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The series continues with Team USA trailing 3 to 4 but they are gaining on Mike Bisping’s Team UK. Last time we find out Jason Pierce had lost his opportunity. Dana White meets with the Welter weight fighters to see who wants it the most to take Pierce’s spot versus David Faulkner. Frank Lester is the man begging for the chance to enter the octagon again despite having his teeth knocked out last time. Dana admires his heart and so chooses Lester despite his war wounds.

 Bisping is not happy with Henderson and the change of training times, he doesn’t want to switch just because Dan Henderson says so. The reason for the change is due to Frank Lester not being 100% for the clash with Dave Faulkner. A wound up Bisping squirts water at DaMarques Johnson, the guy he thought made a racist comment at him during the tennis game coaches challenge previously. After it was explained DaMarques was the wrong man Bisping apologises for his antics.

In an attempt to sort his gag reflex problem Dave Faulkner visits a hypnotherapist. But did the therapy do the trick?

So here we  have it the final preliminary of the season from the welters. Bisping has a lot riding on Faulkner, for one he a fellow Wolfslair fighter and secondly if he loses to Lester Bisping’s Team UK will no longer be in the lead but neck and neck with the Americans.

Round 1) A close first round with Faulkner taking a slight advantage.

Round 2) Well Faulkner wasn’t totally cured of his gag reflex problem since the gum shield flew out causing referee Steve Mazzagatti to call for a time out early on in the round. American Lester makes good use of the Muay Thai clinch piling in some strong knee strikes. Faulkner appears tired but manages to land some good punches to Lester. Another closely fought round. Dana declares a third round to decide the winner. Mean while in Faulkner’s corner the Team UK coach Bisping is having a hard job encouraging the Liverpudlian to continue. Despite all the words of encouragement Faulkner gives in to his body, the third round wasn’t to be.

A dark day for Team UK but only Faulkner does how he feels. Frank Lester deserves the victory, the guy has a ton of heart, you got to admire that him taking this fight and winning coming off a loss so soon and losing his front teeth.

Team UK 4 – 4 Team USA

Bisping is gutted to be blunt. Storming off for a breather he takes 4 remaining contestants to one side for a chat preparing them for the semi finals away from Faulkner. Bisping has got to feel disappointed since David Faulkner was the fighter he talked up so much being  a fellow Wolfslair team member.

Episode 10 the semi final picks plus two welters clash in the cage.

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.

Check out my brand new UFC blog by visiting http://blurayufc.com/ the sister site of bluraymma.com

MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

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Rob Browning the brother of last season’s entrant and attention seeker Junie Browning wasting no time in getting himself noticed on camera and in the process wound up a lot of people. Browning indiscriminately launched eggs at his fellow TUF 9 contestants from a far. He didn’t seem to care who he annoyed regardless of being British or American. His notoriety earns himself the nickname 15 minutes as appears so keen to have his own 15 minutes of fame.

 

Team USA still needed one more Welterweight fighter and one more lightweight fighter to be decided in tonight’s eliminations before the series can progress to team versus team. First up the welters.

 

Kiel Reid fought it out with Frank Lester for the remaining place with the welters on the squad. Lester pre fight told us he wanted to stand and duke it out but gets taken down by Reid. Reid is dominant on the deck, wrestling looks to be his strong suit. The fight ends by Reid inadvertently knocking himself out when he takes down Lester hitting his own head into the floor of the octagon. Lester had a Kimura submission hold on him but Reid was out and unable to tap out. An unfortunate loss to Reid but anything can happen inside the cage. Frank Lester advances to the TUF house joining Dan Henderson’s Team USA.

 

The second and last Team USA decider saw Rob Browning compete against Jason Dent for the remaining lightweight spot. Would Rob Browning make it as far as his brother? We were about to find out. Into the bout there were good exchanges from both mixed martial artists until Dent overwhelms Browning on the mat utilising a ground and pound assault for the win. Dent to stay, Browning to go home to everyone else’s pleasure.

 

The final squad for Team USA

 

U.S. welterweights

 

Frank Lester

 

Mark Miller – Chicago

 

Jason Pierce – Iowa.

 

DaMarques Johnson – Salt Lake City

 

 

U.S. lightweights

 

Jason Dent

 

Richie Whitson – Alaskan residing in California

 

Santino DeFranco – IFL

 

Cameron Dollar – Colorado Springs

 

 

 

Next episode the competition between the two nations kicks off now all team members have been decided following the elimination bouts. Dana White flips the TUF coin, Team USA win the toss picking the first fight between the rival nations.

 

Make sure you tune into Virgin 1 every Sunday at 11pm in the UK on Freeview, Sky or Virgin Media. If you have Setanta Sports you can catch the episode repeated each Wednesday. Over in the States the programme is aired on Spike TV.

 

 

 

MMA blog by Dynamite Duane

duane@bluraymma.com

www.myspace.com/dynamite_duane

 

 

 

Since Dan Henderson came off victorious over Rich Franklin it would be the former Olympian filling the role as coach of Team USA. So who would be the 8 American mixed martial artists to represent their country? Tonight Dana got the contests underway to whittle down from 16 to 8 fighters.

 

If you recall from the sneak preview not everyone was fully prepared for this chance of a lifetime at winning a contract fighting inside the UFC Octagon. 2 fighters had not reached the required weight in time for the elimination fights. Dramatically in front of Dana White, Dan Henderson and the other entrants, welterweight Jason Pierce collapsed in a heap. Despite this Pierce wasn’t dismissed. The demand of cutting weight in a too short a time had taken a toll on the guy.

 

Another contestant upon medical examination was discovered to have evidence of Herpes visible on his head, John David was sent home straight away. Christian Fulgium the second fighter to not make it as far as the elimination stage just couldn’t cut the weight in time despite being given extra time so he quit.

So two fighters down out of the 16 Dana promised 2 more fighters to be revealed later on.

 

Kicking things off from the welterweights we saw Mark Miller best his friend and training partner Kevin Knabjian after 2 rounds with a TKO victory. Looked tough for them both being buddies as only one could advance to the TUF house.

 

Second fight was the first for of the lightweights, as Richie Whitson of California took on Paul Bird in a decent fight. Whitson got the win via rear naked choke.

 

The 3^rd fight saw the super strong Waylon Lowe completely dominate Santino Defranco in the 1^st round. It appeared to be all over as Defranco turtled up taking a pounding but referee Steve Mazzagatti kept him in it. Come round 2 Defranco came back with vengeance, launching at Lowe kneeing him straight on. He follows up by submitting with a chokehold to gain the win. It’s quite possible another referee would have stopped it in round 2 but then we wouldn’t have that amazing come back which made exciting viewing.

 

The next decider were between welters Berger and Jason Pierce. Remember Pierce the fella who fainted? Well he stayed the distance of the full 3 rounds winning by a decision.

 

Another pair of lightweights entered the cage – Cameron Dollar and Tom Hayden. The 1^st round is won by Hayden, which counted for little as Dollar came back in the 2^nd round submitting his opponent to win.

 

Sixth bout of the night saw Muay Thai kick boxer Roy Elbe get beaten on the ground from Damarques Johnson impressively winning via ground and pound.

 

So six members of Team USA decided and here they are below:

 

 

U.S. welterweights

 

Mark Miller – Chicago

 

Jason Pierce – Iowa.

 

DaMarques – Johnson Lake City

 

 

U.S. lightweights

 

Richie Whitson – Alaskan residing in California

 

Santino DeFranco – IFL

 

Cameron Dollar – Colorado Springs

 

 

Six made it into the house and onto the show, leaving space for two more competitors but to get into the house you have to fight first. Dana then introduced us to 2 extra guys in with a chance. One turned out to be Rob Browning brother of Junie Browning the fighter up to all the shenanigans on TUF 8. 

 

You can catch the new episode this Sunday at 11pm on Virgin 1 in the UK and if you missed last weeks view it again on Setanta Sports 1. You lucky people stateside get to see it all before us Brits on Spike TV Wednesday evening.