The Ulitmate Fighter Thread *SPOILERS*

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

AJ · On The Casting Couch

RE: TUF Thread

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Nothing to do with the fact that Matt is the easier sell for the title fight than Lyttle..? I notice throughout the series the UFC have been positioning him. I reckon even if he did lose the fight he would have taken on the winner of the title fight sooner or later anyway.

Still a lot better than I thought it was going to be.. On paper it looked like a snooze fest especially after Bispings fight was cancelled. Pleasesantly surprised.

AJ · On The Casting Couch

Rather than creating a new topic, MMA Weekly have an article on the rumoured coaches for Ultimate Fighter 5:

-Rumored First Coach: Jens Pulver

-Rumored Second Coach: BJ Penn

-Format: Sixteen Lightweight (155-Pound) Fighters

Season premiere date on Spike TV: April 2007

Source: MMA Weekly

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

What I want to know is what's with all this emphasis on the Lightweights all of a sudden, wouldn't they be better off concentrating on the heavyweight division?

AJ · On The Casting Couch

I agree that UFC should focus on the heavyweight division. Sylvia doesn't have much competition at the moment, apart from Arlovski, so if they did spend more time on the Heavyweights it would make the fights better and the UFC stronger in general as this division is lacking in comparison to the Light Heavyweights for example.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Its almost stale in the heavyweights... Although Brandon Vera could shake things up a bit if he beats Timmy Boy

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

- A publicity photo of The Ultimate Fighter 5 cast has
leaked to the internet revealing the identities of all
sixteen lightweight fighters coaches are Jens Pulver
and BJ Penn.

1. Alan Berubie is a 2-0 fighter with the Real
Fighting Championships.

2. Nathan Diaz is the brother of UFC veteran and
current EliteXC fighter Nick Diaz.

3. Robert Emerson is a King of the Cage and Pancrase
veteran who lost his professional MMA debut to Jens
Pulver.

4. Manvel Gambaryan is fighter who has not fought in
the past three years but holds wins over UFC veterans
Sam Morgan and Jorge Santiago.

5. Brian Geraghty is a fighter from Kenosha,
Wisconsin.

6. Corey Hill is a 1-0 fighter who won by TKO at a
local show in Casper, Wyoming.

7. Joe Lauzon is a fighter from Massachusetts who
TKO'd Jens Pulver at UFC 63.

8. Gray Maynard is a two-time All-American wrestler
from Michigan State University with a professional MMA
record of 2-0.

9. Brandon Melendez is a former Sportfight
welterweight champion.

10. Cole Miller is a fighter from the American Top
Team with a record of 11-2.

11. Gabe Ruediger is a former WEC lightweight champion
and UFC 63 veteran.

12. Marlon Sims is a 33-year-old fighter with a record
of 3-1 and holds the Ring of Combat 175-pound title.

13. Noah Thomas is a fighter out of Colorado with a
record of 10-4.

14. Matt Wiman is a UFC 60 veteran who lost to Spencer
Fisher via flying knee.

15. Andy Wang is a fighter who was born in Taipei,
Taiwan.

16. Wayne Weems is a fighter from the Midwest with a
record of 11-2.

The Ultimate Fighter 5 premieres on April 5th at 10 pm
ET on Spike TV.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

From the New York Times website:

Ultimate fighters the reality television show that in large part fueled the mixed martial arts boom, returns for a fifth season on Spike TV on April 5 at 10 p.m.

The reality show has turned complete unknowns into some of the UFC's marquee stars. On every UFC event, you see several fighters who first became names on the previous incarnations of the show. From his first fight after being on the show, Forrest Griffin has been one of the company's most popular fighters. Other show alumni such as Diego Sanchez, Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, Rashad Evans, Joe Stevenson and Michael Bisping all have major matches with potential championship shots at stake over the next three months.

A new group of 16 fighters, for the first time in the history of the show competing in the lightweight division (155 pounds), will have a tournament play out every week with a multi-year UFC contract in the balance. The cast, picked by UFC officials and Spike TV, features a combination of good young fighters, interesting personalities, and hopefully, in some cases, both.

They'll be coached by UFC's first-ever lightweight champion, Jens Pulver, and his rival, B.J. Penn, a former welterweight champion who many within the game will say is among the most talented pure fighters in company history. When Pulver was champion, most felt he was only keeping the title warm for Penn. But when the fight happened, on Jan. 11, 2002, in Uncasville, Conn., Pulver won a close five-round decision. During the second round of that fight, the then-unbeaten Penn caught Pulver in an armbar at the buzzer. Pulver tapped a split second after the round ended, so it didn't count. Then, as has been the case so often with Penn, as the fight wore on, his opponent started taking over.

In the years that past, both fighters left UFC for what were at the time greener pastures in Japan. At one point Penn was even involved in legal action with UFC. When Penn was brought back in 2006, he wanted it guaranteed in the contract he could get a fight with Pulver. He didn't get that clause, since Pulver was fighting with Pride in Japan. But later in the year, a deal was struck with Pulver to return. Pulver had never lost the title in the ring (he went to Japan later in 2002 after a contract dispute), and the idea was to put him on the television show as a coach to get his name out to the new fan base so he'd be marketable for a title shot at whomever the champion would be.

In his return on Sept. 23, at the Honda Center, those plans were derailed. He was knocked out in 48 seconds by an unheralded Joe Lauzon. His title shot was blown. But after some thought and debate, UFC decided to keep Pulver as a coach for a season of shows that have finished taping at this point. Penn was named as his coaching rival, to use the promotional model that last year led to the company breaking both its PPV and later its television ratings record for two Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz matches after they were rival coaches on Ultimate Fighter 3, the most successful of the four incarnations.

Ratings for the fourth season went down significantly. Part of the reason was going against Thursday night football games, but a lot of the reason was a largely less interesting group of fighters and no personal heat between the coaches. Reports are very hard to come by over what will transpire on the show this season, but it is known UFC was very happy with what was taped. There were apparently some of the best fights in the history of the show, and the fireworks that broke out during the season between the two coaches were second to only the Shamrock-Ortiz rivalry.

Another interesting dynamic of the season is Lauzon, who spoiled Pulver's title shot, is one of the favorites to win the tournament. Sporting a 14-3 record, he may have stunned everyone by knocking Pulver out, but he's a genuine top-flight submission fighter with 11 tap-out wins. It's a 50% chance that Pulver will have to coach the fighter who knocked him out of title contention.

Opposition for Lauzon included colorful characters like Allen Berbue, who owns a lobster restaurant in Tampa, Fla., to whom appearing on the show, win or lose, constitutes a win for publicity to "Monsta Lobster," to recent UFC fighters Matt Wiman and Gabe Ruediger. Wiman, who had enough guts to wear shorts with "Handsome" written on them, had one of UFC's most exciting fights of 2006 in a losing effort to title contender Spencer Fisher. Ruediger is attempting to erase the memory of him being the recipient of one of last year's most spectacular knockouts, from a body shot by Melvin Guillard.

They come in different shapes and sizes as well. Corey Hill is 6-4, and towers over the rest of the cast, and who becomes a centerpiece of the show from the first episode of the series. While 6-4, 155 pounds sounds frail, and at first glance he looks to be a boxer or kickboxer, he was actually a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida. He won one state title at a time he was 6-2 and 119 pounds. But he's now close to 30, married and with a family, and hasn't competed in years, but may be the best athlete in the bunch. Manuel Gamburyan, still in his early 20s, has competed at a national level in judo since entering age group tournaments at the age of nine. He's the regular training partner of welterweight contender Karo Parisyan, and a protege of old-time pro wrestling shooter "Judo" Gene LeBell. Being only 5-3, and with short arms, the stand-up game is not to his advantage. But he's got a true fighter's mentality and may be the physically strongest member of the cast.

Others come out of top camps. Brandon Melendez is a veteran fighter under Jeremy Horn. Cole Miller has extensive training with the American Top Team in Florida, and scored brownie points in a Florida tryout when Manny Reyes, who had bragged he could beat anyone in UFC on the internet, came to the tryouts and Miller put him out with a triangle in a grappling session in seconds. Nathan Diaz, from the Cesar Gracie camp in Concord, Calif., is the younger brother of former UFC star Nick Diaz. Nathan Diaz was fighting professionally in Japan at the age of 20, and in his most recent fight, he lost to current No. 1 contender in the weight class, Hermes Franca.

The rest of the cast includes Robert Emerson, who has fought several times in Japan with the Pancrase organization; Brian Geraghty, Gary Maynard, Brandon Melendez Marlon Sims, Noah Thomas, Andy Wang and Wayne Weems.

The show will conclude on June 23 with a live show in Las Vegas with the tournament championship match, and the Penn vs. Pulver main event.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Well it all kicked off last night. Anyone se it (ie downloaded it yet) or are you going to wait on Bravo next week?

poulpy72 · A List Star

I dl it this morning. should give it a look during the weekend.

I'll get back here with my thoughts....

poulpy72 · A List Star

Just watched the first episode of TUF5..It's not serious enough IMO. I hope Dana's going to put his gloves on and hold the rope very tight on both Jens and BJ.

There seems to be a few good prospect in there. Can't wait to see Nick Diaz's brother... and see if Joe Lauzon is for real after defeating Pulver in 2006.

Darth, did you watch it yet? What do you think?

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Episode 2 recap... Intresting, very intresting. Horses indeed.

Spoiler: The Ultimate Fighter 5
Episode 2: Not In The House

Quick Recap of Last Week: Penn and Pulver picked teams. Corey acted like a dog while Gabe acted like a bitch. Cole won the first fight for Team Pulver.

TUF5 Video Intro

They show highlights of the fight between Cole and Allen. The fight ended with Allen tapped out to the triangle choke. Backstage after the fight, Cole cried in the locker room. He cried because it only took him 3 years to make it in the UFC although technically hes not in the UFC. Team Pulver made some cheap belt for the winner of the fights to wear.

Allen, the loser of the fight, returns to the house to make an announcement. He says that hes staying in the house and gets a mixed reaction. Team Penn is getting massages and Gabe comes up to Matt and tells him how much he hates him. They shake hands but they still hate each other.

Team Penn comes up with a strategy to turn the tables on Team Pulver. BJ wants Emerson to call out Corey and hope that Corey takes the bait. Emerson listens to BJ and calls out Corey before Pulver can pick the fight.

Commercials

Pulver picks Manny against Noah. At Team Penn training, Noah works on his stand up. Penn says that Noah is a true fighter.

At the house, the guys spot some girls riding horseback and invite them over. The girls come over on horses and because the horses have horseshoes and the driveway is smooth, the horses slip. One horse completely gives out and falls to the ground. The guys bring out carpet so the horses have a surface to walk on.

In the van, Gabe and Matt still hate each other. They challenge each other to a fight tonight and agree on it.

Commercials

Penn talks to Matt about the situation with Gabe. Gabe walks up and he still hates Matt. BJ gets everyone in the octagon for a little heart to heart. Matt steps up and wants to fight Gabe. BJ tells them to man up and they sort of shake hands.

At Pulver Training, Manny talks about becoming a fighter. He is the cousin of UFC fighter Karo Parisyan. Manny hasnt fought in 2 year thanks to a shoulder injury. Jens says that Manny is a tank. Manny says that if he loses this fight, he loses his career.

Commercials

The guys make fun of Noah because he cant play football. That would be funny if this was Pros vs. Joes or The Ultimate NFL Player. Noah says that hes had 40 fights in 2 years.

At weigh ins, Noah is eating some type of beef sandwhich. Both fighters make weight.

BJ gives his team the day off and they proceed to try and kill each other. Seriously, they find a shield and a spear and decide to throw the spear and try to block it with the shield. They do a test run with a ball and some guy gets hit in the nuts. All the guys write on the wall supporting Noah.

Emerson writes suck it Team Pulver on the wall in the game room. Nate Diaz gets pissed and looks to fight someone. Emerson claims he wrote it and Nate is ready to fight him right then and there.

Commercials

Emerson says that he didnt think it was that big of a deal. Team Pulver is ready to throw down right there but cooler heads prevail. Then Manny comes in and gets pissed and now hes ready to throw down. Emerson says that they took it overboard. Manny keeps going with it and this dude seems crazy. Manny says, if he wants to play games, it aint gonna work, but it worked on me. Somebody sign this guy to fight Diego Sanchez so they know the crazy out of each other. Corey calms Manny down outside.

Commercials

Brandon and Noah talk about how Manny already gassed himself for the fight thanks to his tirade the previous night. Manny is shown outside relaxing before the fight. Noah and Manny talk strategy before the fight. Both guys are shown training before the fight.

Manny Gamburyan vs. Noah Thomas

*Round 1: Manny catches Noah right off the bat with a right hand that rocks him. Manny tries to finish but Noah survives and they clinch into the fence. Manny lands a takedown and is in the guard of Noah. Manny passes and now has side control. Manny lands a few shots from the position but not much. Manny locks in the kimura and Noah taps out.

Winner Manny Gamburyan by Submission

Pulver says that the fight was one sided. BJ says that Noah did the smart thing by tapping so quickly. Dana White was very impressed with Mannys performance.

Noah says that he should have been more aggressive and that its back to square one for him.

End Show

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

The Ultimate Fight 5 Recap

Spoiler: Episode 3

Previously: Gabe is still fat, Corey wants to fight, everyone wants to fight in the house, and BJ has lost two people.

Opening video package

A recap of Manny beating Noah. Cole felt bad for Noah because he didnt hit Manny at all.

BJ has concerns about Pulver picking Gabe to fight. Gabe wants to get a colonic but needs Danas permission. BJ has no clue as to what a colonic is and Gabe explains it as a way to lose weight. Beautiful insight.

Team Pulver gives Manny the fake belt since he won his fight. Nate is ready to fight and he really doesnt care whom. He uses a bunch of curse words, which of course makes him a badass.

A quote from BJ, To understand Gabe, you have to understand why hes here and I dont know why hes here. Everyone runs down Gabe for being overweight and trying to make weight instead of the actual fight. While Team Penn is making fun of Gabe, Team Pulver is training. Corey is all pumped up and yelling at training and no one understands him. He too uses a bunch of curse words, which means he is a badass as well. They allow a guest coach to come in but dont reveal him yet.

Commercials

Jens Pulver brings in Jeremy Horn, one of the top all around fighters in the UFC. Corey didnt know who Horn was because he doesnt have cable. Horn does a lot of training with Corey. Horn says to Corey, I can make you a monster. We might have witnessed a Tito/Kendall connection my friends.

Gabe goes in for his colonic. Based on this, you put something in your ass and lose 3 to 5 pounds. Doesnt sound worth it to me, stick to Slim Fast or NutriSystem everyone. Gabe shows up to training and everyone still makes fun of him.

A bunch of people walk around in thongs and Nate goes off on a great rant about them. Words cant describe how great this rant is by Nate Diaz and for those wondering, no, he does not bash gays or anything like that.

They show the standings and then Jens is about to pick the fight.

Commercials

Jens picks Nate against Rob. This fight should be friggin awesome. A quick video shows Nick Diaz (Nates brother) and some of his highlights. Nate claims that he loves fighting.

Rob likes to train on weekdays and party on weekends. He makes a basketball hoop with a laundry basket and plays with a tape ball.

They both weigh in at 156, one pound over the limit but still legal. Dana breaks down the fight and says that its going to be good.

Commercials

At Team Penn training, Rob works on his stand up. At Team Pulver training, Nate also works on his stand up. Nate says its going to be a good fight and hes going to bang. Both guys expect a stand up fight. Footage of both guys training in the locker room before the fight.

Commercials

Nate Diaz vs. Rob Emerson

Round 1: They come out swinging and missing. They clinch a couple of times but nothing comes of it. Rob lands a leg kick. Another clinch slows the action. Rob lands a short elbow before they break. They fall to the ground but get right back up. Another clinch and another break. Nate lands some short punches but they do nothing. Rob connects with a good left on Nate. Nate tries to take Rob down as the round ends. I give the round to Rob because theres no reason to give it to Nate.

Commercials

Round 2: They clinch against the fence and Nate lands some knees to the body. Nate swings and lands a couple of nice shots. Nate lands a takedown but Rob gets up. As Rob gets up, Nate takes him down again. Nate lands a bunch of good shots from the top on Rob. Nate continues to land punch after punch on Rob. Nate gets a mount and now really lays in some shot. Rob gives up his back and Nate continues to hit him. Nate grabs the arm of Rob and locks in a arm bar but Rob rolls out. Nate once again mounts Rob and gets hit with punches. Rob gives up his back and Nate submits him with 15 seconds left in the round.

Everyone talks about how close the first round one and how Nate dominated the second round. Dana talks about how awesome the fight was and says it was the best fight in the history of the show.

Rob says he respected Nate too much but hopes to be back in the UFC.

End Show

Is it me or is this aain turning into the situation that we had l;ast year with Ken and Tito? Tito pushed hard and the results are there to see. Ken on the other hand didn't take it so seriously and looked like a total knob by the end. Only this time Ken is played by BJ. BJ is coming across like he did seemingly with his fights recently. That he just doesn't take it seriously and thinks that talent alone will carry you through.

poulpy72 · A List Star

I can't say about the Tito and Ken comparison as I have not seen TUF3. But I agree with you that BJ seems to be sitting around and not doing a very good coaching job.

But one thing's for sure, this season looks more like a drama reality show than a sports one. Getting very fed up of Ruediger....

The fight last night was good though. There are a few talented fighters in there and we can expect to see them again.

Lava · A List Star

An article from MMA Weekly on MAtt Serra and his thoughts on the upcoming TUF 6. In which he and Matt Hughes are the coaches in case you didn't know.

Matt Serra's Ultimate Fighting Championship career was in jeopardy following the loss to Karo Parisyan at UFC 53. He didn't realize that loss would set in motion a series of events that would lead him to UFC gold.

The current UFC welterweight champion told MMAWeekly, "I want to thank Karo Parisyan for giving me that beating that time because if I didn't lose to him I wouldn't be sitting where I'm sitting, so I'm happy about the whole thing. That fight, the worst fight of my life, ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me."

Shortly after Serra disposed of Georges St. Pierre to obtain the title at UFC 69, it was announced that Matt Serra and Matt Hughes would be opposing coaches on the next season of the popular Spike TV reality show 'The Ultimate Fighter.' The champ spoke with MMAWeekly about going from contestant on Ultimate Fighter 4 to coaching on Ultimate Fighter 6 and who he plans on bringing with him to fill his coaching staff.

"Well, I'm bringing Ray Longo. I wouldn't do it if Ray Longo wasn't involved. Ray Longo is my trainer as far as conditioning. He's produced Golden Glove champions, kickboxing champions, and Jiu-Jitsu champions as far as his conditioning. He's been my coach forever, of course along with Renzo [Gracie]. I don't believe I'll be bringing Renzo. He's tied up with what he's doing obviously. His plate is full, so I'm going to be bringing Ray Longo and I'm also going to be bringing Pete Sell with me, Pete 'Drago.' One thing we got going for whoever is going to be on my team is Matt Hughes might have coached there before, and that's great, but I actually went through, and so did 'Drago,' I went through what these guys are going through."

He continued, "Physically the guys with me are going to be in phenomenal shape because Ray Longo don't mess around. Between Ray, myself, and 'Drago,' a pretty much jack of all trades at this point, he's working hard with the wrestling team out here, he's a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu with me, and his stand up is nice, so he'll be like a big sparring dummy for everybody. We have a nice tight team. I'll see who else I can bring out, but I'm going to have the bases covered. I'm looking forward to it and so is Longo. We're going to bring the A game."

Matt Serra has made it clear that he doesn't like Matt Hughes. At the mention of Hughes, Serra commented, "Matt Hughes, that's another guy. I remember back in the day before his ego got gigantic and he became the way he is. I remember getting along with the guy he never really did anything to me, but basically it really started on Ultimate Fighter 4. I saw him on Ultimate Fighter 2, and I talked to Luke [Cummo] who doesn't talk much, and he was saying some things. I didn't like pretty much how he treated Luke. It goes on and on with Hughes. I mean look at the way he was treating Rashad [Evans], look at the way he treated Luke, the way he was picking on Jorge Gurgel. I mean the guy's a bully. He's basically a bully. Even like what he was doing to GSP [Georges St. Pierre] in the restaurant that time. I mean, 'I'll show you the defense to the arm lock.' It goes on and on with him bro. I just don't like the way he treats people. What happened to treating people the way you wanted to be treated?"

The mutual dislike should make for good television and the champ agreed. "I'm sure it's going to make for some interesting television. He's going to hit me with some f---ing lemons and I'll just come right back at him. We're on there to do our thing, to coach, but who knows. I'm not Ken Shamrock bro. I'm not going to say something and then wait for five guys to hold me back trying to get at him. I'm not in the WWE. But thats not where Serra wants things to go, Lets coach our guys and see what goes down. I want to beat him in the coaching game, and I want to beat him in the fight, and I'm sure he wants to do the same to me. I'm sure it will be a lot of good fun for everybody to watch."

Former UFC welterweight contender, former MMAWeekly Radio co-host, and broadcaster Frank Trigg extended the offer to be Serra's wrestling coach against his nemesis Matt Hughes, just to make things more interesting leading up to the filming of Ultimate Fighter 6. Trigg told MMAWeekly, "I offered it to Matt [Serra] two weeks ago when he was on our show. I said look man you don't have a wrestling coach. I'd love to come and be your wrestling coach and strength and conditioning coach for the team, so bring me on. He said, you know what? I'd like to have you come in. He's got to figure out if the powers that be will let me come on. I'd love to do it. Believe me. I'd love to coach a team against d--khead over there and I'd definitely like to be on Serra's team proving that d--khead isn't that good a coach."

When asked about Trigg being his wrestling coach on the show, Serra responded, "I talked to Trigg about that. It's almost like the enemy of my enemy is my friend, that kind of thing. Trigg, we never really hung out or anything, acquaintances here and there, said hello and goodbye type of thing. Who knows? I did his radio show and we were talking, and he actually offered, but who knows. If that can get in Hughes' head, maybe I will bring him on. I'm definitely not ruling it out."

Ultimate Fighter 5 has been touted by some as the best season of the reality show to date, but from the looks of it Ultimate Fighter 6 will give it a run for its money. The filming hasn't even begun and drama is already surrounding the next season of 'The Ultimate Fighter.'

Frank Trigg back in the UFC? Now that would be good. Has anyone seent he latest episode of TUF? Care to let us know what went down?

poulpy72 · A List Star

I'll comment tomorrow on last night's TUF episode...still did not get time to watch it...

As for Triggs, he was not very impressive in his last few fights. Stamina seemed to be a major factor. He better get his bearings straight if he wants to come back with the big boys....

poulpy72 · A List Star

Hey Lava...sorry man! I totally forgot to update you on last week's episode...

The main event of the night was the fight outside the mansion between Thomas and Sims. Sims was drunk and had a big mouth and started a fight with Thomas. It went down from there and ended with Sims slaming Thomas' head on the concrete. Both of them and Berube, who encouraged them a little too much, were sent home by Dana. They announced this morning that they will fight each other in the octogon at The Ultimate Fighter Finale. Shoudl be fun to watch.

As for the weekly match, it was Lauzon vs Miller in the first quarterfinal. Lauzon pulled it off as expected. It was an interesting fight and I hope we'll see Miller again in the future. The guy's 22 and has potential.

That about sums it up.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Finally saw the latest epidode and I reckon without Liazon's illeagal blow (Abiet accidental) he was in trouble of losing.

I must say though It's probably a Louazon Vs. Diaz final.

And i see they are putting those two bell ends on the Finale card after getting booted for fighting in the house.

poulpy72 · A List Star

I don't know about you guys, but both fighters in last night's episode, Maynard and Melendez, are far from championship caliber. And I'm not sure they can improve much more that the level they're at now.

It was an average fight and I hope that Maynard won't make it past the semi-finals.

And in an interview that was done with Joe Lauzon, it seems we can expect some damage done in the TUF house before the end of the season...

poulpy72 · A List Star

Well, following Episode 10, if Diaz wants a shot at winning this tourney, he better come ready to fight and not like he did against Hill. Diaz seemed out of focus the whole fight. I think he got a bit lucky with his triangle choke as HIll is too unexperienced to know how to get out from it.

Let's see what Diaz does next....

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Its looking to me like Dana wants a Diaz Louzon final. But I have a feeling that Manny may just be in there against Louzon.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

OK so I got the Louzon thing wrong. Nate Vs. Manny, Im going for Manny. And it doesn't bode well for jens after winning the Ping pong match. Remeber what happened with Shamrock and Tito with the Pool and what happened after. Curtains for Mr. Pulver me thinks.

poulpy72 · A List Star

Lauzon was totally overwhelmed by Manny's strenght! Lauzon is still a good young future prospect though. Get him some good training with a top team, enhanced his physical strenght and he'll end up a tough mofo!

Diaz was very good yesterday. He got overpowered by Maynard, but his technical skills are top notch! I agree that Manny might pull it off again agaist Diaz, but Nate's much more skilled than Lauzon, so a submission from Diaz is still going to be the end result I believe.

Diaz has a bright future in front of him. I'm sure we'll see him in the top 5 of his weight class sooner than later. As for Manny, he's good but not a top contender....and I don't think he can bring much more to the table.

-- Edited by poulpy72 at 13:31, 2007-06-15

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

You forget his cousin is a judo legend and Im sure he'll be helping him out. BJ FTW BTW.

poulpy72 · A List Star

Yeah.....Karo will be helping him out, but I don't think Manny can learn much more. He's got pretty one way to fight...bring the guy down and use the ground and pound.

And I forgot about Penn vs Pulver... I want Pulver to KO Penn, that would be awesome! But BJ's tough, and will probably win it... cry

Lava · A List Star

Nate Diaz has this easy. Manny's strong but he doesn't look that good. As Dana said too, he's too short.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

The latest incarnation of The ultimate Fighter brings this news about season 6....

Matt Serras star pupil Joe ScarolaÂ (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is expected to be a cast member on the upcoming welterweights-only sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, according to a UFCjunkie.com (www.ufcjunkie.com) source.

Serra and his archrival, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, will be coaches on the latest installment of the Spike TV reality series. The show is currently in production and is set to debut in September.

If the coaches choose teams as theyve done in past seasons, dont be surprised to see Serra secure Scarola with an early pick. After all, Scarola was actually the first student to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Serra.

Scarola fought professionally in 2001, took a five-year break, and then returned again in 2006. Some databases have him listed with a 4-0-1 record, but no matter which database you use, Scarolas opponents have yet to register a professional victory.

Still, training with Serra, the 28-year-old will surely bring a solid ground game to the competition. And with his Kempo karate and Muay Thai background, he should be one of the seasons more well-rounded cast members.

In recent days, UFCjunkie.com exclusively announced Mac Danzig, Jon Koppenhaver and Richie Hightower as other likely cast members.

For the latest news

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

RE: The Ulitmate Fighter Thread *SPOILERS*

Mr_Emelianenko · On The Casting Couch

Mac Danzig, didn't he get KOed by Sakurai?

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

A rule change to the 6th Series...

The upcoming sixth season of Spike TVs popular The Ultimate Fighter reality series debuts Sept. 19, and the shows producers made a small change to the way fights were arranged.

In seasons past, if a coachs fighter won his bout, that coach earned the right to pick the following episodes fight. Essentially, the process allowed a coach to assure his top guys easy fights by picking off the oppositions weakest talent.

The problem was no more apparent than last season, when Jens Pulvers team beat B.J. Penns fighters in the shows first four episodes.

(Pulver) got to pick the first fight by wining (the coin toss), Spike TV Senior Vice President of Sports and Specials Brian J. Diamond told UFCjunkie.com (www.ufcjunkie.com). Team Pulver put their coach on a winning streak, and it made it very hard for B.J. to come back from being stuck in that rut.

Now, what weâve done is this. With the coin toss, you pick the first fighter or you pick the first fight. But if you pick the first fight, it only means you get to pick that one matchup because after that, it alternates.

In other words, a coach cant go on a winning streak and play matchmaker for an extended period of time.

We wanted to make the whole process a little more balanced going forward, Diamond said.

The Ultimate Fighter 6, which debuts after UFC Fight Night 11 on Sept. 19, will feature current UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and former champ Matt Hughes as coaches. The series concluded filming last month.

For the latest news about The Ultimate Fighter 6, including a list of rumored cast members, check out the UFC Rumors section of UFCjunkie.com.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

All TUF 6 Discussions in here please...

Lava · A List Star

I'm hoping Matt Serra's team shows up Matt Hughes. I really do. I used to be a big fan of Hughes, but then he bought into his own hype and became a bit of a arsehole. Looking forward to it. It begins at the end of the month doesn't it?

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Well we a re few weeks in now and my pick from a few weeks before it began was Mac Danzig. It hasn't changed and he looks currently like the best bet.

Dorian is a complete nutcase. Didn't Hughes look like a big man handing Dorian a beating too. Hughes is coming off real bad in this already...

Symphony Of Destruction · Metal Mod

I hope Hughes' team wins. Serra comes off as a complete Dick. Last night was a bit of a walk over tbh, why was Blake even in the competition if he was 0 - 0 in MMA?

I don't like Richie Hightower and I was hoping Blake could've upset him but he showed his inexperience in the match, I know he was fighting injured but still, it was a walk over :(

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Im looking forward to the major fight in the house that was run in the original teaser for the series. Could be some big trouble coming the way of Hughes team...

If I had the choice I would want to e in Hughes Team, but I still think I want Serra to win, because he wont come UFC 78...

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Well the big question after last nights episode seems to be did Tommy tap or not?

Also, I reckon Serra's gonna put Tommy in against Danzig in the Quarters just piss Hughes off further...

Symphony Of Destruction · Metal Mod

is that next week's episode on Bravo? I saw the one with The black Mo-hawk guy Monday.

Don't tell me Team Hughes only gets one win in the Piliminaries. That'll piss Hughes off, I hope he Batters Serra at UFC 78

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Whatever happened to the fights in the house? I remeber seeing on the season preview the blackguy taking someone down through a door into a bedroom... Have I missed it or are we due to see it?

The only Finale I can see currently is Mac Vs. George as well. That could be a thunderous match up.

So do you want to talk about the TUF finale in here or do we need a seperate thread.

Oh and rumours are abound that Season 7's coaches are to be: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Forrest Griffin (Yes you read that right). Which can only mean (If true) that we are looking at at LHW title fight between the two around UFC 84/5 time..

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Well some more finale matches have been announced ( From mmajunkie.com):

On the heels of Wednesdays double-episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, the UFC has officially announced a handful of fights for The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, which takes place Dec. 8 at The Palms Las Vegas. The event airs on Spike TV.

The latest fights were posted Thursday on UFC.com.

In addition to a previously announced main event between Roger Huerta (19-1-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Clay Guida (22-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC), the event will also include Jared Rolins (5-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jon Koppenhaver (4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). We may learn the true meaning of this fight booking next week. A preview for the next episode of The Ultimate Fighter shows what appears to be a fight outside the octagon between the two cast members.

Other than the Guida-Huerta fight, the Rollins-Koppenhaver bout is the only one promised TV time. Mustve been one heck of a fight, considering both cast members lost their preliminary fights.

The live finale will also include quarterfinalists Troy Mandaloniz (2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Richie Hightower (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who were both knocked out of competition on this past Wednesdays episode.

Additionally, Roman Mitichyan (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who left the show during the seasons first episode because of a pre-existing broken elbow, will take on Dorian Price (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Finally, cast member Paul Georgieff (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will take on UFC veteran (and non-cast member) Jonathan Goulet (19-9 MMA, 2-3 UFC), a popular Canadian fighter who most recently suffered a first-round submission loss to Dustin Hazelett at UFC Fight Night 11. Soon after Georgieff was eliminated from the show, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was told that he was expected to fight U.K. fighter Jason Tan at the finale. That fight apparently fell through.

Other bouts will be added to the finale as additional cast members are eliminated. Currently still alive in the competition are Mac Danzig, George Sotiropoulos, Matt Arroyo, Tommy Speer and Ben Saunders.

Two episodes of the season remain.

Lava · A List Star

I would like George to win beating Mac for sure, if only to wipe that smug look off of his face.

Symphony Of Destruction · Metal Mod

I want Tommy V Mac in the final. I'd be happy if either of them won.

Tommy Speer because he's got game and reminds me alot of Hughes from his mannerisms and Mac Danzig because he's won me over, I though he was a bit of a mug at the start of she show but after his emotional speech after his last fight he strikes me as someone who is just misunderstood as apposed to just being an asshole.

It's been a good season so far and in fairness it's gotten me more into UFC than if I would have just watched the monthly events. It's just a shame Hughes isn't going to get Serra for a little while :( I was sooooo looking forward to that fight.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Well looks like you got your wish, SoD. It is indeed Tommy Vs. Mac and this could be a real intresting match. George got sparked big time.

I still think Mac will take it on a points decision though.

Lava · A List Star

Looks to be a great finale show now. I actually think Tommy may sneak it. As experienced as Mac is I don't think he can match Tommy's power.

Symphony Of Destruction · Metal Mod

It's an even match. It's going to be a good sunday it's a shame I'm going to have to do the TUF finale get together I arranged Dr :( (I wasted £16 on 2 crates too) but the finale is more than going to make up for it. and Hughes has beaten Serra which is always a good thing to hear.

I see a big future for both Danzig and Speer in the future. They're both good fighters and with the right tutulidge they both have potential to be world beaters.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Mac Danzig is reportedly training at Team Coture. I think he must just get the edge in which case...

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

Well the rumours are true it will be Quinton Jackson & Forrest Griffin as Team Leaders, which means there will be no LHW title defence until then.... Still should be a good fight. Although I don't see Griffin as a particularly great coach. Plus they are coaching Middleweights. Any money that Bisping turns up as a celebrity coach for Jackson one week as well.

It appears that the Big Plans UFC President Dana White had in store for Quinton Rampage Jackson do indeed include a stint as coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

White made the major announcement during tonights VGA broadcast on SpikeTV.

Forrest Griffin was first confirmed as coach following the Clay Guida/Roger Huerta war at last nights Ultimate Finale. White refrained from announcing the addition of Rampage presumably to entice viewers to tune into the VGAs.

I dont think announcing Couture/Fedor could entice people to sit through that dreck.

White previously mentioned that the two coaches will fight one another sometime after the conclusion of the show. TUF 7, which begins to shoot in January and will debut on SpikeTV sometime in April 2008, will feature 16 up-and-coming middleweight (185 pounds) fighters.

It should not matter that Jackson and Griffin are in the 205-pound class theres not a pool of bankable stars at that weight to carry a program that has been struggling in the ratings.

Jackson and Griffin should provide the spark (and personality) necessary to get the mixed martial arts reality series back on track.

Both fighters are currently recovering from injuries in their most recent bouts. Rampage hurt his hand training for Dan Henderson and Griffin underwent shoulder surgery after his sensational upset win over Mauricio Shogun Rua.

Its fair to say that both should be fit at the conclusion of the show next year.

In addition, Dana White promised significant and exciting changes to the overall format of the show. It should be interesting to see exactly what changes are in store but until we get the exact details we are left to guess, but hopefully these exciting changes will add some life into TUF 7 and the quality of its fights and match ups.

One thing we do know is that with Rampage and Griffin as the coaches this next installment certainly wont be lacking personality.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

TUF 7 is almost upon us and here is the up to date news so far concerning contenders...

Amateur MMA fighter Amir Sadollah (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who recently qualified for the International Fight Leagues 2008 draft pool, has likely been chosen as a cast member for The Ultimate Fighter 7.

Over the weekend, a source close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the fighter recently left for Las Vegas to tape the show.

The Ultimate Fighter 7, which debuts April 2 on Spike TV, features UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and season-one winner Forrest Griffin as coaches. Sixteen middleweight fighters vie for a UFC contract in a tournament-style competition.

According to the FC Fighter database, Sadollah has fought four amateur fights for the Virginian-based Combat Sports Challenge organization, which is part of the Combat Sports League. Sadollah is 4-0 with two submission victories, a knockout, and a decision win.

So how did he end up on the show, which usually features professional fighters?

The 27-year-old surgical technician and amateur kickboxer was featured in a recent ESPN.com piece about the open tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter 7. He was painted to be the class clown of the group.

Let the record show I will be whatever they want, he joked with ESPN.com. Not really. I dont want to change who I am for a show. If you have to be a little louder, a little goofier, thats one thing. But like they told us: be who you are.

Back in October Sadollah traveled to Chicago, one of three cities that hosted open tryouts for the IFL draft. Approximately 250 aspiring fighters showed up, and Sadollah was one of only 52 who made the cut at the Chicago location. Instead of a possible IFL appointment, though, Sadollah appears headed to The Ultimate Fighter 7.

Sadollah joins a growing list of other cast members that MMAjunkie.com has recently revealed. The full list now includes:

* Matt Brown (7-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
* Steve Byrnes (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
* C.B. Dollaway (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
* Prince Mclean (4-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
* Amir Sadollah (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
* Luke Zachrich (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

The upcoming seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter debuts on April 2, and the show will likely conclude with a live finale on Saturday, June 21.

Sources close to the show tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the finale is tentatively planned to take place at The Pearl, a venue located inside The Palms Las Vegas.

Itll air live on Spike TV.

Additionally, the finale will likely feature a main event of non-cast members, such as the Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida fight the headlined The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale. However, the main event will not be a title fight between UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and The Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Forrest Griffin, who serve as coaches this season. The two fighters are expected to headline a pay-per-view event later this summer.

The Ultimate Fighter 7, which will be marketed under the name The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest, is currently in its second week of taping. As MMAjunkie.com was the first to report, the season will feature 32 cast members, rather than the usual 16. Unlike past seasons, all fighters had to compete as soon as they arrived in Las Vegas to win a spot on the show and a bed in the house. The losers were knocked out of the competition.

All of the cast members will compete as middleweights this season.

The season debut of the show, which is set for Wednesday, April 2, will be preceded by UFC Fight Night 13, which arguably will be the most talent-rich fight cards in UFC Fight Night history. In addition to a main event of Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon, UFC Fight Night 13 will feature Stephan Bonnar vs. Matt Hamill, Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan, Houston Alexander vs. James Irvin, and Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard.

Darth Mattitude · The Dark Admin

I thought this needed moving as this has live event finales plus the weekly results. So I put it in here.

Anyway the latest on this seasons cast...

Undefeated middleweight Aaron Meisner (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been selected as a cast member for The Ultimate Fighter 7.

A source close to the show confirmed the selection for MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), though our friends at fiveouncesofpain.com were the first to reveal Meisner as a cast member.

The Ultimate Fighter 7, which debuts April 2 on Spike TV, features UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and season-one winner Forrest Griffin as coaches. Unlike past seasons, the show will feature 32 not 16 middleweight fighters vying for a UFC contract. As MMAjunkie.com exclusively reported, every potential cast member will have to fight as soon as the show begins. The 16 winners earn a spot in the house, and the 16 losers are knocked out of the competition.

Meisner, part of the Daddis Fight Camp in Philadelphia, comes from a Muay Thai background, and hes the current WKA North American Muay Thai champion.

Like many other cast members chosen for the show, Meisner was covered by the media during his tryout process. Back in November, the 29-year-old was featured by the International Herald Tribune during his trip to the shows open tryouts in New Jersey. He was painted as a normal guy and part-time personal trainer (with a cheerleader whos a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader) who was trying to make the show on merit rather than an outrageous personality.

During the tryout, 149 hopefuls showed up, and Meisner was one of the 20 who advanced to the next round.

Meisner has had three victories in three professional fights, and all three came via knockout. Most recently, he stopped Chris Reedy (who was 3-2 at the time) with an 85-second TKO at an October 2007 Combat in the Cage event.

With Meisner, the latest rumored cast includes:

Paul Bradley (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Matt Brown (7-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Steve Byrnes (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Timothy Credeur (9-2 MMA, 0-0UFC)
C.B. Dollaway (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Mike Marrello (6-1-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Prince Mclean (4-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Aaron Meisner (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Jeremiah Riggs (1-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
David Roberts (5-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Amir Sadollah (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Brandon Sene (2-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Dan Simmler (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Jesse Taylor (6-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Luke Zachrich (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)