TUF TIMES: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller, Season 14-Episode 7

By Julie Romine

This week on The Ultimate Fighter, the last quarterfinal fight between Team Bisping‘s TJ Dillashaw and Team Miller‘s Roland Delorme took place. Also, Dana White and the team captains decided on the semifinal matchups.

TJ Dillashaw and Roland Delorme may have been scheduled to fight, but Team Miller was concerned with Roland’s swollen and infected foot. Roland was on antibiotics and hoped he would be able to fight. Team Miller’s training time just began, and in walked the famed Raphael Cordeiro, the founder of Chute Boxe, and a champion of Muay Thai in Brazil. Raphael came by to give training advice to the fighters, and the guys were really stoked and impressed with him. This was a beneficial surprise for the team.

The training session for Team Bisping had a visitor as well, former UFC champion Tito Ortiz. Tito also had training tips, and the guys were amazed and grateful for this visit; some were even a little star struck. And others exclaimed, “Tito’s head is even larger in real life!”

There was also drama in the house, as Team Bisping heard that TJ Dillashaw, who trains with Team Alpha Male, told their coaches that he should have an easier fight because he was the better fighter, and that way he could shine in the finals. The guys felt that TJ was way too cocky, so Diego Brandao and Akira Corassani decided that at practice that they would “raise hell” and give TJ a hard time. They wanted to teach TJ a lesson, so Diego and Akira wanted to take turns at him during sparring.

Training time for Team Bisping began with a warm up first, and then grappling. Diego was really tough on TJ, and even made TJ tap a few times. Next for TJ was practice in the cage, and first up was Akira. Akira did not hold back, despite TJ’s concern, which upset TJ. Marcus Brimage sparred with TJ next, and things continued to escalate until the coaches stopped the training because things got too heated. After their training session, Akira told Bisping that their plan was to knock TJ out, which Bisping did not appreciate at all. Bisping told the camera that if the team had a problem with TJ, they needed to address it, not take it out on him.

During Team Miller’s training time the doctor cleared Roland Delorme to fight, as Roland felt strong enough, his weight was fine, and cardio was not a problem. He trained just enough to not overwork himself, or injure his foot further, and Miller seemed confident that Roland would be ok.

Team Bisping’s next training session concentrated on TJ, as he was fighting next. Coach Tiki Ghosn did pad work with him, and as they were hitting it hard, Team Miller decided it was prank time. To get revenge on Team Bisping for the previous prank to Miller’s car, Miller had a professional crew come in and block in Tiki’s SUV with high and wide jersey barricades! However Tiki and TJ sort of laughed it off, impressed with Miller’s ingenuity.

Next came fight day for the Bantamweights! Team Miller’s Roland Delorme (6-2) took on Team Bisping’s TJ Dillashaw (4-0). In Round 1, the fighters started off with a few strikes, but in a flash TJ took Roland to the ground. Roland almost immediately sprawled back up, and the fighters continued with striking until TJ again took Roland to the ground. TJ threw punches and elbows from the top, but Roland was active from the bottom until they were both stood up. TJ displayed strong punching on the feet, but he decided to put Roland on the ground again, and they threw punches and elbows as they grappled. After they both got up, TJ got a single leg takedown, putting Roland on his back with TJ, the wrestler, on top. After TJ attempted a submission that he could not secure, both fighters returned to their feet to throw strikes. Roland then landed some great strikes before turning the tables on TJ, and using a trip to take him down to the ground. Roland briefly held control, and attempted a submission, but TJ managed to avoid it, sweeping and securing side control, which he held until the bell rung.

In Round 2 the fighters came out of their corners, and TJ threw a really big punch which knocked Roland to the ground, then TJ proceeded with grappling and ground-and-pound. Roland was active from his back, but TJ landed big strikes before taking Roland’s back and successfully sinking in a RNC. Roland tapped. TJ Dillashaw won via submission.

Dana White, along with the coaches and fighters, picked the semifinal matchups. Since Team Miller won five fights and Team Bisping won three, 2 of Team Miller’s fighters had to face each other. Dana White announced the bantamweight semifinals with all the fighters and coaches present. Team Bisping’s TJ Dillashaw vs. Team Miller’s Dustin Pague, and Team Miller’s John Dodson vs. Team Miller’s Johnny Bedford. The featherweight lineup was Team Bisping’s Akira Corassani vs. Team Miller’s Dennis Bermudez, and Team Bisping’s Diego Brandao vs. Team Miller’s Bryan Caraway.

On next week’s episode, both teams play some out of control pranks on each other, and the first featherweight fight of Akira vs. Dennis takes place. These semifinals are going to be fast-paced and exciting. I can’t wait! Please join me Wednesday nights on Spike TV, or here for TUF Times weekly on MMA Ratings.