The Thursday Throwdown 08.17.06: Ultimate Fighter 4 Preview
Posted by Jon Hartley on 08.17.2006
After three successful seasons, the UFC's hit reality show "The Ultimate Fighter" is back tonight! This season, former UFC fighters will fight for the right to a title shot! As usual, The Thursday Throwdown has you covered with a complete rundown on all sixteen fighters in TUF Season 4!
The UFC decided to change up their previously-successful formula by electing to showcase UFC veterans in their wildly popular show, "The Ultimate Fighter"...the winner to get a title shot. The fighters will be in the middleweight (185 lbs.) and welterweight (170 lbs.) divisions, with Randy Couture returning to "advise" along with UFC welterweight Georges St. Pierre. Before we get into the fighters for season four, let's discuss the changes the UFC made for this installment.
Although the idea to bring back fighters with UFC experience is great, I don't really understand the choices they made for weight divisions this go-round. The middleweight division is a no-brainer, as it has a wealth of talent and few clear-cut top contenders. The welterweight division, though? I don't know about that. I'm definitely excited to see free welterweight fights and there are some really good fighters on the show, but do we really need to add another fight to welterweight champ Matt Hughes' dance card? Hughes is just now getting to his fight with St. Pierre, and if successful he will likely face BJ Penn, should Penn win his next fight. Then there's the winner of Karo Parisyan and Diego Hughes. I do think that it would have been good to have lightweights on the show, or even light heavyweights. Featuring lightweights would have given the division a nice buzz now that it has returned, and there are very few light heavyweight contenders after Chuck Liddell fights Babalu. But that's a very small gripe, and having a welterweight #1 contender from the show isn't bad at all...I just hope a fight like Penn-Hughes II doesn't get thrown on the backburner because of it.
The Welterweights
Chris Lytle Record- 21-12-5 (3 KO's, 15 Submissions) Notable Win- KO win over Aaron Riley. Lytle has beaten bigger names, but his KO win over Riley (who has a notoriously tough chin) shows impressive power. Notable Loss- Loss to Joe Riggs due to a cut at UFC 55. It was the first time Lytle had ever been stopped in a fight, as all his other losses have been by decision. Riggs deserves credit, but the cut itself was rather strange. Riggs managed to gain a little space from the bottom while holding Lytle in his guard, and as Lytle brought his head down to close the distance, Riggs landed a picture-perfect elbow that opened up the cut. The 411 On Lytle- Despite his relatively unimpressive win-loss record, Lytle has perhaps the best skill set of all the welterweights. He has a 13-1-1 record in pro boxing, with 7 KO's, but the vast majority of his wins go by submission. On another note, he's one of my favorite fighters, and is a great fighter for the sport. He works full-time as a firefighter in Indiana while also fighting professionally in boxing and MMA. Chance To Win- Excellent. Lytle has a better all-around game than the other fighters. He gives everyone he fights a tough fight, including Karo Parisyan and Robbie Lawler, who both managed to only win by decision against him. The Lawler fight could have gone Lytle's way in many's opinions.
Din Thomas Record- 17-6 (5 KO's, 9 Submissions) Notable Win- Heel hook submission victory over Jens Pulver waaaaay back in 2000. Notable Loss- TKO loss to BJ Penn at UFC 32. The 411 On Thomas- Thomas hasn't been terribly active the last few years, after having fifteen fights in a roughly three-year span to start his career. He's well-rounded and has only lost to very good competition. Chance To Win-Good.
Shonie Carter Record- 34-15-6 (8 KO's, 7 Submissions) Notable Win- Carter KO'ed Matt Serra right before the end of round three with a spinning back fist at UFC 31. Besides being a great highlight, it showcases what Carter is all about and illustrates his flashy style. Notable Loss- He helped Nate Quarry's resume tremendously when Quarry knocked him out at UFC 53, leading to Quarry's title shot vs. Rich Franklin. The 411 On Carter- "Mr. International" has fought everybody. When I say everybody, I mean everybody. Pat Miletich, Dave Menne, Chris Lytle, Karo Parisyan, Matt Serra, Jason Black...he's faced some very tough competition, and come out on both sides of it. He'll give just about anyone a run for his money, and has an experience edge over all but a couple of his opponents in TUF 4. Chance To Win- Decent. Carter is very experienced but has probably already peaked. I expect him to do well but not win.
Jeremy Jackson Record- 8-4 (5 KO's, 2 Submissions) Notable Win- Decision win over Shonie Carter at the same event that featured Frank Shamrock's return to action in 2003. Notable Loss- The second of a pair of losses vs. Nick Diaz to end their trilogy at UFC 44. After a two competitive rounds, Diaz sunk in an armbar in round three. The 411 On Jackson- Jackson is pretty slick on the ground and has explosive athleticism. He hasn't lost to any slouches (his only losses are to Jake Shields, Joe Stevenson, and Nick Diaz) and is a definite finisher. He will probably be part of some of the best fights this season, win or lose. Chance To Win- Decent. My only doubts are from the fact that Jackson's only fought once since November of 2003. Is he as dedicated to revitalizing his career as the other fighters? We'll see.
Pete Spratt Record- 14-7 (6 KO's, 6 Submissions) Notable Win- His upset win over Robbie Lawler at UFC 42. Lawler was, at the time, the UFC's golden boy of sorts and Spratt's precise standup quickly frustrated Lawler, who has more of a brawler's style. Notable Loss- Submission loss to Josh Koscheck at Ultimate Fight Night. After a while away from the UFC, this was Spratt's chance to come back and make some waves by eliminating one of the UFC's TUF stars. Instead, he was dominated en route to a loss via rear naked choke. The 411 On Spratt- Spratt's standup is very good, but his ground game has always been an Achilles heel. He has managed to win a few fights by submission, but he doesn't seem to defend submissions very well. His wrestling could be better, as other fighters generally take him down without much trouble. Lawler even briefly had him mounted in the opening minutes of their fight. Chance To Win- Poor. There are too many good ground fighters to match up against him, although depending on matchups, he could win his first fight.
Rich Clementi Record- 23-10-1 (9 KO's, 9 Submissions) Notable Win- Armbar win over Team Quest's Ryan Schultz in 2005. Notable Loss- Loss in his UFC debut to Yves Edwards via rear naked choke; UFC 41. The 411 On Clementi- Clementi is a good fighter who picked up most of his losses early in his career, as he wasted no time in taking on talented opposition. Recently, he had a nice winning streak going until a loss in K-1 to the always-tough Caol Uno. Clementi is dangerous because he's not easy to put away and can often "hang around" long enough to take the momentum in a fight and win via KO or submission. Chance To Win- Good.
Mikey Burnett Record- 5-2 (1 KO, 2 Submissions) Notable Win- Um...Townsend Saunders, I guess? Seriously...it's either that or Eugenio Tadeu. Although Tadeu is the only fighter Burnett beat who actually ever won an MMA fight. Notable Loss- Pat Miletich via decision in 1998. It was a moral victory for Burnett to take it to a decision, looking back. The 411 On Burnett- Burnett was a decent fighter back in the day as part of Ken Shamrock's Lion's Den. However, the guy hasn't fought in 7 1/2 years. I really have no idea why he's even on the show. This makes me really wish they could have gotten Nick Diaz on instead. Chance To Win- None. That's right, none.
Matt Serra Record- 5-4 (2 Submissions) Notable Win- Unanimous decision over Ivan Menjivar, UFC 48. Menjivar's a tough guy and beating him is no small feat. Notable Loss- Not counting the loss to Carter, his loss to Karo Parisyan at UFC 53. Serra hasn't fought since then and a win would have put him right in the mix for a title shot without even having to live in a house with a bunch of guys for weeks on end. The 411 On Serra- Serra's jiu-jitsu prowess is well known, as he is an instructor to many good fighters in their own rights. Serra has had some trouble translating that to MMA success, however. He hasn't shown much ability to finish opponents. At the same time, opponents have a lot of trouble finishing him and thus, he's always in the fight. He'll have most trouble with wrestlers who have strong submission defense. Chance To Win- Decent.
The Middleweights
Charles McCarthy Record- 9-4 (9 Submissions) Notable Win- Submission victory (via armbar) over UFC vet Keith Rockel at Absolute Fighting Championships 10. Notable Loss- Loss by TKO to David Loiseau in McCarthy's only UFC appearance to date. Loiseau landed a brilliant spinning back kick to McCarthy's midsection to take the will out of McCarthy and bring an end to the fight. The 411 On McCarthy- McCarthy's submission skills are obvious, as he's finished every one of his wins by submission. He has a competent stand-up game, although he won't attempt to end the fight standing. He lost his last pre-TUF fight by submission to Trevor Garrett (5-8 win/loss record), casting a little doubt on McCarthy's focus. Chance To Win-Decent. McCarthy has a better ground game than a couple of his fellow competitors, however he hasn't faced the level of competition that many of the others have.
Patrick Cote Record- 8-3 (3 KO's, 3 Submissions) Notable Win- Both wins over fellow UFC vet Bill Mahood. The first came in 2004 by KO, the second in 2006 by submission. Notable Loss- Unanimous decision loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 50 (Cote's UFC debut). Cote was a late replacement for Guy Mezger, and managed to stun Ortiz badly with a right hand during the fight, although he was taken down at will. The 411 On Cote- Cote has a lot of power in his hands, as evidenced by the Ortiz fight. His ground game won't be as refined as some of his housemates, but he is competent enough to survive most situations there. Chance To Win- Decent. Cote has the proverbial "puncher's chance" and has improved his ground game of late.
Edwin Dewees Record- 34-9 (3 KO's, 27 Submissions) Notable Win- Majority decision win over Homer Moore in Rage In The Cage. Notable Loss- TKO loss to Rich Franklin in the UFC debut for both fighters. The 411 On Dewees- Dewees has all the potential to be a very good fighter, but so far has failed to capitalize. He's done well in his career, which has largely taken place down south in Rage In The Cage, but has failed to beat top opposition when he's had the chance. Besides the win over Moore and a split decision win over Drew Fickett (Fickett won the rematch by decision), Dewees hasn't really stepped up against top competition. However, at 24 and with 43 fights already under his belt, he has plenty of time to improve. Chance To Win- Poor.
Pete Sell Record- 7-1 (3 Submissions) Notable Win- Upset submission win over Phil Baroni at UFC 51. Baroni had hit a rough streak and was supposed to steamroll Sell, but instead found himself tapping to a guillotine choke. Notable Loss- TKO loss to Nate Quarry in quick fashion on Spike TV. The 411 On Sell- "Drago" is a Matt Serra student with a good ground game and pretty good striking. He has a fairly exciting style, which will enhance his standing with viewers. Really, I don't know why he needed the show to remain in the UFC, after only having one loss, albeit a decisive one. Chance To Win- Good.
Jorge Rivera Record- 13-5 (8 KO's, 2 Submissions) Notable Win- Decision win over David Loiseau in Rivera's octagon debut. It wasn't a particularly controversial decision, but it also didn't feature very strong performances from either fighter. Both fighters appeared tired at differing intervals of the fight, and conditioning seemed to decide the outcome as much as skill did. Notable Loss- Loss to Chris Leben by TKO in just 1:44 at Ultimate Fight Night 3. Rivera has fought and lost to well-known fighters like Rich Franklin, Lee Murray and Anderson Silva, but this is the fight that found him out of the UFC for awhile. After a win over Dennis Hallman, a subsequent win over Leben would have found him right in the mix at 185. Instead, he was the recipient of many doubts and hasn't been in the UFC since. The 411 On Rivera- Despite the Leben loss, Rivera has very good standup, possibly the best on display in TUF 4's middleweight division. Although he has lost three times now by TKO, most times a standup fight with Rivera will not be a smart decision. Rivera sometimes seems to lack focus, as when he fell right into a suprisingly easy triangle choke for Lee Murray. I personally think the loss to Leben was not a true indicator of Rivera's abilities, however. Chance To Win- Excellent.
Scott Smith Record- 9-2 (7 KO's, 2 Submissions) Notable Win- First round TKO win over TUF 3 participant Tait Fletcher in World Extreme Cagefighting. Earlier that night, he TKO'ed Tim McKenzie, also in the first round. Notable Loss- Quick submission loss to David Terrell (by rear naked choke) in Smith's only UFC fight. The 411 On Smith- Smith is a finisher, which makes him a valuable commodity in the MMA world, especially in the American landscape. Not only that, but he doesn't waste time...ten of his eleven fights have ended in the first round! Smith will bring plenty of fireworks, but he lacks the experience and ground finesse of some of the others. Chance To Win- Decent.
Gideon Ray Record- 13-4-1 (6 KO's, 7 Submissions) Notable Win- KO over Jason Medina in Extreme Challenge 51 (2003). Notable Loss- 0:22 loss to Mike Swick by TKO at Ultimate Fight Night. The 411 On Rivera- Ray has fought some good competition: Swick, Loiseau, Jason Black, Brian Gassaway, Jason MacDonald...the only problem is, he didn't beat any of them! Ray's "w" column is literally filled with journeyman and sub-.500 fighters. He didn't look particularly good in either of his UFC bouts. Chance To Win- Poor.
Travis Lutter Record- 8-3 (1 KO, 6 Submissions) Notable Win- The normally sub-happy Lutter KO'ed Marvin Eastman (who has good standup) at UFC 50 in a rare one-punch knockout that simply hit Eastman right on the button. Notable Loss- Unfortunately, he was submitted by Matt Lindland in his next UFC appearance, UFC 52. The 411 On Lutter- Lutter's ground game is pretty good, and his standup is decent, but he's not really formidable in either department. He's basically a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. He can be out-wrestled by good wrestlers (Trevor Prangley's decision win being evidence of that), submitted by better grapplers, and despite the Eastman win, kickboxing isn't his forte. Lutter did have a nice win over Jose Landi-Johns recently, but "Pele" has been on a bad decline so it's unclear whether to put much stock in that win. Chance To Win- Decent.
So, there you have it. Be sure to check out The Ultimate Fighter's Season 4 premiere, and of course, it will be preceded by UFC Fight Night Live, so check that out, too. Hey, it's free.
