The Ultimate Fighter got underway a few moments after Tim Kennedy upended Rafael Natal at UFC Fight for the Troops 3. It was the 10th episode of the season, and featured Chris Holdsworth getting into the finals over Michael Wootten.
It was a strange episode in many ways, but ultimately we got to the fight in a reasonable time frame to help us forget about that.
This is the good, the bad and the ugly from the 10th episode of the season:
The Good:
- Ronda Rousey stopped by the house to deliver fast food to the fighters who were not in the running anymore. She also showed off her bartending skills. It was a nice gesture, and she clearly cares about her team.
- Chris Holdsworth’s dedication was talked about by his coach, and shown a bit in this episode. It is easy to “fall off the wagon” so-to-speak. Yet Holdsworth continued to have a laser-focus. Now that he is in the finals he can perhaps stay up late, enjoy junk food and sip a little alcohol.
- Guest speaker Kenny Salvini was one of the bright spots, but unfortunately we didn’t get to hear much of his speech. Without some of the wasted time he could have been a focal point of the episode.
- Maybe it is just me, but there seemed to be more dramatic build-up for this fight. The score and editing of this episode was better than previous ones. I’m not sure if they were trying something new, or if I am just now noticing. Either way, I enjoyed it.
- Team Rousey noticed that Wooten wasn’t training as well as he had been earlier, and they let him rest. Wooten also acknowledged this in the episode. Some coaches may try to push a fighter to continue, but Team Rousey understands that a fighter has to peak at the right time. In the pressure cooker that is The Ultimate Fighter the toll taken on the body is even more than a typical camp. It is good that the coaches notice this and try to get him to peak for the fight.
- Holdsworth’s performance was solid. He did exactly what he needed to do to advance, and he looked quite good in doing it.
The Bad:
- A lot of the story behind this episode was Team Tate playing favorites with Chris Holdsworth and Julianna Peña. That is not a good look, and it ultimately poor coaching. Holdsworth hails from Team Alpha Male, and Pena has connections to Tate. It is natural for the coaches to align with fighters they know, but that’s not what this show is about. It did their entire team a disservice.
- Anthony Gutierrez continued to eat junk and flirt. Honestly, he’s just become annoying at this point.
- David Grant admitted his kid was named after Nate Diaz. Really? That’s someone you wanted to name your child after? Ok.
- Dana White is still skeptical about Sarah Moras. While he has been high on Jessamyn Duke, Raquel Pennington, and Pena so far in this season he is not sold on Moras. I know White did not follow women’s MMA until Ronda Rousey showed up, but maybe someone should hand him a paper that shows Moras defeated Pena by TKO just last year.
The Ugly:
- Harley-Davidson’s promotional spot in this episode was awful. It was blatant, boring, too long, and even featured an in-show commercial by Cain Velasquez. I understand it is a sponsorship deal, and the UFC is collecting a check, but that was awful. Groan-worthy stuff.
Next week will feature Julianna Peña (Team Tate) vs. Sarah Moras (Team Tate).
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate
Chris Holdsworth vs. Michael Wootten: Chris Holdsworth def. Michael Wootten via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 1.
Click the stars to rate this fight.
