This week's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter" revealed what is known in reality television as "the twist", the moment where the producer changes the rules to screw up the contestants.
Last week's episode promised a shocking twist and showed a negative reaction from one of the fighters. That coupled with previous attempts to maintain balance between the teams made it obvious to many that the twist in this show would be pitting teammates against each other in the semi-finals to ensure that each team would be represented in the finals. That was the twist that was revealed in this episode.
But first they showed the highlights and the fallout from last week's fight between Forrest Griffin and Alex Schoenauer. Griffin won the fight, but in the process he suffered a deep cut along his left eyebrow that threatened his ability to continue on the show.
Highlights captured the violence and intensity of the action as various fighters commented on the match. This is one of the most effective segments of the show at explaining the product and giving insight into the personalities of the other fighters. If TUF gets picked up for a second season, they need to spend more time on this and less time fighting over beanies.
Forrest got his eyebrow stitched up. When he returned to the house he revealed that he had hyperextended his own elbow on a missed punch. It was revealing that Schoenauer was taken out in one round by an opponent so out of control that he hurt himself throwing a wild haymaker. Alex gave a good account of himself within the context of this show, but those who think this loss made Schoenauer more marketable than Josh Koscheck need to put the bong down.
The next day the remaining eight fighters were called to the gym by Dana White. Josh Koscheck described the reaction of the fighters to this as "aww, man" because they knew something was going on. White congratulated the fighters on making it this far, even though some of them hadn't fought yet. White then announced the twist that teammates would fight each other.
White announced that the semi-finals would be three five-minute rounds instead of two. The order would be Chris Leben versus Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck versus Diego Sanchez, Stephan Bonnar versus Mike Swick, and Sam Hoger versus either Forrest Griffin or a replacement to be named by Griffin if his cut didn't heal in time for the fight.
Throughout the show the producers crippled the team concept by forcing Liddell to sell out his fighters by donating them to Team Couture to maintain balance after Couture's fighters lost. Now in one fell swoop the concept of team rivalry, which was supposedly vital for the finals, was being completely swept aside.
The fighters stood in stunned silence. Some, including coach Chuck Liddell shook their heads. Koscheck didn't look scared by the announcement, but he looked sober, which was a big change.
"I think it sucks" said Couture, talking about how he had tried to foster team spirit while seemingly ignoring that many of his fighters were sent over from Team Liddell. The fighters weren't happy about the twist either.
On a superficial level, the twist is "cool" because it pits friend against friend, but at its core the twist was a betrayal of the two coaches, the fighters, and the audience. In the end, the team concept that they all bought into was a sham, an plot device easily cast aside for the semi-finals.
Leben came to the kitchen in his boxer shorts and asked Kenny to help him dye his hair red in a homoerotic show of solidarity. "You're fighting a friend really at this point, and that's the hardest thing", observed Kenny, who until just a few days earlier had been a member of the other team. "He's one of my favorite guys to train with" said Kenny. "Sorry Kenny, but I'm gonna have to put the stamp on you" said Leben in an interview.
"Nothing makes any sense", said Koscheck, complaining that Leben could win despite having lost to him earlier in the show. Griffin selected Bobby Southworth as his contingent replacement. Stephan, who had earlier beaten Southworth to eliminate him from the show, said "It made me feel like all my hard work went to nothing."
Bonnar also complained that Bobby used to "bitch and moan", but then he pointed out that none of the household chores had been getting done without Bobby's complaining. Leben claimed that Koscheck had been quiet since Bobby left, implying that Koscheck was a coward. Leben must have missed when Josh swore at Hoger, a light heavyweight.
Leben's first opponent was his old nemesis, the scale. Leben was about ten pounds over the limit despite fighting just two weeks earlier. Maybe Leben should try to mix in some jogging between painting his toenails black and dying his hair blood red. There's more to MMA than tough talk and gimmicks.
Leben's sweating regimen was intercut with comments from him and camp counselor Nathan Quarry about his childhood. Leben said he had the best childhood because his mother never watched him. The results speak for themselves. Quarry offered useful advice, noting that Florian used a muay thai grip that leaves him vulnerable to uppercuts.
Dana White's analysis of the upcoming match was superficial and uninformative. He put over both fighters, claiming that Leben was a good fighter despite his earlier loss and explaining how he was impressed by Florian after showing up to scout his opponent.
Leben came out for the fight with a graphic showing that he was 15-1. I guess that loss to Koscheck didn't count, on several levels. If these fights don't count as real fights, why drag out Marc Ratner to do the weigh-ins? Don't tell me he wants free camera time, too. Florian, who had previously fought at weights 15 to 30 pounds lighter, was shown as 3-1. Big John McCarthy, UFC's signature referee, was on hand to officiate the unofficial bout.
Chuck Liddell got to work Florian's corner which was fitting since Kenny was a member of his team before being punished for their success by being sent over to Team Couture. If Florian won, Liddell would essentially have two middleweights in the finals.
Florian tried a leg dive in the first fifteen seconds, but Leben sprawled to counter it. Leben powered the much smaller Florian into the cage and caught him with the uppercuts that Quarry had suggested as well as some roundhouse punches. Leben pummeled Florian, but never seemed to have him in trouble.
After three minutes both fighters were blown up and the bout slowed to a crawl. By the last minute they looked like school kids who were just hanging on to each other waiting for someone to break up the fight. No doubt MMA is incredibly demanding, but once again the conditioning of the fighters was called into question. Not everyone can take a hard punch or learn how to wrestle, but anyone on a show like this should be in top condition. One couldn't help but reflect back on dozens of shots of fighters laying around the house and wonder if they took this seriously.
Between rounds Liddell reminded Florian how to escape when pinned up against the cage. This proved valuable as Kenny was able to avoid two attempts to trap him against the cage. Florian circled at a distance while Leben appeared to be anchored in the middle of the ring, other than a brief flurry along the side of the octagon. Leben looked much slower than he had in the first round despite not taking much damage and dominating the fight.
Two minutes into the second round, Florian caught Leben flatfooted with a stiff right cross to the jaw. Fifteen seconds later he charged in and caught Leben again with a left-right combination to the head and jaw. Leben grabbed Florian and walked him back into the cage, but he was running on empty.
Florian stayed cool and looked for openings. He caught Leben in the side of the jaw with a short left. A moment later he jabbed with his right forearm and nailed Leben's left eye. Leben tried to keep fighting, but Florian escaped and when Leben turned back toward the center of the ring he looked like the loser of a human cockfight with blood pouring from a cut above the corner of his right eye.
Referee John McCarthy stepped in immediately to have the doctor check the cut, but Kenny raised his hands, believing he had it won. The doctor checked the cut, a deep gash on the upper outer corner of Leben right eye, and wisely decided to halt the fight. Kenny Florian had withstood the pummeling, worn down his opponent, picked his spot, and won.
"That's one of the bigger cuts I've ever seen", observer Couture. Florian said he felt lucky to get the cut, though he talked about how he lined up the critical elbow strike. Dana White came into the dressing room, patted Florian's stomach, and said "you've got big balls, kid."
The teasers showed Chris Leben taking his second loss badly and questioning his value as a fighter. Leben should have questions. He's supposedly a heavy hitter, yet he hit Florian with at least two dozen punches and never even had him staggered. He lost two fights to two fighters with less than five professional fights each. He lost to a guy he normally outweighs by some twenty pounds.
It's not all bad news though. Leben was handling Florian with ease until Leben blew up late in the first round. In the second round he simply didn't have enough left to attack Florian or to defend himself. Leben's biggest enemy is still the scale and his half-assed approach to conditioning. If he worked on his endurance, he would be a much better fighter. If he worked on his attitude, he'd be a much better person.
"The Ultimate Fighter" could also use a lot of work if it is going to make a comeback.
The last two fights have been much better than the previous three fights, though the Maryland State Athletic Commission finish could leave many fans dissatisfied, but the rest of the format has been poorly thought out and wildly inconsistent.
Kenny Florian, Sam Hoger, and Mike Swick made it to the semi-finals without fighting while Leben and perhaps Bobby Southworth got second chances after losses, frustrating those who defeating them and making those matches, which fans bought into as dramatic elimination bouts, ultimately meaningless.
The team concept has been totally ruined. Liddell will also have to work the corner for Stephan Bonnar or Mike Swick while two of Liddell's remaining fighters will have Randy Couture in their corner in the semis. Any way you look at it, the coaching for these critical bouts is now a clusterfuck.
If the team concept is important enough to ensure for the finals, it needs to be given respect throughout the series. It doesn't make sense to have Liddell coach one of Couture's fighters into the finals to face one of his own fighters, possibly one who was coached by Couture in the semi-finals.
The training and strategy segments are often interesting, as is hearing the fighters discuss their own fights and other fights on the show. The laying around needs to be replaced with more discussion of fights or more training, especially since fighters seem to be blowing up quickly in their occasional matches. The human interest segments where fighters argue over beanies and complain to their coaches should be dropped.
More important than all of that however, the producers need to identify the core dynamic of their show and they need a plan that will preserve that dynamic. The fighters may be powerless to protest capricious rule changes that make earlier segments pointless, but viewers who feel ripped off have the freedom to tune out "The Ultimate Fighter" with the click of a button. This week the show drew a 1.7 rating, breaking a three week slide, but it appears to have very little momentum as it builds toward the final live episode.
The twist was predictable...I called it last week. That isn't bad, however. Seeing Diego beat the living hell out of Koschek will be entertaining. So will watching Leben cry. I actually think Leben could have gone on and beaten Florian, but whatever. They should've allowed Chris to pull out the win and then pick a replacement, but that's the way it goes...
I have alot more respect for Leben now. That fight was his, Kenny landed a lucky blow. Kenny was way outclassed here. I do look soooo forward to Josh getting his ass handed to him though, for some reason I can't stand that kid now.
Originally posted by OzzysunI have alot more respect for Leben now. That fight was his, Kenny landed a lucky blow. Kenny was way outclassed here. I do look soooo forward to Josh getting his ass handed to him though, for some reason I can't stand that kid now.
Respect for Leben? The supposed heavy hitter landed over two dozen punches and couldn't knock out a guy twenty pounds lighter. I don't get it. For all the criticism of Koscheck, Leben is the trash talking bully who can't back up his big mouth.
And the cut simply put Leben out of his misery. He took four stiff shots in the second round because he was flat footed and couldn't defend himself. What's his training regimen, curling 12 oz bottles of beer to his mouth?
Leben was out of gas and Florian was picking his spots. If he hadn't busted Leben open, Florian would have worn out Leben's face with more punches and forearms.
Watch the second round again, if you get a chance.
Florian was winning the round handily and doing big damage. Leben was a sitting duck because he doesn't keep himself in good fighting shape.
Frank, thanks for crossposting these here. I wish I cared enough about this show to have ANY opinion, but it never really elevates above the level of "background" while I'm checking the RAW thread.
I have no (okay, little) doubt Leben would have gotten the judge's decision, but I say that based mostly on the first round, because by the time it had ended I was lulled into a state where I wasn't really paying attention to ANY of it. One thing about not having ringside commentary is you become keenly aware of how gassed those guys are because all you end up hearing is HEAVY BREATHIN'. I also wonder if the switch to a mandatory instead of optional third round made the fight flow any differently - and how/if a third round might have changed Leben's FIRST fight.
That said, there's some irony in *Florian* being the man to "take it out of the hands of the judges," so good on him.
I get the impression that Da Meltz is devoting an awful lot of ink to this show. It will be interesting to see if he can get as excited about RPW coming to national television this weekend. My guess is he won't because it isn't enough like MMA, which seems like a poor tactic for a "pro wrestling" journalist.
(edited by CRZ on 23.3.05 1001)
When it seems like the whole world is full of idiots, maybe your standards are a bit high. - Guru Zim
I thought Leben won the first round by a mile. I thought he lost the second round by as much. If it went to a third round, I'm not convinced Leben had enough energy left to mount an attack and win the round, much less to defend himself.
Watch the second round again, if you have it. Leben was rooted, flat flooted on the logo in the center of the ring for most of the time while Florian circled. In the first round Leben would have moved in, caught Florian against the cage, and used "stand and pound" to wear him down. By the second round Leben lacked the energy and quickness to do that.
Florian looked like he was almost suckering him into the cage for the final clinch and he not only broke open his eye with the forearm, he popped him in the jaw with the other hand as well. I think Florian knew Leben was a sitting duck at that point and had no fear of his "stand and pound" approach.
In three rounds, I think Florian all the way, but judging by the mouse under Leben's left eye, he was going to have trouble lasting three. Florian landed more convincing blows overall. The right eye might have been swollen shut by a welt if Florian hadn't opened up the cut.
Meltzer is up and down on coverage. As with the XFL, rah-rah wrestling types hyped up a bad show because they wanted it to succeed, then gave up and tapped out quickly when it started to lose momentum. Discussion now is only a fraction of what is was leading into what was supposedly the biggest fight in UFC history, the Leben-Koscheck match.
Hopefully people have learned a few things along the way, although many will abandon ignore TUF and UFC and move on. We've seen that skills and heart, not petty grudges, are what make a good fight. We've seen that within the current rules, finishes are not always going to be decisive or satisfactory, though as I said, I believe Florian would have worn out Leben's face and taken the second and third round to win anyway. We've seen that prematch trash talking and goofy rituals don't mean dick inside the octagon. Old timers knew this already having seen Tank Abbott, but for the Leben fanbase it seemed to come as an unwelcome surprise.
Most importantly, we've seen that in the dynamic world of MMA, it is dangerous to get carried away with assumptions. A few weeks ago everyone was touting a rematch between Leben and Koscheck as a big match. Now that Leben has lost to Florian, that matchup isn't nearly as attractive as people thought. Leben needs to beat up a few tomato cans to rebuild his paper tiger image before he can be booked again. Trash talking isn't enough when you can't back it up against a much smaller fighter.
For me, if I was going to be an MMA fighter, my first priority would be doing roadwork. It's clear that at the TUF level a fighter can overcome skill, experience, and size deficits simply by having more stamina, though I assume the fighters on the PPVs keep themselves in much better shape than many of the fighters we've seen on TUF.
I'll admit I don't know how to score a fight. What I saw was Leben come out looking strong, punch hard, showing alot of offense. Kenny looked taken aback strongly. He was running from Leben and not showing alot of offense. He looked in my opinion more wore out then Leben. I still think Leben would have won had it not been for that elbow.
Like I said, if you've got it on tape or can catch a replay, watch the second round again. Watching it live, I had the same impression you had. Afterward when they showed highlights, I was floored by the stiffness of the shots Florian had landed. Not just the forearm, but a right cross that turned Leben's jaw and a left-right combination where both punches landed crispy. In the second round clinch, Leben was much less effective. In the first round he was landing uppercuts and coming over the top with roundhouse punches. In the second round he was hitting short, ineffective punches to the ribs and thighs. His hand speed and his reactions were shot and he seemed to be running out of ideas.
Leben even said during the show that technically Florian is the better fighter. Florian sounds like he has a lot of potential because has jiu-jitsu skills and has shown that he can take a pounding on his feet.
I wouldn't be surprised if Liddell told him not to take Leben down because Leben gassed on his feet. Its a similar strategy that Liddell has used before.
It was also pretty impressive for Florian to be able to execute that forearm/elbow from so close. I still think he's going to get creamed in the Finals, though.
There are a lot of kinks they need to work out with the show but you have to cut them some slack considering this was all SpikeTV's idea and the UFC had no experience in reality TV. If they do a second season, they're going to have to either scrap the team concept or allow a team to get totally eliminated before teammates fight themselves.
"When did they pass a law that says the people who make my sandwich have to be wearing gloves? I'm not comfortable with this. I don't want glove residue all over my food; it's not sanitary. Who knows where these gloves have been?" - George Carlin
New Rules? I was under the impression that the two last MW and the two last LHW were to meet each other live on Spike TV April 9th. I don't see what twists they could add to an MMA bout. This isn't the WWE
Originally posted by OzzysunI have alot more respect for Leben now. That fight was his, Kenny landed a lucky blow. Kenny was way outclassed here. I do look soooo forward to Josh getting his ass handed to him though, for some reason I can't stand that kid now.
There is no such thing as a lucky blow or lucky punch. He threw an elbow aiming for Leben's head and he connected. I don't see why everyone is speculating as to what the outcome would have been if it went to the scorecard, it is not relevant, the fight ended the way many MMA fights end.