‘TUF 15’ Recap: Episode 4
Episode four begins in typical fashion, and the week’s previous bout between Justin Lawrence and Cristiano Marcello is recapped. After watching Marcello fall to that devastating left hook one more time, we are reminded that Team Cruz’s Myles Jury will face off with Team Faber’s Al Iaquinta on Friday’s episode.
Back in the locker room one week ago, Dominick Cruz and company are psyched after Lawrence’s victory, and the mood is once again somber in Urijah Faber’s quarters. Team Faber manages to pull it together and regroups back at the fighter house. Though bested in his bout, Marcello vows to dedicate himself to helping his teammates prepare for their upcoming fights.
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“If you grind yourself to the bitter end in practice, it makes the fight fun and easy,” says Cruz. “Anybody who has seen me fight knows I walk out with a huge smile on my face, because I know the hell I’ve been through in camp for the past 13 weeks.”
Suddenly, Mike Rio eats a
spinning back fist while sparring, and his right knee gives out.
For a moment, Rio thinks he might be seriously injured, but it
appears he will persevere.
“This isn’t going to stop me,” says Rio. “I’m going to be here for three months and push hard, bum knee or not.”
Later, we find Andy Ogle reading poetry -- apparently. The fighters are bored with all the time on their hands. Some have taken to eating; others are doing impressions to pass the time. Meanwhile, Chris Tickle admits he is having a difficult time sleeping without his girl.
Back at the UFC Training Center, Iaquinta introduces himself, revealing that he was supposed to appear on Season 12 of the reality series before he broke his hand and was forced to withdraw two weeks before the competition. Iaquinta is looking to make the most of his second chance and tells coach Faber he wants to focus on his offense leading up to the fight.
Faber is now dedicating some time back at the fighter house, bringing in a life coach to give the fighters a new perspective. The guys -- most of them anyway -- seem to take it to heart. Tickle is unimpressed with the proceedings and makes it known.
“Who needs a life coach?” he asks. “A life coach is probably just for someone who is mentally weak. I never had a damn mentor or a life coach in my life. Why would I need one now?”
Rio is still worried about his knee, giving himself a pep talk while trying to hide his injury from Team Faber. In the gym, Rio has the joint taped heavily as he works off his back. The long-haired warrior winces in pain as he gives up his back and taps to a rear-naked choke.
Jury is in the cage working the pads and reveals he was headed down a bad road after his parents divorced. Instead, he took to training mixed martial arts, and that became his “drug” of choice. He then takes a moment to lament the torn knee ligament he suffered on Season 13 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Cruz develops the game plan for his fighter, stating that Iaquinta has a good single-leg takedown. As always, Cruz is looking for his fighter to use plenty of feints. As Jury gets out of the shower, covered by a towel, he is ambushed by his team.
Back on the couch, Daron Cruickshank asserts that if Iaquinta earns a win, Team Faber should call out Rio. Ogle jumps at the opportunity and volunteers to take the job.
At the pre-fight weigh-ins, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer clears Jury and Iaquinta to compete. After the mandatory pep talks from Cruz and Faber, the two lightweight hopefuls make their way to the cage.
Iaquinta takes center cage to start, but he is cracked by a counter uppercut and hook from Jury, who then lands a pair of hard low kicks as his foe continues to pursue. Midway through the round, Faber’s fighter is still the aggressor and begins to find his range. Jury answers with a Superman punch and tries to clinch before Iaquinta shucks him off. Jury goes for a takedown, but Iaquinta nearly has a banana split locked up. Jury escapes to his feet and suplexes his foe, almost spiking him on his skull.
Jury has a high kick blocked to begin round two, but Iaquinta retaliates with a kick to the ribs. Jury catches a low kick and stuns his opponent with a back fist. Cruz’s man charges forward, but is rocked by an overhand right. Iaquinta continues to press the attack, whiffing on a right hand but landing a straight to the body and a hook upstairs. Suddenly, Jury tries a single-leg and nearly takes Iaquinta’s back before he escapes. Both men land effectively as the round winds to a close, but Jury hits a takedown with only 10 seconds left. The judges have an unenviable job in this one. UFC President Dana White announces the fight has been scored a draw. Sudden victory, y’all.
Jury catches a knuckle in the eye off an Iaquinta right hand, and Faber’s man follows with a blistering combination that stuns his foe. Jury manages to recover, but Iaquinta is stalking him now. Iaquinta clips Jury with a left hook and pushes him back with a trio of jabs. Jury manages to connect on a looping overhand counter, but Iaquinta is not fazed. As the round comes to a close, both men throw heavy leather, but neither can connect with a fight-ender.
White is back on screen and reveals that Iaquinta is the winner by split decision, giving the blue team its first win of the season. Team Faber now has control of the pick, and “The California Kid” says Michael Chiesa will meet Jeremy Larsen next week.
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