TUF Competitors Find New Work

At least four fighters who were eliminated in the season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter 8 last week have found work in other promotions.

Joe Duarte (3-0), who was submitted via rear naked choke by Phillipe Nover (5-0-1) in round two, told Fighters.com, “I just cut much weight too rapidly. I thought I could make it easy but it didn’t turn out that way.  I was real slow and sluggish during the fight.  I will come back stronger next time….”

“Next time” will be 26 September at the Alberta-based Colloseo Championship Fighting in Edmonton, against MFC veteran Ryan Heck (5-2).

Heck was TKO’d in the first round at his last fight by Ryan Machan (5-2) in July.

“Big Deal” Ryan Jimmo (6-1), who was eliminated when he lost a majority decision to Antwain Britt (4-1), will headline XFights: Ontario vs Maritimes 4 October in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Jimmo, a Saint John, NB, native who now trains in Halifax, will face Toronto’s “Lethal” Jason Cecil (3-5).

Cecil is coming off two losses, most recently being TKO’d at 1:55 of round one by Martin Desilets (8-2) earlier this month at Xtreme MMA 5.

Jason Guida (17-17), who was eliminated from competition after missing weight by one pound, has signed with EliteXC and will fight at the promotion’s ShoXC event 10 October in Hammond, IN, not far from Chicago.

Guida will face “Cannibal” Mamed Khalidov of Poland, who will be making his U.S. debut.

Khalidov ended an eleven-fight win streak earlier in September with a draw versus Daniel Tabera (11-1-3).

Brandon Garner (4-1), whose lightweight bout versus Brian McLaughlin (0-0) was ruled a No Contest after he landed an illegal knee, was nevertheless booted from the competition.

Garner confirmed to Fighters.com that he will fight on 11 October at the Carolina Fight Promotion’s Carolina Crown event, against Wisconsin’s Seth Marquez (1-2) at a catch weight of 140 pounds.

Marquez won his first professional fight in July, submitting Eugene Crisler (7-8) via third-round rear naked choke.

The final sixteen of the original 32 contestants will compete for the remaining eight spots in the house in the episode airing tonight.