The Ultimate Fighter returned to FX on Tuesday night with the ninth episode of the season – “The Wild Card”. For the first time since season 13, the Wild Card fight was re-introduced, providing an opportunity for fighters who have lost in the preliminary fights to get back in the competition. Bubba McDaniel, representing Team Jones, defeated Kevin Casey, representing Team Sonnen, by TKO in a shocking fashion.
Following two intense grappling rounds in the Octagon, Casey, 5-1 in mixed martial arts, was unable to answer the bell for the sudden victory round, giving McDaniel, 20-6, the win and a shot at the quarterfinals. The loss marked only the third time in TUF history that a fighter has failed to answer the bell. Previously Jamie Yager (Season 11 – QF) didn’t answer the bell against Josh Bryant and David Faulkner (Season 9 – Preliminary round) didn’t answer the bell against Frank Lester.
A full recap is available at ufc.com.
Results after episode eight:
Team Sonnen – coached by UFC® light heavyweight Chael Sonnen – (4-4)
Luke Barnatt (1-0, TKO win over Gilbert Smith in episode 2)
Uriah Hall (1-0, KO’d Adam Cella in episode 3)
Zak Cummings (0-1, lost a UD to Dylan Andrews in episode 8)
Tor Troeng (0-1, lost to Josh Samman via TKO in episode 6)
Jimmy Quinlan (1-0, submitted Clint Hester in episode 7)
Kevin Casey (0-2, lost a UD to Collin Hart in episode 4, lost via TKO [failure to answer to bell] to Bubba McDaniel in episode 9)
Kelvin Gastelum (1-0, submitted Bubba McDaniel in episode 5)
Team Jones – coached by UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon Jones – (4-4)
Clint Hester (0-1, submitted by Jimmy Quinlan in episode 7)
Josh Samman (1-0, defeated Tor Troeng by TKO in episode 6)
Bubba McDaniel (1-1, submitted by Kelvin Gastelum in episode 5, defeated Kevin Casey by TKO [failure to answer to bell] in episode 9)
Gilbert Smith (0-1, TKO’d by Luke Barnatt in episode 2)
Collin Hart (1-0, defeated Kevin Casey by UD in episode 4)
Adam Cella (0-1, KO’d by Uriah Hall in episode 3)
Dylan Andrews (1-0, defeated Zak Cummings by UD in episode 8)
After speaking to all the quarterfinalists one-by-one, Ultimate Fighting Championship® President Dana White selected the quarterfinal match-ups:
Collin Hart (Team Jones) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (Team Sonnen)
Dylan Andrews (Team Jones) vs. Luke Barnatt (Team Sonnen)
Josh Samman (Team Jones) vs. Jimmy Quinlan (Team Sonnen)
Bubba McDaniel (Team Jones) vs. Uriah Hall (Team Sonnen)
The series resumes next Tuesday, March 26, on FX at 9 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings for Central and Mountain Time). In that episode – “The Quarterfinals Begin” – A fighter gets a surprise visit from world champion Ronda Rousey as he prepares for his quarterfinal showdown. Then, with boxing legend Mike Tyson in attendance, Hart faces-off against Gastelum and Andrews meets Barnatt, trying to secure a spot in the final four.
