TUF 14, Episode 8 recap
On fight day, it’s Team Bisping’s Akira Corassani (9-3) vs. Team Miller’s Dennis Bermudez (7-2) in the season’s first featherweight-semifinal…
On fight day, it’s Team Bisping’s Akira Corassani (9-3) vs. Team Miller’s Dennis Bermudez (7-2) in the season’s first featherweight-semifinal fight. The winner earns a spot in the finale.
Dana does the intros, Herb Dean is our referee, and we’re underway.
Akira fakes some knees, and Dennis misses on some kicks. Akira staggers his opponent with a left, fends off a takedown and pops Dennis with more punches. Akira catches a kick and lands another punch. Dennis shoots again, and Akira easily sprawls. Akira lands some punches, but Dennis clinches and puts him against the cage. Akira reverses, and Dennis breaks off with a knee to the stomach. Dennis tries a superman punch but clinches and then resets when there’s nothing there. Dennis lands a nice straight right. The fighters trade haymakers. Akira gets through a punch, and Dennis fails on another takedown attempt from distance. Akira than staggers him with a right hook. Dennis again fails to get the takedown but pops Akira with a nice right. Dennis catches a kick, pops Akira with a punch, but then eats a counter shot. The slugest continues, and Akira drops him with a left. Dennis immediately pops up and works for a single leg that allows him to slam Akira to the mat. Akira goes to his knees, and Dennis slaps on a guillotine choke and torques it. Akira clearly taps, but the ref misses it. Dennis keeps working the choke, and Akira clings to consciousness. Dennis listens to his corner’s instruction and tightens the choke. Akira taps again, and the fight is finally halted. Dennis yells “nighty night!” before returning to his corner.
Akira is in a daze as he returns to his feet and has no idea what happened. He needs Bisping to tell him how the fight ended, at which point Akira is a mess when he learns he lost.
“I had this fight,” he says. “This was my fight man.”