The Ultimate Fighter returned from its one week hiatus with the final two quarterfinal bouts – kind of.
Anthony Gutierrez was slated to meet Cody Bollinger, but Team Tate’s Bollinger was unable to make weight. The Nevada State Athletic Commission allowed Gutierrez to make the choice between fighting Chris Beal and taking a bye. More on that later.
The final fight of the quarters was between Peggy Morgan and Sarah Moras. It was a quality performance from Moras, and she got the armbar finish to advance. Three Team Tate women advance, and three Team Rousey men move forward.
This is the good, the bad and the ugly from the latest installment of The Ultimate Fighter:
The Good:
- As Cody struggled with his weight cut, his teammates Roxanne Modaferri and Raquel Pennington stepped up to help him. They were not going to let Bollinger go down without giving it everything. True teammates stepping up.
- Rousey isn’t the only armbar fiend in the women’s bantamweight division. Moras has a quality submission game of her own, and it showed against Morgan. Once Morgan hit the mat it was over. Moras dominated on the floor, secured the sub, and advanced.
- In a bit of comedy, Dana White had a humorous bit about Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate actually agreeing on the matchups moving forward.
The Bad:
- Cody mentioned in the talking head interview that he struggles mentally. Definitely foreshadowing, but even larger is the fact that he admits that it is a problem. That’s not a good thing for a fighter. This sport is much more mental than physical.
- When you signed up for The Ultimate Fighter you know what you are signing up for, and making weight is at the top of the list. To struggle with weight and miss substantially is disappointing and frustrating.
- First, let me admit that what Anthony did was smart. He occurs no damage, doesn’t have to weigh-in a second time, and enters the semi-finals fresh. Why does it end up in the bad? Because fighters should fight. It was a smart strategic move, but it was a move that made him look weak. He’ll have a chance to shut me up come his semi-final bout.
The Ugly:
- Dana White gave Cody the boot from the show, and he was totally justified in doing so. It’s just ugly to see it happen. As White said, Bollinger stole someone’s lottery ticket. Shame.
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate
Sarah Moras vs. Peggy Morgan: Sarah Moras defeats Peggy Morgan by Submission (Armbar) at 4:39 of round 1.
Click the stars to rate this fight.
