The Ultimate Fighter featured an all-Team Tate bout in this episode.Julianna Peña and Sarah Moras had a spot in the finale on the line, and it was a rematch of a 2012 fight that Moras won. The same result would not hold, as Peña dominated the bout to move on to the finale.
The episode was nearly completely focused on this fight between teammates. With that said, it’s time for the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good:
- Sarah Moras was feeling ostracized from the team, and the coaches went to talk to her in the sauna. While they may have more invested with Peña, it was nice to see them make concessions for Moras.
- As a result of the talk, Miesha Tate split the coaches for the women. A solid move to appease everyone.
- Ronda Rousey stopped by the house to rip everyone’s shirts. It’s her signature style. The highlight of the segment was Moras’ dry humor of saying she was going to sell the shirt on eBay so she didn’t have to work post-TUF.
- Peña isn’t the most talented female fighter, but her strength and heart showed. It was a good performance. She can definitely win this show, and she has already taken out some strong competitors.
The Bad:
- The issue of favoritism showed its head again, and it is just not a good look for a head coach.
- Julianna Peña‘s biggest flaw is her mental approach. It is something she admits, Bryan Caraway talked about it, and was shown by her paranoia when Tate was working with Moras. It’s a mark of immaturity.
- Peña and Roxanne Modafferi were talking at the table, and Peña just came off poorly on this show. I’m not sure if she was joking or not, but regardless she is very annoying on this show.
- The annoyances don’t stop there. Peña had her run-in with Rocky Pennington as well. Peña is not a quiet roommate, but it was her reaction to the joking from Pennington that became an annoyance.
- Tate and Peña talked the night before the fight, and it was Tate this time who opened up about other fighters. She seemed to put down the “non-favorites” by questioning their work ethic. She is supposed to be the head coach of this team, but it’s clear she’s only committed to her friends.
The Ugly:
- “Rudimentary” may be complimentary in regards to Peña’s striking. With Tate’s coaching staff, it was kind of startling to see that she had not really improved all that much. Luckily, she possesses raw power. However, that is not a substitute for technique in the long-term.
Next week’s bout will be between Team Rousey’s David Grant and Anthony Gutierrez.
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate
Julianna Peña vs. Sarah Moras: Julianna Peña def. Sarah Moras via submission (guillotine choke) in Round 2.
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