TUF 18 Report: Episode 10 Review

The quarterfinals are done and it’s time for the semis! After Cody Bollinger failed to make weight and was expelled from the competition (and into the waiting arms of the World Series of Fighting), Sarah Moras of Team Tate soundly defeated Team Rousey’s Peggy Morgan. Now, the semi-final match-ups have been set, with Michael Wootten clashing with Chris Holdsworth tonight, and David Grant vs. Anthony Gutierrez, Jessica Rakoczy vs. Raquel Pennington, and Sarah Moras vs. Julianna Pena. So, without further ado, let’s return to Las Vegas.

We start at the TUF house after the fights, with the members of Team Rousey preparing what Shayna Baszler would later call “misery” shots for those not moving on. Coach Ronda and assistant coach Marina Shafir enter, with bags full of food from In’n’Out Burger, a Las Vegas fast food franchise for the losing fighters. Everybody gathers round as “Rowdy” gives a toast to, “The best things coming from the worst things.” The Team Rousey coaches distribute the food, telling the team they deserve it. We cut to Sarah Moras, sitting outside to avoid the temptation while lamenting the fact that she won her fight, but was not given a moment to properly enjoy her victory before being thrust into the position of choosing the semi-final fight. Feeling her pain is teammate Raquel Pennington, who sympathized with her and felt that she deserved a chance to celebrate instead of the coaches glossing over her victory to start making picks for the semi-finals. “Rocky” asks if “Cheesecake” is excited for her fight with Julianna, which she is, but expresses concern that coaches have already picked Pena as their favorite. We cut back to Pennington, who makes the same statement in an aside. The paramedic-in-training tells her teammate that while the situation is “jacked up,” all Moras needs to do is fight her fight. Back in the house, Team Rousey are enjoying their various meals, with David Grant and Michael Wooten continuing to eat clean in preparation for their semi-final fights. Wooten especially was vigilant, sticking to his diet in the face of fast-food and Coach “Rowdy’s” high calorie cocktails, a byproduct of her time tending bar while an amateur fighter. Jessamyn Duke notes that her coach is actually quite good at it, and remarks that everybody had a good time hanging out together. Shayna Baszler chimes in, discussing her respect for Ronda being her “crazy self” in front of the cameras, and refusing to be what anybody else wants her to be.

Outside, we see Chris Holdsworth doing push-ups, continually training in preparation for his semi-final fight with Michael Wootten. Even he admits that Ronda Rousey is a good person who cares about her team, but notes that he’s busy focusing on his semi-final fight. We juxtapose this by going back inside and finding Anthony Gutierrez munching on a greasy cheeseburger as he walks in to join everybody, and being forced to promise his coach that he will be “a little angel” and a “finely tuned athletic machine” by sticking to his diet until after his semi-final fight. Michael Wootten remarks that “Sharkbait” has the genetics to pull off making weight even with a poor diet, but that everybody is on edge after last episode’s Cody Bollinger situation. Ronda cut him some slack that day, as he had already made weight, but says that everybody needs to be perfect on their diets until after the semi-finals. She mentions that it shouldn’t be hard, as staying in shape and prepared is part of their jobs as fighters.

It’s time for training with Team Tate, as we see Master Thong working with Chris Holdsworth, Raquel Pennington working out alone, and Julianna Pena working with both Miesha Tate and Ricky Lundell. We cut to Raquel Pennington, who compliments the level of the Team Tate coaches, but reiterates that it appears that they have picked their favorites in Holdsworth and Pena. Pennington notes that as the fights progressed, the training sessiosn were not geared towards the fighter with the upcoming bout, but more what “Hold it Down” and “The Venezuelan Vixen” were wanting to work on, and the the rest of the team feels the same way. We cut to Roxanne Modafferi and Sarah Moras stretching, with Roxanne suspecting the coaches will try not to pick sides on the teammate vs. teammate bout. Moras disagrees, and feels the coaches have already picked a side, and is feeling like the coaches have been working with Pena the whole time to the detriment of everybody else. As we move to more footage of Holdsworth training with Master Thong, we find Louis Fisette echoing Sarah’s statements on favoritism from the coaches. He talks about that day’s training session, being called over by Master Thong, thinking he was going to get a chance to get some padwork in, only to be told he would be sparring with Holdsworth. Fisette, who still had stitches in his eye from his last fight and shouldn’t have been sparring, did not appreciate this, eventually bowing out when his teammate got too aggressive. He matter-of-factly says, “Whatever Chris needs, Chris gets. Chris is their Golden Boy, and that’s never going to change. They think he’s going to win the show, and he definitely has the skills to do it, but when you give a guy 100% of the attention, of course his skills are going to develop.” We move over to footage of Holdsworth working on triangle choke escapes with Lundell, Tate, and Pena as the Canadian moves on to Pena, referring to her as Tate’s favorite, and finishing off by saying that Team Tate has two other people in this competition, and that they better start paying some attention to Raquel and Sarah as the segment ends.

Next, we join the coaches semi-finalists at Harley Davidson, where they’re given a chance to select a bike they like and training on how to ride it in the event that they win the show. Everybody says pretty much the same thing about how cool it is, and Cain Velasquez also makes an appearance to give them a standard pep talk.

We move on to the next day, and join Team Rousey’s training session. Nate Diaz has come in to assist today, as Ronda explains that the first MMA fight she had ever made a point of watching was between Nate and her assistant coach Manny Gamburian. Nate echoes the friendship, and reminds us of his BJJ black belt before we get the team members marking out over his appearance. We move to Michael Wootten, who recaps the that he is fighting Chris Holdsworth, and is pleased to be working with the high-level coaches of Team Rousey. He appreciates that everybody has faith in his abilities, and doesn’t want to let them down against Holdsworth. We see the younger Diaz working with Team Rousey, showing off a basic sweep from a defended armbar, as both Anthony Gutierrez and David Grant proclaim that they are “over the moon” (in Grant’s words) to have one of their favorite fighters run their class. Grant in particular was most thrilled, as he got to roll with the man after whom he named his son. After the practice, Nate tells the camera the he just worked on basic armbar and kimura techniques, as the castmembers don’t need “crazy stuff coming in from every angle” at this point in their training. Getting the last word of the segment is Coach Rousey, who reasserts her confidence in Michael Wooten’s abilities, and her feelings that he does indeed have the tools to win the show.

That night at the TUF House, we hear Shayna Baszler serenading the house with a song of her own creation, “Sunrise and Friendships,” as everybody relaxes and has a good time. Everybody except Chris Holdsworth, who isolates himself in his room. The BJJ black belt talks about the growing divide not just between the fighters who’ve won and lost, but also between himself and all the other fighters in the house. He feels as if his teammates aren’t helping him train enough, and that they’re only focused on drinking and eating ice cream now that they’ve lost. He isn’t worried about whether or not his teammates still like him, he only wants to win the competition. The next morning, we see Holdsworth doing pull-ups in the pool as he talks about how he’s doing this for himself and his family. He admits to growing antisocial, and is spending his time visualizing what he’s going to do against Wooten. He states that he can’t get into any better shape physically, and so is just working to maintain his condition at this point. Coach Miesha gets her chance to speak, complimenting Holdsworth on his laser-like focus on the competition. She notes that he keeps to a routine, and hasn’t broken his diet or slacked off once. She feels that at this point, he’s unstoppable. We next see “Hold It Down” working on a takedown chain leading to a back take with Bryan Caraway and Ricky Lundell, and narrates how his coaches have stepped up to help him when his teammates have backed off. Caraway talks about the gameplan for Holdsworth vs. Wooten, which is going to involve a keeping a brisk pace, and mixing in level changes to keep Wootten off-balance and unsure if he’s going to have to defend strikes or takedowns before eventually taking it to the ground and winning the fight there.

We return to the house, where in an attempt to be “the Fun Coach,” Miesha Tate and her team have burst in and begun assaulting their team with silly string. According to Raquel Pennington, “It looked like a bunch of grenades being thrown at us.” Tate tells us that it was an effort to break the tension and strong emotions currently running through the house. Even Chris Holdsworth could not help but get into it, getting up to check on the screaming only to get blasted with silly string as he entered. He appreciated that his coaches took the time to mix things up and show everyone a good time. After the attack, though, Team Tate is brought together to listen to motivational speaker Kevin Salvini, a Central Washington University alumni who wrestled with some of Team Tate’s coaches before being paralyzed from the neck down in a skiing accident. Salvini tells his story to the team, who – just as Coach Cupcake had hoped” – found inspiration in the writer/speaker’s words. Raquel Pennington found Salvini’s words moving, as she drew comparisons to her own struggles and was reminded to be grateful for the opportunities she still has.

We shift focus to Team Rousey at the TUF House now, as we see David Grant and Michael Wootten hanging out. Grant narrates for us, going over how the pair came together in the house as fellow Brits. He also tells us that Wootten has been getting increasingly homesick as the end of the competition nears. Wooten himself mentions that being in the house for so long, with people you don’t really know, and with no real access to the outside world takes its toll. “Those kinds of things can just escalate into the biggest problems for you,” he says. We see “Woot” trying to pass the time playing solitaire, noting that most of the house has gone into party mode as they don’t have any more fights left. He recalls how his coach told him that it is most important to be mentally strong, and that he can’t wait to weigh in, fight, win, and go “back to reality.” Wootten notes that as one of the bigger guys in the house, he has to cut the most weight, and admits that it’s going to be miserable, but remarks that, “No one said this would be fun.” He mentions feeling fatigued, which is understandable considering he was the last man to fight, and didn’t get as much a time to recover as his opponent, Chris Holdsworth. We see it in his sparring, that Wooten’s a little sluggish, but Wooten still feels he needs to take this time to sharpen his tools, and try to re-energize while getting ready to go. Coach Rousey notes that the whole TUF experience is rather taxing, and can understand how Michael is getting a bit worn out. One of Ronda’s assistant coaches, Ando, sees that Wooten’s not doing so good, and calls for the end of the sparring session. “Woot” apologizes for his performance, but Ando consoles him, telling him that everybody has off-days. We cut back to Coach “Rowdy,” who says that she wants the fighters to be open and honest with how they’re feeling, and not to try and “gut it out” when they’re not well. “Sometimes, not training is the correct way,” we hear Ando tell Wooten. Ronda continues, saying that her charge has all the skills necessary to beat Chris Holdsworth, and that he just needs to put them together “in the right way, at the right time.” We jump back to Ando, who tells the tired fighter that if he’s worried about his weight, they’ll get him into the sauna, and to not worry what people think of his hands.

Back at the house, Wootten and Grant are discussing the day outside. “Woot” says he felt like he did in his first week of training, and says that he shouldn’t be feeling like this. Michael wants to represent himself well in the fight, and bring home another win for Team Rousey. David goes over the various stressors that they’re both under right now, and tells his fellow Brit that it’s understandable to have an off day. Both agree, though, that they’ll be able to do what they need to do.

It’s time for weigh-ins at the UFC Training Center, and Michael Wootten is up first. As he steps up to the scale, Coach Ronda tells us that she feels he has the best chin in of all the competitors in the house, and that he’s the most well-rounded and prepared to deal with Chris Holdsworth. After Wootten makes weight, it’s time for Holdsworth. As Chris makes his way to the scales, it’s time for Coach Tate to talk about her fighter, detailing his technical abilities, and saying that his lanky frame will be tough for Holdsworth to deal with. With both fighters on weight, we get Dana’s breakdown. White feels that Holdsworth has the better jiu jitsu, but that Wooten is the more well-rounded fighter overall. He paints this as a striker-versus-grappler fight, but notes that Holdsworth is no slouch on the feet either.

It’s fight day in Las Vegas, and both Holdsworth and Wootten take their time to prepare mentally. Chris is beginning his warm-up with a foam-rolling session, while Michael goes straight to getting his hands wrapped. “Wootang” gives his opponenet props for his ground skills, but counters that he trains with high level jiu jitsu players as well. He plans to fight smart, and keep the fight where he wants it in order to get the win. “Hold it Down” expects Wooten to do exactly what he said, but is confident enough in his striking that he plans to surprise Team Rousey. We go back to Wooten, who is gunning for a long-term career in the UFC, and doesn’t want to just be a footnote in the history of the show. We jump to Coach “Cupcake,” who compliments Wooten’s well-roundedness, and states that they’ll have Holdsworth ready for anything. As they prepare to walk out, Ronda’s final words are, “Focus… Keep your feet under you… Explosive.” As Team Rousey walks to the cage, she states one more time that Michael has the skills to beat Holdsworth as long as he puts them together in the right way at the right time. Michael’s last words are that he has to stay focused, that it will be over before we know it, and that no matter how much he likes his foe, it’s a one man show. Holdsworth’s last words are that it’s a blessing to fight for the UFC, and while he says that Michael is a cool dude, winning The Ultimate Fighter is his destiny.

Michael Wootten (Team Rousey) vs. Chris Holdsworth (Team Tate)

The first of 3 scheduled rounds starts off Chris Holdsworth using his long arms to keep Michael Wootten at bay with quick jabs and combinations. Wooten fires back with a leg kick, then starts to find his range with a couple of hooks. Soon, he’s slipping Holdsworth’s jab, and landing more punches. Chris decides he’s had enough of this, and wades in to the clinch, getting double-underhooks and pushing the Brit back into the cage. The last of the Team Tate males works for trips, but Wooten is not having any of it. “Hold it Down” drops for a double leg, turning “Woot” away from the cage and taking him down. Holdsworth passes from guard to half-guard quickly, trying to use ground’n’pound to soften up his opponent and pass to a better position. He soon passes to side control, but Wooten bumps and shrimps, eventually getting an underhook as he turns into Holdsworth, only to get caught in a brabo choke. Wooten gets to his feet, still in the choke, but is dragged down again. Soon, Holdsworth releases the choke and tries to take the back, only for Wootten to explode up to his feet to avoid it. Holdsworth will not be deterred, though, as he reaches one of his legs across the front of Wooten. Chris gets a seatbelt grip as Wooten leans forward, then jumps around onto the Team Rousey member’s back and gets the body triangle. Wootten fights the arm threatening the choke, using two hands on one to try and slip the arm to the other side of his head. Holdsworth is savvy to this, and uses punches to the head from his free arm to force Wootten into making a mistake before slowly, patiently sinking in the rear naked choke. Michael tries to defend, but after about 30 seconds of holding on, is forced to tap out.

Chris Holdsworth def. Michael Wootten by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:11 of Round 1

In the post-fight, Dana praises Holdsworth’s efforts, calling his transition to the back, “one of the sickest things I’ve ever seen.” Coach Tate also compliments her fighter, noting that he fought a perfect fight. Coach Rousey notes that her fighter gave it his all, but made one mistake while attempting the proper escape, and he made it at the wrong time. Holdsworth mentions that after he got the win, he pointed to the picture of Royce Gracie in the gym, and visualized getting his hand-raised in the same way. He says, “H.W.P.O. Hard work pays off.” He’s excited to be moving on to the finale, and wants to keep showing the world his improving skills. Michael Wootten is taking the loss hard. He admits to just not “showing up,” and feels that he let everybody down. He plans to try and bounce back from the loss, though, and somehow find his way into the UFC. After all of the emotion and craziness though, he’s ready to go home. To end the episode, Dana sets up next week’s semi-final bout, which is Sarah Moras vs. Julianna Pena. He’s all aboard the Pena Hype Train, but claims to not be sold on how good that Moras is. He says now she’ll have the opportunity to shut him up.

So, Chris Holdsworth will be moving on to the finals with his victory over Wootten. That leaves David Grant vs. Anthony Gutierrez as the last remaining male semi-final, while Sarah Moras will take on Julianna Pena next week, and Raquel Pennington will wage war with Jessica Rakoczy in the finale episode to determine the female finalists. I must admit that I’m a little surprised to see people picking Pena to beat Moras, considering that the last time the two fought, “Cheesecake” won via doctor’s stoppage in the second round. It will be a good fight, but I don’t think the outcome will change much. Without further ado, here’s the standings.

Team Tate (4-4, 1-0)