411's Ultimate Fighter Report 10.7.09: Episode Four

Posted by Patrick Mullin on 10.07.2009

We get all the fall out from Kimbo vs. Big Country and the best fight yet on this season. Oh did we mention there's a mole on Team Rashad? Find out who it is and more in our TUF Report.

Last week on the Ultimate Fighter… Kimbo Slice made his long awaited UFC semi-debut against former IFL Heavyweight Champion Big Country Nelson, only to be dominated on the ground en route to a 2nd round TKO loss. Nelson took out the man with the bulls eye on his back and Team Rashad is now 3-0 while Team Rampage has yet to pick up a win.

What may we see tonight?


411's Ultimate Fighter Report 10.7.09: Episode Four

This is Patrick Mullin with you once again to recap another episode of The Ultimate Fighter. Just to let you guys know I'm missing a good chunk of the Dodger game to bring this to you.

We recap last week's Nelson vs. Kimbo fight. A lot of people thought Kimbo fought patiently and showed good stand up technique. The difference maker was Roy sticking to his game plan. Scott Junk emphasizes that while Kimbo is a quick learner you can't master the ground game in two weeks. The consensus is that Kimbo's fight costing mistake was throwing the knee that allowed him to be taken down. Team Rashad counted along with the punches Roy landed. Commentary here is designed to really put over Kimbo. Wonder how much Dana paid them to do it.

Nelson thanked everyone for counting with him. He joked with Rampage who took offense and then told him he has no skills, despite just beating his #1 pick. Rampage tells Kimbo he did great and Kimbo is being given verbal blowjobs by his coaches Rampage and Rashad. Kimbo says he wasn't hurt and that he can take a punch. I guess he means as long as Seth Petruzelli isn't throwing it. Kimbo talks to Abe Wagner and talks about wanting to fight again. Abe and Kimbo share their viewpoints on what their losses mean. Kimbo says he's not out of the competition and in three weeks no one will be able to touch him. Marcus shows up at the house completely saturated and Kimbo asks him if he just came out of the shower. Marcus says he didn't and its all sweat. He looks feint and ducks his head down as we break from commercial.

Back from commercial and Marcus Jones is on the floor. Kimbo, Brendan, and James try to help him out. Brendan says he may not be used to the training regimen and the other guys could be in for a rude awakening if that's the case. Cut the music! What I'd like to have right now, is for all you fat out of…oh not that rude awakening? Bummer. Team Rashad heads to their training session and Rashad feels Team Rampage wants to defect due to their success. Rashad only wants to modify the guys and not change their styles because of the limited time they have. Rashad works takedowns with the "super-athletic" Matt Mitrione. Justin Wren is one of Rashad's favorites due to his humility. Mike Wessel is very powerful and could be a top talent with some work. Brendan Schaub is peaking right now and Rashad loves his attitude about wanting to fight. Rashad feels like when his guys fight part of him is fighting, and will sweep the prelims.

They want Justin Wren to fight Scott Junk as they feel Junk is the best on Team Rashad. They want Brendan to fight Demico Rogers. Matt Mitrione is to be matched up against Marcus Jones. Team Rashad is banking on keeping control and making these match ups. Justin Wren tells Team Rashad he and Scott are roommates and good friends outside of the show. Wren expresses discomfort at the prospect of fighting Junk. Rashad understands because of his relationship with Keith Jardine. I hate the attitude, but meh.

Team Rampage comes in for their training session and Rampage is desperate to get a win, needing it like "fish need water". Rampage likes Scott Junk and says he's a tough guy with several colorful descriptions about eating forks and pitbulls. He says Marcus is a sweet guy but doesn't know his own strength as we see him mauling guys in practice. Demico Rogers is one of the more well rounded guys on Team Rampage but Jackson seems fixated on his resemblance to Rashad. Rampage wants one of his guys to be the TUF Winner, bottom line.

Back at the house Justin Wren is talking to Scott Junk about his team wanting to match them up. Scott had confronted Justin about them fighting and was tipped off about it by Matt Mitrione. Junk calls Matt a meathead who just lets his mouth run before he thinks. Wren says he and Junk are devastated about having to fight each other in the first round of the show because they have to be the ones to crush each other's dreams and not in the finals of the show as they had hoped. I'm sorry but this "teammate concept" in the sport of MMA is just annoying and ridiculous. If your best friend is champion of the division you fight in and you won't fight him what the hell are you fighting for? Damn.

Schaub and Wren discuss Mitrione and his ratting out of their game plan in front of him. Mitrione apologizes. Brendan is disappointed and all of Team Rashad jump on him. Jon Madsen again expresses the way Mitrione speaks without thinking. Mitrione keeps suggesting they can change the fights. Madsen accuses him of wanting the fights changed because he's not comfortable fighting Marcus, a theory supported by James McSweeney. In the van on the way to training they still get on Mitrione's case. They officially nickname him "The Snitch". Mitrione says he didn't try to get out of fights, its just that he's an asshole.

Matt admits to Rashad what he said and Rashad and his staff are not happy. Rashad accepts his apology but the team and his assistant coaches don't. Mitrione seemingly gets his way in the minds of McSweeney and Madsen because Rashad says he'll just have to change things up. Rashad jumps on board the Mitrione doesn't want to fight Marcus and wanted things switched. Schaub then expresses his concern that he and Scott Junk in round one is a bad match up and he doesn't want to be injured in the first round and have to fight at less than 100%. Rashad says the fights were picked for a reason as we go to commercial.

Back from commercial and Team Rampage's coaches leave their training session. They start sizing up the guys who could possibly beat Scott, Demico, and Marcus. Tiki seems to think Brendan may beat Demico, but Marcus may freak out and kill someone. Fight announcement is here. They choose Brendan Schaub to fight Demico Rogers. Rashad feels Brendan matches up well with Demico because while both are great athletes Brendan's skill level is too ahead of Demico's. Dana feels it's a good match up and Demico enjoys a size advantage but with big guys throwing punches anything can happen. Rampage is overjoyed at the match up after the announcement. He wants to win just to shut Rashad up to avoid doing something that would send him to prison. Rashad is not happy unless he wins all 8 first round bouts. Rampage and Rashad jaw each other in the parking lot. Rampage is having homicidal thoughts about Rashad and gets all street on him. Rampage is ashamed of what he's thinking and questions his sanity. I don't because he's getting paid big time without getting hit these days.

Brendan feels his best weapon is his jab and they want to work it to establish distance and set up the right cross. Which is boxing 101 but who's counting? Brendan is a teammate of Rashad outside of the show and he's a great athlete who listens to instructions. He's got a very technical game according to Rashad. Trevor tells Brendan that Demico has no answers for his game and psyches him up. Their strategy is to keep things standing so Brendan can KO him. Trevor and Brendan keep drilling it into Brendan's head his best weapon is his jab and that's what everything works off of it.

Demico's training session begins with Tiki correctly guessing Schaub will try and keep things standing. They're looking on using counter striking and using that to set up the takedown. Tiki and Rampage drill him and I have to say of all the training sessions Rogers looks like the most explosive takedown artist in the house so far. He's not as technical with them as Madsen but he's definitely more athletic with them. Schaub is working hard on the Thai pads in his dressing room on fight day while Demico is relaxing with his team. Demico wants Team Rashad to learn they should have known better than to pick this fight for him. Rampage says one of the coaches should stay in the dressing room. Demico says he's never been beaten or broken. Its down to just the two of them in the octagon. Brendan says he's going to win because he can't lose. Ok. Two big, powerful, athletic guys who know how to fight? I don't think this one's going the distance.

THE FIGHT: Brendan Schaub{4-0} vs. Demico Rogers{0-0}

ROUND ONE: Your official is Josh Rosenthal. Rogers has a three inch reach advantage. Schaub and Rogers out to center ring. Schaub avoids a shot from Rogers by sprawling but Rogers double legs him only for Schaub to get out to standing and off of the fence. Body shot by Schaub with the right. Each man jabbing. Schaub throws some wild right hands that miss. Demico scores the takedown. Schaub has an open guard. Schaub works his way to the fence as Demico not striking. Demico tries to pop out but Brendan closes the guard. Demico throws two shots. Demico tries reigning down punches and elbows but Schaub elevates him off. Demico doesn't allow him to stand and charges back into his guard. Demico lands a short elbow. Schaub has an active guard momentarily trying to secure Demico's right arm with his leg. Elbow by Demico. Demico scoots into side control. He starts dropping left elbows as Schaub tries to slide out but can't. Demico tries mount but Schaub pops him off and gets top position in his guard. Elbow by Schaub who stands from guard and advances for side control but takes Demico's head and then applies an Anaconda choke and gets the tap out!

OFFICIAL DECISION: Brendan Schaub wins via submission (Anaconda Choke) Round one.

Team Rampage stormed out before Demico even made it back to the corner. Rampage is really pissed at Demico's performance while Rashad and Trevor tell him he fought hard and left it in the octagon. Rashad tells us a coach should always be there for his fighter and expresses the shitty behavior of Rampage and what effects it will have on Demico. Rampage is in disbelief that Demico lost to an Anaconda/D'arce choke.

Rampage tells Demico he was doing good but screwed up trying to pass guard. He then calls a coaches meeting. Dana laughs about how pissed Rampage is. Rampage wants a complete strategy overhaul and feels the other coaches aren't on his level.

Rashad is happy with his team and wants to keep doing it over and over. "We kicking Rampage's ass."

Next week Mitrione hurts his shouler increasing the rift between he and his team, there's a black sheep in the house and the hazing is relentless, Rashad calls out Rampage for lack of respect.


SEASON STANDINGS THUS FAR:

TEAM Rashad:
* James McSweeney (1-0)
* Brendan Schaub (1-0)
* Justin Wren
* Jon Madsen (1-0)
* Roy Nelson (1-0)
* Darrill Schoonover
* Matt Mitrione
* Mike Wessel

TEAM Rampage:
* Kimbo Slice (0-1)
* Abe Wagner (0-1)
* Demico Rogers (0-1)
* Wes Sims
* Scott Junk
* Wes Shivers (0-1)
* Marcus Jones
* Zak Jensen

-Winners in BLUE
-Losers in RED