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reflector
3/30/2011, 06:00 PM
The best reality show on television returns tonight. I am putting this in the sports section because that it is where it was last season, when I first came to this website. I am excited for the new season of this show. Hopefully this season will have some good fights.


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reflector
3/31/2011, 12:18 AM
Shamar seemed to be a good wrestler. It will be interesting to see how far he gets in the season.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/23043/episode-no-1-recap-the-ultimate-fighter-13-team-lesnar-vs-team-dos-santos.mma




http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/other/the-ultimate-fighter-13-cast-photo.jpg


Episode No. 1 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 13: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos"
by Dann Stupp on Mar 30, 2011 at 9:55 pm ET

Welcome to MMAjunkie.com's first episode recap of "The Ultimate Fighter 13."

Our recaps appear after each new episode of "TUF 13," an all-welterweights season of the reality series that features UFC heavyweight contenders Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos as coaches.

With that quick intro out of the way, let's jump into the season debut.

The episode begins in the familiar TUF Training Center, where UFC president Dana White is ready to greet a rowdy group of contestants. Dana doesn't kill the buzz and announces that, unlike past seasons, they won't need to fight their way onto the cast since the elimination round has been axed.

However, the "wild-card fight" is sticking around. It allows two opening-round losers a second shot at the quarterfinals.

Then, Dana introduces Brock and Junior. The fighters give them a nice ovation as they take their places next to Dana, who gives us a rundown of their bios.

Up next is the audition process. The fighters work out as Brock and Junior get a feel for what they have available to them.

"Gonna see if you guys are worth a [expletive]," Brock jokes to a group of fighters. "So we can win some fights around here."

Brock specifically calls on strength-and-conditioning coach Luke Richardson to put the guys through conditioning drills.

Junior then addresses the fighters in his vastly improved English. MMAjunkie.com blogger Lew Polley is introduced as one of his coaches (and also as a sort of translator/interpreter to assure his messages are getting across). Junior, though, thinks Brock worries too much about conditioning and not enough about actual fight training.

In between sparring sessions, Brock asks some personal question to each fighter and wants to get a feel for why guys are really there. Junior keeps an eye on wrestling practice and asks for specific matchups to get a better idea of whom he wants to pick.

During a rolling session, though, Myles Jury injures his knee. The workouts end shortly thereafter, and Myles is confident he'll be good to go.

Afterward, Brock and Junior head to a private meeting with Dana, who flips a coin to determine who gets the first pick. Brock wins, and he opts to choose the first fighter over the first matchup.

After the fighters hit the showers and dress, Dana returns to the group and announces the picks, which were done behind close doors.

And they include (in draft order):

Team Lesnar

1. Len Bentley
2. Charlie Rader
3. Tony Ferguson
4. Clay Harvison
5. Myles Jury
6. Chris Cope
7. Nordin Asrih

Team Dos Santos

1. Shamar Bailey
2. Ryan McGillivray
3. Javier Torres
4. Ramsey Nijem
5. Zach Davis
6. Mick Bowman
7. Keon Caldwell

"Being the last pick, I need to come up from the bottom," Keon says. "Let them know and get the respect, and let them know I'm here to win this."

Dana gives the fighters a final welcome to "TUF," and then it's off to their new home for the next eight weeks.

A mad dash for rooms begins. But Team Lesnar simply takes up the upstairs rooms, and Team Dos Santos takes the lower level.

At the first Team Dos Santos training session, Junior is happy he gets to make the first fight booking rather than pick the first fighter. Lew puts the fighters through the ringer during conditioning drills, and Junior says he's very happy with his team.

At the Team Lesnar session, Brock wonders what Junior will do about the first fight. He worries about the injured Myles being picked first. Dr. Jeffrey Davidson then meets with Brock and Myles and breaks some bad news: Due to an MRI, he's learned the fighter has a 100 percent tear of his ACL. The back part of lateral meniscus also is torn.

"It's going to be my medical opinion that you don't fight," Dr. Davidson tells them.

Myles is in a bit of disbelief. Brock offers some words of encouragement but stresses that Myles needs to heal. While meeting with Dana, Myles says he can still learn from Brock and do his best to stay active. But Dana says Myles can't stay on the cast because he needs to get his knee healed. But Dana promises he'll be back, though it's not clear if he means to MMA, "TUF" or even the UFC.

Myles says his goodbyes, and Team Lesnar already is down a member.

In his place steps Chuck O'Neil, a Massachusetts-based fighter and one-time Bellator competitor who owns an 8-3 pro record. The team quickly welcomes him to the squad, and Chuck says he made friends with a lot of them during the audition process. He admits he's a bit enamored by his new head coach.

Both teams soon meet for the first fight announcement. Junior announces that Shamar, his first pick, will take on Nordin, Team Lesnar's last pick.

"Anything can happen," Dana cautions.

Some Team Lesnar fighters think it's a bad matchup for Team Dos Santos and that people are sleeping on Nordin.

During his fight prep, Nordin says he's going to take out Brock's "golden boy." He plans to hold him up and batter the wrestler with strikes.

Shamar, meanwhile, says he doesn't know much about Nordin but that there's a pretty big difference between his American fighting and his counterpart's European skills. Lew thinks Nordin is overmatched with the athletic and experienced Shamar.

Shamar, an American pastor's son, and Nordin, a German Muslim, both find comfort in their faith. The next morning, it's off to the training center for our first fight.

And we've got:

Team Dos Santos' Shamar Bailey (10-3) vs. Team Lesnar's Nordin Asrih (15-5-1)

As usual, we get two five-minute rounds, and if there's a tie, a third tie-breaking round takes place.

Referee Steve Mazzagatti gets us started, and Shamar scores a quick single-leg takedown and then wrestles to keep Nordin on the mat. Shamar works from side control and drags his opponent away from the cage. Nordin traps an arm with his legs, but Shamar pops it free and works punches to the head. Brock pleads for Nordin to turn into his opponent instead of away from him. Shamar tries to improve his position further, but Nordin sees an opening and gets back to his feet. Shamar quickly puts him against the cage, wraps the hips and scores a drag-takedown. He then dives in with a big right hand and lands in half guard. Shamar works punches from the top as Nordin throws a few from his back. Shamar frees his leg and briefly takes mount before Nordin kicks him away. Shamar dives back in, and Nordin looks for upkicks. Shamar dives back in with a punch and works from half guard again. He delivers punches to the body and elbows to the head and body. Shamar then mixes in a couple big punches to the head after posturing up. Shamar lands two big elbows to the face, stands, and tries unsuccessfully to pass guard.

The first round is all Shamar, who takes it 10-9.

The second round gets underway, and Nordin misses with a high kick and slips to the mat. Shamar follows him to the canvas, and after a scramble, takes side control and then full mount. Nordin tries to pull him close and initially avoids damage. He then bucks Shamar and gets to his knees, and he then reverses the position and attempts a guillotine before falling to his back. Nordin has to give up the hold, and Shamar reclaims side control. Shamar traps an arm and delivers some punches, but Nordin gets out of the crucifix position. Shamar tries again to buck his way free, but Shamar blankets him from the top. Nordin avoids most of the damage, but Shamar mixes in some knees to the body. He looks to trap an arm again but instead hops into mount. Nordin pulls him close, tries to roll, but gives up his back. Shamar takes back mount, delivers punches, and then returns to the front mount when Nordin rolls to his back. Shamar delivers some heavier punches from the top. Elbows then follow. Shamar closes out the round with the continued ground and pound and wins the round again, 10-9.

Shamar's ground game was too much for Nordin. The judges declare him the winner, 20-18, across the board.

Dana isn't thrilled with the bout since "it wasn't the most exciting" fight in show history. Still, Team Dos Santos cheers the victory.

Brock isn't too bummed. He knows the odds were against them and that Nordin's wrestling just wasn't up to speed. But he admits another loss would make "for a long road" the rest of the way.

With Team Dos Santos up 1-0, our first episode is in the books.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 13" section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Catch new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos" every Wednesday at 9 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 13" page.

Sooner_Bob
3/31/2011, 08:09 AM
Didn't sound like Brock was doing a ton of coaching to me last night . . . Dana was right. I blame Mazagatti for not standing them up more often.

ouleaf
3/31/2011, 12:58 PM
Have it recorded....can't wait to watch it.

reflector
3/31/2011, 02:36 PM
I like to read the blogs about the show throughout the season.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/23057/team-dos-santos-blog-assistant-coach-lew-polley-reflects-on-episode-no-1.mma




http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/fighters/lew-polley.jpg


Team Dos Santos blog: Assistant coach Lew Polley reflects on episode No. 1 of "TUF 13"
by Lew Polley on Mar 31, 2011 at 10:30 am ET

I almost didn't make it to Spike TV.

I was training in South Florida waiting on a contract for a fight that was constantly delayed, and my phone rang. Ed Soares was on the other line asking me if I wanted to be the wrestling coach for Team Junior Dos Santos on "The Ultimate Fighter 13."

I'm just 29 years old, so initially, I felt that I was too young to be coaching, and that I had my own fight career that needed attention. I figured I would talk to my manager and those close to me about the opportunity and see what they thought collectively, but I was pretty sure I was going to take a pass.

My manager, Jason Genet, and the owner of The Armory, Joe Mullings, were all for it. They said that it would be guaranteed exposure, and this was likely one of the best "TUF" seasons ever. My striking coach, Muhammad Ouali, was against it. Due to lack of control I would have, my career would again be pushed to the side, and he felt egos would tend to negate whatever work I would put in.

The positives that my manger went on to list were that the wrestling coach should play a pivotal role since Team Brock Lesnar was almost guaranteed to go for the wrestlers. Nevertheless, I told him I was likely going to have to pass. After all, I am a fighter, and I wanted to concentrate on fighting. Jason sent me a text that said, "More people will know you by doing 'TUF' then taking five fights in smaller shows." Plus, it was guaranteed money instead of waiting on a fight contract that might be paid late.

He was right about the exposure, and I would have to do the show and take the risk if I wanted to see if he could get me additional money from sponsors. The fact was that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I hired my management company because they are marketing gurus, and I needed to trust what they were saying (even if they are a bunch of white guys).

A big responsibility

I have spent the better part of my life wrestling, and lately I have been teaching some great MMA fighters how to become better wrestlers. From wrestling for the University of Pennsylvania at Bloomsburg and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke to teaching wrestling at Alliance MMA, I felt like I could add value and make an impact for Team JDS, so I finally decided I was going to accept the opportunity.

My teammates and training partners all felt like this was the a great opportunity, so I called Ed and accepted the spot. Within a few days, I was on a plane to Las Vegas and checking into what we knew could potentially be the biggest season of "TUF."

I was nervous and excited all at the same time. The fighters were here for the opportunity of a lifetime. Us coaches were responsible to help to make that happen. This was a very big deal to these young men, and it could change their lives forever. I wanted to make sure I gave them 100 percent of what they needed from me to get them to where they want to go.

On the first day, the fighters were told that they did not have to fight to get int he house. I was not surprised by the change. I can understand that they did not want people getting injured before they step foot in the house. The guys all understood they were here to fight and they were all going to fight at some point. However, it was a little surprising to see them being excited about not having to fight to secure their spots.

During the evaluations, we put them through practical tests that would give a glimpse as to what these young men were good at and who wanted to be with us. Since Junior did not really speak English that well, he was relying upon me pretty heavily. He essentially had me running the drills and was coming to me for my insights. We picked the majority of the guys that I suggested. I was happy to help Junior in any way that he needed.

The "TUF" gym was set up with everything you could need to he an aspiring mixed martial artist. The floors and walls were covered with Dollamur's Flexi-Roll mats (the best mats in the world), giving the athletes the ability to go hard and be safe at the same time. We had treadmills, air bikes, bags, a ring and cage. I can think of a lot of gyms that are not set up as well as the "TUF" gym is. To top all of that off, both coaches brought an amazing staff of assistant coaches to help find the next "TUF" champion.

I have put my dream on hold to help these guys achieve the same goal I have. They were a lot closer to the prize then I am, and I felt honored to be able to help them. As you could see with our initial win, I think our team has all the makings of a championship squad.

I want to thank my sponsors DollamurMartialArts.com and PerformanceMMA.com for supporting me through this journey. I will see you here every week. Please follow me on Twitter (@LewPolley) and my website/fan community LewPolley.ning.com.

reflector
3/31/2011, 02:49 PM
Being stuck in a room for 24 hours would stink.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/23062/chris-copes-blog-for-the-ultimate-fighter-13-episode-no-1.mma






http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/fighters/chris-cope.jpg


Chris Cope's blog for "The Ultimate Fighter 13," episode No. 1
by Chris Cope on Mar 31, 2011 at 12:20 pm ET

Before I get started, I just wanted thank the MMAjunkie.com staff for inviting me to be a guest blogger for season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter."

I also want to thank the readers of MMAjunkie.com for checking out my blog. There have been some great bloggers on this site in recent years, and I hope I can provide the same sort of first-hand look at this season as you've been fortunate enough to have in years past.

When the first episode starts out, you see us all pretty excited about the fact that we didn't have to fight to get into the house. While it was a surprise to us all, I was kind of expecting that announcement based on a few observations.

When we got to Las Vegas, they put us up in a hotel room at the Palace Station. I knew what to expect. They keep you in the room for 24 hours. You didn't really know exactly what's happening, and you end up watching about 16 hours of TV or so. We couldn't leave the hotel room, and we had to hand over our phones and our wallets. The phone in the room was disconnected, as well.

When we did come out, we saw 14 guys standing in the hallway. I'm thinking to myself, "Is this it?" Then we get in the van to go to the gym, and I'm looking around to see if there's a different van. They bring us to the training center, and I'm still only seeing 14 people. I kept thinking maybe the doors would open and there would be another 14 guys, but it was just Dana White. I was like, "Thank God!"

My biggest concern was just getting in the house. I've seen so many season where guys tar are good fighters don't make it in. My buddy, Kyle Reid, he's a really good fighter, but he knocked himself out trying to take down Frank Lester in season nine, and he didn't get in the house because of it. Of course, it wasn't a complete free pass. When Dana told us we didn't have to fight, he also said he expecting more from us because of it. Everyone was celebrating, and he says, "I better not see any chicken[expletive] fights, and I better not see anybody bitch out. You guys have been given a [expletive] gift, so don't mess it up."

It worked, too. I know the first fight didn't pan out, but you're going to see some great fights this season.

I know some people may think we got a free pass by not having to fight to get into the house, but when I looked around, it was a talented group. You didn't see anybody there that didn't have a solid record. Everybody was a gamer, and we knew there were tough fights ahead.

The tryout

Next up, it was time to work out for the coaches. I didn't really care where I ended up. I've trained with Junior Dos Santos before. I didn't know anything about how Brock Lesnar would be as a training partner, so it was just a coin toss for me.

I had worked out with coach Lew Polley, as well, so I figured he would pick me. That didn't happen, but it was OK. I was impressed with Brock during the tryouts. His team had it all strategized and planned out as to how they were going to pick people. They ran us through conditioning, wrestling and striking drills. When we were with Dos Santos' side, they just had us do a little bit of wrestling and a little bit of sparring. It was a lot less organized.

The draft was a little odd without the coaches there. They never told us why they did it that way. Dana came out there by himself and starting naming the teams instead of the coaches naming it off. That kind of threw me off a little bit, but I figured whatever. I ended up on Brock's team, and it did kind of worry me at first. I've trained with Junior, and I've trained with Lew, so I realized immediately that those guys know what I'm good at and what I'm weak it. Because of that, I figured I might be picked first to fight.

When they picked Nordin Asrih, we were shocked. If anything, we thought it would be Myles Jury because of his injured knee. I guess we had done a good job of keeping Myles' condition secret. He was upstairs at the house, icing his knee, but we were trying our best to keep it low-profile.

You got to see a little of us working out, and I know some people were wondering what the equipment we were using was called. It's called The Speed Bag, and it's made by The Burn Machine. It's one of Brock's things. We would do mitts or wrestling, and then we'd pick that thing up and spin it forward and backward. It's just to burn your arms out. It helps for pummeling, for speed, for endurance. I've got one of my own now, and I use it between training rounds when I've got a minute break.

It's funny, the training sessions were the exact opposite of what I expected. I assumed Dos Santos' team would be all laid back and mellow. Instead, he was like, "Alright, you guys are going to fight for an hour." Meanwhile, our sessions were more calculated and planned.

Brock and Marty ran things like a college practice. Everything is down to the minute on what they need to do. Honestly, I think that's why Brock has been so successful in MMA with as few fights as he has. They treat his camp like a college program. Coach Paulson is the strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. I thought it was going to be a free-for-all with a bunch of juice monkeys, but it wasn't that way at all. Brock, Marty and Paulson are really smart about training and making sure everyone is both physically and mentally good.

I guess I thought Brock would be an ***, but he's not. He's country. He's going to tell you what he thinks about you, plain and simple. He's going to keep it real with you. At the same time, he's got a soft spot for you. We're like the Bad News Bears, and he's the coach. He's got a tight-knit circle, and you have to hang out with him a bunch before he lets you in that circle.

Nordin vs. Shamar

Honestly, we though Nordin would go right through Shamar Bailey. We knew he was coming to the show off of two losses, but Shamar is so crazy strong and has such good wrestling that he just kept Nordin down the whole time. Not to mention, Nordin had just got off a plane from Germany. I think Dos Santos' team put their money on the jetlag, and it paid off.

I'm not trying to make excuses for him. But Nordin is a talkative guy. But when he got there, he was basically falling asleep. And of course, he wanted to stand and bang, but Shamar didn't. Nordin kept saying, "Shamar just wanted to snuggle with me. I wanted to fight, but he just wanted to snuggle."

Of course, it was the truth. Say what you want about the fight being boring, but Shamar didn't want to stand there and trade with Nordin. He's got more than 20 fights, and he's a nasty striker. Unfortunately, Nordin played into his game perfectly. Shamar went in there, took him down, and Nordin couldn't do anything. When he lost, we were like, "What the hell?"

Coping with the loss

I have to be honest, that first fight, Brock didn't really seem to be too into the match. Coach Marty Morgan didn't seem to be too into it. Coach Erik Paulson, too. It just all happened so fast. We got picked, we had one training session, and then the fight announcement. Then you make weight and fight. They only really had two days to get to know us, know what we're about, and then it was time to fight. It happened so quick, that it really didn't feel like it was enough time to gameplan at all.

I don't know if it was because we were on Brock's team or what, but me and Tony Ferguson were basically talking [expletive] at the house. They didn't show it, but there was a sandbox in the house, and in it, we wrote, "In Brock we trust." We were just trying to get under the other team's skin a bit, but they weren't biting on it. We were all about unity and trying to break the other team apart, but it didn't really work early on.

As we sat in the locker room after the loss, we were just dead quiet. We thought we were going to smash Shamar. Then Brock says, "Well, guys, we lost that one. Now we've got to get it back." It was just surreal. I thought, "Is this really happening?" We kept trying to get under the skin of Dos Santos' team, but they just beat us.

The fight itself was kind of boring, but Shamar had a gameplan, and he stuck with it. Like Nordin said, Shamar just snuggled, but he got the win. At the end of the day, I guess it just comes down to that. Our morale was a little bit shot, but Brock, Marty and Paulson have solid minds for developing good gameplans, and we knew we had to press in the next fight.

"The Ultimate Fighter 13" cast member Chris Cope (4-1) blogs each Thursday exclusively for MMAjunkie.com. The welterweight prospect takes readers behind the scenes of Spike TV's popular reality series, which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Jacie
3/31/2011, 03:03 PM
Here's some action for you.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-High-school-hockey-brawl-tarnishes-Texas-?urn=nhl-wp1312

I didn't realize highschool hockey was a big deal outside of the snowbelt. If any of those boys plan to tryout for a college team, however, they won't want this video on their transcript. The college game is nothing like the NHL when it comes to brawling. Penalties, ejections and suspensions keep the level of violence way down.

Curly Bill
3/31/2011, 04:57 PM
That fight last night sucked. One dude layed on the other one for 10 minutes. meh....

northspeter
4/1/2011, 09:41 AM
not impressed with shamar at all... he had dominant position for about 9 minutes of a 10 minute fight and did no damage and never attempted to finish...

Breadburner
4/1/2011, 11:34 AM
not impressed with shamar at all... he had dominant position for about 9 minutes of a 10 minute fight and did no damage and never attempted to finish...

Claimed he was "Sandbagging".....

ouleaf
4/2/2011, 05:05 PM
Kind of mad they switched up the format and didn't have the preliminary fights to see who gets into the house. Also gave you a better chance to see what everyone's got right out of the gate.

As far as the first fight goes, yeah there wasn't a lot of stand up to it....Shamar is a wrestling guy and that is how he is going to fight 100% of the time. He'll get his points by scoring take downs and do his best to keep them on the ground. He's got really good leg and back strength to help with that. Then he'll mix in the occaisional punch or elbow. I'll be excited to see him match up with someone that is strong in jujitsu.

Boomer.....
4/2/2011, 05:24 PM
Doesn't look like Brocks team is going to be winning many fights.

reflector
4/7/2011, 02:04 AM
I thought Cope showed a lot of heart in the third round.




http://mmajunkie.com/news/23119/episode-no-2-recap-the-ultimate-fighter-13-team-lesnar-vs-team-dos-santos.mma




http://mmajunkie.com/dyn/images/other/the-ultimate-fighter-13-cast-photo.jpg


Episode No. 2 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 13: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos"
by Dann Stupp on Apr 06, 2011 at 9:55 pm ET

After this past week's season debut, "The Ultimate Fighter 13" returns for episode No. 2. And this week, Junior Dos Santos immediately launches into an intense workout.

"Nobody ever died by getting tired," warns Junior while striking fear in every lazy person's heart.

Fighters hit the treadmills with training face masks, which limit the amount of oxygen the body can take in. While the devices have become popular, the team resembles a post-apocalyptic Olympic squad.

The team's last pick, Keon Caldwell, struggles to keep up with the rest of the team. Junior and his teammates try to build him up and offer words of encouragement, but Keon must make a dash for the bathroom to vomit.

In a confessional, Keon admits it's tough to be away from his family. The grueling workouts probably aren't helping.

At the following Brock Lesnar training session, the coach says he hates losing but admits he expected to lose the first fight. (As you may remember, No. 1 pick Shamar Bailey topped Team Lesnar next-to-last pick Nordin Asrih.)

Lesnar drills wrestling techniques while saying it's a skill many of his fighters lack.

But admittedly, "You can't make chicken salad out of chick [expletive]," he says. "You can't polish a turd and make it look pretty."

His fighters, including Charlie Radar, know the importance of getting a win in the next fight.

"If we don't win this next fight, Brock is probably going to kill us," he deadpans.

When Team Dos Santos returns to the training center the next day, Keon informs Junior he's going home. He doesn't want to be away from his daughter. In a confessional, Junior expresses his disbelief. He doesn't want him to give up, though, and Junior encourages him to stick around, which will only make a better life for his daughter.

UFC president Dana White arrives at the gym shortly afterward, and he's looking for Keon. (Longtime "TUF" viewers know one of two things is about to follow: an inspirational and expletive-laden encouragement speech, or a fighter getting tossed off the show and on his ***.)

Dana goes with the former, and for the time being, all seems to be back to normal.

Soon, both teams converge at the training center for the fight announcement. Junior announces that Javier Torres (Team Dos Santos' third-round pick) takes on Chris Cope (Team Lesnar's fifth-round pick).

Brock understands the strategy. He says Team Dos Santos is putting its "cream of the crop" against his weaker fighters. Chris, though, isn't worried.

Back in the Team Dos Santos locker room, the fighters are making fun of Chris for what they saw as shaking and nervous hands during the staredown. Additionally, assistant coach Lew Polley, who's worked with Chris before, breaks down his weaknesses and then questions his commitment to the sport since he's not a fulltime fighter.

Javier then discusses his introduction to MMA. At a flea market as a kid, he found a copy of an old UFC event. When he told his mom he found his future career, she slapped in the back of the head, he jokes.

Over his workout montage, Javier's teammates weigh in on the fight, and everyone seems to believe it'll be an easy victory.

But the session ends on a sour note. Keon tells Junior he's decided to leave the show, after all. The head coach doesn't agree with the decision and think he's making a mistake, but he gives Keon a hug and has him say goodbye to the team.

Dana says the only upside to the situation is that it's early enough to get "someone real" onto the cast to replace him.

At the Team Lesnar training session, Chris believes his opposing team is underestimating him. He also knows Lew probably is breaking down his style and that many people question his ability since he holds down an eight-hour-a-day job.

Brock admits that Chris doesn't "wow" him or the coaching staff and that they hope to see something new out of him.

Brock then sits down with the troops and talks about his first loss. He hopes the tale will serve as inspiration for the underdog Chris.

"Seize the moment and understand anything can happen," he says.

Back at the house on the eve of the fight, Chris still is drilling techniques in the bathroom. His teammates worry that he's overdoing it, and they even suggest a win is unlikely for him. On the way to the gym, though, Chris reads a letter from his girlfriend. She tells him that this is his destiny. His daughter sends along a prized stuffed animal, which Chris says makes him feel closer to home.

Javier, meanwhile, says he has a kid on the way, which makes the fight and his "TUF" run all the more important.

Both fighters are nervous balls of energy, and soon, it's fight time. We've got:

Team Junior Dos Santos' Javier Torres (2-0) vs. Team Lesnar's Chris Cope (4-1)

Dana does the intros, referee Herb Dean gets us started, and we're underway.

While circling, Javier taunts Chris and asks for a punch. He then clinches, puts Chris against the cage, and delivers some knees. The fighters jockey for position as Javier delivers some short punches to the body. Javier is active, but little is landing from the close range. Chris connects on some punches, and Javier attempts a foot stomp. Chris gets his underhooks and finally circles away. He then pops Javier with a right. The fighters clinch, Chris puts his opponent against the cage, but Javier sweeps and puts him on the mat. Chris gets to his feet quickly, but Javier takes his back. Chris turns, and Javier puts him against the cage. The fighters jockey for position before Javier whiffs on a punch on the break. Chris misses on a low kick and circles. Chris lands a lunging left and follows it with a right, and he then clinches. But Chris reverses it and puts Javier's back against the fence. Javier then reverses and mixes in some foot stomps and punches. Chris reverses it yet again and then gets through a solid forearm strike and another. Javier mixes in some knees to the body and breaks with a knee to the head that draws blood from under Chris' left eye. It's a close first round, but Javier likely took it, 10-9, based on aggression.

In the second round, Chris strikes first with a punch. Javier clinches, but Chris puts him against the cage. They again jockey for position, but Javier breaks off and lands a nice right. Javier follows with two decent body shots. Chris answers with a head kick that's narrowly checked. Javier clinches again, and they jockey for position. They trade knees and continue putting each other against the cage. Javier gets through a nice forearm to the head, and the fighters finally reset. Javier lands a nice superman-punch/low-kick combo. Chris answers with a left. Javier throws soft low kicks and then partially connects a high kick. They clinch again, and it's back to the fence. But Javier quickly breaks off. Chris lands a few lunging shots, and it's back to the clinch. On the break, Javier lands a short uppercut. Chris answers with a low kick but is nearly knocked to the mat by Javier's. Chris unloads a solid punch and elbow to the head before forcing the action against the cage. It's another close round, and Chris likely took it with a little more aggression.

Dana announces that the fight, in fact, is a draw, and we're headed to a tie-breaking third round.

Team Lesnar definitely seems to have taken the momentum, and Javier clearly is tired. Chris comes out active and fresh and lands an inside leg kick that Javier complains got his cup. The fighters trade shots from range. The fighters clinch, and Chris becomes the aggressor with punches. Javier looks for a trip takedown, but Chris avoids it before working knees and punches. Javier complains about a knee to the groin, but the ref tells them to keep fighting. However, the ref calls for a timeout when Chris' knee does land to the groin. We quickly restart, and Chris lands a nice right and nearly lands a head kick after. Chris charges in, but Javier clinches. Chris is the stronger fighter against the cage, delivers a knee, and then breaks away. The fighters both land lunging jabs. Chris goes low with a kick, avoids a Superman punch, but is pushed against the cage. Chris reverses again, and they break and reset. Javier misses with punches but clinches. Chris reverses and gets through a solid uppercut. The fighters keep trading short punches before the round ends. It's another close one, though Chris likely took it. It was very close, though.

With both teams cheering as though they've won, they await Dana's official announcement.

Chris unanimously takes the final round, 10-9, and Team Lesnar gets its first win and ties up the series, 1-1.

"Chicken salad out of chicken [expletive]," Lesnar announces in the dressing room. "We're doing it."

Brock says Chris didn't do anything particularly well, but he admittedly was impressed with his heart and perseverance.

And with that, our latest episode is in the books.

For the latest on this season, stay tuned to "The Ultimate Fighter 13" section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Catch new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos" every Wednesday at 9 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 13" page.

ouleaf
4/7/2011, 09:14 AM
Another so, so fight....Seems like this season's guy's so far aren't up to the level of last seasons. Credit to Cope for sticking in there and coming out with a surprising amount of energy in the final round. Hope he doesn't have a broken orbital or cheek bone after the brutal knee he took to cut him open under his eye. That definitely shows toughness on his part.

Still don't think Cope has even a remote chance of winning this whole thing though. He really needs to learn how to look for a take down. When they went to a standup and he'd throw a kick or punch combo, Torres would just easily move out of the way and that was it. Cope needs to learn to use those strikes as a setup for a take down. Also had double underhooks on Torres several times throughout the match and didn't do anything to capitalize on that.

Torres, depending on how the other fights go, might have a case for the wild-card spot. I definitely think he could have won the fight based on the first 2 rounds where he handled Cope pretty well, but just didn't do enough to convince the judges apparently.

Thought Brock, while a bit cheezy in his motivational speech, did a better job of coaching this week than what was showed last week. It'll be interesting to see who he picks for the fight next week.

reflector
4/7/2011, 05:35 PM
I can't believe that people like Caldwell still make it on to the show. It was pretty obvious that he didn't want to be there. I hope they eventually get a lot better at screening which fighters really want to be there.



http://mmajunkie.com/news/23139/team-dos-santos-blog-lew-polley-on-the-ultimate-fighter-13-episode-no-2.mma




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Team Dos Santos blog: Lew Polley on "The Ultimate Fighter 13," episode No. 2
by Lew Polley on Apr 07, 2011 at 8:30 am ET

Welcome back to my weekly blog. I decided to be a bit more detailed with what was going on behind the scenes, but I won't apologize for trying to have a sense of humor or plugging my sponsors. If some of the fans had it their way I would stay silent and poor.

My training style comes from years in the wrestling room and being a part of the wrestling circuit, as well as training with MMA Camps like Team Quest, The Armory and Alliance Training Center. In my mind, I am here coaching based on these credentials. As I said previously, I am a "fighter," who coaches to be able to fight. Of course, as a fighter I am not at Junior Dos Santos' level and was honored to be helping his team. With that said, I wanted to make sure I lent 100 percent of my skills to his team.

Keon Caldwell

From the beginning, I felt Keon was not mentally tough enough to handle the grind of a show like "TUF." Aside from the pressures of having your every move and comment being recorded for future publication, we went from testing the fighters for team selection immediately into preparing for their upcoming fights. In my mind, we had to push them.

Keon was struggling with the time away from his family. He began to withdraw from the group and became introverted. I was pulling for Keon, hoping that he would pull through the slump. I was giving him lots of positive motivation and trying to make sure he was aware of the opportunity that he had been given. The rest of the coaching staff saw Keon as a weak link, and I think they all felt that they would rather have a replacement then have a guy that does not want to be there.

I see the size of the opportunity. As a fighter, I would trade just about anything I have to be in the place that Keon and the rest of the guys were. This really is an opportunity of a lifetime – the short cut to the big leagues. No matter how they do on the show, they will likely improve whatever life they and their family currently have.

There are hundreds of people dying to be where he is/was. I made sure he knew the more time that passed, the worse he would feel about leaving. Ultimately, it was his decision, and he had made his mind up. I think if he really has the goal of being a mixed martial artist, he will regret this decision.

In my opinion, he made a bad decision for himself, and at the same time, if he really did not want to be there, he made the right decision for not hindering the team.

Breaking down Javier Torres vs. Chris Cope

Picking Javier was tough for me. I knew he was stubborn and inexperienced, but the other coaches were all for it and just blown away by his abilities. I was not quite as convinced. Sometimes coaching Javier was like asking Helen Keller to drive a big rig. The kid has a ton of talent and potential but refuses to except that he is not where he needs to be and decides to do his own thing. With all that being said, he was looking tough in training, but I had a feeling that he would some how find a way to not follow instructions.

I trained with Cope in the past. I knew that he has come a long way since then. He is a good guy with a great deal of ability. I knew he had great movement on his feet and decent cardio. He did a good job cutting angles, and he usually makes decent decisions in a fight. He has limited wrestling and grappling but is smart and can avoid danger. He has issues with his confidence once the fight starts but gains confidence and momentum as the fight goes on. Historically, he can be taken out of a fight, but you have to keep him out. Once Cope gets going, he is tough to deal with.

The gameplan

The gameplan was for Javier to control the center and work from the center out – to pressure and break Cope's rhythm. We wanted to keep him off-balance with strikes, to clinch and work for the takedown to ground and pound. Javier was to look for the finish from every position. Javier was to use constant pressure and be as violent as possible. He was supposed to suffocate Cope and close the distance because Cope is dangerous from the outside.

While Javier was still very green, he was strong and aggressive and in the right situation can end the fight early. I was certain if we used this gameplan, we could in the very least steal the rounds and Cope's confidence with the takedowns.

Coaching

Myself and the other coaches were starting to butt heads already. Junior had never coached before, and fights and trains as a heavyweight, which means he doesn't cut weight, nor has he fought at a pace that isn't conducive to a heavyweight fight. Junior has a limited understanding of English. This and my wrestling is why I was brought in. In the season opener, Junior said pretty much the same thing. His other coaches felt differently, and the tension was mounting.

Junior decided to bring in a strength coach that was not very good at his job, or at least explaining why he was having the guys train in such a manner. The Brazilian coaches felt I was pushing too hard because I was trying to maximize the time we had in the gym. Before the fight, it became an issue. I would suggest an aggressive yet normal approach to maximize the guys time and skills, trying to be more efficient. Junior and the other staff decided it was a wrestling vs. jiu-jitsu thing.

Honestly, I was ready to join Keon on the way out the door. But I had to remind myself that I was here to help these young men reach their goals. The other coaches in my opinion were there to create an image for themselves to increase their appeal to American fans. So far, they had shown me they wanted to tell the world they were on "TUF" with "JDS." I am not sure if it was the production or the other coaches, but before long, Junior began to become more concerned with camera time and Americans seeing his face than the objective of helping these young men.

The Brazilian coaches said they felt that wrestling was boring and the way wrestlers trained was stupid. In a short amount of time, I went from "the guy that Junior was glad to have helping" to "the stupid wrestler that Junior felt was getting too much attention." He even made it clear that he was the coach, this was his team, he was fighting for the belt and this was about him. I told Junior that I was there for the kids, that he invited me here to help these guys become better wrestlers, better fighters, and even more importantly, better men. I wanted Junior's team to win the show. I think he saw things another way.

The fight

If I was fighting a former teammate of one of my coaches, I would listen to what my coach had to say. I am not sure if the issues with the other coaches and Junior played a factor in throwing the gameplan out the window, but Javier seemed content to stay in the clinch even though he was able to secure a takedown when he was not even in dominant position.

Javier was strong, and I knew if he worked the takedowns, he would take Cope out of the fight. His scrappy style might even secure him a finish. I was absolutely yelling at the top of my lungs for him to secure the takedowns he was being offered.

Javier had a clear path to victory and chose to go another route. Team Dos Santos' biggest problem was not the lack of talent but the lack of us coaches coming together to teach the talent.

After the fight, it seemed like Junior and everyone on the team were content with losing. This Kumbaya moment was fake and for the cameras. I was mad. I felt like we beat ourselves, and it was not OK to be OK with that. We allowed Team Lesnar back in the fight, and without the control and continuity among us coaches, I felt we might be heading down a slippery slope.

I felt the need to to remind everyone what we were here for. I wasn't going to pull any punches. I know a lot of guys that would kill for the opportunity to be here. I knew that us coaches needed the figure this out. We had a short amount of time to make an impact. We just lost a fight because the information we knew about Cope was not a part of the fight we fought.

I want to thank my sponsors DollamurMartialArts.com and PerformanceMMA.com for supporting me through this journey. I will see you here every week. Please follow me on Twitter (@LewPolley) and my website/fan community LewPolley.ning.com.

reflector
4/7/2011, 05:42 PM
I was really impressed with how Cope fought in the third round.





http://mmajunkie.com/news/23142/team-lesnar-blog-chris-cope-on-the-ultimate-fighter-13-episode-no-2.mma



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Team Lesnar blog: Chris Cope on "The Ultimate Fighter 13," episode No. 2
by Chris Cope on Apr 07, 2011 at 9:45 am ET

Welcome back for my second MMAjunkie.com blog for season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter." I hope you enjoyed the first edition.

As the second episode opens, Brock Lesnar admits he kind of expected us to lose the opening fight of the season. I didn't take too much offense to it, honestly. He's just a different kind of guy. He's not real social, and he kind of stays off to himself, so he doesn't really worry about upsetting anyone. Brock admitted to us, as well, that he thought we might lose, but he told us after the fight we needed to start building ourselves back up.

When they called me up next to fight Javier Torres, everyone was basically like, 'Oh, [expletive].' No one thought I would beat him. No one on my team, no one on Dos Santos' team. Javier thought he was going to walk right through me. With all the editing and stuff, they basically made me look like "Rudy" or something.

Brock was so nervous, you could tell he thought he was going to lose two fights right off the bat. Sure, Javier was only 2-0, but a lot of people don't realize he played Division I football for UNLV. He trains striking with Shawn Tompkins. He was Vitor Belfort's main sparring partner before he fought Anderson Silva. He's a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, brown belt in judo.

At practice, the mood was definitely a bit down. We lost the opener, and we knew we needed to get it back. The biggest problem was that while Erik Paulson is a great coach, he was going over all these crazy things with me like heel hooks and ankle locks and other stuff I wasn't going to use against Javier. Finally, Brock and Marty Morgan stepped in and had me working on a more simplified approach that seemed much more practical.

Keon Caldwell

Of course, before my fight, we got to see the drama that was going on with Keon Caldwell. Man, the thing about Keon, he never really talked much, but he rubbed me the wrong way. He was with his team, and they would all be laughing and joking, but he would start talking trash under his breath.

We knew something weird was going on because we could see them developing into a group within a group. But when we found out he left, we were all just like, "You've got to be kidding me." We're on the other team, but come on. You know what you're getting into when you get the call to be on the show. You know it's going to suck for six weeks. You know it's going to be rough. You know it's going to drive you insane. But you have to think of the life at the end of the tunnel. You have to think about what the payoff is going to be.

I just don't know what Keon was thinking. His choices were exactly what Dana was talking about. He doesn't want to see this bull[expletive] where you get on the show and leave because you miss your girl. When we first got there, one of the producers told us on the very first day, "Look. I don't want to hear anything about your girlfriends or your wives or anybody else. Accept the facts. They're probably [expletive] somebody else. But when you get off this show, you're going to get more [expletive] than you've ever had in your life."

When you get on the show, it's horrible. It's hell on earth. But it's like bootcamp. It doesn't matter that Keon did it because he missed his family. Bottom line, he quit. We all had loved ones, family, people that we missed. Keon just left. It's unfortunate because so many guys would die in a heartbeat just to be on "The Ultimate Fighter." To decide you don't want to be there after just a week? Ridiculous.

It's funny, though. We heard they had brought in a guy that looks like a miniature Randy Couture. I thought they were joking, but then when the guy walked in, it was like Randy's "Mini Me."

The Polley doublecross

As expected, Lew Polley was giving away all of the information he learned when working with me at Team Quest a few years earlier. What pissed me off the most was when he called me a "part-time fighter." I work out at lunch for an hour, and then I train two to three hours after work.

I may be one of the few guys that fights that also has a 40-hour-a-week job, but I've trained with and outworked guys that don't do anything else. I need the balance. I like to be able to work and train. I'm not one of these guys that trains and then says I need a two-hour nap – and half the time those guys are just smoking weed and playing Xbox. Lew knows how hard I train. He knows how dedicated I am. I used drive an hour to practice and an hour back, getting home around 11 or 12 at night and waking up at 5 a.m. the next morning to go to work.

Lew just completely underestimated me by saying I don't like to work off my back, I don't have good wrestling. Truthfully, he's one of the best wrestling coaches I've ever had, but he's so damn negative. He keeps it real, but he keeps it real beyond what most people are able to handle.

The night before the fight, everyone thought I was working out because I had some kind of nervous energy. That's not it. I just like to over-prepare for everything. I'm constantly thinking about any moment that I can sneak in just a little more training. Me training in the side room was because there was nothing to do in the house. Why not just go over some last-minute gameplanning?

Any given Sunday

So Brock's pep talk wasn't exactly confidence building. But it was appropriate. That whole speech was directed at me, I think. Brock thought Javier was going to go right through me. My team thought he was going to go right through me. So Brock's speech made sense.

I'm not a natural athlete. I've had to work for everything I've ever gotten in life. I've had to bust my *** and put in more work because nothing ever comes natural to me. Growing up, I'd always get the "Coaches Award" or "Hustle Award." And like Brock said, on any given Sunday, anyone can win. I was the underdog.

There's a saying that, "Hard work will always beat talent when talent refuses to work hard." I heard that from Lloyd Irvin, and if you watch the fight with me and Javier, that's what happened. He broke.

The fight

In the first round, I know I looked a little hesitant. Truthfully, I'm always a slow starter. I didn't get a real good warmup in the locker room, and I just came out slow. On top of that, I hate fighting southpaws. Now, here I am on "The Ultimate Fighter" facing a southpaw that no one thinks I can beat, anyway.

The fight actually kind of pissed me off. I wanted to stand and strike with him, but that wasn't our gameplan. I know Dana said he thought I wasn't listening to my corner, but the gameplan was to clinch up with him, take him down and try and pound him out while avoiding his triangle. At no point in time did they want me exchanging with him. They wanted me to take him down. That's why there was all that clinchwork going on.

The fight was even throughout, and it wasn't getting any easier. In the second round, I started gagging on his hair. Somehow, it was getting in my mouth and my throat. It was the craziest feeling I've ever had in a fight.

At the end of the second round, I had blood going down my face. We're going back and forth, wrestling against the cage. When the round ends and Dana comes in and says we're going to a third round, I'm screaming and yelling and feeling like I've got two more rounds in me. Meanwhile, he was on the other side going, "[Expletive] this." He broke. He didn't want to do another one.

Javier's more talented than me. He's probably a better athlete. But at that time, he didn't want to work. I think it was just my work ethic that helped me grind away that final round and take the win.

I know it wasn't the most entertaining fight to watch, but it's a fight where an underdog prevailed against the odds. People cheer for the underdogs. They don't want to see Anderson Silva win every fight. They love when Randy Couture does the unexpected. I'm not comparing myself to those fighters, but I was happy to pull of the upset and prove that "any given Sunday" attitude was right.

They didn't show it, but after the fight, I ran and chased Lew down in the hallway, and I told him, "Don't ever under-estimate me again." Then I got in the van to leave. That's what they all did. Lew, Junior, their team, my team – you saw it in the episode. They were sitting around saying they thought I would lose. I proved them wrong.

The aftermath

After I won, my team admitted they had doubted me, but they were all proud of me and told me to be proud of myself.

We were celebrating in the locker room, and I knew Team Dos Santos could hear it. It was payback. When Shamar won, we could hear them while we were just sitting around in out locker room. It felt could to be the ones celebrating. It also felt good to see Brock celebrating. It was the first time we saw him excited. We had control now. We weren't the hunted anymore. We were the hunters.

I think Dos Santos' team thought I just got on the show because of my sense of humor, but I'm a gamer. It felt good to earn a little respect. I love it when people tell me I can't do this or that. It took me four times trying out for the show to make it on. I finally make it, and I'm like second-to-last pick. No one thought I had anything going for me. I think I kind of proved them wrong and got their respect.

Brock was right. I didn't do anything spectacular. I just grinded him out. But my goal is always to take people into deep water and drown you. At the end of the day, we got a win, and that's what the show is all about.

"The Ultimate Fighter 13" cast member Chris Cope (4-1) blogs each Thursday exclusively for MMAjunkie.com. The welterweight prospect takes readers behind the scenes of Spike TV's popular reality series, which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Collier11
4/10/2011, 12:16 PM
bad fights so far but I am surprised that Cope pulled out the victory

Boomer.....
4/11/2011, 08:02 AM
Both of those fighter were boring. It seems like the talent has been getting worse on TUF through the years. I know they are raw but they still have been fighting for years. You would think they would know what to do in a clinch or some basic wrestling.

reflector
4/13/2011, 03:53 PM
"Chicken Salad" is the title of tonight's episode, I believe. From the previews, it looks like Brock upsets his team a little on tonight's episode.

If you are going to watch hockey, be sure to DVR TUF.

reflector
4/14/2011, 01:14 AM
I think there is a good chance that Len Bentley could be brought back as the wildcard.

ouleaf
4/14/2011, 08:56 AM
That was a hell of fight.....I don't think Len could have gone a 3rd round though....he was completely gassed at the end of it.

Not really sure I agree with the judges decision though. If you forced me to pick a winner based on those 2 rounds, I probably would have given Len the nod. I think Len did a better job and had a more sustained period of ground and pound. How he didn't lock in the arm bar is beyond me, I thought for sure Ryan was about to tap out, but credit him for slipping out of it.

Thought the second round really could have gone either way too, both guy took some good shots from one another. It was really too close to call, but when it wasn't going to the 3rd round I thought Len had won....guess I was wrong.

Good Fight!

reflector
4/14/2011, 02:54 PM
Chris Cope Blog Episode 3


http://mmajunkie.com/news/23237/team-lesnar-blog-chris-cope-on-the-ultimate-fighter-13-episode-no-3.mma

Collier11
4/14/2011, 09:27 PM
That was one heck of a fight, while I wanted Len to win I really think that Ryan did when thinking back on it

Boomer.....
4/15/2011, 02:16 PM
Much better fight. Really close.

reflector
4/20/2011, 04:09 PM
I think Matt Hughes is supposed to be on tonight's episode.

reflector
4/20/2011, 09:08 PM
I thought Charlie Rader was going to be one of the better fighters on the season. He looked horrible on tonight's episode.

ouleaf
4/21/2011, 10:26 AM
Uggghhhh....another very mediocre fight. What a disappointing season so far. I didn't expect someone with Raders experience to look so unprepared for a fight.

Ramsey did the same thing over and over....throw two or three wild running punches to get Charlie to backpedal, and then just charge and put his shoulder into him until he got him pinned against the cage. Ramsey then just layed on him waiting for Charlie to make a mistake and then strike, just like Dos Santos said in the after fight interview.

Better fights please.

mgsooner
4/21/2011, 10:07 PM
I'm sorry but this season is pathetic. Lesnar obviously is just going through the motions, and listening to Dos Santos talk is about as interesting as listening to Ben Stein read the dictionary. On top of that the fights have been bruuutal. The last fight where the guy just gives up and taps as soon as the guy put the choke on looked like a junior high wrestling meet. I'm starting to wonder if this show's run might be coming to an end...

Collier11
4/21/2011, 10:41 PM
Rader was scared of his speed and energy, lame

Boomer.....
4/22/2011, 08:32 AM
He tapped right as the other guys arms went under his chin. Pathetic.

Collier11
4/22/2011, 10:16 PM
I havent seen anyone from this season so far that could be worth a darn in UFC, anyone?

Boomer.....
4/24/2011, 08:27 PM
It does seem like the talent pool has been picked over too much. The need to do the next TUF for 135 or 145s.

reflector
4/24/2011, 08:35 PM
It does seem like the talent pool has been picked over too much. The need to do the next TUF for 135 or 145s.

I seriously hope the next season is both 135 and 145 pound fighters. The UFC needs to build those divisions up.

Boomer.....
4/25/2011, 07:50 AM
I have always been a fan of Faber and I am glad he moved down to 135. Brown and Aldo are just too much for him at 145. I really don't know a lot of other fighters at 135 because I didn't follow it. If anything, having a TUF for those lighter divisions would gain interest in them and introduce fans to the newer fighters.

reflector
4/27/2011, 10:14 PM
I liked the fight on tonight's episode. I thought Clay won both rounds and deserved to win the fight. I think the broken finger will probably keep him from fighting any more on the season. I thought it was definitely one of the better fights of the season though.

Collier11
4/27/2011, 10:34 PM
thats what is sad so far, that was one of the better fights of the season and it really wasnt that great...hopefully the quarters are a lot better

reflector
4/27/2011, 10:48 PM
thats what is sad so far, that was one of the better fights of the season and it really wasnt that great...hopefully the quarters are a lot better

I thought it was a good fight on tonight's episode.

reflector
4/28/2011, 03:24 PM
Chris Cope Blog for Episode 5


http://mmajunkie.com/news/23409/team-lesnar-blog-chris-cope-on-the-ultimate-fighter-13-episode-no-5.mma

ouleaf
4/28/2011, 04:49 PM
Okay fight....I think it was just good to see a standup fight for a change. Was not particularly impressed with either guy. For Mick to say he was going to try and punch Clay's head off before the fight, I thought he'd be a guy that could put some power behind his punches, but that didn't seem to be the case whatsoever. He stuck a couple okay jabs in the 2nd round, but he still wasn't anything to write home about. Clay won on my card pretty easily though....think he is done though with that injury

Turd_Ferguson
4/28/2011, 07:18 PM
Last nights fight was the first one I've seen this season. If that was one of the better ones, all I can say is wow. Both looked uncoordinated and had there mouths gaping open for air before the end of the first...

reflector
4/28/2011, 08:13 PM
Last night's episode matched the season high in viewers.

Collier11
4/28/2011, 08:50 PM
Mick fought scared, this seasons fights have been bad

Turd_Ferguson
4/28/2011, 11:06 PM
Last night's episode matched the season high in viewers.Maybe hoping for a descent ****'n fight:confused::D

Boomer.....
4/29/2011, 01:49 PM
The pinky looked nasty. Too bad for him.

Collier11
4/29/2011, 06:28 PM
How will they replace him, a 3rd wildcard?

reflector
4/29/2011, 06:32 PM
How will they replace him, a 3rd wildcard?

I think they will replace him with one of the guys who lost his first round fight, plus I think we find out who the wildcard is on the next episode. My guess is that two of the guys who lost in the first round of fights will end up being brought back.

Collier11
4/29/2011, 06:44 PM
I think Len has as good of a chance as anyone ive seen to win the show

reflector
4/30/2011, 02:30 PM
It looks like some changes to TUF are on the way. I read this long interview with Dana White today. The interview was posted last night, but I recently just read it. It looks like they realize that The Ultimate Fighter has not been as good this season. Here is what he said in regards to the show. This is not the whole interview, just the part that deals with TUF.


http://mmajunkie.com/news/23438/ufc-boss-dishes-on-diazs-boxing-career-bellator-tuf-changes-pettis-title-shot.mma

White admits mistake with "TUF, " says elimination fights back next season

While there has been some debate as to why the 13th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" has struggled a bit in the ratings department, White admitted some contractual obligations were at least partly to blame.

Some MMA observers have suggested the lack of elimination fights to earn entrance into the "TUF" house has left viewers without an attachment to the competitors – not to mention participants that might not necessarily be the best available.

White hesitated briefly before explaining why the elimination fights were eliminated and promising they'll be back next season.

"We had a lot of obstacles this season," White said. "I don't even know if I should talk about this, but I will because that's me. In our deal with Spike TV this season, we don't have as many episodes as we've had in the past. We figured that we would be killing some of the reality. We wouldn't have enough time to tell stories. But we really, really made a big mistake not having these guys fight to get in the house. I guarantee you that will never happen again."

On the bright side for "The Ultimate Fighter," this past week's episode No. 5 matched the season's highest viewership with 1.5 million viewers. White said viewers still tuning in to Spike TV each week will be rewarded as the season continues to play out.

"Trust me when I tell you … you are not going to be disappointed with the way this season ends and the fights that happen at the end," White said. "It turns around."

Collier11
4/30/2011, 03:04 PM
You wont get the honesty in any other pro sport that you get from Dana, I love that he openly acknowledges that the fights have sucked so far

reflector
5/4/2011, 09:52 PM
I thought it was probably the right decision to send Lew home. He did seem to be undermining a lot of what Dos Santos would say. I thought the fight between Ferguson and Edwards was the best of the season so far.

ouleaf
5/5/2011, 09:30 AM
Both fights definintely had a lot more energy to them which was great....Dana even said it in a clip that all 4 guys really went after it. They didn't just pin a guy up against the cage for 2 rounds.

Edwards went down like a sack of potatoes on that kick to the jaw. That's too bad, b/c he was having a hell of a fight. What I didn't get is why was he suspended and unable to fight in the Wild Card round? Any more news on that?

Second fight was good too...unfortunate that O'Neill got caught in the triangle. I'm glad he'll have another chance in the Wild Card round. Feel bad for Len kind of getting screwed out of the Wild Card round. I wonder if his fight was so long ago that they forgot how well he fought too. If the went with Len b/c they weren't sure about his knee then that is a different story alltogether.

Collier11
5/5/2011, 10:04 PM
He was suspended due to a concussion, a new rule states that if you are knocked out you have to sit out 90 days I believe

Both good fights, I think Len didnt get picked cus Brock didnt like him

reflector
5/11/2011, 05:15 PM
I believe the Wild Card fight is on tonight's episode.

reflector
5/11/2011, 09:09 PM
I thought O'Neill looked good on tonight's episode. We also got to find out the next round of match ups.

Clay Harvison vs. Ramsey Nijem
Chris Cope vs. Shamar Bailey
Chuck O'Neill vs. Zach Davis
Tony Ferguson vs. Ryan McGillivray


I think the rematch between Davis and O'Neill has the most interest for me.

Collier11
5/12/2011, 12:37 AM
That was plain stupid, they screwed that up by picking Javier, he sucked in his 1st fight and sucked in this one. Len would have been a much better fight.

Chuck looked good though

ouleaf
5/12/2011, 08:52 AM
That was plain stupid, they screwed that up by picking Javier, he sucked in his 1st fight and sucked in this one. Len would have been a much better fight.

Chuck looked good though

^This^

I just don't think Torres is a very smart fighter. After Chuck got him on the take down, he had no clue what to do, and Chuck was just free to pound the dudes ribs. Torres also had a chance at a rear-naked choke, but he didn't capitalize on that.

You can't tell me that Len, even on a bad wheel, wouldn't have done a better job than Torres.

reflector
5/18/2011, 09:31 PM
I was surprised at how well Cope picked up learning the Whizzer. He was able to stuff Shamar's takedowns quite well.

Collier11
5/18/2011, 10:52 PM
Shamar would never win a fight in the UFC in my opinion, he brought nothing to the fight once Cope stuffed his takedown attempts, I thought it was an easy win for Cope


How about Ramsey though, he took him out easy...wow

ouleaf
5/19/2011, 08:37 AM
Wow....Harvison had no clue how to get Ramsey off his back and it only took Ramsey a matter of seconds to lock in the choke. Very disappointing for Harvison and any fighter to go out that quickly on a submission. He even said it after the fight that he'd rather lose getting his *** kicked for 3 straight rounds than submit a few minutes into the first round.

Nice, nice win by Cope. Could not believe Shamar wasn't able to take him down even once with all the opportunities he had. Seems like even if your back was hurting, the in-the-moment adrenaline would have allowed him to power through and at least attempt to pick up and drop Cope after he got him against the cage. Shamar just kept driving him back to the cage and doing a whole lot of nothing, while he allowed Cope to repeatedly land punches to the head. I actually started yelling at the TV at that point. It was astonishing that Shamar did absolutely nothing when he had position on Cope.

Seemed like Shamar was just looking for that one take down to score and win each round. He just played it way too safe, and Cope definitely deserved the win.

achiro
5/19/2011, 10:59 AM
I had to get a new DVR a few months ago and I didn't even know the new season had started so I missed the first few episodes. I think the guy dislocating his pinky was the first I saw. Anyway, pretty lame season.
Shamar needs to drop weight and fight in a different class. It was a joke that he thought he won that fight.

BigJerm7
5/25/2011, 03:11 PM
This year's fights have sucked. I know a local guy here in Tulsa that tried out that is just as good, if not better than all of those guys. They better bring back the elimination fights, so they can see what they're getting before they pick.

reflector
5/25/2011, 10:43 PM
I enjoyed tonight's episode. I thought the fight between Chuck and Zach was good. Chuck looked better as the fight went on. I thought Tony looked really good in the second fight.


Now the semifinals are set.


Ramsey Nijem vs. Chris Cope
Tony Ferguson vs. Chuck O'Neil

ouleaf
5/26/2011, 09:34 AM
Two great matches for sure, but that first match rematch between Chuck and Zach was great. Chuck came out fists flying from the get go and did not let up a bit. I think he cut Zach on his first punch. I don't know if Zach's retina injury affected him that much during the fight, or if he was just straight gassed, but he could not get out of the way of a combination from Chuck at all.

Love that the ref Mazzagatti took the fight back to standup after nothing was happening while the guys were up against the cage. Kinda wish they had done that more in previous fights this year.

Tony just hit McGillivray right on the button with a nice counter-punch left uppercut. That is two fights Tony has ended quickly now. Can't wait for next week.

Collier11
5/26/2011, 08:10 PM
Chuck and Tony whipped a$$, The fights are def getting better

reflector
6/1/2011, 09:07 PM
Tony Ferguson vs. Ramsey Nijem in the finale. I think it will be a good fight.

Collier11
6/1/2011, 09:57 PM
Chuck and Chris are tough SOBs, they just got outclassed...The Final should be good, either Tony gets tapped or Ramsey gets knocked out IMO

ouleaf
6/1/2011, 11:23 PM
Ramsey looked pretty gassed at the end of the first round with Cope. The longer that fight went, seemed like it would have tipped the scales in Cope's favor IMO.

Ramsey recovered well, caught Cope with a flurry of wild punches and the ref made the right call in pulling him off.

Tony was really something to watch though....That guy's boxing is great, and he was brutal in going after Chuck's left leg over and over with those sharp kicks. Credit Chuck for hanging in as long as he did, but Tony is just in a whole other class. Win or Lose, I definitely think Tony gets signed by Dana.

For the final, my prediction is Tony winning by KO.

ouleaf
6/4/2011, 10:55 PM
For the final, my prediction is Tony winning by KO.

Looks like I called it correctly. Tony looked a little hesitant to start off with, but scored some nice take downs. Was able to catch Ramsey right on the button with i nice left hook for the KO. Definitely think Tony has the brighter future of the two guy. Ramsey is okay and all, but to me just lacks that killer instinct.

Ramsey really needs to refine his standup IMO...it just so wild and all over the place. Seems like he just tries to throw wild flurries of punches and get lucky rather than any precision striking.

Pretty crappy season overall, but I do think Tony will do well in the UFC.

Collier11
6/5/2011, 09:54 AM
Knocked out everyone he fought in the house, not sure how he is when he gets taken down by a good ground guy but anyone who can hit like that has a shot