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The Ultimate Fighter - Team UK versus Team USA

Thanks to a friendly neighbour and their Sky Plus box and some useful websites I’ve now caught up on episode 12 along with the awesome finale show. So here’s a brief recap of the final episode from Virgin 1 with the finale review to follow shortly.

Episode 12 focuses on the final fight between American Frank Lester and Brit James Wilks to decide who will go head to head with Team USA welter weight hopeful DeMarques Johnson. Wilks has the advantage since beating Lester once already plus he is the fresher fighter.

It’s interesting to see Wilks and Lester are good buddies despite competing against each other inside the octagon.

Curry night for Team UK courtesy of Dean Amarasinghe. Michael Bisping tells of how chuffed he is to have put British MMA on the map with this series of  The Ultimate Fighter.

Fun and games ensue, as the team mates knock each other in the pool! It truly is fantastic how well Team UK have all bonded so well.

Jame Wilks vs Frank Lester 

Round 1) A tough fought first round, featuring lots of standup action and clinching defending against takedowns. Very close, infact both coaches believe their fighter won the round.

Round 2) Wilks receives a low blow pausing the action straight away but they are soon back to it. Another close tough round with no clear winner.

Round 3) James keeps his composure, eventually winning via knee strikes.

Lester did well, he was one tough cookie, you can’t take that away from him.  Wilks’ win earns him the spot for the Ultimate Finale for the welter weight TUF 9 prize taking on DeMarques Johnson.

Team UK doing so well spurs Dan Henderson on for his confrontation with Team UK coach Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping at UFC 100 on July 11th.

The Ultimate Fighter as shown on Virgin 1 Sunday nights at 11pm
in the UK on Freeview TV, Sky or Virgin Media.
UFC & MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

duane@bluraymma.com

http://twitter.com/BluRayMMA
www.myspace.com/dynamite_duane

Former WWE pro wrestler Bobby ‘The Dominator’ Lashley tames ‘The Beast’ Bob Sapp at Ultimate Chaos.

The Ultimate Fighter season 9 semi finals

Since cancelling my subscription to Sky as I had planned to switch to Virgin Media instead I have been playing catch up. They told me I would still retain the freeview channels but they never told me that wouldn’t include Virgin 1. Well I’m glad I didn’t take out the Virgin Media package that included Setanta Sports as sadly Setanta is no longer with us.

I managed to find links for the semi final light weight fights from episode 11, so here is my recap of those bouts to decide the 2 light weight TUF contestants to compete on the Finale show shown last Sunday.

Ross Pearson vs Jason Dent

Round 1) This first round featured a lot of rough and tough standup action, witha lot of work defending each others takedown attempts against the fence. Tough fought first round going to Pearson the more dominant combatant.

Round 2) Jason Dent comes out attacking, attempting to avenge the first round. All the action is upright until Ross Pearson throws Dent to the canvas at the 2 minute mark. But the action is soon upright once more but the aggressive Brit takes the American down, following up and damn near ending it right there at the end of the round. One more round to decide.

Round 3) Again Dent comes out firing but Ross takes control of the American brawler, once again taking him to the canvas. On the ground Pearson is relentless. Pearson didn’t quite finish the fight against the gutsy Yank but he totally dominated earning a unamanous decision and a place in the TUF finale.

So who would face Pearson? A Brit or an American?

Andre Winner vs Cameron Dollar

Round 1) Andre Winner has to constantly defend against Cameron Dollars wrestling attack, attemting takedowns on the Brit mixed martial artist. Winner does get taken to the mat but it’s a case of Yin versus Yang, turning the takedown to his advantage from underneath acheiving the Tapout win via Triangle Choke.

So there you have that it, how the 2 light weight Brits got to the final, making a win – win situation for Mike Bisping and Team UK. Great for us Brits but not good for Dan Henderson and the Americans. Don’t forget Team USA still have a man in the finale – DeMarques Johnson.

The Ultimate Fighter as shown on Virgin 1 Sunday nights at 11pm in the UK on Freeview TV, Sky or Virgin Media.

Make sure you follow BluRayMMA on Twitter to keep updated on the latest MMA and UFC news, we are sure to have news on the new channel for the UFC very soon.

UFC & MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

duane@bluraymma.com

http://twitter.com/BluRayMMA
www.myspace.com/dynamite_duane

The UFC breaks ties with Setanta Sports

It has finally been confirmed this morning, The Ultimate Fighting Championship no longer has a deal with Setanta Sports. The decision had to be made sooner rather than later as the UFC builds up to UFC 100.

As things stand Setanta is still in business but the ailing sports subscription channel is a sinking ship, Marshall Zelaznik made the right decision to jump now.

The question remains of where the UFC will find as their new home in the British Isles? Gareth A Davies of the Daily Telegraph speculates on a return to Bravo or a move to Virgin 1, Sky Sports or even Channel 5. Another possibility is Disney owned sports network ESPN who are buying the rights to the big football games.

Whatever channel the UFC moves to it is good timing to make the jump now rather than nearer July 11th, as no Brit UFC fan wants to miss UFC 100.

Not only do we have former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley versus Bob ‘The Beast’ Sapp on the card but also the MMA debut of Tom Attencio, the Affliction owner.

UFC & MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

duane@bluraymma.com

http://twitter.com/BluRayMMA
www.myspace.com/dynamite_duane

Another Affliction main event well worthing waiting for, hopefully this will be shown on Bravo in the UK.

UFC & MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

duane@bluraymma.com

http://twitter.com/BluRayMMA
www.myspace.com/dynamite_duane

Here are 2 videos I found on website Daily Motion from the recent open tournament, similar to the PRIDE FC Grand Prix. Originally aired on HDNet in the USA.

Bob “The Beast” Sapp vs Minowa Man

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9eeyz_bob-sapp-vs-ikuhisa-minowa-dream-9_sport

Choi Hong Man vs Jose Canseco

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9ef1v_hong-man-choi-vs-jose-canseco-dream_sport

Adrenaline MMA III: Bragging Rights from Birmingham, Alabama from Saturday June 13th. This was the main bout, as former UFC champion Tim Sylvia got knocked out by former WBO World heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer.

You got to wonder how this loss will affect Sylvia’s drawing power, losing to a 50 year old retired boxer?

UFC & MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

duane@bluraymma.com

http://twitter.com/BluRayMMA
www.myspace.com/dynamite_duane

TUF 9 - Team UK vs Team USA

Time for the semi final fights to kick off as we draw closer to see which 2 fighters will be crowned Ultimate Fighter in their respective welterweight and lightweight fight brackets . So who will move one step closer to the finale show?

The show starts as Dana White picks the matchups. Dana is tempted to mix it up with teams mate fighting each other but between him, Dan Henderson, Mike Bisping and the TUF 9 contestants they settle on keeping the competition as USA versus UK. Here are the pairings:

Nick Osipczak vs DeMarques Johnson

Andre Winner vs Cameron Dollar

Ross Pearson vs Jason Dent

James Wilks vs Frank Lester 

First of the 4 bouts is between welterweights Nick and Demarques. In the USA camp Jason Pierce the contestant unable to fight is receiving a hard time from his fellow team mates. Richie Whitson is not keen on Pierce being friendly with Brit Dave Faulkner and Team UK in general.

During Johnson’s training session Hendo tells us Johnson is the one he picks as the welterweight winner of the show. Only time will tell if he has backed the right fighter. Usually in Johnson’s bouts he is the combatant boasting a height advantage but this time Nick has a slight edge over the American.

Leading up to the fight the rumour circulates that Pierce is giving away Team USA’s training secrets to the Brits. Henderson challenges Pierce on the matter but is eager to deny. It turns out Nick was behind asking Dave Faulkner to infiltrate Team USA via Jason Pierce.

Pre fight  Bisping is shown pushing Nick hard in training. Mean while DeMarques prays for victory kneeling inside the UFC octagon. In paper it would be fair to say the more experienced mixed martial artist Johnson is the odds on favourite with 13 wins under his belt but the less expierenced Londoner Nick is undefeated at 3 and 0

Round 1) Demarques lands a hard blow on Nick. Nick gets taken down by the strong American wrestler but defends well soon regaining the upright position how Bisping taught him. As round progresses Johnson imposes his will on Nick in the ground game. Right at the end of the 1st round the Brit fighter fights back on to his feet laying into the American nearly finishing him. That what was one heck of an exciting round.

Round 2) Nick takes down DeMarques but unfortunately for the Brit he turns it around snatching top position. Johnson continues to dominate on top throughout the round. At one point during the onslaught Bisping from the Team UK corner protests at what appears to be back of the head stikes aimed at Nick. He covers up, defending just enough to see the fight through to a 3rd and final round!

Round 3) In the standup exchanges Johnson lands a huge knee to the head of Londoner Nick. Aiming a kick at Johnson, Nick is taken down once more. Demarques is strong on the canvas, eventually Nick turns it around taking top position. The fight goes the distance, Johnson won on the score card but it was one hell of a scrap.  The first MMA loss for Nick Osipczak but I’m sure we’ll see more this talented young Brit mixed martial artist.  

Demarques Johnson secures his seat in the final versus the winner of James Wilks and Frank Lester. Next episode on tonight at 11pm on Virgin1 tonight will see the 4 light weights square off in episode 11. The following week showing in US on June 20th will be finale show.  

Make sure you tune into Virgin 1 every Sunday at 11pm in the UK
on Freeview TV, Sky or Virgin Media. Setanta Sports subscribers can
catch The Ultimate Fighter second showing every Wednesday.
Over in the States the programme is aired on Spike TV a few days earlier.

Fight fans can now follow BluRayMMA(me!) and BluRayUFC on Twitter.

UFC & MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

duane@bluraymma.com

http://twitter.com/BluRayMMA
www.myspace.com/dynamite_duane