PDA

View Full Version : The Ultimate Fighter- Lightweights



Collier11
9/15/2010, 11:50 PM
WOW! 1st fight to get into the house, 13 second KO...I like that guy for sure

Collier11
9/16/2010, 12:26 AM
Looks like it is gonna be a hell of a season, I really like Caceras, Mckenzie, Johnson, Stevens, and Lentz

Collier11
9/16/2010, 01:34 AM
FYI, my HS buddy Zac George just signed on to fight in the Bellator Featherweight Tourney in Jan or Feb, he is 20-4. Keep an eye out for him.

For those of you who know the way it is all set up better than I, how does Bellator work? If he wins the tourney, what shot would he have at UFC?

ouleaf
9/20/2010, 12:44 PM
Finally got a chance to watch this on the DVR. Many solid fights that went the distance. They all seemed to display good athleticism and nice combinations of power and submission techniques.

Feel bad for the guy that got KO'd in the first few seconds. At the same time it was pretty impressive. Stevens just connected cleanly on that big overhand right.

Awesome to see the effects of a good liver shot by Nam Phan. Budnik just buckled right over when Phan landed that.

Caceras is an interesting character. If he does well this season, I could see him being a big draw at UFC fights and develop a good following of fans.

That Guillotine Choke by McKenzie was also impressive. Like how he just said to the ref, "He's asleep."

If the opener was any indication, then it should be a great season. GSP vs. Kosheck 2 will make for good tv. Kosheck will of course want to avenge his loss to GSP a few years back, but I'm still not sure he'll be able to best GSP, who hasn't lost in over 3 years.

ouleaf
9/24/2010, 12:31 PM
Got to watch this weeks finally. Thought the team pick strategy by GSP was brilliant. Koscheck took the bait on that one.

Bruce Leeroy(Caceras) vs. Lentz was a pretty boring fight. Lentz just got sloppy and let the match slip away. Not really sure how much futher Bruce Leeroy will go. He didn't look impressive whatsoever against Lentz. Just hung in there and took advantage of another average fighter.

Think it's going to be a good season though.

Collier11
9/24/2010, 01:29 PM
Bruce LeeRoy is one of those fighters who isnt great at anything but he is good at most things, the fact that he is so unorthodox makes him better as well

Collier11
9/29/2010, 10:37 PM
Well, MJ didnt really look all that good, especially on the ground. Having said that, once he decided to go after it he ended the fight quickly

ouleaf
10/1/2010, 11:52 AM
Yeah, for being both who Koscheck and GSP wanted to take first he sure didn't look worthy of the pick. Was very impressive to see him come out in that 3rd round with a lot of intensity and ferocity. Usually don't see that as most guys are gassed by that time of the fight. Credit him for hanging in there, but yeah, he's gotta improve his ground defense or else he won't make it much longer. Definitely has the tools to be a solid fighter in time, but I don't think we'll see any major transformation by the time the season is over.

Collier11
10/7/2010, 12:07 AM
I tell you what, I felt like after seeing that fight that Watson may be vulnerable to a good striker but the dude is a hell of a tactician on the ground

ouleaf
10/8/2010, 08:41 AM
Yeah, I didn't really give Main much of a chance against Watson....Watson has way more experience and when they are both the same style of fighter, I'm not surprised Watson came out with the submission win.

You're right about Watson maybe struggling with somebody that has better standup, especially if they have a longer reach than he does. But yeah, Watson doesn't panic whatsoever if a guy has position on him.

Smart fight pick again by GSP.

Bk2X
10/13/2010, 04:24 PM
Its crazy how every season they put a coach in that I thought I couldn't stand but by the time the season is over my opinion has completely changed. Already changed my opinion on GSP.

Collier11
10/13/2010, 04:25 PM
Yea, GSP is really cool and KOS isnt near the azz that they make him out to be

Boomer.....
10/13/2010, 04:31 PM
**** Kos! I have never liked that dude since he and Diego went at it.

Ever since the show, I have hated Rashad and Mir.

ouleaf
10/13/2010, 04:56 PM
I think they could have gotten GSP a better opponent to match up with him than Koscheck, but Koscheck is pretty outspoken guy and will definitely make for good promotions and such leading up to the fight.

I wasn't sure how GSP would be as a coach, but I like that he lets his coaches really do the coaching and GSP is just more of a sparring partner for the guys. Can't wait for tonights episode!

reflector
10/13/2010, 04:58 PM
This is the best reality show on television.

Collier11
10/13/2010, 05:02 PM
A soap opera for Men!!!

reflector
10/13/2010, 10:35 PM
I thought Nam Phan looked really good on tonight's episode. I thought Spencer would be more a test for him.

Collier11
10/14/2010, 12:54 AM
Nam is solid, Spencer got a little too kick happy and then he broke his hand.

I thought Kos was pretty classless after and hopefully it will bite him and his team

Boomer.....
10/14/2010, 07:36 AM
Bruce LeeRoy is one of those fighters who isnt great at anything but he is good at most things, the fact that he is so unorthodox makes him better as well

Bruce Leeroy is just a talker. His game is limited and he will not last long. All he did was kick.

Every season has to have one fighter who runs their mouth and the others hate. He is this seasons Junie Browning.

ouleaf
10/14/2010, 10:16 AM
Does any one know if Spencer Paige is actually a right handed guy that fights southpaw? Or if he is a true lefty? Just seemed like he could generate a lot of power from both the right arm and right leg in his fight.

It was nice to see a good standup fight by both guys. Spencer is a good fighter, I think he just ran into a guy with way more experience than him at this point. Nam is a great striker. Love that he focuses on body shots too, and if you watch him slow-mo, you can really see how much power he generates through his legs and torso.

Still not sure how well Nam would do if it goes to the ground, but he could definitely be a contender to win this whole thing.

Loved GSP crazy Thai Boxing coach. Hilarious, but yeah that guy is brutal. Why can't he be competing?

Collier11
10/14/2010, 12:46 PM
Yea I was hoping to see that coach kick the sh*t outta KOS, the ol' drunkin cuss :D

reflector
10/14/2010, 05:33 PM
It is good that the season continues to get good ratings. I really like the series and hope it continues for a long time.



http://mmajunkie.com/news/21023/the-ultimate-fighter-12-episode-no-5-ratings-earn-season-high-1-9-million-viewers.mma




"The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 5 ratings: season-high 1.9 million viewers

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 14, 2010 at 5:40 pm ET

The fifth episode of "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" scored a 1.34 household rating and a season-best average audience of 1.9 million viewers.

Spike TV officials today emailed the ratings information to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The ratings topped the previous season-high of 1.8 million viewers who tuned in for episode No. 3 on Sept. 30.

As is typical with most episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter," the final quarter-hour of the episode saw the largest audience and drew a 1.42 rating.

"TUF 12," which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, features welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck as coaches overseeing 28 lightweight fighters. Episode No. 5 saw the fourth opening-round matchup as Team GSP's Spencer Paige losing a decision to Team Koscheck's Nam Phan. The Strikeforce vet earned his team their first win of the season.

The ratings figures for episode No. 5 include an impressive 1.93 rating among men 18-49 and a 2.22 among men 18-34.

The full season ratings include:

* "The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 1: 1.6 million viewers
* "The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 2: 1.7 million viewers
* "The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 3: 1.8 million viewers
* "The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 4: 1.6 million viewers
* "The Ultimate Fighter 12" episode No. 5: 1.9 million viewers

Spike TV, which has hosted "TUF" since its debut in 2005, is available in 98.6 million homes.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 12" section of MMAjunkie.com.

* * * *

In addition to the "TUF 12" ratings, Spike TV officials confirmed that the second episode of the three-part "UFC Primetime: Lesnar vs. Velasquez" series drew 1.1 million viewers, which was up from the 974,000 who tuned in for the series debut. The one-hour special, which airs weekly, aired immediately after "TUF 12."

(Pictured: Nam Phan)

Collier11
10/20/2010, 11:33 PM
DAMN!!!

I still dont know if Cody is a great fighter or not but if you screw up and he gets you in that guillotine, its lights out brother. I do think its funny that those cocky bastards from Kos's team are being taught a lesson.

And Jonathon, that guy is the real deal I think

reflector
10/20/2010, 11:39 PM
DAMN!!!

I still dont know if Cody is a great fighter or not but if you screw up and he gets you in that guillotine, its lights out brother. I do think its funny that those cocky bastards from Kos's team are being taught a lesson.

And Jonathon, that guy is the real deal I think

Cody's guillotine happened very quick. I didn't think he would win that fast.

Collier11
10/20/2010, 11:41 PM
Dont think anyone did

ouleaf
10/21/2010, 09:38 PM
Just got to watch the episode now and WOWWWW! That was some amazing stuff. Did not expect that at all. I was yelling at the TV, "Holy ****, Cody locked it in already" as soon as it went to the ground. Not only that, but that's another guy he's put to sleep this season. Sick stuff.

Maybe even more surprised that Sevak lost so fast too. I though he was gonna beat the crap outta Brookins, but I totally under-estimated the guy. Definitely the best episode of the season.

Koschek's face was priceless after that 1st fight.

Collier11
10/21/2010, 09:42 PM
I didnt know much about the guy but I really think Brookins has a shot to win it, he looked legit.

Its amazing with someone like Cody when he has one go to move and people still cant defend it, now his go to move is really really good but still, dont lower your head

Collier11
10/28/2010, 01:21 AM
Man, looks like next weeks episode could be fun, im glad that guy on GSPs team steps up to KOS.

I was impressed with Dane, he really has gotten alot better. As far as the WC picks go, I thought the pick of Stevens was BS! I realize he probably has the most potential but he went out and got choked out in less than 30 seconds in his 1st fight, doesnt seem like he earned it to me

ouleaf
10/28/2010, 02:43 AM
Yeah, i think Dane deserved it over Stevens. Dane was very surprising against Psycho. Would have thought he'd been in MMA way longer than he has. Seemed calm and collected and able to work his way out of any pin against the cage or on the ground. I thought the fight deserved a 3rd round for sure, but Dane really didn't do a whole lot to score many points unfortunately.

Should be interesting the rest of the way. Still loving GSP's crazy french coach. Would love to see that guy actually fight in a real match.

Collier11
10/28/2010, 02:45 AM
Id love to see his crazy French coach step up to KOS

reflector
11/3/2010, 10:08 PM
Marc Stevens is very over-rated in this season. I thought it was a bad decision to bring him back for the wild card fight.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/21262/episode-no-8-recap-the-ultimate-fighter-12-team-gsp-vs-team-koscheck.mma




Episode No. 8 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"
by Dann Stupp on Nov 03, 2010 at 10:55 pm ET

After a preliminary round dominated by Georges St-Pierre's team, "The Ultimate Fighter 12" heads to the decisive quarterfinal round with the final eight competitors.

But before we get there, we've got one more remaining fight: the wild-card bout.

In tonight's episode, which marks the season's eighth, we begin with a Team GSP training session, where Dane Sayers is disappointed that he wasn't chosen as one of the season's wild-card picks.

His teammates, including Jonathan Brookins, find it odd that Team Koscheck's No. 1 pick, Marc Stevens, got a spot despite the fact that he suffered the preliminary round's quickest lost. Yet Dane, Team GSP's last pick, took Team Koscheck's No. 3 pick, Sako Chivitchian, to a decision and was passed over.

Georges thinks UFC president Dana White made the decision based solely on Marc's earlier accomplishments outside of the show. Dana thinks Dane has a bright future but that he just isn't the better fighter right now.

Meanwhile, Alex Caceres (aka "Bruce Leeroy") complains of back problems, but his teammates think he's just slacking off.

"I'm in quite some pain," Alex says in a confessional. "This is worse than fighting."

Michael Johnson and others aren't quite convinced.

As Josh Koscheck assembles his team for a training session, he says Marc and Aaron Wilkinson, the wild-card picks who both came from his team, were the correct decisions. Andy Main doesn't want to talk badly about his teammates but feels he earned one of the spots.

Marc admits he feels pressure to perform after "getting caught" and won't get caught again. If this is foreshadowing again, the producers have a sick sense of humor.

Back in the dressing-room area, Josh and Team GSP paramedic Brad Tate (or "male nurse," as Josh refers to him) are bordering between trash talk and arguing.

Brad says Josh is disrespecting many of his colleagues, but Josh just laughs at him. Josh then pretends to lunge at the beefy "murse," bangs on the door after Brad shuts it, and then jabs at him with a toilet plunger once he gets the door opened. Only on reality TV, folks.

Back at the house, Alex continues annoying his teammates with his boasting and taunting. Michael simply points out that it should be hard for someone to talk trash while sitting out practices.

With the matter resolved for now, we head back to the gym, where teammates Marc and Aaron are preparing for their wild-card fight. The winner gets a spot in the quarterfinals.

Aaron admits it's just the nature of the business to fight a teammate and someone with whom he's been training often.

Yet, as they hit the treadmills while cutting weight, they actually make plans to train together after the show. No bad blood here.

Strangely, as both teams convene for the weigh-ins, Josh decides to de-pants his "male-nurse" friend.

"If you're going to try to embarrass me, you're going to have to do a whole lot more than that," Brad says.

Josh continues prodding the big man, and it's clear Brad's patience is wearing thin as they sit on the bleachers. He tells Josh he's only famous because of his first loss to Georges.

"What's one thing you've accomplished in life?" asks Brad, who then hits on a sore subject. "Faking a knee?"

It's a jab at some recent high-profile fights in which Josh complained of illegal knees (only for video replay to show they may not have landed anyway). Fans have railed on Josh because of the "acting," and he's clearly ticked.

Brad obviously won the trash-talk, and after another male-nurse insult does no good, Josh stands up and tries to choke his rival.

Brad quickly swats his arm away, and the cast members swarm in to break up the brief melee. Dane tries to play the role of peacekeeper, but he ends up taking some slaps and short punches to the face for his trouble. And he's now livid and yelling at Josh as the others try to restore order.

"You lose it," Josh says in a confessional while trying to explain what happened. "You just kind of snap."

The teams return to the benches for a few moments of uncomfortable silence, but clearly pissed, Dane storms out.

"I was trying to [expletive] help him," Dane says in a confessional. "And then he put his hands on me and just stiff-armed my face. Who wouldn't be pissed?"

Josh realizes he messed up and then heads to the dressing rooms with Georges to find Dane. Josh's apology isn't exactly heartfelt, and he defends himself by saying Dane was pushing him in the face. Still visibly shaking and upset by the situation, Dane accepts the apology but admits it was a weak one.

In a confessional, Josh surmises that Georges masterminded the whole thing and brought in Brad to talk trash just so Georges could avoid the confrontations himself. It's an off statement considering Josh seems to be the one instigating the skirmishes.

With two dejected teams and a whole lot of confusion on their faces, the weigh-ins nevertheless go on.

Aaron and Marc both weigh 156 pounds, and the fight is good to go.

After the weigh-ins, Josh then stands next to Brad and asks, "You wanna hold hands and walk out?" It's hard to tell if it's his attempt at an apology or if he's still stuck in head-games mode. Either way, Brad blows him off and walks away when Georges calls a team meeting.

Georges explains that in the quarterfinal round, three Team GSP guys will fight Team Koscheck fighters, but that two Team GSP members will have to fight each other. He asks everyone to write down a name of someone they want to fight on each team, and if any two Team GSP fighters match up, he's planning to book the fight.

Michael hopes it's finally the opportunity for Alex and him to fight.

The following day, Aaron gets a call from home, which is never a good sign since outside calls usually are banned on the show. Aaron's mom informs him that his grandmother is dead.

"Nana would kick your *** if you came home," his mom says in a sign of support.

Aaron fights back tears, but his mom makes him promise he won't come home to the U.K. Behind closed doors, Aaron finally breaks down and cries, but he says he's keeping the news to himself and doesn't want the other fighters to know.

For the fight, Josh has opted to sit in the stands and won't corner either fighter so he doesn't show any favoritism.

"It's not often you get a second chance," he tells each fighter.

Soon, it's fight time, and we have:

Marc Stevens (12-5) vs. Aaron Wilkinson (6-3)

Herb Dean gets the action started, and we're underway.

Both fighters patiently circle and throw weak leg kicks to test their range. Aaron starts to stalk and throws the first punches, which are blocked. Marc then throws a nice low kick and shoots to score the takedown. He lands in side mount and throws some short elbows. Meanwhile, other than corner instructions, it's dead silence in the training center. Marc soon moves into full mount, unloads some punches, and then takes his opponent's back as Aaron tries to roll free. Aaron continues to scramble, but Marc is relentless. Aaron, though, briefly gets free while on the ground, but Marc again quickly takes his back and looks for the choke. Aaron is bleeding from under the eye, which may make things a bit more slippy for Marc. Nevertheless, Marc looks to improve his position and rolls into an armbar. Aaron is on his knees and looks to escape. Aaron finally pops his arm free but is quickly pulled into a triangle choke. Aaron tries to stack his opponent and shove him into the cage and delivers punches to the body. Marc can't tighten the choke, and the pace slows as Aaron keeps him pressed against the cage. With a minute to go, Marc finally gets some leverage and tightens the choke but eats a series of punches before the round ends. It's a great bit of survival for Aaron, but Marc wins the round, 10-9, for the overall control.

As the second round ends, Aaron opens with strikes to open the round, but he's clearly concerned about the takedown. Marc wings a haymaker that misses wide but then scores a takedown. Aaron secures a guillotine choke on the way down, and once again, Marc is quickly forced to tap.

In a subsequent confessional and with a deadpan look, an incredulous Marc gives the line of the night.

"I guess I need to work on my guillotine defense," says Marc, whom Cody McKenzie choked out with the same move in a 17-second preliminary-round fight.

Teammates such as Andy and Jeff Lentz are bummed and think they could have posted a stronger showing than Marc, who was clearly gassed heading into the second round.

Josh immediately tells Aaron to start icing his cut since his next fight is just days away. But he's confident and happy to be alive in the competition.

After the fight, Dana has a closed-door meeting with the coaches to decide the quarterfinal-round matches.

Georges and Dana rather quickly discuss Michael vs. Alex for the lone teammate-vs.-teammate fight. They then call in Alex for his input, and he agrees. Josh, though, thinks Georges is just trying to get his No. 1 pick, Michael, an easy ticket to the semis.

Michael, though, wants Alex. But he's not the only one. Every fighter from both teams wants a shot at Alex, who's seen as the weak link in the field.

Georges continues campaigning for the fight, though Dana prefers Alex to fight Nam Phan. But as Georges starts making his case, he doesn't realize he's giving away all kinds of information on his fighters' strengths and weaknesses, which Josh is eating up.

But Dana ultimately sends them away and says he's making the final decisions. He meets the fighters in the training center and announces the matchups.

They include:

* Team GSP's Jonathan Brookins vs. Team Koscheck's Sako Chivitchian
* Team GSP's Kody McKenzie vs. Team Koscheck's Nam Phan
* Team GSP's Kyle Watson vs. Team Koscheck's Aaron Wilkinson
* Team GSP's Michael Johnson vs. Team GSP's Alex Caceres

Josh isn't happy with the decision of that last fight and thinks Dana "felt sorry" for Georges and booked it just to appease him.

Georges is all smiles as the episode comes to a close.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 12" section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Catch new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. MMAjunkie.com recaps each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on "The Ultimate Fighter 12" page.

Collier11
11/4/2010, 12:37 AM
KOS continually ran his mouth and the guy got sick of it, I was hoping for more but im glad that Tate stood up to him. I was a bit disappointed that GSP just sat there the whole time, I know he doesnt play the head games stuff but he needs to stand up for him team IMO.

As for the rest of the show, Stevens proved again that he was a weak pick and Dana messed that up.

As for the Quarters, I honestly feel like Nam is the only favorite of Kos's guys, the rest of GSPs guys should win, we will see though

reflector
11/4/2010, 05:18 PM
I really think Watson does a good job with his blog. I thought Josh was out of line on the episode.



http://mmajunkie.com/news/21252/kyle-watsons-blog-for-the-ultimate-fighter-12-episode-no-8.mma



Kyle Watson's blog for "The Ultimate Fighter 12," episode No. 8
by Kyle Watson on Nov 04, 2010 at 12:45 pm ET


It's another week and another opportunity to thank all of you MMAjunkie.com readers for checking out my blog. We finally have the quarterfinal matchups set, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the tournament unfolds.

As episode no. 8 starts, you see us doing some odd training techniques that included resistance bands and some swimming motions on the mat. Some of these methods introduced by head coach Georges St-Pierre and the assistant coaches were new to me and very interesting. They took an approach of static strength vs. dynamic strength. They further explained how static strength is used primarily in jiu-jitsu positions in which you're holding and squeezing for extended periods of time, and conversely, dynamic strength is seen in the explosive movements of striking.

Every time we would do one of those types of activities, we would finish off the workout with the other. For example, if we grappled and worked more static strength, we would finish the workout doing something more dynamic like medicine-ball throws, using very explosive movements. On the other hand, if the workout employed more explosive movements such as sparring, then we would end the practice with some type of static holding such as exercises on the gymnastic rings. They explained that with our ability to stay fresh while switching between these types of activities or being able to take our opponent out of the strength type he is comfortable in, we would have a strategic advantage in our fights.

Next up was our training with Cleopas Ncube. I didn't know Cleo's credentials coming in, but they told us that he is an Olympic-caliber wrestler from Montreal. His wrestling technique was fantastic, and he was close to our weight, so he was a great addition to the coaching staff.

Of course, you see in this episode that Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres didn't get to enjoy all of Cleo's coaching because he was resting on the sidelines, complaining of back problems. He may have had a legitimate injury, but it's hard to say. Everyone trains and fights with injuries all the time. It's very common and the nature of the sport. However, I think the reason why Bruce's injury was in question (by several of us, not just Michael Johnson) was that he would do other physical things around the house and gym that you know would have bothered his back if it were injured. He would be messing around and throwing crazy kicks and doing his "Bruce Lee-type moves" while hitting the heavy bag, etc. Watching him mess around and then seeing him skip several practices made it seem like he was dogging it, but again, it's hard to say. Everyone's body works differently.

Michael called out Alex on his absence in practice, but this was after first being provoked by Alex's comments on how Michael was owned by Cleo in wrestling that day. Michael felt that Alex shouldn't have opened his mouth about what happens in practice since he wasn't even training. This demonstrated the tension that had been building between these two for a while. However, their rivalry had nothing on the one brewing between Josh Koscheck and Brad Tate.

The Mash

We saw a bit of the rivalry between Josh and the "male nurse" this past week, but it reached a boiling point in this episode. As you can see in their initial exchange, it seemed like some of it was just good-natured fun (plunger vs. trash can). Both guys just enjoyed giving each other a hard time, and they were usually able just to laugh it off. After a while though, I think Brad just got under Josh's skin since he was a pretty good trash-talker. He knew how to say things to fire you up. Finally, he agitated Josh to the point where it wasn't fun anymore.

It started in the hallway as we waited to enter the gym for the weigh-ins. Brad was pointing to the poster of Josh and Georges squaring off at the beginning of their first fight, and he said, "Hey, Josh. How did that fight go for you? Not too good, huh?" Josh fired back with the male-nurse thing, and when they walked through the door, Josh actually used a pretty funny move that you can't fully see (thank goodness). He de-pantsed Brad, and as Brad bent over to pull them up, Josh stepped on his pants and pushed him forward. (I'll have to remember that move for future use.) Even at that point, it still seemed to be all in jest, but then it took a serious turn when Brad started talking about Josh's acting skills. This was in reference to the times he has questionably reacted to so-called illegal knees and eye gouges. A few comments later, Josh decided he had had enough, and it obviously got out of hand.

When Josh and Brad got into their altercation, everything happened very quickly. As soon as it was over, it was just kind of quiet and awkward for a few minutes, and we were all like, "Holy [expletive], did that just happen?" We were all kind of smiling and thinking, "Well, that will make for some good TV."

I was watching the episode to see exactly what I did during the little scuffle because the details of that day were a little faded. I remember thinking, "Is this really happening?" And then I just kind of stood by and watched it unfold. Obviously, if any of my teammates were getting hurt, I am sure I would have pulled people off or something, but I thought it was really between Josh and brad. Georges seemed to have the same mentality, that Brad got himself in the mess, so he would need to handle it himself.

I didn't see this because he was sitting behind me, but a couple of the guys commented how funny it was that John Danaher was up and had his fanny pack (we called it his utility belt since many of us thought he was Batman) off in a split second like he was ready for action.

As far as Josh's speculation that Georges brought in Brad specifically to talk trash for him, I don't believe that for a second. Brad lived in Vegas and just stopped in randomly on different days and looked like he was just there to hang out. There is no way that it was a set-up thing. In fact, after it all went down, Georges was pretty upset and disappointed that it had happened.

Of course, Dane Sayers was probably the most upset at the whole situation. Emotions were flaring, and I think he was still very upset from whole wild-card situation. Then he came in and tried to break up a fight, and you see Josh push Dane's face a couple of times. I think maybe it came across on the show a little more dramatic than it really was, but he legitimately was bothered, and he didn't want to just sit there and get more upset as he thought about it. It became a little more light-hearted when we discussed the situation on the van ride back to the house. One of the guys started teasing Dane about getting his face mashed, and then we all started singing "The Monster Mash." It was hilarious but probably one of those had-to-be-there moments.

Marc Stevens vs. Aaron Wilkinson

With two Team Koscheck fighters going at it, we didn't really have a cheering interest in this fight, but I think we were all pulling for Aaron Wilkinson. Even though Marc Stevens lost quickly in his first fight, people still knew he had a lot of experience and would be a tough matchup. Everyone considered Aaron the underdog because Marc had the better pedigree, but we all wanted Aaron to win for a couple of reasons.

First, everyone really liked Aaron. He was the comedian of the house, very funny and personable. Also, I think most of the guys would have rather fought Aaron in the next round. Don't get me wrong; Aaron was very tough, but Marc looked to be a more dangerous opponent on paper.

In the first round, Marc showed what people had been expecting out of him. He got the takedown quickly and right away put Aaron in danger. Marc had his back and full mount a few times before finally ending up on bottom after an armbar attempt. From there Marc continued to threaten Aaron with the triangle choke and the armbar. However, Aaron was very smart in his defense by turning Marc so that his neck was against the cage.

On many occasions, it looked like Aaron could just posture up and get out of the triangle, but he stayed there. I was thinking, "Why are you hanging out there? He's going to submit you." So we kept trying to figure out if he was doing that as a strategy to wear Marc out or if he legitimately was just feeling like he wasn't in any danger. Either way, the couple of minutes that Marc spent looking for the triangle with his legs clamped and squeezing took a toll on him. When Marc went back to his corner after the first round, we saw him stumble a little and realized his legs must've been really fatigued. Aaron came out in the second round and really began to find his range on the feet because he knew Marc was tired. Marc shot in, and Aaron cinched up a guillotine.

I've felt that exact same thing before. A lot of my submission wins have come via triangle choke, so I've spent a lot of time in that position. There have been times that I've locked it up and not been able to finish, and when you have that constant squeeze (static strength) of your hamstrings for a minute or two, it takes a lot out of you. You feel like your legs are in concrete, so I definitely feel Marc's pain there.

I'm sure in Marc's mind he was thinking, "I have this. I just need to move a little bit more, and I'm going to submit him." That's probably why he wasn't eager to let go and stand up. He was probably thinking, "I have him," and that unfortunately cost him the fight.

When Marc got caught in the guillotine, I think one of the biggest factors was fatigue. Aaron had the guillotine on properly, but I think if Marc was fresh, he would have had a better attempt at escaping. With the look of sheer exhaustion, it seemed as if he just mentally gave up. It was great because we all wanted Aaron to win, but we couldn't believe that Marc got finished twice with the same move. It was kind of bittersweet. Several of the guys were happy it played out that way because they didn't feel that Marc deserved the wild-card spot anyway. However, at the same time, it also further reinforced the disappointment of the other wild-card candidates. I think they felt that they would have been more competitive and had a much better fight with Aaron, which might be true.

I got a chuckle at Dana White's comments about Nam Phan being the worst cornerman ever. I could hear Nam going, "Good job. You're winning this round," and I remember thinking, "Why are you telling him that he's winning? He was dominated the whole round and almost submitted several times. Maybe Nam was trying to keep his Aaron motivated. Either way, I thought it was funny that Dana picked up on that, and in Nam's defense, he did offer sound technical advice several times during the match.

The quarterfinal selections (or "I'll fight Bruce")

As Georges laid out earlier in this episode, we knew two of the guys from Team GSP were going to have to fight each other. Georges had us all write down names and selecting whom we'd like to face, both from Team Koscheck and a teammate if it came down to that. Georges said that if two of us wrote down each other's names, then that would be the matchup he would try to pitch to Dana. Of course Michael and Alex were the guys who were both willing to fight each other, but after we each had our opportunity to give Dana our picks, we didn't know what kind of conversation went on with him and the coaches.

It was funny how they showed all the fighters saying they wanted to fight Bruce, including me.

Koscheck felt that Georges was trying to get Bruce picked off as the weakest link. However, Georges and the rest of the team knew those two really didn't like each other, and he thought they might respect each other more after they fought. Georges also thought it would be a tougher fight than most people believed. Bruce was good on the ground, and that was Michael's weak point. Plus they were both very athletic and explosive.

When we went in the office with Dana, he said, "This is your time to be selfish. We want to know which matchup is best for you and will help you advance on to the next round." I looked at it from that point of view. It didn't matter if I liked Bruce or not. I just thought stylistically that's a fight I can win and come out unhurt for the next round. I think everybody else thought that too.

Even though I asked for Sako Chivitchyan or Alex, I was happy with Aaron as a matchup. I didn't specifically ask for him, but honestly, I was fine with fighting anyone on Team Koscheck.

Koscheck looked upset at the way the quarterfinal matchups were laid out, but we thought they were pretty fair, especially considering Team GSP was left out of the two wild-card spots. Additionally, the matchups looked competitive, so it wasn't like everything was placed in our favor. Josh was just being a baby about it.

Either way, stay tuned for some great fights and possibly a little drama.

Thanks again to everyone for checking out my blog. I look forward to next week, recapping another episode and interacting with everyone. Until then, check out my official website at WatsonBJJ.com, or follow me on my official Facebook page. Also, check out my partners at AmericanFighter.com and WeightTraining4MMA.com, who were kind enough to sponsor my blog this season.

"The Ultimate Fighter 12" cast member Kyle Watson (15-6-1) blogs each Thursday exclusively for MMAjunkie.com. The H.I.T. Squad fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor takes readers behind the scenes of Spike TV's popular reality series, which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

ouleaf
11/4/2010, 09:13 PM
As for the rest of the show, Stevens proved again that he was a weak pick and Dana messed that up.

As for the Quarters, I honestly feel like Nam is the only favorite of Kos's guys, the rest of GSPs guys should win, we will see though

Stevens had a pretty solid 1st round, but 2nd round was just same story different chapter....got caught again in the exact same scenario, lunging for a take down, leaving your neck wide open and Wilkinson uses his own momentum against him at that point. Love how Kos didnt even really say anything to him after the fight.

Wilkinson might stand a chance if he can keep the fight off the mat as he probably is the best boxer this season. But Watson is a really tough matchup for him I think...I'd be surprised if Wilkinson walks out with a win.

Agree with you about Nam Phan. Just when you want to write him off, the fight starts and you see just how good he really is. Kody has grown on me as the season has gone on, but I think think Nam wins.

Really, really looking forward to the Brookins/Psycho fight, good be very explosive. Not really sure who i'd pick for Johnson/Caceras. Thought Johnson looked very shaky in his prelim fight and i think Caceras just might be able to beat him.

Collier11
11/4/2010, 10:27 PM
True that Johnson looked shaky but do you think Caceras can take him down, which seems to be his only weakness

Boomer.....
11/5/2010, 02:44 PM
Kos is showing that he really is the ********* that we knew he was.

ouleaf
11/5/2010, 03:24 PM
True that Johnson looked shaky but do you think Caceras can take him down, which seems to be his only weakness

Caceras, for all his mouth running has been a tough fighter. I'd be worried that Johnson is only going to see Red and go for the kill. That might mean a lack of focus, and I do think Caceras is good enough to capitalize off others mistakes.

Collier11
11/5/2010, 03:31 PM
If he makes the semi's or finals it will certainly rattle some cages

Boomer.....
11/5/2010, 03:33 PM
From what I saw in the first fight, he won't make it too much further.

Boomer.....
11/5/2010, 03:36 PM
I'm not sure what to think about Johnathan Brookins or Cody McKenzie yet.

Collier11
11/5/2010, 03:36 PM
I think Brookins is a stud, I think McKenzie will probably get exposed against someone with really good stand up but I also think he has alot of potential

reflector
11/10/2010, 11:10 PM
Brookins looked awesome again tonight. McKenzie had a good first round. He got sloppy in the second round, though. I guess it was conditioning. I thought for sure he would try to take Phan down again in the second round, but he kept it on the feet and got picked apart.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/21344/episode-no-9-recap-the-ultimate-fighter-12-team-gsp-vs-team-koscheck.mma




Episode No. 9 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"
by Dann Stupp on Nov 10, 2010 at 10:55 pm ET

It's crunch time on "The Ultimate Fighter 12," and in tonight's episode No. 9, we kick off the quarterfinal round with a pair of Team Koscheck vs. Team GSP fights.

With just a handful of episodes remaining in this season of the UFC's long-running reality series, the fights now come quickly and furiously each Wednesday.

This week, we get Team Koscheck's Sako Chivitchian vs. Team GSP's Jonathan Brookins and Team Koscheck's Nam Phan vs. Team GSP's Cody McKenzie.

Back at the house, Sako is talking to teammate Sevak Magakian, who wants his friend to avenge his preliminary-round loss to Jonathan.

At a subsequent Team GSP training session, head coach Georges St-Pierre says he's focusing more on tactical work than conditioning and hard training as they enter the final rounds.

"I know you'll want to push it, but please don't," Georges says. "I want you to be hungry."

In a confessional, Jonathan knows his Armenian housemates are gunning for him. But he feels far more excitement than fear and knows he must watch out for Sako's dangerous striking. Georges believes Jonathan has the tools to win and tells him so.

Soon, Team GSP convenes for its training session. Head coach Josh Koscheck says Sako needs to avoid the ground and can't give up his back to Jonathan, who's shown some submission savvy in his earlier fights. The team drills Sako on how to protect his back, specifically when he's trying to get off the ground.

Josh explains it'll be a tough but winnable fight while Sako shares his confidence in getting the victory.

Back at the house later that night, Jonathan and Nam are growing tired of the in-house antics and goofing off, and they retreat to the backyard and explain that there's got to be more than life than what they care about. Both fighters are concerned their teammates already consider themselves UFC fighters, and Jonathan is determined not to let such thoughts creep into his head. Scrapping for everything he's earned is what got the WEC vet to where he's at, and he's determined to see it through.

Before we know it, it's fight time, and we immediately jump into Sako and Jonathan getting ready for their fight. Both warm up and then head to the cage for our first quarterfinal fight.

We've got:

Team GSP's Jonathan Brookins (11-2) vs. Team Koscheck's Sako Chivitchian (5-0)

UFC president Dana White does the intros, and referee Herb Dean is the third man in the cage.

The fighters patiently paw jabs until Sako strikes first with a lunging shot. He tries again, but Jonathan easily avoids it. Jonathan tries to force the fight to the mat but is pushed into the cage and tagged with some short punches and knees. However, he quickly reveres the position and then tosses Sako to the mat. As Sako tries to get back to his feet, he gives up his back, and Jonathan pounces. Sako gets back to his feet and tries to roll out of the hold as Jonathan can secure just one hook. Jonathan looks to his corner for instruction while his opponent lies on top of him once they hit the mat, and he finally secures his other hook and methodically works for the rear-naked choke. Sako initially defends, but Jonathan slides an arm under his opponent's neck and forces the tap-out moments later.

It's another quick and impressive win for Jonathan. And it came exactly in the manner Team Koscheck hoped to avoid.

"I'm amazed how quickly he tapped him out," Dana says of Jonathan. "This guy is the real deal."

In a confessional, Josh is exasperated.

"Did that just happen again?" he asks dejectedly.

Back in the dressing room, Sako has a tough time accepting his first loss. Josh calms him down and reminds him he made his a simple mistake. Sako vows he'll learn from it.

Back in the Team GSP dressing room, Jonathan and Georges are all smiles. But the focus soon turns to Cody and his upcoming fight with Nam.

In the van on the way to the gym the following day, Team GSP talks about Cody's streak of guillotine wins. His confidence continues in the dressing room, and Georges is impressed with the fighter's mindset.

In a confessional, Cody says his unorthodox style is tough on opponents, and he expects Nam to be no different. Georges, though, is concerned that the rival team may be too familiar with his guillotine, and they work on moves to put Nam on his back to negate his striking.

Cody knows it'll be a tough fight and that someone as experienced as Nam likely has seen his whole bag of tricks.

Cody then enters the gym and sees Josh sitting with Savek, Nam and the rest of the team. Cody, who's had a long-brewing and humorous feud with Josh, just laughs. Josh makes Nam vow that he'll kick his ***.

At the Team Koscheck training session, Andy Main helps Nam work on his guillotine defense. Nam thinks his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt gives him an edge on the ground, but he's also confident his striking can lead him to victory.

Soon, it's weigh-in day, and both teams return to the gym for the festivities. Cody is 155 pounds, and Nam is half a tick heavier at 155.5. With the staredown, it's obvious Cody has a huge reach and height advantage.

Back at the house later that night, Nam and Cody actually have a pretty detailed conversation in the kitchen. Cody thinks he's fishing for information on the eve of their fight, but Nam plays it off and says that's not his intent.

The next morning, Cody meditates in the backyard and talks about how he's not a normal fighter. The long-haired Alaskan, though, says his style has worked fine so far in his career.

In a confessional, Nam admits that his opponent's unorthodox style isn't "correct" but that it's damn effective.

After some warmups at the gym, both competitors head to the cage, and we have:

Team Koscheck's Nam Phan (16-7) vs. Team GSP's Cody McKenzie (10-0)

Josh Rosenthal has officiating duties, and we're underway. Cody quickly crosses the cage to throw body kicks and follows with punches and a takedown attempt. Nam fends it off against the cage. He hits a knee but hops back up, but Cody smothers him and throws short knees and punches to the body while pressing him against the fence. Cody again looks for the takedown and briefly wrestles his opponent to the mat, but Nam again pops back up. Cody keeps him pinned against the cage and throws more knees and punches before putting his opponent on his back. Cody works from inside full guard and throws punches to the head and body. Nam deflects most of it, but Cody soon pushes him into the cage, where Nam has less room to work. Nam, though, scrambles and gets back to his feet and safely retreats to the center of the cage to reset. Cody again swarms with punches and a takedown attempt and pushes his opponent against the cage. Josh yells for Nam to get off the cage. Nam tries, but Cody overpowers him and puts him back against the fence. Cody is relentless with the takedown attempts and clings to him. Nam, though, stays upright as he eats some additional short punches. Nam fights off another takedown attempt and finally circles off the cage. The fighters restart in the center of the cage, and Nam finally lands some punches form distance. Cody looks tired and eats some head shots. He then shoots, but Nam collapses on top of him and delivers punches and then stands over Cody when he rolls to his back. He ultimately, though, calls for a standup. Cody fires off kicks to create distance and lands a couple nice low shots before the round ends with Nam fending off a takedown. Nam survived well, but MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Cody due to his aggression.

The fighters receive instructions between rounds. Cody is told to lean on his opponent to wear him down while Nam is told to work his combinations.

As the round starts, the fighters trade punches and kicks, and Cody's reach is paying dividends. Nam, though, hangs tough and becomes the aggressor. He can't get close enough to land much, though. The fighters trade sloppy strikes until Cody shoots and presses his opponent against the cage. Nam breaks off but eats a body kick in the process. Nam works a nice combo to the body, retreats, and then looks to engage again. Cody lands a nice body kick, shoots, but is fended off by the quicker and better-conditioned Nam. Cody moves in and partially eats an overhand punch. The fighters again trade sporadic shots, but Nam is more accurate and snaps Cody's head back with a stiff left. Cody continues pressing forward but gets tagged a few times more. Nam then lands a right-left combo to the body that drops Cody, and before Nam can move in, the ref waves off the fight and awards him the TKO win.

Josh is the loudest to cheer and jumps over and into the cage as Team Koscheck rejoices. The celebration is a bit over the top, but it's clearly a win they needed.

Georges admits that Cody may have gassed out in the second rounds. Dana believes Cody's quick wins likely didn't give him the cage experience he needed. Josh brags like he's the one who scored the win.

"He was not very (good with) sportsmanship," Georges says of Josh. "He tried to get under my skin. He got under my skin and in my mind, which is a good thing. In training, I'm going to be thinking about him and how I'm going to beat him."

Josh does shake hands with Cody after the fight but admits in a confessional that it was personal and that he loved to see Cody "shut up."

It's a tough loss for Cody, who admits embarrassment because he let his family down.

And this week's episode concludes with him sitting on a bench in a bit of disbelief.

Up next week we've got the final two quarterfinal matchups and the unveiling of the semifinal pairings.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 12" section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Catch new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. MMAjunkie.com recaps each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on "The Ultimate Fighter 12" page.

Collier11
11/11/2010, 12:05 AM
I absolutely LOVE the way GSP is always calm when he is talking to his guys like a quiet assassin, he is always like, "be cool, dont get mad, then smash their brains in"

With McKenzie he had a great 1st rd and then just tired out, Nam Pham looked more vulnerable than I thought.

I kinda figured Brookins would do what he did, the guy is a cool, calm tactician

ouleaf
11/12/2010, 02:55 PM
I too was surprised by what Cody showed in the 1st Rd, but he gassed out and Nam showed again that he has some heavy hands and really knows how to generate a lot of power in his punches, especially that left hook he likes to throw. He stayed calm and despite losing the 1st round.

Brookins was pretty much in control the whole way. He really just stayed calm, manuvered himself into position then waited for Psycho to make a mistake and he locked in the choke. Smart, smart fighter.

reflector
11/17/2010, 11:05 PM
I thought it was really cool to see Freddie Roach on this episode.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/21421/episode-no-10-recap-the-ultimate-fighter-12-team-gsp-vs-team-koscheck.mma




Episode No. 10 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"

by Dann Stupp on Nov 17, 2010 at 10:55 pm ET

The field for this season of "The Ultimate Fighter" goes from 28 to four tonight with the final two quarterfinal-round matches.

After last week's fights and victories from Team Koscheck's Nam Phan and Team GSP's Jonathan Brookins, we get two more bouts.

They include Team GSP's Kyle Watson vs. Team Koscheck wild-card winner Aaron Wilkinson, as well as an all-Team-GSP bout between rivals Michael Johnson and Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres.

Back at the house, the sink's sprayer has been rigged to douse the first first person to wash dishes. It happens to be Michael, who's none too happy and quickly blames Alex (though he should be looking in the Armenians' direction).

Alex says he'd have no problem telling him if he actually did it. But he didn't, though Michael doesn't believe him. Their castmates finally are just happy the two soon will settle the score in the cage.

Back at a Team GSP training session, head coach Georges St-Pierre is helping the jiu-jitsu-based Kyle learn to counter Aaron's "better striking." Kyle thinks Aaron will be looking to dodge takedowns. However, Kyle said he plans to close the distance and drag the fight to the mat from the clinch.

At the following Team Koscheck session, head coach Josh Koscheck clearly is prepping Aaron for a standup fight. They even opt not to throw any knees at all since it'll leave the lanky fighter susceptible to takedowns. Regardless, Aaron said he feels little pressure as the underdog.

Soon, it's fight day, and just a few minutes into the episode, the fighters already are on their way to the cage.

And we've got:

Team Koscheck's Aaron Wilkinson (6-3) vs. Team GSP's Kyle Watson (13-6-1)

After a touch of gloves, referee Steve Mazzagatti gets the action started. Kyle throws low kicks, closes the distance and easily tosses Aaron to the mat. Kyle lands in side control and patiently looks to improve his position further. Aaron turns into him and clings close to avoid punishment, but Kyle peppers him with short punches while still trying to move into mount. Aaron initially defends and finally sees an opening to get to his feet. Kyle, though, clings to him and takes him back to the mat even as Aaron tries to cling to the fence, which prompts a warning. Once on the ground, Kyle quickly hops into the mount position and then takes his opponent's back when Aaron rolls to his knees. The fighters roll again, and Kyle still has his opponent's back while in the seated position against the cage. Aaron tries to fight off the arms and a choke, but Kyle finally slides his forearm across the throat, and after nearly a half minute of fighting it off, Aaron finally is forced to tap-out. Kyle punches his ticket to the semifinals with the submission win.

"It's probably the worst performance I ever had," says Aaron, who feels he disappointed his coaches.

Kyle is elated, especially since he enters the next round with little damage.

Just as quickly as that fight is over, the focus quickly turns to the Team GSP bout between Michael and Alex.

At a subsequent Team GSP session, the guys get a surprise when famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach stops by. Georges has been working with the legendary striking coach and hopes he can help his guys. They just hope to talk to Freddie but are shocked to learn they'll actually be training.

"Freddie Roach, that's a hell of an experience," gushes Jonathan, who gets hands-on instruction with Michael.

Freddie likes Michael's speed and compares him to Manny Pacquiao. He calls Alex's style awkward but effective and thinks he can go far.

In a confessional, Georges says he'll corner neither of his fighters and that they must choose their own corners.

In their own confessionals, Alex says Michael is going to learn a lesson and that he shouldn't pick matchups based on emotions. Michael says Alex is going to break like all his other opponents once the action starts.

At the weigh-ins, Josh begins buddying up to Alex and tells Michael he's going to get his *** kicked. He then turns his attention to Georges and says he pushed for the matchup in hopes of giving prized fighter Michael an easier ticket to the semifinals. Team GSP mostly blows it off.

Michael weighs 156 pounds, and Alex tips the scale at 154.5 pounds.

Josh really believes Alex is going to pull off the upset and keeps telling him that Georges considers him the weak link. The Koscheck Show finally comes to a close as the weigh-ins wrap.

Back at the house, Josh then offers to help Alex get ready for the fight. He doesn't take up the offer, but with Alex already having pissed off most of his teammates and no one really interesting in cornering him, Team Koscheck's Jeff Lentz (who lost an earlier fight to Alex) steps up.

Kyle, meanwhile, offers to corner Michael.

After some final preparations, it's fight time. And we've got:

Team GSP's Michael Johnson (8-4) vs. Team GSP's Alex Caceres (4-2)

Dana White does the intros, Herb Dean is our ref, and we're underway.

Alex keeps distance before snapping a leg kick. Michael moves in with lunging punches but is pushed back with a front kick. Michael then swarms with punches, closes the distances, picks up and slams his opponent to the mat while landing in full guard. Alex works rubber guard and gets some distance, and though Michael clings to a leg, he gets back to his feet, and the fighters restart. Michael fires off a couple punches, Alex counters, and then Michael lands a cross shot that knocks out his opponent's mouthpiece. Herb calls a halt as Michael keeps moving forward.

"Let me get it, dawg," Alex says with a smile.

Michael, though, has an angry scowl and awaits the restart. Once he gets it, he fires off more big punches, puts Alex against the cage, grabs a single leg and again slams him to the mat. Working from full guard, Michael works short punches and looks to pass guard. Alex tries to stop it, but Michael frees a leg, stands back up and then presses a seated Alex into the cage. Alex gets back to his feet and fires off a nice combo as Michael covers up. The fighters, though, then break and restart. Alex works jabs as Michael may be tiring. But Michael lands a nice straight left, which is countered with an effective leg kick. Alex is now the aggressor, though he doesn't generate much power with his punches. Michael again closes the distance, puts him against the cage, lands a big uppercut, pops him with a knee to the head, and then looks for the takedown. Alex fends it off while leaning against the cage and delivers a knee before they reset in the center. Michael unloads a big combo that Alex narrowly avoids. Michael then absorbs a low kick that knocks Alex off balance, and Michael drops to the mat with him before deciding to allow him back up. Michael lands a couple straight punches, pins Alex against the cage, and then unloads a solid combo before the round ends. Michael complains of a knee to the groin that wasn't called. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Michael, though Alex's corner of Jeff and Jonathan somehow convince him he won.

In the second round, Michael counters a kick with a straight right. Alex gets confident with his striking but is soon picked up and slammed to the mat. Michael delivers forearm strikes from side control. Alex tries to roll free, but Michael stays tight. Alex turns into his opponent but continues eating punches. They're scoring points but don't do a ton of damage. Michael then postures up to his knees to rain down some heavier blows. Alex puts his back against the cage and gets back to his feet. Both tiring fighters come out swinging. Alex is smiling but then ducks and lands on his knees as a defense. Michael follows, but after jockeying for position, Alex takes top position. Michael quickly gets back to his feet and then presses Alex into the fence while working body punches before a takedown. Michael works from full guard and drops a few punches and elbow strikes, though Alex defends well. But he postures again to tag Alex with some heavier blows. Alex listens to his corner and tries to hop back to his feet and finally gets upright with a minute to go. Alex swings wildly. Michael closes the distance and pins him against the cage, gets the takedown and moves into side control, where he closes out the round with a couple elbow strikes. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Michael, who has the 20-18 win on our card.

The judges concur, and Michael earns the unanimous-decision victory.

In confessionals, Dana and the coaches agree the fight was closer than most predicted. Josh, though, thinks the fight sucked and blames Georges for it.

"You tricked Dana," he says.

"Good fight," Georges says.

"No, it sucked," Josh says.

In a confessional, Michael says he has more respect for Alex. Alex says he hopefully proved he belongs there.

With the quarterfinals concluded, the coaches and Dana convene to discuss semifinal matchups.

"I expect this to be a long, drawn-out process," Dana jokes.

Georges likes Nam vs. Michael (and Kyle vs. Jonathan). Josh surprisingly agrees.

"[Expletive] me," Dana says. "We're all going to agree that quickly? That's what I like too."

The coaches then meet with the fighters, and Dana addresses both teams. He makes it official, and we've got our final four for this season of "TUF."

Team GSP's Jonathan Brookins vs. Team GSP's Kyle Watson and Team Koscheck's Nam Phan vs. Team GSP's Michael Johnson

Up next week, the semifinals kick off.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 12" section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Catch new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. MMAjunkie.com recaps each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on "The Ultimate Fighter 12" page.

Collier11
11/18/2010, 12:04 AM
Isnt it funny how all of the quarterfinal matches went pretty much how we figured, only Cody and Alex put up a little more resistance than we maybe thought.

Kyle dominated just like Brookins did, easy win.

Mike had to work harder but it was clear that other than tiring out, he was never really in danger. All of Alex's quick little moves he uses, Mike was just as quick and he was much stronger. I was surprised at how good of a chin Alex had, he took some decent shots.

The Semi's are alot tougher to call, as they should be. If I had to say, im going with Mike in a minor upset due to his ability to stand with Nam and I think he can out-wrestle him just like he did Alex.

In the other im going with Brook, I know they built it up like Kyle might win in the interviews but I think Brook is the best fighter overall

ouleaf
11/18/2010, 09:38 AM
Wilkinson had no business being in the cage with Watson. He didn't even look comfortable in the stand-up against him and as soon as it went to the ground it was over, it was only a matter of when Watson locked in a submission. Wilkinson even said it after the fight, probably the worst he has ever looked and was genuinely embarrassed.

Mike looked like a completely different fighter since his last fight. Maybe he should fight pissed off more often. He showed absolutely no respect, and rightfully so for Alex to put any power behind his punches and while he sort of sacrificed some of his defense he always seemed to gain good position on Alex or was quick to respond with tough strikes of his own. You'd even see some times where Alex did connect cleanly, but it barely phased Mike.

Mike will definitely have to tighten up his defense against Nam. Mike won't be able to get away with that against Nam, b/c name knows how to generate power in his punches and kicks. Mike does have a great ability to take guys to the mat though and that scores you a lot of points and helps win rounds. I think this fight goes to 3 rounds and Nam wins in a decision.

Brookins vs. Watson will be another solid fight. Both guys are really good in jujitsu obviously, and both will look for submissions. I think Brookins is a little better in standup though. I'll look for Brookins to win in a 2nd round submission.

Boomer.....
11/18/2010, 10:39 PM
I'm glad that Bruce Leroy is done.

I'm thinking Brookins and Nam will win.

reflector
11/18/2010, 10:57 PM
I'm glad that Bruce Leroy is done.

I'm thinking Brookins and Nam will win.

I am thinking the same thing.

Collier11
11/18/2010, 11:54 PM
Doubt he is done talking though

Boomer.....
11/19/2010, 09:26 AM
Probably not. Every season has to have a Junie Browning.

Sooner_Bob
11/19/2010, 09:26 AM
Brookins and Nam are slick fighters . . . either way I think they'll be successful in the UFC.

reflector
12/1/2010, 06:10 PM
Remember that TUF starts an hour early tonight. It is also two hours long.

Collier11
12/1/2010, 08:52 PM
Boner

reflector
12/1/2010, 11:26 PM
I think Brookins vs. Johnson will be a good fight.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/21554/episode-no-11-recap-the-ultimate-fighter-12-team-gsp-vs-team-koscheck.mma




Episode No. 11 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"

by Dann Stupp on Dec 01, 2010 at 10:55 pm ET

The final regular-season episode of "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" airs tonight as part of a two-hour special.

Four semifinalists will be reduced to two finalists from a pool featuring Team Koscheck's Nam Phan and Team GSP's Jonathan Brookins, Michael Johnson and Kyle Watson.

The two winning lightweights meet at Saturday's live finale, which airs live on Spike TV from Las Vegas.

As tonight's regular-season finale begins, head coaches Georges St-Pierre laments the fact that "there are no more teams" because of the Jonathan vs. Kyle fight, which is tonight's first. He doesn't want to show favoritism, so though they'll train as a team, and Georges won't offer either fighter individual tips.

Team GSP assistant coach John Danaher explains that Kyle and Jonathan are the most well-rounded athletes and probably should be the final fight rather that a semifinal bout.

In a confessional, Kyle explains he started his MMA career later this most and actually paid to get his first fight. Faced with a move to Chicago for a job promotion or his MMA career, he chose fighting and continued teaching jiu jitsu at the H.I.T. Squad in Illinois.

While training with Dane Sayers, Kyle works on technique. He knows that he and Jonathan have a very solid understanding of the other's overall game and that his edge may be standing.

At a Team Koscheck session, Marc Stevens is a bit bummed that head coach Josh Koscheck apparently has called in his final training sessions. Marc says he's not the only one on the team disappointed with the lack of training, which Jeff Lentz echoes in his own confessional. Back at the house, they're especially disappointed that Team GSP brought in so many great trainers to improve everyone's game.

As the fighters lounge around the house and play pool, an intoxicated Marc shares his impersonation of their head coach. His teammates enjoy the performance, especially his boastful claims, dual cellphones and texting, and his constant need to fluff up his air. But Josh then quietly pulls into the driveway and walks into the house without Marc noticing it.

Josh just leans against the bar and smiles.

"I'll let that go because I know alcohol can make people do stupid things," he says.

Josh ultimately pours drinks for the team (except Nam, who's fighting) and then wants information about training sessions at Team GSP. Cody McKenzie is all too happy to explain how much they enjoy Georges and the training, which seems to get under Josh's skin.

The following day, Jonathan explains how he has trouble getting alone time and how he enjoys the isolation of the backyard. But he said he came to "TUF" with specific goals, and he's proud he didn't waste his time. He said he wants people to watch the show and ultimately predict him to be the one who goes on to great things. He admits, though, that he likes Kyle, knows his style well, and that it's not his ideal fight because of their relationship.

"My game plan is just to be quicker," he says.

One guy who's spending a lot of time with Jonathan is Nam, which riles his Team Koscheck teammates. They'll feel he's being two-faced by spending time with the other team and think he may be fishing for information on his opponent, Michael.

Jonathan knows the team has turned on him, and he wonders if Nam may be talking badly about him behind his back. Back in the house, Michael confronts Nam for talking trash about him. Jeff essentially sells him out and tells Michael that Nam has been talking trash about him. Nam said he knows he's an easy target with his teammates because he doesn't really fight back verbally.

Back at the gym, Jonathan and Kyle weigh in for their fight. Both guys make the 156-pound limit and embrace after the usual weigh-in photo opportunity.

Once back at the house, each fighter get through the usual pre-fight routine of calming nerves. But they're soon off to the gym for a first semifinal matchup:

Team GSP's Kyle Watson (13-6-1) vs. Team GSP's Jonathan Brookins (11-2)

UFC president Dana White does the intros, Steve Mazzagatti is the ref, and we're underway. The fighters trade jabs and then combos before Kyle lands a nice low kick. A quick Jonathan darts in and out with punches, but Kyle gets through a short left. He then combines for a nice elbow to the chin and another solid punch before Jonathan resets and scores the single-leg takedown. Kyle works butterfly guard and gets to a knee with his back against the cage, and then he muscles his way to back to his feet. Jonathan pushes him into the cage, and they jockey for position while in the clinch. Jonathan goes for the legs and wants the takedown, but Kyle makes him pay with punches, and they reset. The fighters trade punches from distance before Jonathan gets another takedown. Kyle is against the cage and tries to get back up, but Jonathan keeps him tied up. This battle continues for the better part of a minute, and after failing to take Kyle's back, Jonathan unloads a nice barrage of ground and pound before moving into full guard. Jonathan again delivers more heavy blows before the round ends. Jonathan finishes strong and takes the round, 10-9.

After some corner instructions, round two is underway. Jonathan works jabs and Kyle low kicks. Jonathan shoots, but Kyle initially stuffs it. Jonathan is relentless, though, and ultimately gets it. Kyle tries to create distance with his legs but ultimately settles for pulling guard. The taller Jonathan postures up to deliver punches that land pretty frequently. Kyle begins back-crawling to the fencing as he ties up Jonathan's arms. He then nearly kicks his way free, but Jonathan swarms back in and takes his back. But unable to secure his hooks on the kneeling Kyle, the position stalls. After meticulous work, he moves into side control to deliver stringing elbow strikes. Kyle again neutralizes him and then pops him with an upkick, but Jonathan returns to full guard. Kyle delivers elbows from below, but he's tiring. Jonathan postures up and delivers a few more punches before moving into half guard. Kyle, though, holds him tight and gets back to his feet just as the round ends. But it's again a round clearly belonging to Jonathan, 10-9.

In the semifinal fights, we get mandatory three-rounders, so this bout enters the third and finale frame. Both fighters look exhausted but come out strong. Jonathan works the jab, and Kyle moves in for a clinch. Jonathan reverses and puts him against the cage. Kyle delivers some knees to the body and circles off to reset. Kyle lands a nice right-left combo. Jonathan, though, shoots again and gets the double-leg takedown. Kyle is seated against the fence and tries to get to his feet. Jonathan tries to hold him down, but Kyle gets back up. Jonathan instantly clings to his hips and eats a couple body punches and then a few blows to the head. He still clings to his opponent and finally gets the slam takedown. Kyle secures full guard, and the pace slows. Jonathan finally unloads a couple forearm strikes, and Kyle again tries to get back to his feet. Neither guy has much energy, though, and the pace stalls against the cage with Jonathan on top. Kyle makes a last-ditch effort to get to his feet, but Jonathan clings to his back to close out the round. It's closer, but Jonathan gets it 10-9 for the shutout decision win on the MMAjunkie.com scorecard.

It's a pretty lopsided fight, and the judges all give it to Jonathan, 30-27.

"I don't know if I've ever seen anybody as respectful and humble as Brookins for as talented as he is," Dana says in a confessional.

Georges meets with Kyle, who feels he didn't fight to the best of his ability. But he's excited to take his GSP tips back to the gym and improve his game.

With Jonathan as the show's first finalist, the attention soon turns to Michael and Nam.

More specifically, some Team Koscheck members are curious about Nam's "hour-long showers" and some possible extracurriculars. They decide to do a surprise inspection to see if they can catch him in the act, and though blurred, Nam's crotch seems especially soapy.

"I don't know what you call it in America," British cast member Aaron Wilkinson says. "But I think he was blue-balled."

Nam confronts the peepers as Kyle, who's in another room, wonders where the 10 giggling girls came from.

Ultimately, Nam just wishes his teammates would leave him alone as he prepares for his fight.

Back at a Team GSP training session, Georges is giving Michael a brutally honest fight assessment and says Nam has him outclassed in most areas. But he says Michael is stronger and more athletic, and he's more than capable of upsetting the Strikeforce veteran.

To lighten the mood on the ride home from the gym, Cody shares a joke with his team.

"What does the yellow team (Team Koscheck) and Nam's wang have in common?" he asks to a round of laughter. "They've all been choked on national TV."

Back at the house, Nam is running by himself and warming up in the backyard. Jonathan, though, takes a look and is a little pissed that his whole team turned on Nam, especially when he still has a fight left.

Nam finally asks the team, specifically Sevak Magakian, to give him time to focus on his fight and to leave him alone.

The Team Koscheck training session at the gym has just one attendee: Nam. The coaches apparently had their own stuff going on, and Nam's teammates had a long night of partying and opted to sleep in. So Nam goes through his training session and fight preparations in isolation.

"You've gotta have thick skin," he says.

The following day, the full team joins him, and it's clear he probably was better off by himself. They continually joke about his alleged shower hijinks and tell Josh about it. But he doesn't care.

"Whatever you're doing, keep doing it Nam," Josh says in front of the whole team. "It's obviously working."

Knowing Nam is his only chance to represent the team and get him a victory, Josh gives his fighter some one-on-time in preparation of the fight.

At the subsequent weigh-ins, Michael weighs 156 and Nam 155.

In a confessional, Dana says that despite Michael's first-round draft, he thinks Nam is more well-rounded and likely enters the fight as the favorite.

Rather than take the high road, though, the following morning, Michael decides to pile on like Team GSP.

"I can't get beat by someone who jerks off in the shower," he proclaims during breakfast.

It's not clear if Nam heard the dig, but regardless, they're soon off to the gym for the final semifinal fight. After the usual pre-fight prep, we're underway with:

Team GSP's Michael Johnson (8-4) vs. Team Koscheck's Nam Phan (16-7)

Dana again does intros, and Josh Rosenthal serves as ref. A touch of gloves gets us started. Nam goes high with a kick but immediately is put on his back. Nam tries to roll free, and Michael lets him up before looking for another takedown. He gets it and puts Nam into the fencing and takes him down before delivering a few shots and again letting him up. Nam catches a kick, punches his opponent and sweeps him to the mat before they reset. Michael shoots again, and Nam waits with a solid uppercut. The fighters trade punches and kicks from distance, but Michael shoots and again easily gets the double-leg takedown. Nam quickly gets to his feet, though, and we start again. The fighters trade punches to the head and body, and each does a little damage. Nam throws a solid high kick but doesn't have much behind it. Michael then explodes and chases with a solid combo before Nam stuffs the subsequent takedown attempt. Lots of action midway through the first. Michael does damage from the clinch and then from distance with looping shots and knee strikes. One forces a cut right above Nam's right eye as he's pressed into the fence. Nam swings free and resets, but Michael quickly pins him against the fence before he escapes again. Michael shoots, but the attempts are slowing. Nam wipes away blood from his eye while trying to keep his opponent at bay with high kicks. A body kick is caught, and Michael presses Nam into the fence and connects on some punches before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores an entertaining opening round 10-9 for Michael.

Nam's eye is cleaned up for round two, but it could be an issue. Both fighters breathe heavily as the frame begins. The fighters swing and miss with looping shots, but Nam connects on a body kick. Michael moves in quickly with punches, but Nam backs away to avoid anything substantial. Michael tries again, but Nam is getting better with his defenses. Nam unloads a crushing body blow, and Michael clinches and pushes Nam into the fence to catch a breather. Nam breaks off with a short punch, but Michael swarms and puts him against the fence again. Nam, though, avoids punches and circles away. Michael shoots, but Nam reverses the position on the way down and pops his opponent with some punches before they're back standing. The fighters trade heavy blows in the center of the cage, and Michael seems to be slowing. The fighters rest a bit while clinched against the cage, but Michael keeps swinging for the fences while Nam wings and connects on the occasional body shot. Nam fires off punches and knees to the body before scattering away from Michael's clinch. The fighters cautiously trade the occasional punch or kick before quickly creating distance. Michael lands a nice body kick and tries to steal the round with a flurry. The round ends with the fighters in a clinch. It's close, but MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Nam.

Entering the third and final frame in a likely tie, both fighters obviously are tiring but seem fueled by their corners' pep talks. Dana roots them on before the ref signals for the start. Nam works body kicks while Michael goes head-hunting with punches. Michael secures a single leg, and Nam pulls guard looking for a submission. Nam fires off elbow strikes from his back while Michael does little from the top. Michael finally gets position to unload a few punches, but the elbows keep coming from his opponent. Nam finally escapes as a tired Michael can't stop it. Both swing wildly and actually connect before clinching against the cage. Nam circles off but eats a left on the way out. Back to the center of the cage, Nam delivers another solid body shot. Michael corrals him and puts him against the fence, and Michael dips looking for a takedown. He gets the single leg and puts Nam on his back. Nam looks to escape and does so easily. The fighters swing sloppily before again clinching against the fence. Both are tiring. Michael lands a few knees to the body, but Nam again escapes. Michael lands a nice lunging uppercut and again puts Nam against the cage. He dips and looks for a takedown, but Nam fends it off. Michael resets and then moves in with a lunging knee. Nam answers with a body punch and misses with an overhand right. Nam's glove is falling apart with strings of tape dangling, but he's undeterred while looking for an opening. Little lands in what could have been decisive final seconds. It's another very close round, but MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Nam based on the escapes and more active ground game.

Before the decision is read, the coaches and Dana talk through the replays. The general consensus is that Michael won the first round and Nam the second. They're split on the decisive third round, and each coach thinks his respective fighter won.

The judges, in fact, are split. In the end, Michael gets the nod via scores 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.

Michael is ecstatic, and Nam is understandably dejected.

"It's hard when you get close and lose a split decision," he says.

Josh is bummed, especially since the finale now features just Team GSP fighters.

"But I get to redeem myself, and that comes in December when I get to beat Georges St-Pierre's ***," he says.

After a final "TUF 12" staredown between finalists Jonathan and Michael, this season is in the books.

Join us on Saturday for live coverage of the finale, where the latest "TUF" champ will be crowned.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 12" section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Catch new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck" every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. MMAjunkie.com recaps each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on "The Ultimate Fighter 12" page.

Collier11
12/2/2010, 01:31 AM
Wouldnt be Spike if someone wasnt caught jerkin in the shower...

As for the fights, while I picked Brookins to win, I was shocked at how he so easily bullied Watson and over powered him.

Johnson vs Phan was a great fight but I was shocked it was split, I thought Johnson easily won 2rds to 1. Johnson has gotten a ton better but I could see him getting choked out by Brookins if he isnt careful


Should be an interesting final. Wonder if any of the other guys are on the card?

reflector
12/2/2010, 08:32 AM
If Nam Phan is really supposed to fight Leonard Garcia, I see that being a very tough fight for him. I don't understand how they wouldn't know what the card was going to be by now.



http://mmajunkie.com/event/738/the-ultimate-fighter-12-finale.mma



The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale
Date: Dec 04, 2010
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Venue: Palms Casino Resort
Broadcast: Spike TV

MAIN CARD

* Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Jonathan Brookins vs. Michael Johnson ("TUF 12" championship)
* Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia
* Rick Story vs. Johny Hendricks
* Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan*

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Cody McKenzie vs. Aaron Wilkinson*
* Ian Loveland vs. Tyler Toner*
* Will Campuzano vs. Nick Pace
* Pablo Garza vs. Fredson Paixao
* Rich Attonito vs. Dave Branch

* - Not officially announced

(Back to UFC Rumors)

ouleaf
12/2/2010, 10:21 AM
Yeah, was definitely surprised Brookins kept Watson from doing anything whatsoever. Watson is obviously great jujitsu, and I didn't think at any point he would allow Brookins to get in a submission, but Brookins completely controlled the fight.

I'd like to think that if the 2 squared off again Watson would have done better b/c I don't see how he could do any worse than he did in this fights. Brookins is just a bit quicker, more agile, and took advantage of the opportunities to get take-downs and score points.

I was also surprised by the split decision in Nam/Johnson fight. I think if Nam had just managed to score one take down in that last round he might have wound up winning the fight. If there is one thing he can improve on, it's trying to go for the takedown more like Johnson did. Both guys exchanged some serious blows, and was surprised that the stayed on their feet.

Final should be a good one. Unless Johnson catches Brookins with a strike, I don't think he has anything Brookins can't handle. I'm thinking Brookins wins in a 2nd Rd submission.

Collier11
12/2/2010, 12:21 PM
Glad to see that McKenzie made it on the card, obviously Dana is intrigued by him...atleast for 1 more fight

reflector
12/2/2010, 04:40 PM
I thought Watson kept a good blog during the season.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/21560/kyle-watsons-blog-for-the-ultimate-fighter-12-episode-no-11.mma





Kyle Watson's blog for "The Ultimate Fighter 12" season finale
by Kyle Watson on Dec 02, 2010 at 10:05 am ET

Well, the season's over, and I can finally talk about how it ended.

Keeping the secret for this long has been really tough. People ask you every day how you did, even ones you've already told several times that you can't say anything. They still bug you over and over, and then you run into new people who want to know, too. It's kind of nice that it's not a big deal anymore and everyone finally knows what happened.

Obviously, I wasn't very happy with my performance against Jonathan Brookins in our semifinal fight. Honestly, I felt like I was defeated before I even got into the cage. As I have mentioned several times before, mental preparation is such a big part of fighting, and this really can be tough when you have spent the past six weeks training with the guy you are going to fight.

We knew each other's games, and we both knew what we were going to do. The problem with me was that, honestly, I rarely could stop Jonathan's takedowns in practice, and he knew that. It was so hard for me to get mentally confident and ready in the locker room. Besides the typical nerves, I was struggling with self-doubt. I couldn't get confident that I would be able to stop his takedowns or impose my will. So before I ever got out to the cage, I kind of already had given up to the fact that he was going to take me down.

If you notice in the fight, I never even attempted to take him down or try to dictate the fight on my terms. I was content to try to potshot him standing and hope that I could defend the takedown when he shot. I just think I was mentally beat before I even got in there.

In the beginning of the fight, I feel like I was finding my range standing. I was also able to defend a little bit and get back to my feet. However, as the fight wore on, I got too content with being on my back. I remember thinking, "Man, I really need to create a scramble and get up," but I was so concerned about wearing myself out trying to get to my feet that I got complacent. I kept thinking, "Well, he's not doing any damage on top. He's just pinning me down. I'm OK for right now." Unfortunately, as the fight wore on, that "OK for right now" turned into, "I'm losing the fight because I'm not doing anything."

Fighting not to lose

Coach Georges St-Pierre said it perfectly on the show. I was fighting not to lose instead of fighting to win. That was the case. Instead of making something happen, I waited and hoped for Jonathan to make a mistake. In watching the fight, I saw tons of opportunities where I could have gone for a leglock or created a scramble. There were other times where I could have put my feet in his hips and pushed him off.

Having watched Jonathan's other fights on the show, I knew he was very dangerous when guys would try to stand up. He immediately would take the back. I was keen to that, so I was reluctant to work too hard to get to my feet and expose my back.

Since I was fighting a teammate, Georges and the rest of the coaching staff elected to remain out of the preparation process. It's tough to say if maybe things would have been different with their help. I may have fought better, but I don't necessarily know if the outcome would have been any different.

It was a little tough for me because I didn't even know who I was going to have corner me until the day of the fight. Michael Johnson had to fight, so I counted him out initially. I didn't really want Alex Caceres ("Bruce Leeroy"). Spencer Paige's mouth was wired shut from breaking his jaw. Dane Sayers is awesome, but I figured from a technical standpoint, he really didn't have much cornering experience. Honestly, I was surprised that the person who ended up warming me up and walking me out was Marc Stevens. I didn't figure I would have a Team Koscheck member corner me, but I didn't really have any other options, and I figured Marc's wrestling experience would help.

In the end, I just didn't come out with the confidence I needed to win. I just gave Jonathan too much respect. I love him to death. He's a great guy. I told him afterward if I were going to lose to anybody, I wanted it to be him because I felt like he deserved it, and he was such a hard worker and a great person. It was a shame he and I had to fight in the semifinals. I heard from so many people who thought it should have been he and I in the finals. I was definitely hoping for that, too.

No excuses

I don't want to be one of those guys who says, "I don't want to make excuses," and then I give you 10 excuses. Even if it were Jonathan and I in the finals and I had a couple of months to prepare, I think he's the kind of guy who would still beat me. Styles make fights, and he has a bad style for me.

After I came home from the show, the last thing I wanted to do was be in the gym, except to teach my classes. I was really excited to come back and see my students. I had missed them a lot, and I was really looking forward to teaching. As far as training, I wasn't looking forward to it at all, and honestly, I took a long time off. I still trained off and on, but I was pretty inconsistent for about six weeks. I would just go to class if I felt like working out, and if I didn't, I just wouldn't show up.

Obviously, I was super-disappointed with the outcome, but I don't think that contributed to my lack of motivation to train. It was just more a case of sheer burnout. The fight I had to get into the house was the first fight I had in a year and a half. I was training the whole time, but fights just kept falling through and falling through. By the time I got to the show, I was just extremely burned out. Obviously, I was rejuvenated because I was on the show, but we were still training two times per day and fighting four times in six weeks. With that and the burnout, I just didn't have any motivation to hit the gym when I got home.

Overall, I was still proud of my performance. I had three submission wins, and I lost a decision to a very talented guy. And even though I couldn't pull out the win in that fight, I was invited back to the finale to fight Sako Chivitchian. I felt like I fought well enough through the course of the season to get another chance. I think Jonathan certainly was a favorite, and to lose a decision to him and not take much damage wasn't the worst loss in history.

Sako Chivitchian

When I left the locker room after the fight with Jonathan, I got a little choked up as I tried to apologize to UFC president Dana White for my performance. I told him that I was ashamed of that fight and that I know I'm a lot better than that. That's how I felt right then, and I had trouble controlling my emotions. I was embarrassed that I choked, and I felt like I could have done a lot more and showed a lot more. I'm not saying I would have won the fight per se, but I think I could have been a lot more competitive than I was.

Overall, I'm very thankful I got this opportunity. Your shelf life in the UFC is only as good as your last fight. In just a very short time, the next season comes, and people forget all about what happened. It all comes down to what you're doing now, and this fight Saturday at The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale gives me the opportunity to show that the fight with Jonathan wasn't performed at the best of my capabilities. I can come back and rack up a few wins so that people will remember my performances now instead of me closing in the semifinals.

I think Sako will be a good matchup for me, but I'm not underestimating him. I don't feel he's an easy opponent by any means, but I think it's a good fight for me stylistically. I think I'm better in most areas. I know he has good judo, but when it comes down to it, we're both grapplers. Judo gets you to the ground, so it's just whether or not he wants to be there with me. I feel like I have better hands, and on the ground, I believe I will have the edge whether I'm on top or bottom. I feel like it's a good fight for me, and I hope to show I'm a much better fighter than everyone saw in the semifinals.

I have a ton of respect for both Michael and Jonathan. I hope it's a great fight and they both see success in the UFC.

I want to give a huge, sincere thanks to everyone who interacted with me on the blog this season and to everyone who followed and supported the show. I appreciate the support for MMA and the show, whether you are a fan of mine or not. To those who do support me, a big thanks, and I hope you won't give up on me as a UFC contender. I'm improving daily, training with great guys, and I know the steps I need to take to get to that next level.

I just got back from Montreal, where I was training at Tristar with Georges and all of his guys. It was a great experience, and it motivated me even further to become the best I can be. I will continue to put in the hard work and try to mend the holes in my game, so I just ask everyone to hang in there and keep supporting me. I'll do my best to give back some entertaining fights and uphold the quality of the UFC.

Since I am fighting on the UFC this Saturday, I will be focusing on the match and making the weight cut. So I apologize in advance that I might not be able to respond to any questions until next week.

Thanks again to everyone for checking out my blog all season long. I'm looking forward to my fight this weekend. Until then, check out my official website at WatsonBJJ.com, or follow me on my official Facebook page. Also, check out my partners at AmericanFighter.com and WeightTraining4MMA.com, who were kind enough to sponsor my blog this season.

"The Ultimate Fighter 12" cast member Kyle Watson (15-6-1) blogs each Thursday exclusively for MMAjunkie.com. The H.I.T. Squad fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor takes readers behind the scenes of Spike TV's popular reality series, which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Boomer.....
12/2/2010, 08:59 PM
Good last fight. I think Johnson was just too aggressive for Nam. I love Nam throwing the wicked body shots and elbows from the bottom. You don't see enough of those.

I think Brookins wins.

Collier11
12/6/2010, 11:41 PM
Cant believe Brookins survived the 1st round, thought Johnson was gonna knock him out early. Good solid win for Brookins though, kid is gonna be great.

If Johnson can work on his ground game he could be really good as well.

Cant believe someone else from Kos's team lost to McKenzie that way, unreal.

Phan got robbed

Boomer.....
12/7/2010, 08:19 AM
Nam was hosed! UFC really needs to talk with the Nevada Gaming Commission. There are problems with these judges.