TUF 14, Episode 4 recap
It’s fight day, and we have Team Miller’s Dennis Bermudez (7-2) vs. Team Bisping’s Stephan Bass (10-0). UFC president Dana…
It’s fight day, and we have Team Miller’s Dennis Bermudez (7-2) vs. Team Bisping’s Stephan Bass (10-0).
UFC president Dana White does the intros, Josh Rosenthal is the referee, and we’re underway with the first of the night’s two fights.
The fighters circle early. Dennis strikes first but is countered with the lunging shots. Both paw their jabs. Dennis moves in with punches and a low kick, and he clinches and works for the takedown. After some body shots, he gets the takedown with a trip-takedown and works inside full guard. Stephan pulls him close, but Dennis creates space to drop some forearm strikes. Stephan tries to kick his way free, but Dennis swarms again. Bisping pleads for Stephan to get up. Dennis postures up, which gives Stephan his chance to get up, but Dennis rains down more punches, and some do damage. He soon returns to full guard, and Bisping again pleads with Stephan to get up. Dennis, though, simply stands over him and rains down punches before returning to full guard. After eating more punches, Stephan rolls to his knees, Dennis takes his back, flattens him out, and then delivers more punches from back mount. The ref warns him to fight back. Stephan rolls to his back, but Dennis continues pouring on punishment from top mount. The final minute of the round is a beatdown, and it should be enough for Dennis to take a 10-8 round.
After a lashing from Bisping between rounds, Stephan enters the second in a low fighter’s crouch. He wings right hands from distance, but Dennis moves in with a body shot and then drops Stephan with a right hand and left knee to the face. He stands over Stephan and rains down heavy blows before Stephan grabs a leg, knocks him off balance and torques a knee bar. He can’t get it and tiredly returns to his feet, but Dennis swarms with more punches, follows him to the mat, takes back mount, and delivers punches as Stephan audibly grunts throughout the assault. Dennis flattens him out some more, delivers punches (but is warned about shots to the back of the head), and looks to the corner for advice. Miller simply tells him to keep swinging away. Stephan finally controls the wrists to stop the onslaught, but Dennis again frees himself and rains down heavy punches that finally force a TKO stoppage.
Team Miller goes up 3-0 with the victory, which leaves Stephan a bloodied and bruised mess, and Dennis virtually unscathed. Bisping is heated, but he ultimately gives Stephan some words of encouragement and tells him to learn from the loss.
Josh Rosenthal again officiates the fight. Louis moves and eats a knee, but he darts in again and delivers a punch. They trade punches and knees again, and Dustin creates distance with a front kick. Louis’ quick hands score again, but Dustin pops him with a knee and puts him against the cage for a few more punches. He then scores a trip takedown and pops Louis with a knee as he gets back to his feet. They trade punches from angles and then work low kicks. Louis mixes in some flashy strikes, but nothing lands. They clash in the center, and Dustin gets the better of it. Dustin works low kicks before they trade punches. Dustin swarms, clinches, delivers knees to the head and body, and keeps Louis pinned against the cage. He delivers some elbows before Louis circles away. Louis looks to shoot, but Dustin sprawls, puts him against the cage, and delivers knees and punches from the clinch. A few land very solidly. On the break, Louis lands a few shots, but Dustin is quick to counter. It’s an exciting first round, but Dustin takes it 10-9.
Between rounds, Miller tells Dustin he’s breaking his opponent. Bisping tells Louis he gave up the round and needs to win the next.
Dustin strikes first in the second with knees and kicks. Louis appears fresh, but Dustin knocks him off balance with a right, follows him to the mat, and works from full guard. Louis gets back up. Dustin clinches, but Louis reverses and lands a nice right. He then dips for a takedown, but Dustin sprawls and again puts him against the cage. Dustin works a for a high-crotch takedown, but Louis fends it off. Dustin, though, then drops him with a big knee up the middle that forces the fighter to spurt blood from his nose. Louis goes to his knees, and Dustin takes his back. After a struggle, he works for a rear-naked choke. A badly bleeding Louis tries to fight it off, but he eventually succumbs to the choke and taps out.
Louis takes the loss hard, but Bisping says he gave it his all, and he apologizes for not preparing him better. With the loss, they fall into a 4-0 hole against their Team Miller rivals.
