» Fighter: Brandon Garner

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).

Read More About TUF Competitors Find New Work…

“The fight starts right now,” proclaimed Fighters.com’s top heavyweight contender “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) about his eventual UFC title defense turned fight for top UFC contendership versus Frank Mir (11-3).

UFC President Dana White proclaimed the same thing to this season’s 32 contestants to be coached by Nog’ and Mir for the TUF 8 championship at lightweight and light heavyweight; but, before he could finish his sentence, Phillipe Nover (5-0-1) hit the deck in a fainting spell.

“Fainting Phillipe” White called him; and, Nover had a tough opening challenge versus Joe Duarte (3-0).

“I’m going to have to make him faint again,” Duarte said before the fight.

But, it was Duarte who had to tap in a Nover rear naked choke in the second round to keep from fainting.

Nover opened the first round with a head kick, followed by a body kick.

“He hits like a heavyweight,” Nog’ said.

But, Duarte countered a Nover leg kick with a straight left that dropped Nover. Duarte pounced; and, Nover gave up his back and ate an elbow.  But, Nover actually pounded Duarte while Duarte had his back and attempted a rear naked choke.

Read More About TUF 8: Fainting Phillipe Fights Back…

Brandon Garner (4-1) is a lightweight competitor in The Ultimate Fighter 8, premiering tonight on SpikeTV in the States.   His career victories all came at 145 pounds.  Garner has taught Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Japan.

Fighters.com:  How did you get started in MMA?

Brandon Garner:  I started training jiu-jitsu while in high school at a Royce Gracie affiliate. I wanted to see if I could use my jiu-jitsu in the Octagon like Royce did and so I signed up for a fight and just kept doing it.

Fighters.com:  Where do you train? Who do you train with?

Brandon Garner:  I train in Raleigh, NC and Fayetteville, NC with Team ROC. Some other notable fighters who train with us include Tim Kennedy [9-2] and Jason Palacios [6-4].

Fighters.com:  Do you train full time or are you still training soldiers at Fort Bragg?

Brandon Garner:  I still mix my training with teaching soldiers.

Fighters.com:  How did you get started training soldiers?

Brandon Garner:  One of my instructors (Greg Thompson) got contracted to work at Ft. Bragg about 10 years ago. He started picking up new contracts and needed some extra help. About four years ago I was working at a bank and was very unhappy with my job. He called me and asked if I wanted to work for him and I jumped at the opportunity

Fighters.com:  Outside of MMA, what are some of your interests or hobbies?

Brandon Garner:  I played soccer in college so that is still a hobby of mine. I also like to travel whenever I have the time.

Read More About TUF Questions: Brandon Garner…

Monday the UFC officially announced its line-up for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, premiering 17 September on SpikeTV.

The 16 lightweights and 16 light heavyweights will be coached by Fighters.com’s top heavyweight contender and interim UFC Champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and former UFC Heavyweight Champ Frank Mir (11-3).

Lightweights

Jose Aguilar (0-0)
Fernando Bernstein (0-0)
Junie Allen Browning (1-0)
Rolando Delgado (0-0)
Joseph Duarte (0-0)
Efrain Escudero (10-0)
Brandon Garner (4-1)
David Kaplan (0-0)
Eric Magee (1-1)
Brian McLaughlin (0-0)
Wesley Murch (3-2)
Shane Nelson (9-3)
Phillipe Nover (5-0-1)
Ido Pariente (8-3)
John Polakowski (2-1)
George Roop (8-3)

Light Heavyweights

Ryan Bader (7-0)
Antwain Britt (3-1)
Jules Bruchez (0-0)
Charles Diaz (3-0)
Lance Evans (2-2)
Karen Grigoryan (6-1)
Jason Guida (17-17)
“Big Deal” Ryan Jimmo (6-1)
Kyle Kingsbury (7-1)
Tom Lawlor (4-1)
Ryan Lopez (4-4)
“Pezao” Vinicius Magalhaes (0-1)
Eliot Marshall (5-1)
Sean O’Connell (0-0)
Shane Primm (1-0)
Krzysztof Soszynski (15-8-1)

Read More About Soszynski, Guida Most Experienced of International TUF 8 Cast…