The Ultimate Fighter returned for another installment. This time it would be Corey Anderson taking on Josh Clark in a bout that went to the scorecards.
The season is starting to have a bit of a lull due in part to matchmaking. Team Edgar and Team Penn are getting their top talent through to the next round, and we have mismatches. There is nothing wrong with that, but it makes the middle stages of fights a bit lackluster. Much was the same on Wednesday night. Anderson won, but it was not an all-time classic by any stretch.
There was still a half-hour of other content to get through, and this is the good, the bad, and the ugly for the fifth episode of the season.
The Good:
- BJ Penn gave his guys a few days off following the loss. He recognized that they were overtraining, and that has a serious negative effect. It is quality coaching to recognize this and make the adjustment.
- In their time off, Team Penn celebrated Halloween with Jack-O-Lanterns, costumes, and candy.
- Frankie Edgar stopped by to Trick-Or-Treat with his kids. They were dressed up as three of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was cute seeing the family interaction, and nice to see some light-hearted dealings on the show.
- Edgar took his team on a hike during their day off. The fighters are always cooped up in the house unless the coaches give them rec time, and Edgar did just that.
- Penn is continuing to show his coaching prowess. He identified that Clark had issues with confidence, and he wanted to make it a point to work on that as the mental game is just as important as the physical in MMA. It is very good that a coach can spot those mental issues and actively works to fix them.
The Bad:
- BJ Penn is a world-class fighter, but he may want to stay away from the analogies. “When you put too much salt in the food… it becomes too salty.” Excellent, BJ. Thank you.
- Matt Van Buren continued being “that guy”. He continues to run his mouth inexplicably, and is easily the most annoying cast member of the season.
- Edgar’s hike did not go over with everyone. Various members of his team complained that this was supposed to be a day off, and were not so happy with taking a stroll through nature.
- The fight itself finds itself on the “bad” side of things. It just was not very entertaining. Cardio issues, generic wrestling dominance, and just an overall lack of top level talent on display.
The Ugly:
- A member of Team Penn remarked to his teammates dressing up in women’s costumes saying, “It’s just not natural.” This line of thinking is not a shock, but continues to highlight MMA’s close-mindedness.
- Roger Zapata sat at the dinner table and uttered the words, “Wrestling is simple.” I do not even need to break down the idiocy of that statement.
- The promo for next week had a bit of a spoiler. I won’t spoil it for you if you missed the episode or checked out after the decision, but this kind of hype actually hurts instead of promoting. Disappointing.
TUF 19: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn
• Corey Anderson vs. Josh Clark: Cory Anderson def. Josh Clark via unanimous decision.
Click the stars to rate this fight.
