UFC

The Ultimate Fighter is a predictable show.  I'm not sure whether I like the fact that I can tell how many rounds the episode's fight is going to last or not.  On one hand, there's no suspense.  If the fight doesn't begin until the last ten minutes, then I can get excited for an early knockout.  If the fight begins twenty minutes in, I know we're looking at a three-rounder.  Tonight, on The Ultimate Fighter, we had an epic but boring three round bout, plus a quick cameo from a beloved UFC fighter.

Rampage is upset by his team.  He doesn't think that they are fighting up to their potential.  So, he decides to bring in a former Ultimate Fighter participant who has had UFC success.  That person is Michael Bisping. He spars with the team, gives some words of encouragements.  He tells them not to slack on training, not to get drunk at the house and to get enough sleep.  Jeremy May puts lime juice in Matt Brown's chewing tobacco.  You see, Matt Brown is a tough son of a gun.  Matt tells Jeremy that he's going to be the next fight.  Matt is pretty humorless. 

Team Forest retains control of the fight selection.  They choose Forest's Dante Rivera versus Team Rampage's Brandon Sene.  Dante Rivera is an experienced fighter, but Brandon is a tough dude.  He used to be a Marine sniper.  That's pretty bad ass.  Team Forest and his coaches are prepared, intense and know  what they're doing.  Not to say that Rampage is doing a poor job, he's trying, he's just not a natural coach. 

We get to Fight Day very early in the episode.  Brandon, who sports a silly Mohawk, is playing with house money.  Like Matthew Riddle last week, he's got nothing to lose.  Dante has a lot to lose. 


Brandon Sene – 26 years old, 2-0

vs.

Dante Rivera – 33 years old, 10-2


Round 1:

The first part of the round sees the two men grappling against the fence, no one making much ground.  Dante eventually takes Brandon to the ground.  Brandon is almost finished by an arm bar, but manages to get to his feet.  Grappling again, Brandon lands a bunch of knees to the thigh, plus some body blows.  They are eventually broken apart by the ref.  Dante finally gets Brandon to the ground again with about a minute left, but doesn't do much.  In fact, Brandon lands some punches from bottom position. I'm not sure who won that round – probably Dante. 


Round 2:

Brandon lands some punches and elbows and knees before and while grappling.  On the ground, Brandon lands some good punches on the side of Dante's head.  They are against the fence, and they seem to trade punches.  Brandon gets it back to the feet, where he wants it, but Dante keeps grappling.  On the ground again, Brandon lands a quick barrage of elbows.  Dante seems gassed, even though he retains position. Brandon gets top position, and begins wailing for a few seconds.  The round ends on the ground.  Brandon probably won that round. 

This is going to a third round. 


Round 3:

More grappling, and Brandon lands some knees.  Dante isn't doing much but holding on.  They are broken up again, but Dante gets right back to grappling, taking some knees in the process.  Dante takes it to the ground.  Brandon, from bottom position, lands a bunch of punches and elbows.  Dante lands nothing.  Dante lands some punches and knees in the last minute.

Both fighters and teams believe they won the fight.

In what I think is a terrible decision, they give it to Dante Rivera.  Dana White disagrees with the decision.   Rampage is pissed off, yelling and has to leave to get control of himself. 

Before the end of the episode, we get the next fight announcement:

Team Forest's Matt Brown will fight Team Rampage's Jeremy May.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of UFC)