Sherdog.com’s Guide to TUF 9
Scott Holmes May 13, 2009
This week’s episode begins with a playful montage of training shots
of the U.K. team. Unfortunately, the exercises employ the troubling
task of human weightlifting. Clearly, some producer or director
thought it would be fun for TV to watch one man bench-press another
man. Cue background music and it isn’t a pretty sight.
There are only two fights left in the first round. Two scrappy opponents will face off next in Richie Wilson, from the U.S., and the United Kingdom’s Ross Pearson. However, the focus of this episode falls mainly on Jason Pierce.
You see, during each season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” a couple of
contestants get their own episode. Typically, this is achieved by
having “an episode.”
Yet, the overall lack of drama in the house has placed the focus on Pierce -- specifically his relationship with his teammates. For starters, Pierce probably won’t be a life-long pen pal with any of them. He’s the elder statesman in the house, which means conversations with anyone under 25 is almost intolerable. I’m sure his roommates also get sick of that old-man stink that can permeate a house.
A nice secondary storyline is also unfolding, as Pierce is slated to fight one of the few guys he’s actually bonded with in David Faulkner. Not only are they friends, but Faulkner is no joke in the cage.
Cut to shots of Faulkner’s teammates heaping on the praise, which yields what may end up being my all-time favorite quote of all nine seasons.
“He’s got brilliant standup,” says Martin Stapleton. Then Jeff Lawson weighs in on Faulkner’s skills in a very English manner.
“David’s ever, ever, ever so good,” he says.
When, if ever, do you get the opportunity to hear a killer mixed martial artist be described in the same manner you’d tell Mary Poppins about an ice cream treat? Never. In this moment, it’s never been clearer that the UFC needs to go global.
Back to Pierce, some broken blood vessels in and on his foot have plagued his training. Pierce is standoffish during practice and it’s beginning to bug his coaches.
“I don’t know what’s going on in Jason’s head sometimes,” says coach Dan Henderson. “He’s a bit of a mystery to me right now.”
Pierce also has issues with the coaching and training styles coming down from Hendo and Co.
Assistant coach Cyrille Diabate takes it a step further.
“Jason Pierce, from the beginning, has been a pain in the neck, to put it simple,” he says. “He’s a very negative guy.”
Henderson has his hands
full with Jason Pierce.
Pierce sulks and walks away like Charlie Brown after Diabate and
Henderson preach about having a positive attitude during
training.
“I don’t think Pierce plans on fighting. I think he’s afraid of Dave Faulkner,” says Frank Lester back at the house.
While Lester and the younger fellows dish about Pierce, Jason Dent awkwardly confronts them about their “bash room.” Dent wants to be clear that he’s not part of any “cliques” and then proceeds to tattle about the “bash room” and all the gossiping that goes on there.
Looks like even the Octagon isn’t immune to the gossip that seeps from schoolyards, fat camps, church camps and sleepovers.
There are some medical issues of note in this episode as well: Faulkner’s got a huge swelling in his leg from hitting himself with a sledgehammer during training, and a subsequent infection has given him flu-like symptoms. Wilson also has some infantigo creeping across his face, but he is able to get it cleared up before his fight.
It wouldn’t be TUF if we didn’t have a few other things to contend with before we get to the fight. This week it’s a game of tennis and a birthday party.
The tennis is part of the “coaches’ challenge” that occurs every season, and it’s a brutal match highlighted by the fact that Henderson and Michael Bisping should probably avoid any sports that involve rackets or any swinging motion of any kind.
“Straight out of the Serena f---ing Williams’ handbook, they were,” says Stapleton in a grossly overblown estimation of Henderson’s serves.
Henderson wins some cash for his team and Bisping nearly goes out of his mind having to listen to the jeers of the American team.
After a day on the courts, Wilson gets a birthday cake. But while it’s his party, Cameron can cry if he wants to. As the cake gets cut, Cameron Dollar’s doing the weepy drunk thing outside.
Lester, who’s clearly a good dude since he seems to be the one guy that’s always around listening and trying to console some of these troubled souls, and coach Diabate stand around while Dollar blubbers.
“I drink too much,” sobs Dollar. “I wish I had a better relationship with my parents.”
Dollar is really just young. Young, drunk and homesick equals waterworks.
It’s not all that entertaining until coach Henderson comes out and gets sucked in. Henderson seems ill prepared to handle the situation, which equals no eye contact and a real interest in one’s own shoes.
Finally, it’s fight time. “The pitbull versus the scrappy snowboarder,” laughs Dana White.
Not sure if Wilson’s ever actually been on a board, but he does look like a snowball hurler compared to Pearson’s bricklayer look and background.
“For me it is about fighting for the U.S.A. now -- hope I represent good,” says Wilson. “This might be a war.”
Pearson would rather not go that route, saying, “I want to take him out fast; you don’t get paid for overtime in there.”
For his part, Pearson does most things right, but Wilson is explosive and athletic and throws from all angles. Pearson’s a bit shorter and closes the distance often, tying Wilson up and keeping him from getting his shots off.
Pearson elevates Wilson and dumps him a few times, scoring with the takedowns. There’s another flurry of punches mixed with a knee and Pearson has Wilson backing up fast. Anytime Wilson tries to fire off some elbows, Pearson changes levels and mixes things up well.
With everything going his way, Pearson makes a mistake and crushes a kneeling Wilson with a knee. Referee Herb Dean is forced to separate the two and take a point from Pearson, but it doesn’t matter in the end.
Wilson gets a few minutes to recollect himself, but Pearson throws him to the floor again, this time sinking in his hooks and working for an armbar that has Wilson tapping with about a minute left in the first round.
Wilson looks good, but Pearson is just too much and gets the better of all the exchanges. Pearson might just end up in the finals.
Next week, we’ll finally see how the battle between super-friends Jason Pierce and David Faulkner will go. The early promos allude to Pierce dropping out of the fight, so that is something you can put in your chili pot to simmer all week.
There are only two fights left in the first round. Two scrappy opponents will face off next in Richie Wilson, from the U.S., and the United Kingdom’s Ross Pearson. However, the focus of this episode falls mainly on Jason Pierce.
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Yet, the overall lack of drama in the house has placed the focus on Pierce -- specifically his relationship with his teammates. For starters, Pierce probably won’t be a life-long pen pal with any of them. He’s the elder statesman in the house, which means conversations with anyone under 25 is almost intolerable. I’m sure his roommates also get sick of that old-man stink that can permeate a house.
“It’s the everyday. The stress, the diet, the discipline,” says
Pierce of the mental fatigue that inevitably sets in competing on
the show.
A nice secondary storyline is also unfolding, as Pierce is slated to fight one of the few guys he’s actually bonded with in David Faulkner. Not only are they friends, but Faulkner is no joke in the cage.
Cut to shots of Faulkner’s teammates heaping on the praise, which yields what may end up being my all-time favorite quote of all nine seasons.
“He’s got brilliant standup,” says Martin Stapleton. Then Jeff Lawson weighs in on Faulkner’s skills in a very English manner.
“David’s ever, ever, ever so good,” he says.
When, if ever, do you get the opportunity to hear a killer mixed martial artist be described in the same manner you’d tell Mary Poppins about an ice cream treat? Never. In this moment, it’s never been clearer that the UFC needs to go global.
Back to Pierce, some broken blood vessels in and on his foot have plagued his training. Pierce is standoffish during practice and it’s beginning to bug his coaches.
“I don’t know what’s going on in Jason’s head sometimes,” says coach Dan Henderson. “He’s a bit of a mystery to me right now.”
Pierce also has issues with the coaching and training styles coming down from Hendo and Co.
Assistant coach Cyrille Diabate takes it a step further.
“Jason Pierce, from the beginning, has been a pain in the neck, to put it simple,” he says. “He’s a very negative guy.”
Dave
Mandel/Sherdog.com
full with Jason Pierce.
“I don’t think Pierce plans on fighting. I think he’s afraid of Dave Faulkner,” says Frank Lester back at the house.
While Lester and the younger fellows dish about Pierce, Jason Dent awkwardly confronts them about their “bash room.” Dent wants to be clear that he’s not part of any “cliques” and then proceeds to tattle about the “bash room” and all the gossiping that goes on there.
Looks like even the Octagon isn’t immune to the gossip that seeps from schoolyards, fat camps, church camps and sleepovers.
There are some medical issues of note in this episode as well: Faulkner’s got a huge swelling in his leg from hitting himself with a sledgehammer during training, and a subsequent infection has given him flu-like symptoms. Wilson also has some infantigo creeping across his face, but he is able to get it cleared up before his fight.
It wouldn’t be TUF if we didn’t have a few other things to contend with before we get to the fight. This week it’s a game of tennis and a birthday party.
The tennis is part of the “coaches’ challenge” that occurs every season, and it’s a brutal match highlighted by the fact that Henderson and Michael Bisping should probably avoid any sports that involve rackets or any swinging motion of any kind.
“Straight out of the Serena f---ing Williams’ handbook, they were,” says Stapleton in a grossly overblown estimation of Henderson’s serves.
Henderson wins some cash for his team and Bisping nearly goes out of his mind having to listen to the jeers of the American team.
After a day on the courts, Wilson gets a birthday cake. But while it’s his party, Cameron can cry if he wants to. As the cake gets cut, Cameron Dollar’s doing the weepy drunk thing outside.
Lester, who’s clearly a good dude since he seems to be the one guy that’s always around listening and trying to console some of these troubled souls, and coach Diabate stand around while Dollar blubbers.
“I drink too much,” sobs Dollar. “I wish I had a better relationship with my parents.”
Dollar is really just young. Young, drunk and homesick equals waterworks.
It’s not all that entertaining until coach Henderson comes out and gets sucked in. Henderson seems ill prepared to handle the situation, which equals no eye contact and a real interest in one’s own shoes.
Finally, it’s fight time. “The pitbull versus the scrappy snowboarder,” laughs Dana White.
Not sure if Wilson’s ever actually been on a board, but he does look like a snowball hurler compared to Pearson’s bricklayer look and background.
“For me it is about fighting for the U.S.A. now -- hope I represent good,” says Wilson. “This might be a war.”
Pearson would rather not go that route, saying, “I want to take him out fast; you don’t get paid for overtime in there.”
For his part, Pearson does most things right, but Wilson is explosive and athletic and throws from all angles. Pearson’s a bit shorter and closes the distance often, tying Wilson up and keeping him from getting his shots off.
Pearson elevates Wilson and dumps him a few times, scoring with the takedowns. There’s another flurry of punches mixed with a knee and Pearson has Wilson backing up fast. Anytime Wilson tries to fire off some elbows, Pearson changes levels and mixes things up well.
With everything going his way, Pearson makes a mistake and crushes a kneeling Wilson with a knee. Referee Herb Dean is forced to separate the two and take a point from Pearson, but it doesn’t matter in the end.
Wilson gets a few minutes to recollect himself, but Pearson throws him to the floor again, this time sinking in his hooks and working for an armbar that has Wilson tapping with about a minute left in the first round.
Wilson looks good, but Pearson is just too much and gets the better of all the exchanges. Pearson might just end up in the finals.
Next week, we’ll finally see how the battle between super-friends Jason Pierce and David Faulkner will go. The early promos allude to Pierce dropping out of the fight, so that is something you can put in your chili pot to simmer all week.
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