TUF 7: Death Of a Samurai

The pack has been cut from 32 to six.

Two were slated for the chopping block on Wednesday night’s episode with the winners moving on toward the prize of a six-figure contract.

Dante Rivera (10-2) was pitted against Jesse Taylor (6-2).

Matt Brown (9-6) scrapped with lanky amateur Amir Sadollah (0-0).

With the quarter finals looming, a coin was flipped to assign the coaches to the four fighters.

Jesse and Amir had Forrest Griffin (15-4) backing them.

“Rampage” Quinton Jackson(29-6) cornerd Dante Rivera and Matt Brown.

Jesse, who confessed he enjoys dipping microwaved cheeseburgers in ranch dressing, put on the rubber suit and, like fighters have done for years when they need to cut weight…played Ping Pong?

By the time Jesse left for the hot tub, the table and floor were splattered with pools of sweat.

He was courteous enough to step away from the hot tub where he politely urinated in his shorts, claimed it “feels good on my leg”, splashed his feet in the yellow puddle, and jumped back into the water.

His opponent joined him soon after and soaked in Jesse’s waste, a sign of things to come.

Just before the Octagon door was shut, Jesse offered his last words: “Dante, I love you man, you’re a great guy, but I’m gonna have to kick your ass.”

Rivera had his eyes on the money.  “I’d like to put $10,000 in my pocket.”

The horn blared and, within seconds, Rivera threw a looping and slow hook.  Jesse easily ducked and the takedown was almost a gi’me.

The mat was pretty much where the fight stayed.  Again and again, Jesse threw punches, elbows, and hammer fists, most of which connected somewhere on Rivera’s head or body.

Rivera managed to pull guard, but it was for naught.  Jesse pounded out a winning round with Rivera attempting the occasional impotent submission.

Round two was a mirror image of round one.  Rivera threw an easy to see loop of a punch, Jesse ducked for the takedown.

“Get up,” was Rampage’s main chunk of advice.  “You ain’t doin’ nothin’ on your back.”

Grammar aside, Rampage was correct.  Rivera, clearly outsized by cheeseburger-loving Jesse, was frustrated and mostly flat on his back, his hips rarely raised for an easily thwarted offense.

Jesse pounded down strikes to end the round.

Dana White chimed in with a scowl about Dante’s seeming lack of skill or effort.  “And Jesse, he didn’t look like a world-beater either,” White said, not impressed with the decision win by Jesse.

The second fight was, of course, expected to be a stark contrast to the slow pace of the first.

Stark indeed.

Brown and Amir admitted they had become good friends while rooming together.

“If you’re going to lose, it’s better to lose to a friend than an enemy,” Amir said, sporting a black eye going into the match.  “I don’t think I’m gonna fold.  I don’t think…”

Forest commented on Amir’s apparent lack of confidence and dare I say it, even fear?

“It’s exactly the feeling every fighter has,” Forest said, laughing.  “He’s just sissy enough to vocalize it.”

Jackson believes if Brown was in Japan, he would be a Samurai.

“I think Matt was born to be a fighter.  He has a fighter spirit.  I have that same spirit,” Jackson said about the former “Team Brown Nose” fighter in his corner.

The first minute showcased excellent stand-up work from both men.  Amir, the rangier fighter, used foot jabs to keep distance.  Brown’s punches were tight and accurate, at least touching Amir with nearly every attempt.

Amir responded with classic Muay Thai technique while against the fence.  A hard knee crashed into the rib cage of Brown, near the liver.  Brown moans and sinks a little.  He showed why everybody believes he’s made of the right stuff by staying clinched.  That body shot that would have dropped lesser men.

Amir showed great takedown defense as Brown tried to wrestle him to the ground.  Off the cage, the two threw almost an equal number of strikes, with both fighters hitting with regularity, though Brown started to edge ahead when the horn ended the violent round.

Brown came out in round two like a man on fire, but Amir withstood the attack and mounted his own offense, chasing Brown and throwing a flying kick (sure, it didn’t land, but it made it into the preview last week).

The action slowed a little, to the level where most fights peak.  Brown landed a knee on Amir’s head from the clinch.  Amir responded with a foot jab to Brown’s face.

Amir grabbed a body lock and tripped Brown to the mat.  Amir worked into mount, got pushed to guard, and worked to mount again.  Brown, turning on his side and hipping into Amir, pulled guard again.

After this position exchange again, a scramble ensued with Brown landing on top.  Amir, with no professional fights on his record and a “striker”, slipped a triangle around Brown and the Cincinnati fighter tapped.

Amir and Jesse moved on to the quarter finals.