt to clear his bad name after a disastrous contribution the last time he appeared in this column, going toe-to-toe with senior writer and turgid egomaniac Jesse Holland with predictions for the upcoming event.
The mission: Forecast which fighters will leave the Octagon with their hands raised during the featured fights of the show.
It’s important to note for the predictions that while someone may be lauding a certain fighter, he isn’t necessarily the guy who he thinks is going to win.
Basically, we never want this to come out sounding repetitive. At the end of each analysis, therefore, you will see the individual picks at the conclusion of the write ups.
Let’s get to it:
Matt Hughes (42-6) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Jesse Holland: What I find surprising about Matt Hughes is how many people are throwing in the towel when it comes to his career. And for what? Losing to Georges St. Pierre? Hughes is 21-3 since 2001 and aside from the two to GSP his only other loss was the upset to current UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn at UFC 46 — a loss he avenged in 2006. Hughes’ biggest asset coming into this fight is his experience. Not only has he held the welterweight strap, he’s defeated some of the best 170-pound fighters in the world. He knows how to fight on the big stage and since when is being 34 washed up? Hughes doesn’t carry around a lot of excess muscle and his body has remained relatively healthy over the years. As far as I’m concerned, this entire fight is going to depend on how well Alves can defend the shot. Hughes’ dominance on the ground is the stuff of legend and Alves has not shown me enough in his wins or his losses to convince me he’s able to defend someone as strong and as relentless as Hughes. It would not surprise me to see a vintage slam and if Hughes can set the pace early against Alves — who often needs more time to warm up than my sister’s ‘72 Bonneville. This one isn’t going to make it out of the first round.
MMAmania: “The Pitbull” has been on a role since his eight-month suspension for ingesting a banned substance (diuretic), finishing his last three opponents in impressive fashion. His upset stoppage of top contender and super tough Karo Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13 catapulted him into the upper echelon of the very loaded 170-pound division. And a win over a high-profile former champion such as Matt Hughes will only raise his stock that much more. Alves has a fantastic and devastating striking arsenal, whether it’s crushing knees, strafing kicks or powerful punch combinations. He’ll need to keep this fight upright if he has any hopes of toppling Hughes, which could be troublesome because Hughes will more than likely do everything in his power to take him down. Alves trains at arguably the top gym in the world at American Top Team and has some of the most talented training partners around him. There’s no question that he has drilled takedown defense to prepare for Hughes’ attack as much as Jesse Holland abuses his plastic Asian blow-up princess. Alves needs to keep his distance with a mix of jabs and kicks as make Hughes pay with knees anytime he gets close. Alves — who is just 24-years-old and has never been on such a big stage — needs to stay composed early and put the label as a slow starter behind him … otherwise it’s going to be a disappointing night for the proud Brazilian. Much worse than the weigh-in debacle.
Final predictions:
Jesse Holland: Hughes via technical knockout
MMAmania: Hughes via submission
Michael Bisping (15-1) vs. Jason Day (17-5)
Jesse Holland: Jason Day has won five straight and is 15-2 since 2005. He’s also coming off an impressive UFC debut where he defeated Alan Belcher with strikes in the first round at UFC 83. He’s a talented striker who ends almost half of his fights via (T)KO and has been known to pull off an armbar or two. Day has his hands full against Bisping, but if he follows the example set by Matt Hamill and Rashad Evans he can pull this one off. “The Count” doesn’t like to get hit, and gets a little flustered when he’s beaten to the punch. Day needs to work the jab and keep the pressure on without lingering in the pocket for an undue amount of time. The goal is to frustrate Bisping and keep him off balance and out of sorts. Stick and move! Even with the move to 185, I’m still not convinced that Bisping has a full tank of gas and Day can use that to his advantage. The crowd will be more of a factor for Bisping than it will for Day with Bisping having the pressure of performing in front of his hometown. If he can cut off the ring and be the aggressor, it’s likely he can steal this one.
MMAmania: The popular British mixed martial artist, Michael Bisping, is no stranger to being in the spotlight before a roaring hometown crowd. Saturday night will be no different. Bisping will look to erase the memories of his last performance in London — the controversial win over Matt Hamill at UFC 75: “Champion vs. Champion” — with an impressive showing against Jason Day. “The Count” looks fit, agile and powerful at 185 pounds and will be determined to finish the Canadian and avoid leaving the decision up to the judges. As usual, there will be a tremendous amount of pressure on Bisping to win, but as we’ve seen in the past he’s passed the test before. Day is a gritty opponent who has said on numerous occasions that he intends to stand and bang to put on a show for all those watching from around the world. That’s not the best strategy if it is indeed accurate — Bisping has some nice stand up skills. But as we witnessed against Alan Belcher, Day is capable of finishing his opponents while upright. This is a tough fight to predict because there is no quit in either of these two fighters — in 38 combined professional fights between the two only three bouts have gone to decision. Expect more of the same this time around.
Final predictions:
Jesse Holland: Bisping via technical knockout
MMAmania: Day via technical knockout
Nate Marquardt (26-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
Jesse Holland: Thales Leites is a 12-1 jiu-jitsu machine that is making his fifth UFC appearance since he debuted against Martin Kampmann at UFC Ultimate Finale 4 back in 2006. He is also coming off two straight first-round submission wins against Ryan Jensen and Floyd Sword and looks to keep that streak going. He will have his hands full, however, against Marquardt who has excellent submission defense. The key for Leites will be inside fighting. If he can’t get any type of submission offense going then he has to use any closed distance opportunities to land bombs. Whether it be on the floor or against the cage he has to stay busy and keep the pace high. Marquardt has been known to play it safe and that gives Leites his best chance for victory. I don’t think he’s good enough to defeat Marquardt, but I do think he can take home the decision if he outworks him.
MMAmania: Nate Marquardt — the soft-spoken, one-time 185-pound title challenger — is out to prove that he is still among the best middleweights in the world. His loss to Anderson Silva hurt real bad and set him back quite a bit. But then he nearly ripped Jeremy Horn’s neck off his spine in a very impressive win at UFC 81: “Breaking Point.” He’s got tremendous power and fantastic defense — Dean Lister, a very craft Brazilian jiu-jitsu player, could do absolutely nothing in their bout at UFC Fight Night 8. Thales Leites relies heavily on his jiu-jitsu prowess and has some of the best submissions in the sport right now. His stand up, however, is a glaring weakness that was exposed in his Octagon debut against Martin Kampmann at TUF 4 Finale. He is the perfect opponent for an experienced veteran such as Marquardt. He can’t hurt him on the feet and more than likely will be unable to sink in a submission unless there is a catastrophic lapse on the part of Marquardt. Let’s just hope that the “new” Nate continues to enter the eight-sided cage with bad intentions and does not revert back to his old, boring and careful approach.
Final predictions:
Jesse Holland: Marquardt via unanimous decision
MMAmania: Marquardt via unanimous decision
Mike Swick (11-2) vs. Marcus Davis (14-3)
Jesse Holland: Mike Swick is back from a lackluster performance and has something to prove. He dropped down to 170 after a tough loss to Yushin Okami and looked a little flat in a winning effort against Josh Burkman but I think he was adjusting to the new weight class. Against Davis I expect to see the Swick of old. He shares the nickname “Quick” with MMAmania (who was awarded that moniker by his ex-girlfriends) and I favor him in this match-up against Davis. “The Irish Hand Grenade” certainly has the advantage in power, but I consider Swick to have cleaner, more refined stand-up. True that Davis is a former boxer but Swick is a better MMA striker and his combinations are rock solid. Swick is tall and lean and he should have no trouble staying out of the range of Davis — who also has improved submission skills. But are they good enough to submit a wily Swick? Doubtful. But even more doubtful is the likelihood of this becoming a ground war. Davis is going to try and bully Swick and it wouldn’t surprise me to see a lot of time spent pressed against the cage. If Swick can avoid the knockout punch, he can and should batter Davis to a unanimous decision.
MMAmania: Is there a hotter fighter right now than the “Irish Hand Grenade?” He has 11 consecutive wins coming into this bout and has vastly improved since his stint on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Davis punches like he has a roll of quarters packed in each fist, which he’ll look to put on display this weekend. In addition, he has “Big Nog”-esque recuperative powers (see Paul Taylor) — Davis has never been stopped via strikes. His opponent, on the other hand, has been dropped earlier in his career. And he has not necessarily demonstrated an ability to finish fights from his feet. However, Swick is extremely dangerous with his complete all-around tool box (skills, not Jesse Holland.) He can certainly finish Davis, but it’s just not likely going to happen if the two opt to stand toe-to-toe. And that’s possibly how this might pan out. Swick is coming off a poor winning performance and might feel the need to go out and go balls to the wall. It’s a strategy that could literally blow up in his face courtesy of a Davis five-knuckle hand grenade.
Final predictions:
Jesse Holland: Swick via unanimous decision
MMAmania: Davis via knockout
Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Fabricio Werdum (10-3-1)
Jesse Holland: As it stands, Brandon Vera is probably the only heavyweight in the division who has a chance of defeating current champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogeuira. The unfortunate thing for Vera is that he was on a torrid pace in the UFC until contract negotiations and some other monkey business kept him out of action. In fact, he’s only had one fight since November of 2006 — a decision loss to Tim Sylvia at UFC 77. Nevertheless, he is a dangerous fighter. He has blinding speed in his strikes and throws kicks like a guy half his weight. He also has a solid ground game and decent submission skills. Werdum is a talented, agile fighter, but he goes into defensive mode when he gets into trouble. Vera needs to keep it standing where he has the distinct advantage and force Werdum to make a mistake. Leg kicks will be the order of the day and as long as he doesn’t get wrapped up in the showmanship aspect of this fight, he can end it convincingly.
MMAmania: Sans a bad unanimous decision loss to Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum has shown that he is among the top heavyweights on the planet. He has two wins over Gabriel Gonzaga, a submission victory over Aleksander Emelianenko, as well as Alistair Overeem, and put up a great fight against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a losing effort while competing under the Pride FC banner. He can cause anyone some major problems if he can impose his will and has time to work his top shelf submission game. Werdum is not known for his striking, which could be a concern if Brandon Vera is able to keep this contest upright. “The Truth” has serious Muay Thai skills that are capable of putting Werdum on his ass at any moment from any angle. He’s quick and agile for the division, posing some interesting challenges for the Brazilian. If he is able to takedown Vera, chances are that Vera’s submission defense is good enough to thwart just about anything and his superb wrestling will help him escape from any dangerous situations on the mat. This is a bad match up for Werdum.
Final predictions:
Jesse Holland: Vera via technical knockout
MMAmania: Vera via technical knockout
That’s a wrap, folks.
Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and our coverage of UFC 85: “Bedlam.†For the complete fight card click here.
What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for UFC 85.
Episode 10 starts off with a disturbing close-up of Matthew Riddle’s red hair. I wouldn’t call it unflattering but he kind of looks like a cross between Terry Taylor and Buster Brown.
After a recap of last week’s war between Matt Brown and Amir Sadollah, Jeremy May starts whining that Matt Brown’s loss makes him look even weaker than he already is (because he was eliminated by Brown) and decides that it’s enough reason to demand a rematch.
Jesse Taylor gets wind of the story and goes into a Dice Clay like rant on what a tool May is. Jeremy is so mad about being punked he runs to Gerald Harris and tells him of his master plan to bait Jesse into hitting him so that he gets himself kicked off the show.
It’s right around this point that I hope for giant swords to shoot up from the floor and rid us of Jeremy May like Lei Lei from Darkstalkers.
May gets liquored up and squares off against Taylor and they have a bitch-off which basically consists of arguing over who is the bigger bitch until somebody throws a punch.
May isn’t getting thorugh to Taylor so he pulls out the tried-and-true Jewish card and since we all know how much Jewish people enjoy being labeled, Taylor starts hulking up like he just got hit with a chair by Zeus.
The rest of the guys swarm in and calm him down and once May realizes how despised he is by everyone he tries to blame the booze and looks for the respect fist. Taylor gives it to him probably just to shut him up and get back to his card game.
Thankfully the focus shifts to the quarterfinal fights and once again Tim Credeur refers to Dan Cramer as “hot”. I’ve never considered myself homophobic but this season’s contestants are really testing my limits.
Quarterfinal fight #3: Tim Credeur (10-2) vs Dan Cramer (3-0)
Round 1: Credeur throws a low kick and they trade sloppy punches. Credeur shoots and they go to the cage wall. Cramer backs him up and drops him. Cramer is able to posture up and land a few. Credeur escapes to his feet and Cramer goes on the attack landing strikes. They clinch and Cramer takes him down. Credeur reverses and gets into mount. Cramer escapes and they go to the cage. Cramer forces him down again. Cramer tries to stand up and Credeur grabs a leg and secures a heel hook. Cramer is forced to tap.
Tim Credeur defeats Dan Cramer via submission (heel hook:R1)
With the attention now on the second fight, CB Dolloway makes it clear how much he despises Cale Yarbrough and his funny looking face. That’s nothing. Try looking at the guy who runs MMAmania.
A Team Brown training session finds Cale Yarbrough less than impressed with the Dolloway myth. Coach Griffin calls Dolloway an “arrogant prick”.
Dana feels like the guys are getting burned out so he takes them for a night out at the races. The guys pile into go-karts and turn the episode into a testosterone filled game of Mario Kart.
Back at the house the cast gets a little reckless and starts trashing the house - I mean really trashing it. Walls, banisters, windows, doors - you name it. How you can get kicked off the show for punching another contestant but not even get a stern lecture for destroying UFC property is something that still baffles me.
Unless of course the destruction is scripted as a way to spice up the show. Then again after this past weekend it’s hard not to think everything is a conspiracy.
Anyway, it’s fight time and since there are twenty minutes left in the show, I reckon Yarbrough actually has a chance in this one.
Quarterfinal fight #4:CB Dolloway (6-0) vs Cale Yarbrough (0-0)
Round 1: Dolloway throws a jab. E-surance counters with an annoying commercial. Now That’s Classic Rock is able to drop E-surance and after samples of some of the same tired songs we hear on every rock station, transitions to Dolloway on the floor landing punches from the mount. Yarbrough is on the defensive and gives up his back. Dolloway looks like he can’t decide which direction to go and returns to punching. Yarbrough seems content to just curl up into a ball and eat punches. Herb Dean issues multiple warnings, gets no response and is forced to stop it.
CB Dolloway defeats Cale Yarbrough via TKO (R1).
So much for Yarbrough having a chance.
After the fight Forrest continues to get irked by Dolloway’s cockiness. He puts out an open invitation to quiet the cockiness and Jesse Taylor steps up to the plate.
When they go to the gym to set the semifinal matches they realize that Rampage is a no call/no show. Undeterred, Dana trudges onward after a 45 minute delay.
Griffin thinks an MIA Rampage guarantees he will get his pick but Dana knows he can’t sell a TUF final with Dolloway vs Credeur so sorry Forrest, but it ain’t happening.
Rampage finally rolls up in his Wraith (bad breath and all) and has to find out what picks were made without him. As it stands, CB Dolloway will fight Amir Sadollah and Tim Credeur will fight Jesse Taylor.
Stay tuned next week as we get the long-awaited coaches challenge - which turns out to be the classic game of HORSE. Rampage admits to never having played basketball as a kid and gets the same kind of stares that C. Thomas Howell got when he went to the boards in blackface in Soul Man.
Oh yeah, and there are a couple of semi-important fights.
MMAmania.com Senior Writer Jesse Holland is back again on Fight Talk Radio for what I promise will be the final round of discussion for this weekend’s primetime EliteXC and CBS event “Saturday Night Fights†that takes place today (Saturday, May 31) from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
In addition, we went over the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) blockbuster show set for the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday, June 1, which features the 145-pound showdown between featherweight champion Urijah Faber and challenger Jens Pulver.
Here are some specific discussion points:
Whether or not EliteXC is advancing the sport or looking for a quick buck
Can more than one MMA promotion exist on the big stage?
Is mainstream media up to the task of covering MMA?
The cannibalistic nature of the blog-o-sphere
Why Machida gets so much heat and is it warranted
Smart bets for this weekend’s action
The hype surrounding Faber vs. Pulver
Will a Faber victory lead to a rematch with Tyson Griffin?
As always, big ups to Damon D and the gang at BetUS for having us on. If you haven’t seen the new Bet Calculator from those guys, you need to head over there by clicking here to see what all the fuss is about.
It takes all the guesswork out of wagering and is particularly helpful for people who are easily confused by the (+/-) system, or for guys like Mania who are just easily confused.
And don’t forget to tune into CBS tonight at 9 p.m. ET and Versus at 9 p.m. on Sunday!
It’s quarterfinal time and Forrest has to decide who to corner since the first round is teammate vs teammate (blame Forrest for going 6-2 in the preliminary matches) but he can’t / won’t decide so it comes down to the science of the coin toss.
Two will stay at home and train with the rest of Team Brown and two will be cast aside like flotsam and jetsam.
One flick later and it’s official: Forrest corners Jesse Taylor and Amir Sadollah and Rampage is stuck with Dante Rivera and Matt Brown.
Back at the house Jesse gets his White Castle on and sucks down a few sliders to show off his nutritional expertise. They guys hate on him for eating like he’s going to the chair yet has a body like he’s going to the beach.
Dante feels like he’s improved since his last fight and looks to come out with a better showing against Jesse Taylor. Meanwhile, Coach Rampage is so committed to the new additions that he takes a quick nap during training.
Jesse Taylor is tipping the scales a bit heavy so he puts on a rubber suit and sweats his way to success after a game of full contact ping-pong.
He then rewards himself with a dip in the hot tub. Unfortunately he has to bleed the lines and instead of using a toilet like most normal folks, Ol’ Jesse simply steps out of the jacuzzi and urinates through his shorts onto the pavement.
Not content with being merely repulsive, Taylor graduates to reprehensible by shaking off his leg and jumping right back into the hot tub which has now become a urine cappucino.
An unsuspecting Dante jumps in and bathes in Taylors lemonade. And I thought piss-Christ was offensive. Congratulations Jesse Taylor on replacing Gabe “Colonic” Reudiger as TUF’s most egregious contestant.
Prior to the fight, “Gentleman” Jesse Taylor admits he doesn’t like to touch gloves before engaging but will this time because Dante Rivera is a friend. What a guy.
Quarterfinal fight #1: Jesse Taylor (6-2) vs Dante Rivera (10-2)
Round 1: Rivera swings and misses and Taylor takes him down and immediately rains down hammer fists. Rivera trying to hold him close without much success. Taylor is simply overpowering Rivera who is starting to take punishment. Taylor covering the mouth of Rivera and posturing up and landing. Rinse and repeat. Taylor stands up and eats an upkick and returns to Rivera’s guard. More punishment ensues. Thirty seconds left in the round Taylor seems content to simply smother. Round one ends and it was all Taylor.
Round 2: Dante is busted up and Taylor is sucking wind. In a repeat of round one, Rivera swings and misses and gets taken down. Taylor can be heard grunting as he tries to land punches from the top which is a clear indication that he’s low on fuel. Rampage finally chimes in (someone must have woken him up) and screams at Dante to stand up and do something. He seems content to stay in guard and is saved by the referee (as are we) when he puts them to their feet. Taylor laughs in the face of stand-up and immediately takes him back down. Action has slowed but Taylor is landing periodically. Rivera has no answer and seems resigned to just stay in guard and take punishment. Round two ends just like round one. This one is academic (and anticlimactic).
Jesse Taylor defeats Dante Rivera via unanimous decision.
Not exactly a barnburner but Taylor gets the win and with only one contract that’s all that really matters.
The focus quickly shifts to the second fight of the evening between Matt Brown and Amir Sadollah - who get awfully chummy before the fight. Amir is once again bursting with confidence and considers Matt Brown a trained killer. Rampage likes Matt Brown’s warrior spirit.
Quarterfinal fight #2: Amir Sadollah (0-0) vs Matt Brown (9-6)
Round 1: Brown stalks and lands a couple of punches and kicks. Sadollah with a front kick. Follows with a jab and a knee. They tie up and Sadollah pushes him to the cage. Nice knee to the ribs by Sadollah. Brown looking for the trip but Sadollah fights it off. Nice display of defense by Sadollah. Brown eats an elbow and tries again for the trip. He fails but backs away and sneaks in some strikes. Nice straight head kick by Sadollah. Brown retaliates with a flurry. Back to the cage for both men. Brown still looking for the trip and backs away. Nice jab lands for Brown. Then a left. A Brown low kick stumbles Sadollah. Back to the cage and they exchange knees. They break and trade punches that land. Brown with a takedown but Sadollah rolls out and they get back to their feet. A return to the cage as time expires. Action packed first round. Very close.
Round 2: Brown opens with a hard flurry. Flying White Lotus kick misses for Sadollah. Brown retreats and eats a few. They end up against the cage and wrestle for position. Nice knee by Brown. Missed kick by Sadollah. Brown lands a few more. Sadollah backs him up and trips him down. Sadollah on top now looking to create space. Brown looking a little lethargic on the bottom. Sadollah punches the body. Brown almost has an escape but falls backwards. Sadollah back on top working the elbow. Brown is bushed. Sadollah resorts to a man-hug and Brown rolls out. Amir immediately looks for the armbar but Brown transitions and gets trapped in the triangle. Brown taps.
Amir Sadollah defeats Matt Brown via submission (armbar - R2).
After the fight Brown shows a ton of class and congratulates Sadollah for the performance. Brown also gets mad respect when he mans up and admits that while disappointed, he gave it 100% and got bested.
This was an exciting fight and pretty much saved the episode. Anyone who doesn’t understand what was wrong with the fight between Taylor and Rivera should re-watch Brown vs. Sadollah. Kudos to both men for a great fight.
Stay tuned next week as Jeremy May comes back from obscurity to start trouble with Jesse Taylor, CB Dolloway tries to punish Cale Yarbrough, and the semifinal matches are announced.
Our own Jesse Holland recently stopped in to chat with Ariel Helwani at MMARated.com to preview the UFC 84: “Ill Will†pay-per-view (PPV) event that takes place tomorrow (Saturday, May 24) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here are some specific discussion points:
Should Sean Sherk have received a title shot coming off a suspension?
If BJ Penns wins should he move up to welterweight?
Will this truly be Tito Ortiz’s final fight in the UFC?
What becomes of Ortiz after Saturday night?
If Machida wins should he face the winner of Rampage/Griffin?
Which Keith Jardine will show up against Wanderlei Silva?
If Silva loses will he move down to middleweight?
Is Thiago Silva the best kept secret in the UFC’s light heavyweight division?
Is Soku the real deal or just a two-hit wonder?
Check it out when you have some time right HERE. It turned out to be a solid discussion.
Thanks again to Ariel for inviting Jesse to come out and play. He doesn’t get out much and when he does his friends often attempt to ditch him.
Discussions often go like this:
“Jesse, me and Billy are going to go inside and play “Grand Theft Auto IV” until our thumbs fall off. What are you going to do?”
Once again MMAmania.com Senior Writer Jesse Holland was back with “Mr. Sunshine†Steve Cofield on ESPN Radio to preview the UFC 84: “Ill Will†pay-per-view (PPV) event that takes place Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
To check out the audio click below:
During the segment, Jesse and Steve discuss Tito Ortiz’s swan song, the fine line between hype and insanity in the upcoming Sherk/Penn fight, and whether or not Wanderlei Silva will be his old self or just plain old when he faces Keith Jardine on Saturday night.
There’s more, but if I told you everything then there would be no reason to listen to the audio, right?
Big thanks (as always) to Mr. Sunshine for having us on.
Episode five of The Ultimate Fighter 7 begins with a recap of Matthew Riddle helping Coach Rampage and the rest of Team Blue get off to a frigid 0-2 start.
Tim Credeur pays a visit to Riddle after the fight and congratulates him on a close fight - and then inexplicably offers to buy him an X-box 360. Riddle returns the favor by telling the cameras he feels like he won. He also mentioned something about becoming a Chippendale but my Gaydar immediately blocked any further incoming transmissions.
Out of nowhere Jeremy May decides to compensate for his low self-esteem by telling the world he gets the skins 2-3 times a day and that his girlfriend is in danger of having her back broken upon his return. Wherever she is Jeremy, I’m sure her and her parents will appreciate your delicate approach to bedroom intimacy.
May also finds humor in locking guys out of the house and throwing random objects at people like Jesse Taylor who possess a low tolerance for immaturity.
Coach Rampage reminds his team during drills that they’re not playing pattycake. I’m sure at that time he missed the irony in using a reference from an old English nursery rhyme prior to introducing Michael “The Count” Bisping as a guest trainer (sans subtitles).
He gets a typical warm American greeting by getting kicked right in the nuts. Welcome to TUF 7 Mr. Bisping.
Jeremy May feels like he is going to get picked next. Rampage still thinks it’s going to be Patrick Shultz. May also believes there is no one on Team Brown that could (or would) stand with him. Riddle politely nods as visions of X-box dance in his head.
A confident Team Brown starts sparring and Matt Brown gets a warning from Coach Griffin to ease off the throttle. I wouldn’t call Matt Brown stoic but he seems to skulk about the gym like Yul Brynner in Westworld. Even though his teammates respect his intensity there is always an element of risk in hard-sparring which Griffin is hoping to avoid.
Back at the house Jeremy May continues his quest to become this season’s most loathsome contestant by spiking Matt Brown’s chewing tobacco with lime juice. My spidey-sense compels me to check the preview notes for the episode title and it does not disappoint: Chewbacle. May dismisses the prank as mind games while Dolce and Credeur shake their heads in disbelief and anxiously await the return of Brown himself.
Brown doesn’t blow his stack but instead promises May he’ll be the next pick. May is disappointed in Brown’s sense of humor and wants to punch his face in as punishment for not appreciating a good joke.
Unfortunately Brown will have to wait because Coach Griffin has already chosen Dante Rivera to fight Brandon Sene.
Sene gets the toughness seal of approval from Coach Rampage and reveals that he is a former Marine Sniper who knows how to play mind games.
Rivera looks to use his age and experience to his advantage and the game plan is to secure the takedown and lock in the submission (despite the marked difference in size).
Team Brown’s Dante Rivera (10-2) vs. Team Blue’s Brandon Sene (2-0)
Round 1: Rivera charges in with a combo and they lock up against the cage. Rivera eventually turns him and gets the trip. Rivera working for side-control. Sene powers out and they get to their feet. Rivera charges again and they’re back standing against the cage. Sene turns him and uses knees to the leg. Rivera answers. Rivera trying for the takedown but Sene isn’t having it. Mazz warns about the slow pace and eventually breaks it up. Rivera shoots and they hit the side of the cage for the third time. Rivera gets him airborne and lands a huge slam. Rivera eats some elbows from the bottom and seems unable to get any offense going. Rivera drops down and looks for a leg submission. Sene kicks out but Rivera stays on top until the round ends.
Round 2: Sene stalking but Rivera gets him against the cage. Sene busy with knees. Rivera doing nothing. Mazz tries to stop the action just as Rivera scoops and slams so Mazz lets it go. Definitely an awkward moment. Rivera on top but still not delivering much offense. Sene again muscles his way out but Rivera is able to trip him back down. Rampage calls for the time and no one answers. Sene gets warned for an errant bottom elbow and it must have angered him because he sweeps and starts dropping vicious elbows from the top to a bewildered Rivera. From guard Rivera ties him up and they appear to briefly talk and smile at each other. Time expires with Sene on top. Very close.
The group is calling for a third round (sudden victory) and they get it.
Round 3: Rivera looks deflated. They exchange punches and a lazy shoot from Rivera backs Sene to the cage. Sene using knees while Rivera seems content to just hold. Mazz breaks it up and they start anew. Again Rivera rushes and backs Sene to the cage. Rivera drops down and finds just enough strength to scoop him up and drop him down. Sene very busy from the bottom with elbows. Rivera has position but can do nothing with it. He switches to side control and tries some knees. Rivera for the first time in the entire fight is starting to land some shots. Sene trying to escape but getting smothered. Round ends with Rivera in control. Again, very close.
Dante Rivera defeats Brandon Sene by unanimous decision
Like last week, this was not a very technical fight. The skill level displayed in my opinion falls short of what I would expect from a show that has reached its seventh season.
Backstage, Coach Rampage goes berserk and starts screaming about the bad judging. He leaves the gym to get some air and gives an unsuspecting parking sign a King Haku style death chop.
Team Blue is appalled by the decision and while it’s not something I would call a travesty, Team Brown looks to have stolen one. Either way its 3-0 for Browntown.
They waste no time announcing next week’s fight: Jeremy May vs. Matt Brown (complete with staredown). Forrest compares Matt Brown to Chuck Norris. Hopefully Griffin was referring to the ass-kicking Invasion USA Norris and not the addle twit who’s peddling the Total Gym like it’s not the flimsiest piece of crap since the Sports Illustrated sneaker phone.
Stay tuned next week as Brown and May settle their score (which Amir Sadollah predicts Brown will win via murder) and we get a second preliminary fight in the same episode (which lends serious credibility to Sadollah’s prediction).
Episode four of The Ultimate Fighter 7 is in the books and since this week’s episode is titled “Everything to lose” I wonder about the second half of that quote as it pertains to the contestants (and possibly the viewers).
After our standard recap of last week we roll right into Jesse Taylor and his afterparty of one. Not that anyone has labeled him all brawn and no brains but I think I saw him trying to open a Heineken with a butter knife.
Matthew Riddle and Dante Rivera continue their on-camera courtship with some friendly barbs but you know what they say about the thin line between love and hate.
Team Rampage is back in the gym trying to find a way to rebound from their first loss - and Rampage gets a laugh from me when one of his boys rolls a grappling dummy into an armbar and Rampage exclaims “See that! He just gave it to you!”
Rampage also doesn’t appreciate the fact that the heat’s turned off while he trains and that his team doesn’t have gloves that fit. Maybe there is something to that name Team Brown-nose after all.
The guys on Team Blue expect Forrest to pit his top guy against their worst. Patrick Schultz humbly acknowledges his place on the team and prepares himself to get called out.
Back at the house everyone is still reeling from last week’s herpes outbreak and when Jesse Taylor gets a few red bumps on his chest he goes from team hero to Typhoid Mary in less than 24 hours. He gets sprayed with some tough-actin’ Tinactin and lives to fight another day.
Riddle starts up with his shtick again - only this time Rivera’s not there to hear it. As Riddle drones on the viewing audience simultaneously becomes envious of Dante Rivera.
Dana is conspicuously absent from the fight announcement and Forrest wastes no time announcing Tim Credeur from Team Brown taking on Matthew Riddle from Team Blue.
Credeur makes a good point while explaining his decision to fight Riddle: He wants opponents who can make him a better fighter and a leftover like Patrick Schultz is not capable of doing that.
Ouch.
At the house we get more of Riddle and Rivera. This time Rivera is needling Riddle over whether or not he has the stones to bet $500 on his own fight. Meanwhile my wife offered me $500 to change the channel.
Team Brown hits the gym and Credeur gives a pretty convincing argument for why he’s there. Over at Team Blue’s training session Coach Ibarra tells Riddle he must get into Credeur’s butt. While initially appalled, I do concur that sodomy is enough to make any man tap.
Riddle shows up at the weigh-ins wearing a Speedo with a promise to show America what he’s got. I wonder aloud what it was about Gabe Reudiger that Matthew Riddle found so appealing - since he seems to be emulating his entire routine.
Both guys make weight but back at the house Riddle admits that he has at least 10-15 years left in MMA. That’s assuming he can first get his driver’s license and move out of his Mom’s house.
Team Brown’s Tim Credeur (10-2) vs. Team Blue’s Matthew Riddle (1-0)
Round 1: Riddle opens with a lazy shoot but hangs on and wrestles him down. Riddle not doing much and Credeur explodes out of it and gets back to his feet. Jab and low kick by Credeur find their mark. Half-assed crane kick and another lazy shoot backs Credeur up who locks up and gets dumped to the mat. Riddle pushes him to the cage but Credeur escapes. Kick/slip by Creduer followed by some punches and they tie-up but this time it’s Credeur who gets the takedown. Credeur gives him a half-slam into the cage and Riddle rolls out and briefly gets control. Credeur grabs a leg but eats a shot and ends up in guard. From there he reverses and lands some shots from the top. Riddle starting to take punishment and gives up his back. Credeur pours it on as the bell sounds. Close round.
Round 2: High kick and shoot by Riddle gets Credeur to the mat. Creduer quickly looks to triangle but instead finds his feet and reverses. Riddle against the cage eating elbows. Credeur postures and lands a big shot. Credeur postures again but Riddle escapes and comes out swinging like a Wildman with punches and kicks. Credeur retreats and gets taken down. Credeur looks gassed. Riddle lands a nice elbow. Both sides are screaming. Credeur almost has a triangle but loses it. Riddle rolls and winds up on bottom. Riddle looks spent. Credeur rolls into a slow-motion armbar but Riddle is too winded to defend and is forced to tap.
Tim Credeur defeats Matthew Riddle via submission (armbar)
Team Blue is now down 0-2 and Rampage looks extremely disappointed. A very mediocre episode was saved by a very entertaining fight. While not the most technical affair, it was still very close and the action was constant and back-and-forth.
Stay tuned next week as Rampage loses his cool, Bisping makes a cameo (and gets kicked in the yam-bag), and Jeremy May and Matt Brown have a war of words.
MMAmania.com senior writer, Jesse Holland, was recently back ranting on the radio, speaking with Ariel Helwani of MMARated.com to discuss UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2.”
To listen to the audio segment right now click here.
Holland and Helwani covered the main card bouts in great detail, providing one last look at the historic foray of the UFC into Canada for the first time ever.
Here are the highlights:
Can Serra pull off the upset again?
Will GSP get too nervous in front of the Montreal crowd?
Did Matt Serra cross the line with all his comments leading up to the fight?
What to expect from Franklin vs. Lutter?
How easily, if so, will Michael Bisping defeat Charles McCarthy?
Why has McCarthy been so confrontational?
Is this do-or-die for Kalib Starnes?
Is Nate Quarry full healthy?
How good can Cain Velazquez be?
There’s lots more right here. Check it out when you have some time and feel free to rip Jesse a new one in the comments sections below.
Episode three (which has already won me over with its title “The Heebie-Jeebies”) starts us off with a quick recap of the middleweight elimination tournament from episodes one and two including the bone-crunching knockout of Dan Simmler.
After narrowing down the field from 32 to 16, the pace begins to slow a bit as the guys pile into the TUF house and set up shop. Mike Dolce makes it clear that they’re not just reality TV stars anymore - they’re real fighters.
Having diligently watched seasons 1-6, I can say (not unjustly) that Dolce doesn’t speak for everyone in the house.
Matt Brown immediately knocks me from my editorial perch by countering: “We all had to fight our way in here so there’s no reason to ever discount anybody.”
Touche Mr. Brown.
Day one at the gym means team selections and no selection would be complete without the Dana White coin toss. Watching him assign Coach Griffin the color brown kind of had me hoping Forrest would go into a rant about color association like Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs.
No such luck.
Coach Rampage (Team Blue) gets his choice between first fighter or first fight and he wisely chooses first fighter. That fighter is CB Dolloway who impressed Rampage with his TKO victory over David Baggett on episode one.
I find it unusual that the producers would opt to show just the highlights of his fight during that episode considering he was selected #1 for Team Blue. Anyway, an undaunted Coach Griffin picks Tim Credeur without hesitation which makes me think he may have been Forrest’s first choice anyway.
Here’s how the teams stack up:
Team Blue (Rampage):
CB Dolloway
Matt Riddle
Paul Bradley
Daniel Cramer
Gerald Harris
Mike Dolce
Jeremy May
Brandon Sene
Team Brown (Griffin):
Tim Credeur
Amir Sadollah
Jesse Taylor
Matt Brown
Cal Yarbrough
Dante Rivera
Nick Klein
Luke Zachrich
The winning teams control the fights until they lose. Both Forrest and Rampage seem content with their picks. Rampage affectionately refers to Team Brown as Team Brown-Nose. I waited for Griffin to counter with Team Blue-Balls but once again he left me hanging.
Uh, no pun intended.
Paul Bradley gets into the Team Rampage huddle and no one can seem to concentrate since Bradley is sporting a gruesome skin deformation on his neck. Normally man-law would direct you to pass this off as a hickey but this looks more like untreated eczema.
Not surprisingly the rest of the group is already treating him like a leper and Bradley gets a one-way pass to the doctor. I quietly nod to myself as the episode title starts to make a lot more sense.
Team Blue has its first group training session and Rampage admits that this is just as much a learning experience for him as it is the cast. He introduces his coaches Zack Light and the incomparable Juanito Ibarra - who has the uncanny ability to tell what a person is eating by their spit.
Yum.
Dana White brings in a dermatologist that he’s known his whole life to examine Paul Bradley. I would question why Dana has known him his whole life but I wish to continue working in this field so I’ll just let it go.
“Bad News” Bradley gets the thumbs down from the doctor as it turns out to be a form of herpes that is indeed contagious. Like most medical oddities, Bradley gets exiled to a dark corner and is forced to run off his sins on the treadmill.
Over at Team Brown, Forrest basically admits that he’ll never be a coach but does know how to run a training camp. With him is jiu-jitsu coach Cameron Diffley, Muy Thai coach Mark Beecher and wrestling coach (and TUF alum) Gray Maynard.
Forrest leaves his guys with a nice piece of wisdom regarding the hard work and suffering they’re in for: “The juice is worth the squeeze.” We also learn that Forrest hates clapping. But not as much as Dana hates Herpes. He calls Paul Bradley into the office and hands him the pink slip.
Afterwards they move to fight selection and since Coach Griffin has control he puts Jesse Taylor against Mike Dolce. Jesse admits to looking like “Big” John McCarthy and Nicolas Cage - only better looking. Forrest calls him a meathead but likes his potential.
Mike Dolce gets his Hughes on and conducts a little bible study before training. Rampage thinks Dolce is only a few inches taller than a Hobbit. Anyone from Dolce’s hometown of Belmar, New Jersey may find that remark complimentary.
With Bradley gone that means there’s an opening for a new competitor. It’s still early in the season so it may not be much of an adjustment. Dana looks to Rampage for his pick and he first selects an injured alternate and then picks someone who’s already on the show. I guess Rampage doesn’t like to bog himself down with the finer details.
Comedy ensues but they eventually settle on Patrick Schultz who as you may remember got choked out by Luke Zachrich in episode two’s back-and-forth elimination bout. Not everyone is impressed by the selection, Dana included.
Rampage stops by the house to boost his team’s morale. He gets Matt Riddle to admit he’s still living at home with no job and no driver’s license. Internet trolls have finally found their champion. The team sees Jackson’s visit as a mental victory.
It’s fight day and Taylor and Dolce size each other up. Since we skipped the weigh-ins I’ll assume each fighter came in where they needed to be. Before I can wonder why there is a gratuitous Burger King logo in the center of the Octagon, Dana announces that BK will be coughing up $5k for the winner. Having sampled the 700-calorie Enormous Omelet breakfast sandwich, I hope for the winner’s sake the five grand is not in the form of a BK gift certificate.
Team Blue’s Mike Dolce (4-4) vs. Team Brown’s Jesse Taylor (6-2)
Round 1: Taylor shoots and gets stuffed. He gets back to his feet and pulls off a nice spin move before wrestling Dolce to the ground. Taylor quickly gets his back and works diligently for the rear naked choke. Dolce miraculously survives and rolls out of it but Taylor is still clinging to his back. They fall to the mat and Taylor works for the RNC again. Dolce twists into a nice reversal and is now on top landing elbows. Taylor muscles his way out of it and gets himself into top position. Good back-and-forth action. Dolce gives up his back and Taylor flattens him out. He tries again for the RNC but Dolce sees it coming and escapes. Taylor now in side control. Both guys staying busy but expending a lot of energy. The round ends with Taylor on top landing bombs.
Round 2: The ring girl has just KOed half of the viewing audience with her two biggest assets. Taylor opens with a shoot and Dolce goes down easily. An exhausted Dolce is starting to take punishment. He tries to escape but Taylor methodically lures him into another RNC. This time Dolce is too gassed to defend and gets that glazed-over look before Herb Dean can step in to save him.
Jesse Taylor defeats Mike Dolce via submission (rear naked choke)
After the fight Jesse pukes into a bucket. No word if Coach Ibarra was immediately able to identify its contents. There may have been a time in my life when vomiting on screen would have bothered me but after watching Gabe Ruediger grimace his way through a colonic in season five I think I’m pretty much desensitized at this point.
Taylor gets an additional $5k for the stoppage. Rampage is visibly deflated after opening up with a loss but Mike Dolce is surprisingly upbeat and knows a lot can still happen in six weeks.
Overall it was a decent episode. The format was more in line with what we’re used to from seasons past but a decent fight is all we can hope for and this week’s episode delivered in that sense.
Stay tuned next week as Rampage steps up his training, Riddle and Rivera verbally spar, and Burger King hands away some more hardboiled cash.
