Sherdog’s Guide to ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
Scott Holmes Jun 3, 2010
Following last week’s post-fight fracas, Chuck
Liddell has learned that his rival Tito Ortiz
pulled out of their upcoming fight. Liddell goes bananas, storming
around the room as White looks on.
“That f---ing p---y,” says Liddell. “I told you he was going to do this bulls---.”
White nods. “I know,” he says.
This is the first time a TUF coach has dropped out of a proposed fight and White is quick to point it out. Liddell continues ranting and raving out the door and into his team’s locker room.
Ortiz sloughs off Liddell’s howls and further explains his need for neck surgery.
“I guess it’s God trying to see what kind of person I am,” says Ortiz, sounding a little lost.
Josh Bryant and Jamie Yager are up for the next scrap. Yager looked nothing short of stellar in his debut and has kept that swagger since. Josh Bryant looks decidedly less explosive than Yager.
“There’s a lot more to the fight game than just talent and speed,” says Kyacey Uscola, still not sold on Yager.
Yager retires early to his room to “conjure up all my energy” and visualizes his opponent. Yager repeats Ortiz’s mantra of “addressing the shot” and an important checklist of must-have methods of dealing with a wrestler.
“When you tap that chin, it’s the off button, ya feel me?” says Yager, getting a laugh out of Kris McCray.
While Yager plots a knockout, opponent Bryant is taking a more critical approach.
“I hate to lose. I’m competitive,” he says.
Bryant knows the red team expects him to go low early but says he has a surprise.
“My plan is to hit him first, then take him down,” says Bryant.
Yager starts the party early with a superman punch but eats a left hand going in. Yager stumbles backwards and as Bryant rushes toward him, he misses with a leaping kick. Yager works some knees on Bryant and once they separate, he begins to unleash explosive inside leg kicks. It isn’t uncommon for Bryant to rush in swinging and find a flying knee or front kick waiting for him.
Bryant’s team implores him to push the action with a minute left, but he’s having trouble dealing with Yager’s speed. Bryant finally throws an overhand punch that knocks Yager to the floor, but the round ends before he can capitalize.
In the second round, Bryant and Yager clip each other early. Yager keeps bursting with kicks, but without legs under him he keeps ending up on his back. Yager wrestles his way out and comes after Bryant with a furious combo of flying knees and a spinning backfist. Bryant absorbs the barrage and stuns Yager with a return hook. Bryant ends up on top of Yager again and abuses him with some short elbows.
Yager has outclassed Bryant in the first round but gotten knocked down twice; the second round was wild but should have been Bryant’s. The judges want a third round, but Ortiz’s screams of “Don’t quit” during the toss to commercial are ominous.
Yager looks like he’d rather do anything than get back in the cage and refuses to get off his stool. Ortiz has a conniption. Bryant wins after his opponent quits and Liddell races into the cage to rub it in Ortiz’s face.
“Just like Tito,” he comments.
Joe Henle observes that Yager’s “heart meter” got lower and lower every time he got hit.
“F---ing p--- man,” says Ortiz now that Yager’s season-long bravado is gone. Yager, wearing a neck brace, is carried out to an ambulance in dramatic fashion muttering, “I’m sorry guys.”
After the fight, things get worse for Ortiz, as White pulls him aside. White’s suggestion is to offer to send Ortiz to the best neck doctor in the country the next day. White also informs Ortiz that he’s off the show. Unless you know Ortiz personally, you’ve never seen a look like the one he makes upon hearing the news.
A shell-shocked Ortiz leaves the training facility, while his team wonders what’s wrong with him. White calls Ortiz’s team back in from the van they’ve piled into and announces that Ortiz is gone for good.
“I thought Tito was going to talk to you,” says White.
In the words of James Hammortree, the team is “shock and awed” by the turn of events and decidedly crestfallen that Ortiz didn’t say goodbye.
There’s much discussion and the team convinces themselves that Ortiz wouldn’t just leave like that without telling them why.
“We all liked Tito. He’s still our coach; he’s just not here,” says Seth Baczynksi.
Later at the TUF house, Ortiz walks back in.
“I knew you’d come back,” says Hammortree.
Ortiz explains his side of things and the way it all went down. He seems genuinely bummed not being able to coach Kris McCray further and it’s vice-versa for his student. There’s one final raise of the chalice for the red team.
The next day, the semi-finals are announced. It will be Court McGee facing teammate Brad Tavares and Kris McCray fighting Josh Bryant.
Finally we are introduced to the replacement coach and fighter, former UFC middleweight champion and past TUF coach Rich Franklin. Next week, we find out who the super secret assistant coach is, and by the reaction teases we get from the fighters, it has to be Rickson Gracie with a Dan Severn tattoo.
“That f---ing p---y,” says Liddell. “I told you he was going to do this bulls---.”
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This is the first time a TUF coach has dropped out of a proposed fight and White is quick to point it out. Liddell continues ranting and raving out the door and into his team’s locker room.
“Only reward to the show was getting to punch him in the head
afterwards,” says Liddell.
Ortiz sloughs off Liddell’s howls and further explains his need for neck surgery.
“I guess it’s God trying to see what kind of person I am,” says Ortiz, sounding a little lost.
Josh Bryant and Jamie Yager are up for the next scrap. Yager looked nothing short of stellar in his debut and has kept that swagger since. Josh Bryant looks decidedly less explosive than Yager.
“There’s a lot more to the fight game than just talent and speed,” says Kyacey Uscola, still not sold on Yager.
Yager retires early to his room to “conjure up all my energy” and visualizes his opponent. Yager repeats Ortiz’s mantra of “addressing the shot” and an important checklist of must-have methods of dealing with a wrestler.
“When you tap that chin, it’s the off button, ya feel me?” says Yager, getting a laugh out of Kris McCray.
While Yager plots a knockout, opponent Bryant is taking a more critical approach.
“I hate to lose. I’m competitive,” he says.
Bryant knows the red team expects him to go low early but says he has a surprise.
“My plan is to hit him first, then take him down,” says Bryant.
Yager starts the party early with a superman punch but eats a left hand going in. Yager stumbles backwards and as Bryant rushes toward him, he misses with a leaping kick. Yager works some knees on Bryant and once they separate, he begins to unleash explosive inside leg kicks. It isn’t uncommon for Bryant to rush in swinging and find a flying knee or front kick waiting for him.
Bryant’s team implores him to push the action with a minute left, but he’s having trouble dealing with Yager’s speed. Bryant finally throws an overhand punch that knocks Yager to the floor, but the round ends before he can capitalize.
In the second round, Bryant and Yager clip each other early. Yager keeps bursting with kicks, but without legs under him he keeps ending up on his back. Yager wrestles his way out and comes after Bryant with a furious combo of flying knees and a spinning backfist. Bryant absorbs the barrage and stuns Yager with a return hook. Bryant ends up on top of Yager again and abuses him with some short elbows.
Yager has outclassed Bryant in the first round but gotten knocked down twice; the second round was wild but should have been Bryant’s. The judges want a third round, but Ortiz’s screams of “Don’t quit” during the toss to commercial are ominous.
Yager looks like he’d rather do anything than get back in the cage and refuses to get off his stool. Ortiz has a conniption. Bryant wins after his opponent quits and Liddell races into the cage to rub it in Ortiz’s face.
“Just like Tito,” he comments.
Joe Henle observes that Yager’s “heart meter” got lower and lower every time he got hit.
“F---ing p--- man,” says Ortiz now that Yager’s season-long bravado is gone. Yager, wearing a neck brace, is carried out to an ambulance in dramatic fashion muttering, “I’m sorry guys.”
After the fight, things get worse for Ortiz, as White pulls him aside. White’s suggestion is to offer to send Ortiz to the best neck doctor in the country the next day. White also informs Ortiz that he’s off the show. Unless you know Ortiz personally, you’ve never seen a look like the one he makes upon hearing the news.
A shell-shocked Ortiz leaves the training facility, while his team wonders what’s wrong with him. White calls Ortiz’s team back in from the van they’ve piled into and announces that Ortiz is gone for good.
“I thought Tito was going to talk to you,” says White.
In the words of James Hammortree, the team is “shock and awed” by the turn of events and decidedly crestfallen that Ortiz didn’t say goodbye.
There’s much discussion and the team convinces themselves that Ortiz wouldn’t just leave like that without telling them why.
“We all liked Tito. He’s still our coach; he’s just not here,” says Seth Baczynksi.
Later at the TUF house, Ortiz walks back in.
“I knew you’d come back,” says Hammortree.
Ortiz explains his side of things and the way it all went down. He seems genuinely bummed not being able to coach Kris McCray further and it’s vice-versa for his student. There’s one final raise of the chalice for the red team.
The next day, the semi-finals are announced. It will be Court McGee facing teammate Brad Tavares and Kris McCray fighting Josh Bryant.
Finally we are introduced to the replacement coach and fighter, former UFC middleweight champion and past TUF coach Rich Franklin. Next week, we find out who the super secret assistant coach is, and by the reaction teases we get from the fighters, it has to be Rickson Gracie with a Dan Severn tattoo.
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