The Flog!

The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF12 Episode 10 completed the quarter finals.

Fight one was between Aaron Wilkinson and Kyle Watson. GSP stated that Aaron was a better striker than Kyle, so Kyle’s plan was to take Aaron to the ground where Aaron is weaker.

Round one began with Kyle’s kicks and a take down using ko soto gari. He ended up in half guard and then side. When standing, Watson once again took Wilkinson down. He turned onto Wilkinson’s back and put on a figure of four from the back. Watson then grapevined Wilkinson and wrapped his arm around Wilkinson’s neck for a rear naked choke. Wilkinson lifted his head a little, probably to relieve the pressure on his jaw, and the choke was on. Tap out.

Watson was in total control of the match.

The next fight was between the two who hated each other from the start of the season – Alex Caceres and Michael Johnson. GSP said that the fight could go either way, with Alex more technical and agile, whereas Johnson had the power.

The match went two rounds with Johnson taking Caceres down many times. On the ground, he applied ground and pound. When standing, Caceres was successful at strikes and kicks. The one error Johnson made in round two was to attempt a choke without getting his hooks in first. He was much stronger than Caceres, though, and controlled the match.

Unanimous decision in Johnson’s favour.

The semi finals were announced at the end of the show: Jonathan Brookins is to fight Kyle Watson and Michael Johnson will fight Nam Phan.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF12 is on Spike on Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. EST.

ayjay,

November 23, 2010

Episode 9 of The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF12 contained the first two fights of the quarterfinals. After the fights, each coach had a win.

The first pair to fight were Jonathan Brookins against Sako Chivitchian. GSP’s training of Brookins for the fight resembled a shortened version of swimming tapering: after long slogs of training, the tapered training comes in short bursts allowing recovery from the hard training previously.  By fight day (or swim day), if the tapering is done correctly, the athlete peaks on the day, desperate to get fighting, or swimming.

GSP stated that Brookins had amazing skillsets and would put a good game plan together.

Koscheck warned Chivitchian to avoid the guillotine from Brookins and not to give up his back if taken down. He thought the fight would be tough, yet winnable.

Round one had the non-judo guy (Brookins) throw Chivitchian. Brookins clamped on Chivitchian’s back and did a figure of four on one of Chivitchian’s legs. Then Brookins grapevined both Chivitchian’s legs and moved toward a rear naked choke. He showed great patience as he got his arm in position and achieved tap out.  Brookins is a very talented, patient fighter.

The next fight was between Cody McKenzie and Nam Phan.

GSP thought that McKenzie would have a big problem with Phan’s striking, but would put Phan against the fence and on his back, in order to neutralize Phan’s striking and jiu jitsu.

Koscheck said that Phan would win, and desperately wanted him to win against McKenzie, with whom Koscheck had had multiple arguments during the previous weeks. Training showed Phan working guillotine defense, the guillotine choke being the way McKenzie had won all his previous matches.

Round one had McKenzie attempting take downs and applying knees to Phan’s legs. He achieved one take down and ended in Phan’s closed guard. McKenzie’s height and reach advantages proved significant factors in the round.

Phan eventually connected with multiple strikes and then McKenzie pulled guard. McKenzie scored a couple of shots right before the buzzer, but he looked exhausted.

During the break, GSP forced McKenzie to stand up.

Round two had Koscheck yelling to Phan that McKenzie was tired. GSP kept calling for the clinch. Phan connected with strikes and kicks. McKenzie had long kicks. After lots of shots to McKenzie’s chin, Phan struck McKenzie’s ribs and McKenzie went down. After Phan hit McKenzie on the ground a couple of times, the referee stopped the match.

Koscheck was thrilled with the win and proved once again that he was a bad winner.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF12 is on Spike on Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. EST.

ayjay

November 16, 2010

Episode 7 of The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF12 contained the Coaches’ Challenge as well as the last preliminary fight of the team members.

The Coaches’ Challenge involved  baseball, a sport GSP had never played. In fact, he said that he had never held a bat before. Koscheck dominated the three ”innings”,  although St-Pierre did very well in the second. In the third inning, GSP had no hits, probably the result of nerves.

The fight in the episode was between Sako “Psycho” Chivitchian and Dane Sayers. GSP thought that Sayers was the most improved on his team and the heaviest hitter. He felt that Sayers could surprise everyone, even though his showed not a lot of skill in his first fight. Sako had a huge advantage, being a champion in judo at the Worlds’ and an Olympian.

Round one began with Sako walking into a guillotine attempt by Sayers. Sayers was not listening too well to his coach, but stayed in the game. At the end of the round, he attempted a take down which failed, mainly due to Sako’s holding the fence.

At the start of round two, Sako threw Sayers with an harai goshi and ended in Sayers’ half guard. Sako then applied some ground and pound. After Sayers got up and traded shots with Chivitchian, Sayers tried another take down. Once again, Chivitchian held onto the fence.

Sayers stayed in the fight but was dominated in the round; Chivitchian won by decision.

Episode 8 had some verbal and physical sparring between Koscheck and GSP’s medic. Koscheck actually grabbed the guy by the throat. In another environment, he would have been charged with assault, and should have been: he is a professional fighter and attacked another man.

The wild card fight was between Aaron Wilkinson and Marc Stevens. Wilkinson was planning on jab and run and thought his cardio would outdo Stevens.

White felt that Wilkinson would stay on his feet and use his hands. He thought Stevens was more talented than we’d seen previously and would bring it this time.

Round 1 started with Stevens taking Wilkinson down, ending in a grapevine and rolling with him. Wilkinson had his arms out and Stevens tried a triangle. Wilkinson lasted 3 1/2 minutes on the ground, being dominated, but his defense was strong.

Round 2 began with Wilkinson’s kicks. Stevens took Wilkinson down after grabbing the leg during a kick attempt and ended up in exactly the position he was in during his previous fight: he was in Wilkinson’s guillotine and tapped out.

This last match completed the preliminaries; the quarterfinal matches were announced afterward.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 TUF12 is on Spike on Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. EST.

ayjay

November 9, 2010