TUF 13, Episode 9 recap; finalists decided
Team Lesnar’s Chris Cope (4-1) vs. Team Dos Santos’ Ramsey Nijem (4-1) UFC president Dana White does the introductions, and…
Team Lesnar’s Chris Cope (4-1) vs. Team Dos Santos’ Ramsey Nijem (4-1)
UFC president Dana White does the introductions, and referee Steve Mazzagatti gets us started.
After a touch of gloves, the fighters patiently circle. Ramsey rushes in with a flurry of punches and puts Chris on the defensive. Ramsey then presses him into the cage and works for the single-leg takedown. He can’t get it and opens with punches before trying again. Chris answers with punches and is briefly taken down, but he’s back up. Ramsey clings to him. Chris works short punches to the head and body, but Ramsey continues pushing him into the cage. They break, but Ramsey again rushes in with punches, a knee and then drags Chris to the mat. Chris gets back up, puts his back against the cage, but is taken to his knees. He pops Ramsey with hammerfists but is warned about shots to the back of the head before he stands again. Ramsey continues clinching, but Chris pops him with a couple knees. The close-quarters fighting continues, but as the action stalls, the ref calls for a restart. Chris lands a solid left jab, sidesteps some punches, but eats a straight from Ramsey. Ramsey throws a push kick but doesn’t follow it. Ramsey lands a lunging punch to the body, but Chris is waiting for his flurries, and Ramsey ditches the plan. It’s a close first round, but the early flurries may have won it for Ramsey.
The second round kicks off, and both fighters look ready to go. Chris lands a nice inside leg kick. Ramsey swarms again and puts Chris against the cage and then quickly gets the takedown. Chris gets up and blocks a body kick in the process. The fighters circle, and Chris pops him with jabs. Ramsey ducks under a big right hook, but he lands his own. Chris throws a low kick and eats another right. Ramsey pushes forward and clinches against the cage. Ramsey lands punches with frequency and buckles Chris with a right to the chin. Ramsey continues landing punches as Chris falls to the mat, and the ref calls a halt to the bout.
It’s a TKO win for Ramsey.
Team Lesnar’s Tony Ferguson (10-2) vs. Team Lesnar’s Chuck O’Neil (8-3)
Dana again does the intros, and Herb Dean takes over as ref.
A touch of gloves gets us started, and the fighters circle in close proximity. Tony lands first with a left and goes low with a kick. Clay answers in kind. The feeling-out process quickly is followed by a couple haymakers, but nothing substantial lands. Chuck lands a nice jab and then counters with a solid right. Tony checks a body kick and eventually lands a solid straight left. Chuck accidentally hits the groin with a kick, but Tony shakes it off. The fighters trade solid straight punches, and Tony starts to get the better of it. Chuck works low kicks and straight punches, but Tony mixes in some counters. Chuck is the aggressor and defends against an ankle pick, but he eats a subsequent right. Tony ducks under a superman punch and partially connects on a lunging left. Tony’s striking becomes more accurate, but low kicks from Chuck slow the advances. Tony counters the next kick with a solid right, though, and he catches a kick and pushes Chuck to the mat. He elects to remain standing, though, and we start again. Tony’s solid footwork and head movement is making him elusive, but Chuck mixes in some decent low kicks and short punches. Chuck fires off body kicks, and then lands three nice punches as the round ends. It’s close, but Tony likely won the round with crisper striking a bit more damage.
After corner instructions, the fighters head out for round two. Chuck throws an inside leg kick, and Tony answers. Chuck throws a body kick, and Tony makes him pay with a couple of punches. Tony works inside leg kicks and stalks. He gets through a nice combo, but Chuck shakes it off and throws a low kick. Tony lands a nice left hook and circles again. Chuck eats a left, and Tony is chasing. Chuck stalls him with kicks, but Tony keeps pressing forward. Chuck gets through a nice jab, but Tony answers with a right. Chuck paws his jab and avoids a lunging punch. Chuck throws more low kicks. Tony wants to stay in the center, though, and won’t chase. Tony lands a nice jab but takes a low kick. It’s a very strategic round so far. Tony lands some low kicks and jabs, but his power punches are missing. Chuck misses on the combo but lands the low kick, but his face is starting to bleed. The fighters trade punches, but Tony is quicker to the draw and mixes in effective low kicks that are hurting his opponent’s base. Tony snaps off a low kick, eats a punch, but lands his own. Chuck is now bleeding heavily from the pinpoint strikes. He keeps pressing, though, even as Tony closes out the round with some solid leg kicks. Tony takes the round.
With the semifinals slotted for three rounds, Chuck’s bleeding nose gets some treatment between rounds. Tony simply gets words of encouragement.
The final frame is underway, and Tony trips up Chuck with more low kicks. Chuck is now on the defensive as he retreats with single punches. Tony pushes forward, and the low kicks are mounting. They’re followed by punches, and Chuck is obviously hurting as he tries to cicle. Tony continues the head and foot work and picks his shots with increasing accuracy. The inside leg kicks are especially brutal, and Chuck’s nose and mouth also are covered in blood. Chuck continues working the jab, but the low kicks are hobbling him. Chuck lands a nice combo. Tony continues using low kicks to set up effective punches. Chuck eats some more punches and is dropped with a right. Tony probably could finish him but calls for Chuck to stand up. Chuck quickly shakes it off and resets, and Tony throws a low kick. Punches follow. Chuck tries to swing back, but he’s on a badly battered leg, and he finally hits the mat with another body punch. The ref has seen enough, and calls for the TKO stoppage.
Tony’s win doesn’t get much of a reaction from the cast members, but he’s proud of his performance.