Episode 4 - February 7
"Game Show Man" Joe Van
Ginkel here, once again coming at you with this week's
recap of the UFC contest show, The Ultimate Fighter.
The
episode opens with the aftermath of last week's light
heavyweight elimination bout with Team Couture fighter
Lodune Sincaid knocked out by Team Liddell fighter Bobby
Southworth. Confessionals of various other contestants
(including Team Liddell middleweight Josh Koscheck, who
with his coach, Chuck Liddell) indicate that many of the
others believed that Southworth, who had to cut 20
pounds the night before in order to fight by sitting in
the gym's sauna, would not be able to win, but
Southworth won, and he is still in the contest. The
confessionals are inter cut with footage of the fight
from last week. Team Couture is demoralized after
Sincaid's loss, but Sincaid's teammate and fellow light
heavyweight Stephan Bonnar is particularly down about
it.
After
the losses of the three previous weeks, Team Couture is
down three fighters: two light heavyweights and one
middleweight. UFC president Dana Clark takes coaches
Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell into his office and
advises them that Liddell must send one of his light
heavyweights over to Team Couture. He is given several
hours to mull over who he's going to send over.
In the
meantime, the fighters return to the house to
"decompress" after the fight. The two teams congregate
separately, with Team Couture in one area of the house
and Team Liddell in the other. Southworth is cocky
after winning his fight, but Team Couture fumes that
Sincaid lost to someone who was usually 20 pounds
heavier (Team Couture middleweight Nate Quarry: "We just
can't respect someone like that.")
That
evening, the fighters assemble to find out who is going
from Team Liddell to Team Couture. Liddell is not happy
about it, since he had to give some one up even though
his team is winning
but he gives up Alex Schoenauer.
Schoenauer says his goodbyes to his old team, and
accepts the green jersey of Team Couture, who welcomes
him aboard.
The
next day, training resumes in earnest. Schoenauer is
happy that he has gotten to work out with both Liddell
and Schoenauer. He is excited that he will be able to
add some groundfighting skills to his arsenal. Team
Couture is happy that Schoenauer is on their team; they
feel that he never fit in on Team Liddell and do their
best to welcome him on the team.
Meanwhile, the middleweights are up for elimination this
week. They all believe that whoever comes in last will
have control of who fights. Team Couture middleweight
Chris Leben goes so far to say that he will throw the
team challenge in order to challenge Koscheck.
Team Challenge
Host Willa Ford meets the teams in the desert for the
Medicine Ball Run. The middleweights will have to
manipulate a series of medicine balls through a variety
of areas, such as throwing them at targets, throwing
them over targets, and rolling them across the finish
line. Then Ford drops the bomb: the WINNING team gets
control of the fight.
(Chris
Leben: "Those rat-bastards. They changed up the rules
on me.")
Each
team has to pick two middleweights to play the
challenge. Team Liddell picks Koscheck and Diego
Sanchez, while Team Couture picks Quarry and Alex
Karalexis.
The
race starts, and Team Liddell gets off to an early
lead. Koscheck gets way out in front and manages to
reach the finish line first. Quarry follows him and
reaches the finish line second. Sanchez manages to
finally knock down all the targets and, with Karalexis
hot on his tail, reaches the finish line, winning the
challenge for Team Liddell. Once again, the Iceman's
team has control of the elimination bout.
Team
Liddell meets in the gym to discuss who will fight.
Koscheck and Sanchez are the top two candidates to
fight; Sanchez says that if Koscheck doesn't want to
fight Leben, who's been wanting to fight Koscheck all
along, he will fight Karalexis. Koscheck reminds them
that if they win, they may have to give up another
fighter. (Liddell: "I'd rather give up fighter because
we're winning.")
Once
again, the fighters assemble at the house for the
announcement, with Dana White presiding. Chuck Liddell
announces that Sanchez will be fighting Karalexis. The
trash talking begins in earnest (not only between
Sanchez and Karalexis, but also between Koscheck and
Leben) as preparations begin for the fight.
Team
Liddell is shown in training. Sanchez works on his
defense to be ready for Karalexis's striking abilities.
He talks about a hip injury that limits his motion, but
says that will not stand between him and his destiny.
Later, Sanchez goes to the doctor who discusses options
for his hip.
Team
Couture trains next. Couture works with Karalexis to be
ready for Sanchez's ground game. He does well in
training, working on stopping an opponent's takedowns.
He also works on his grappling skills to be able to
prevent a submission.
At the
weigh-in, Sanchez and Karalexis step on the scale.
Karalexis, weighs in first. He weighs in at 185.
Sanchez gets on next, and weighs in 183. White advises
them that the fight is the next day.
As
last week, the two men pack up their belongings if they
should be eliminated. They go to the gym and being
their final preparations for the fight, warming up,
wrapping their hands, gloving up and getting Vaseline
applied. They walk to the ring, and after White reminds
them of the rules, legendary UFC referee "Big John"
McCarthy asks them if they're ready, and when they say
they are, he says those legendary words
"LET'S GET IT
ON!"
Elimination Bout 2: Middleweights - Diego "The
Nightmare" Sanchez vs. Alex "The Assassin" Karalexis
The
fight doesn't last long however
Karalexis tries to land
a big punch, and Sanchez leaps on him, taking him down,
punching from the top and eventually applying a rear
naked choke, forcing Karalexis to tap out at 1:47 into
the first round.
Team
Liddell has won another fight. Can they keep their
streak alive next week when the light heavyweights go
it? Find out in my next recap. For GSNN, this is the
"Game Show Man" Joe Van Ginkel, saying Godspeed, and
spread the love. |