TUF 18 Report: Episode 12 Recap

One male and one female fighter have punched their tickets to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter Season 18, with Chris Holdsworth and Julianna Pena winning their semi-final bouts over the past two episodes. This week, we get another teammate vs. teammate bout scheduled with Anthony “Sharkbait” Gutierrez taking on “Dangerous” Davey Grant.

We start at the TUF House, with the Team Rousey coaching staff (and Ronda’s dog) making their way in. As a reward for the difficulties of the past couple of weeks, Coach Rousey and her crew are sharing some of their culture with the castmembers and holding an Armenian barbeque. Everybody’s enjoying the occassion (which happened to fall on Jessamyn Duke’s birthday), and we cut to Manny Gamburyan, a finalist on Season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter, who discusses the hardships of being on the show. We then see David Grant eying up the meat being cooked over open charcoal, saying he’ll only have a little bit. “It was really mentally testing,” Grant tells the viewers before we cut back to the festivities, where we see Anthony Gutierrez chowing down in his usual fashion. Davey notes that “Sharkbait” isn’t eating as cleanly as he is, and that he’s solely focused on making the finals. Whilte Gutierrez is eating, Manny tells the group that it’s not his fault if nobody makes weight. Anthony, for his part, is aware of some of the criticisms he is receiving about making the semi-finals on a technicality, but feels that it’s not his fault that Cody Bollinger was unable to make weight. Talk amongst the group turns back to Gamburyan and his season, noting that Season 5 was the last time a fighter hadn’t made weight on the show prior to the Bollinger incident. “The Anvil” then proceeds to tell the group that they’re lucky to be there as a part of the TUF process, and that if they’re unable to do it, then they should give way for another person. We finish the segment with Gutierrez discussing the unreality of the moment, being one punch away from making his dream come true.

At the UFC Training Center the next day, the Team Rousey coaching staff is discussing the appropriate way to handle a teammate vs. teammate fight. It’s eventually decided that both David Grant and Anthony Gutierrez will pick their corners from amongst their teammates, with the coaching staff staying out of it as much as possible. Ronda is having emotional trouble with this though, and is told by Edmond Taverdyan that she doesn’t have to stop caring about either fighter, but that she made the right decision to step away for this bout. “We do care,” he tells her, “You taught ’em everything as best as possible.” “Rowdy” still has trouble with it, though, likening it to going into a cubicle and doing work that one has no emotional interest in, but still acknowledges that she can’t pick one fighter over the other. After the coaching staff let the fighters know of their decision, we find out who has gone with whom. We learn that Gutierrez has picked Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Team Tate’s Josh Hill to stand behind him, while Grant has gone with fellow Brit Michael Wooten, Chris Beal, and Jessica Rakoczy. After that is done, Ronda decides it’s time to teach her team one last technique before they break off into their own little mini-camps: Her armbar. In a small segment that every future Rousey opponent and/or grappling nut will have DVRed in an effort, Coach “Rowdy” detailed her armbar from top turtle position, right down to the roll. This made for an excited Peggy Morgan, who expressed her enthusiasm at all that she’s been able to learn from her coaches.

Next, we go to the coaches’ challenge, which was – according to the post-episode blogs of multiple fighters – filmed after the weigh-ins for this episode’s fight (Pay attention, this will be important later). David Grant, as he saw the sliding door rise to the facility from outside, had expected some sort of dance-off based on the lights and floor. Instead, it was a rock-climbing course. So, for $10K for the coach and $1500 for each of their teammembers, Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey scrambled up the course, with Tate’s strategy being to pace herself. Rousey’s, on the other hand, was just win. And win she did, kicking into overdrive for the last 10 feet and defeating her nemesis with apparent ease, capping it off with a raised middle finger and a “f–k you, b—h!” Tate responded, calling Ronda out for her lack of class. “Rowdy” of course, admitted to this, stating, “At least I’m open about it.” Ronda then proceeded to spread the $10,000 amongst her team, saying, “Their gain is more than my personal gain.” “I just like Miesha getting in the habit of always being beaten by me,” she added, with a smile.

Back at the house, David Grant is cooking, but can’t get the upcoming fight off of his mind. He notes that Anthony doesn’t eat as well as he does, but says he’s only worried about bringing his own “A” game in order to win the fight. Outside, Josh Hill tells a group, including Gutierrez, that he wonders if Cody Bollinger had been eating other people’s food prior to his own fight and that is what cost him making weight. We then cut to Josh, talking about how weight cutting is “the fight before the fight,” and an inability to make weight will not let a guy go anywhere in this sport. The group continues to talk about Bollinger’s failure to make weight, before we hear “Sharkbait” talking about eating whatever he wants, but dislikes people’s criticisms of his diet because he insists that it doesn’t affect his conditioning. He then claims that they’re jealous of his ability to eat poorly and still perform.

It’s time for training with Anthony Gutierrez, and he talks about being the new breed in mixed martial arts. He talks about getting into MMA gym after watching the 5th season of TUF, and how is fortunate to train under current UFC athletes like James Krause and Tim Elliot. “Sharkbait’ details his gameplan as constant activity and pressure, to wear Grant down and set him up for his strikes and wrestling. Davey doesn’t feel that Gutierrez has the strength or speed to keep up with him, though, and notes that “Sharkbait” keeps his hands low. Gutierrez isn’t fazed, and despite the pressure, vows to view Grant as someone that he’s better than. We next see “Sharkbait” stepping off of the scale, weighing in at approximately 150.5 lbs., proclaiming he’s already dropped 8 lbs. that day. We jump to Coach Rousey, who discusses how everybody deals with being in the house differently, and that she worries that Anthony’s way of coping is deterimental to his success. We then see her giving him advice, telling her charge that he wants to be “135 and the most lethal motherf—er that ever happened,” and advises him to change his view on nutrition. We jump to Anthony, who talks about how regardless of his diet, he still has the best cardio on the team, and feels like he’s getting too much flack for his diet.

Back at the house, Davey barbequing and talking more about his past with Chris Holdsworth. He discusses being a DJ in London in his younger days, and how it fell by the wayside as he became a professional fighter. He talks about how fighting has driven him, and how his goals now are to win the Ultimate Fighter, and to eventually win a world championship with the UFC. During Grant’s training session, he talks about how he fights for his kids, wanting them to grow up and be proud of him. He has a conversation about this with Coach Rousey, who gives him an ear as he talks about his excitement both to fight and to go home and see his family. While we watch him training, we hear Davey discussing the awkwardness of fighting a teammate, and how it feels like they’re each turning an eye towards each other’s training sessions. We get a cut-in from Anthony, who says that while Grant has technical striking, it’s nothing fancy and that he’ll only need to watch out for his big punches. Going back to “Dangerous” David, who details more of his gameplan, talking about how he intends to uses his hands at the start, and then go for the takedown if it becomes available. He ends it by saying he’s just looking for the finish.

As we watch more training, we get Jessamyn Duke talking about how she doesn’t expect the fight to go all 3 rounds. She calls Anthony “a bit of a spazz – in a good way,” and says that Grant is “tough, and rough, and mean.” Gutierrez reiterates his excitement, and his expectation of victory, while Grant feels that it’s his time, and his destiny to win the show. Gutierrez gets the last word in this sequence, saying that while he likes David, this “just isn’t his fight.” The segment ends with both men talking about their weight, and how Gutierrez plans to go to bed in the area of 140 lbs.

That night at the house, Anthony is in the hot tub, sweating away and talking with some of his housemates. We hear him discuss how he’s doing great in the gym, and is on point to make weight. We also see Shayna Baszler offer to let him wear her large top-hat and cape to the weigh-ins if he makes weight. “Sharkbait” jokes around with everyone, but it’s getting clear that something’s not right.

The next morning, Gutierrez is up with Josh Hill after having trouble sleeping. He tells “Gentleman” that he’s got 8 pounds left to cut, but the scale tells a different story. We see Anthony step on the scale, and find that he’s actually weighing in at 145.5 lbs., not the 143 lbs. he’d told Hill. He shuts the scale’s display off quickly, then tells Hill where he’s at. With 4 hours left, Gutierrez needs to cut at least 9.5 lbs. if he’s hoping to make weight. He tries epsom salt baths (using Cody Bollinger’s left over salts) in an effort to sweat off some of the excess. While the desperate man soaks, Josh Hill checks in on David Grant, who says he’s 139.5 lbs., far closer to the weight limit, and talks about finishing his cut with an epsom salt bath followed by an application of albalene to help him drop the remainder. Grant is ready to fight, and is looking forward to weighing-in after a hard cut..

We move to the UFC Training Center, where Gutierrez is bundled up and on the treadmill. Coach Rousey comes up to check on him, and is told that his weight is at 142 lbs. She voices her concern over learning he’d been 145 lbs. that morning, and asks her charge if he needs her to be hovering over him. Gutierrez declines, and continues to work on the treadmill. Ronda is bothered, but claims to have faith in Anthony and his methods as he claims to cut from around the same weight normally. In the dressing room though, while discussing the situation with Marina Shafir, Josh Hill, and Shayna Baszler, she is more vocal with her worries. She expresses surprise that he didn’t lose weight overnight, but that they’ll make the best of the situation.

With 2 hours left to go, Anthony is now at 143.5 lbs., and then heads off the sauna. Back in the locker room, everybody comes to the agreement that they need to stay on him, and not let him take breaks. It is during this time that Shayna Baszler reveals that “Sharkbait” has been cheating on his weight cut, drinking water while in the hot tub the prior night, and even consuming energy drinks on the weigh to the gym. Couch Rousey also discusses how her wayward pupil is the least disciplined in terms of nutrition, and the struggles she’s had to get him to eat healthier. We go back to Gutierrez, who walks away from the sauna and into the bathroom, saying he needs a break. He claims he needs more energy to possibly make 140 lbs., and so Ronda acquiesces and gives him one brief respite. She then sets about finding ways to keep him going, but not break him. Edmond Taverdyan is assigned to hover over Anthony and keep him working while Ronda and Shayna continue to brainstorm ways to help “Sharkbait” successfully make weight. Despite all the coaches’ attention being focused on helping him make weight, Coach “Rowdy” tells us that Gutierrez is still wanting to take breaks, or take showers when he needs to be working non-stop for the limited time left before weigh-ins, and the 1 hour allotted afterwards to try and make a second attempt.

It’s time for the weigh-ins, and Davey makes weight at 135.5 lbs. Things do not go as well for Gutierrez, who is 140 lbs. He is given an hour to drop at least 4 lbs., but at this point, he is mentally broken. He apologizes to his coaches in the sauna, with Ronda telling him not to be sorry until it’s over, but at this point, “Sharkbait” has checked out. The turn of events has also left David Grant, who was excited for the fight, distraught in the locker room. When Gutierrez leaves the sauna and tries to hide in the bathroom, Ronda follows him, refusing to give up on him and continuing to encourage him to at least try. Anthony asks for a moment, and asks for his coaches to lock the door as they leave. As Ronda and Edmond leave, Manny Gamburyan makes his way over to try and talk some sense into Gutierrez while he showers. “The Anvil” is let in, and Gutierrez tells him essentially what he told Rousey, but also comes clean about his weight struggles. Manny tries one last time to give him encouragement, but Gutierrez insists that he’s 4 lbs. over, can’t do it, and admits to drinking the water from the shower. When Gamburyan steps out, he’s forced to tell Edmond and Ronda that Anthony has quit. Nobody is happy, and Ronda immediately regrets not being on Gutierrez enough, taking responsibility for his failure. She talks about how you can not even let yourself believe you have any “quit” in you.

A short time later, after Gutierrez gets dressed, Manny Gamburyan takes one last opportunity to talk to him. “The Anvil” proceeds to give a Dana White-esque lecture, talking about how Gutierrez does not deserve to be there, and that not making weight is his fault. He criticizes “Sharkbait’s” lack of discipline, and tells him that if he can’t make weight, he is not ready for the UFC. Next comes the inevitable dragging out of Anthony and apology in front of everybody, including “Uncle” Dana himself. As White prepares to give his customary speech, Anthony takes the wind out of his sails by doing it for him and apologizing to everyone, especially to David Grant (who won’t forgive him for missing weight). As expected, White finds the whole situation crazy, and sends “Sharkbait” on his way.

When this is all said and done, a tearful Ronda is talking with Dana White and wants to make amends for Gutierrez’s failure. She tells her boss that she will cut weight, and make 135 lbs. in two days, when they weigh in the last fighters. White doesn’t understand why she would do this, and says the failure was Anthony’s lack of heart, but Rousey doesn’t care. She wants to prove to her team that it’s possible. White says that this show is where people learn if they’re cut out to be fighters or not. “This competition weeds out the f–kin’ weak,” he says. White continues in a cutaway, still incredulous that anybody would quit that far into the show, with as easy a road as Anthony had. He says that “Sharkbait” should get a real job and make MMA his hobby. Finally, Dana goes on to hype the next fight between Jessica Rakoczy and Raquel Pennington, and hilariously says that Rakoczy (1-3, 1 N/C) has submissions wins. This is a blatant falsehood, as Rakoczy’s only submission win was over Revelina Berto to get into the house. Still, we move forward, and next week should be good.

I predicted David Grant would make it into the finals, but I didn’t expect it to happen this way. It’s a shame that Gutierrez didn’t have the discipline his head coach did, because by all reports, Ronda Rousey went ahead and did the weight cut, and even won the coaches’ challenge half-way through it. So yeah, kudos to her. Next week we’re in for Raquel’s War Pt. 3, as Pennington takes on the do-or-die Jessica Rakoczy in the last semi-final fight. So, without further ado, here is the standings.

Team Tate (4-4, 2-1)