Sherdog.com’s Guide to TUF 6
Scott Holmes Nov 8, 2007
After his team won yet again last week, Matt Serra (Pictures) can't help but gloat about his
dominance over Matt Hughes
(Pictures) this season. Hughes doesn't
have much of a poker face; it's obvious when he's upset, and he's
upset.
While Serra smiles, Hughes is still steaming and taking it out on his fighters. Tommy Speer has the unfortunate position of fighting next, facing Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver in the last opening round match.
Since Speer is the last man standing, guess who's in Hughes' cross
hairs now?
While rolling with Hughes, Speer isn't being too animate, and it's pissing Hughes off. He takes out his resentment on Speer, slapping him in the face and calling him a robot. Tommy is a blank slate who stares slack jawed while Hughes goes off on a rant about not seeing enough emotion from him.
Can't you just picture a young Matt Hughes (Pictures) racing his twin brother barefoot in the cornfields? After a particularly close race, he would go over and slap one of his cows, furiously yelling, "Stop laughing at me, Abigail May!"
While Hughes tries to get blood out of a turnip, Serra is busy taking stock in his fighter, Jon Koppenhaver (Pictures). Serra has mixed feelings. "Physically, War Machine could be a problem for anybody," he says.
However, Serra knows that Koppenhaver's problems are all between the ears. "He thinks the chips are always stacked against him," Serra explains before Koppenhaver explodes in anger over Serra not coaching him while he's losing to George Sotiropoulos (Pictures) during practice. Serra calms him down, explaining that he's there to coach everybody.
Serra struggles for the words to explain Koppenhaver at times, but he finishes succinctly: "He's a bit of a knucklehead."
While Serra tries to figure out Koppenhaver, Team Hughes knows exactly what they have with Tommy Speer. One after another each teammate describes his freaky "farm boy" strength.
"Tommy is not technical, but if Tommy wants to do something he can do it," says Jared Rollins (Pictures).
Dorian Price (Pictures) stays technical in his breakdown of Speer's skills and how he honed them on the farm: "Lifting horses and knocking out cows."
"Tommy reminds me of myself in my early days," Hughes says. The two spend time trading farming stories, with Hughes telling him about his brother and their situation back home. Luckily the show moves on before they start discussing pork and sorghum futures.
Serra is worried about this fight because he has such a hard time getting through to "War Machine." The coach mutters to himself about if there's a shrink on the TUF staff. Koppenhaver admits to battling inner demons, saying that people think more of him than he does.
"I'm always fighting myself," he says. "I'm my own worst enemy."
Koppenhaver has his reasons for being a little unsure in this world. He lost his parents at a young age and was never afforded the same sense of security that most people enjoy. Koppenhaver tells his housemates that when he was 13, he found his father dying in bed. They know he's suffered.
Someone suggests that Koppenhaver write down what he's been through, and he takes the advice during some time to himself outside the night before the fight. Later, he explains why he fights: "It's my only way to survive in the modern world. I need this more than he does. My whole life revolves around this."
The next morning "War Machine" is a wreck, wringing his hands on the edge of the bed and having a nervous breakdown. A teammate tells him to get it out of his head and to stop giving himself excuses. Koppenhaver admits that he worries about losing because it could expose him for being truly alone. "I wonder who really likes me?" he asks, worrying that people only stick with winners.
Tommy Speer is diametrically opposed to Koppenhaver in most respects. Here's a guy that instead of being alone talks about how he's fighting for everyone back home in Elgin, Minn., population 826. Salute!
One by one, fighters give their predictions. It looks as if both Speer and Koppenhaver have been putting their respective teammates through the grinder during training since both teams seem convinced that their man will definitely win.
"He's very raw," Hughes says of Speer. "He's going to find a way to win, no matter what happens."
Jared Rollins (Pictures) ups the ante: "I would almost bet my house on Speer."
After it's revealed that "War Machine" is scared of wrestlers, it seems that this could be a very short fight for Speer, but that doesn't prove to be the case. In fact, Koppenhaver draws first blood, connecting with a right hand between Speer's eyes that opens a messy cut. Before Speer can get his bearings, Koppenhaver takes his back and sinks in his hooks.
Speer's face is like a faucet not quite turned off. Big drops of blood accumulate on the mat while Koppenhaver works for the choke. Yet Speer holds off the neck attacks for the next few minutes. Meanwhile Serra keeps yelling the odd phrase, "He's bleeding like a pig, War!"
Speer finally picks his moment and explodes, spinning around and landing on top. From there he works on Koppenhaver's arms while dripping blood on his face. Speer starts to bully him, bringing down short choppy elbows and hammer fists.
Koppenhaver gives up his back, then squirms back into guard until Speer finally gets full mount. The elbow onslaught continues. Koppenhaver is forced to cover up and eat small strikes and blood for the remaining two minutes of the round.
"You pull the trigger and drive," Hughes tells Speer during the break, not wanting Koppenhaver to get another shot off first.
Speer gets what he wants in the second round, catching a kick and putting Koppenhaver on his back again. From there it's more of the same: Speer elbowing and smothering "War Machine" with short elbows and punches.
After a few more pints of blood escape from his face, Speer passes Koppenhaver's guard and takes his side, where he can work on his arm. Speer suffers from the typical newbie wrestler syndrome of not being able to finish his opponent, but he is still dominant three-fourths of the way and wins the decision.
Koppenhaver came very close to beating Speer early. After suffering through all the elbows and red stuff, he has earned his coach's respect.
"I thought way more of him now than before the fight," says Serra, showing him some love even in defeat.
Now we move into the quarterfinals, one step closer to finding out who will be this season's champ. From here on it will be every man for himself.
The final eight:
Matt Arroyo
Tommy Speer
Mac Danzig (Pictures)
Richie Hightower (Pictures)
John Kolosci (Pictures)
Troy Mandaloniz (Pictures)
Ben Saunders
George Sotiropoulos (Pictures)
While Serra smiles, Hughes is still steaming and taking it out on his fighters. Tommy Speer has the unfortunate position of fighting next, facing Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver in the last opening round match.
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While rolling with Hughes, Speer isn't being too animate, and it's pissing Hughes off. He takes out his resentment on Speer, slapping him in the face and calling him a robot. Tommy is a blank slate who stares slack jawed while Hughes goes off on a rant about not seeing enough emotion from him.
Speer's teammates are used to him not emoting. The guy is never
going to be confused for Marcel Marceau, but he's always that way,
and his team isn't sure what Hughes is going for. Hughes just hates
to lose, and it's spilling over.
Can't you just picture a young Matt Hughes (Pictures) racing his twin brother barefoot in the cornfields? After a particularly close race, he would go over and slap one of his cows, furiously yelling, "Stop laughing at me, Abigail May!"
While Hughes tries to get blood out of a turnip, Serra is busy taking stock in his fighter, Jon Koppenhaver (Pictures). Serra has mixed feelings. "Physically, War Machine could be a problem for anybody," he says.
However, Serra knows that Koppenhaver's problems are all between the ears. "He thinks the chips are always stacked against him," Serra explains before Koppenhaver explodes in anger over Serra not coaching him while he's losing to George Sotiropoulos (Pictures) during practice. Serra calms him down, explaining that he's there to coach everybody.
Serra struggles for the words to explain Koppenhaver at times, but he finishes succinctly: "He's a bit of a knucklehead."
While Serra tries to figure out Koppenhaver, Team Hughes knows exactly what they have with Tommy Speer. One after another each teammate describes his freaky "farm boy" strength.
"Tommy is not technical, but if Tommy wants to do something he can do it," says Jared Rollins (Pictures).
Dorian Price (Pictures) stays technical in his breakdown of Speer's skills and how he honed them on the farm: "Lifting horses and knocking out cows."
"Tommy reminds me of myself in my early days," Hughes says. The two spend time trading farming stories, with Hughes telling him about his brother and their situation back home. Luckily the show moves on before they start discussing pork and sorghum futures.
Serra is worried about this fight because he has such a hard time getting through to "War Machine." The coach mutters to himself about if there's a shrink on the TUF staff. Koppenhaver admits to battling inner demons, saying that people think more of him than he does.
"I'm always fighting myself," he says. "I'm my own worst enemy."
Koppenhaver has his reasons for being a little unsure in this world. He lost his parents at a young age and was never afforded the same sense of security that most people enjoy. Koppenhaver tells his housemates that when he was 13, he found his father dying in bed. They know he's suffered.
Someone suggests that Koppenhaver write down what he's been through, and he takes the advice during some time to himself outside the night before the fight. Later, he explains why he fights: "It's my only way to survive in the modern world. I need this more than he does. My whole life revolves around this."
The next morning "War Machine" is a wreck, wringing his hands on the edge of the bed and having a nervous breakdown. A teammate tells him to get it out of his head and to stop giving himself excuses. Koppenhaver admits that he worries about losing because it could expose him for being truly alone. "I wonder who really likes me?" he asks, worrying that people only stick with winners.
Tommy Speer is diametrically opposed to Koppenhaver in most respects. Here's a guy that instead of being alone talks about how he's fighting for everyone back home in Elgin, Minn., population 826. Salute!
One by one, fighters give their predictions. It looks as if both Speer and Koppenhaver have been putting their respective teammates through the grinder during training since both teams seem convinced that their man will definitely win.
"He's very raw," Hughes says of Speer. "He's going to find a way to win, no matter what happens."
Jared Rollins (Pictures) ups the ante: "I would almost bet my house on Speer."
After it's revealed that "War Machine" is scared of wrestlers, it seems that this could be a very short fight for Speer, but that doesn't prove to be the case. In fact, Koppenhaver draws first blood, connecting with a right hand between Speer's eyes that opens a messy cut. Before Speer can get his bearings, Koppenhaver takes his back and sinks in his hooks.
Speer's face is like a faucet not quite turned off. Big drops of blood accumulate on the mat while Koppenhaver works for the choke. Yet Speer holds off the neck attacks for the next few minutes. Meanwhile Serra keeps yelling the odd phrase, "He's bleeding like a pig, War!"
Speer finally picks his moment and explodes, spinning around and landing on top. From there he works on Koppenhaver's arms while dripping blood on his face. Speer starts to bully him, bringing down short choppy elbows and hammer fists.
Koppenhaver gives up his back, then squirms back into guard until Speer finally gets full mount. The elbow onslaught continues. Koppenhaver is forced to cover up and eat small strikes and blood for the remaining two minutes of the round.
"You pull the trigger and drive," Hughes tells Speer during the break, not wanting Koppenhaver to get another shot off first.
Speer gets what he wants in the second round, catching a kick and putting Koppenhaver on his back again. From there it's more of the same: Speer elbowing and smothering "War Machine" with short elbows and punches.
After a few more pints of blood escape from his face, Speer passes Koppenhaver's guard and takes his side, where he can work on his arm. Speer suffers from the typical newbie wrestler syndrome of not being able to finish his opponent, but he is still dominant three-fourths of the way and wins the decision.
Koppenhaver came very close to beating Speer early. After suffering through all the elbows and red stuff, he has earned his coach's respect.
"I thought way more of him now than before the fight," says Serra, showing him some love even in defeat.
Now we move into the quarterfinals, one step closer to finding out who will be this season's champ. From here on it will be every man for himself.
The final eight:
Matt Arroyo
Tommy Speer
Mac Danzig (Pictures)
Richie Hightower (Pictures)
John Kolosci (Pictures)
Troy Mandaloniz (Pictures)
Ben Saunders
George Sotiropoulos (Pictures)
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