Wednesday night's episode of The Ultimate Fighter got started with the fighters preparing for the much anticipated bout between Matt Brown (9-6) and Jeremy May (5-5).

The night before the fight, eliminated fighters Brandon Sene (2-0) and Matt Riddle (0-0) were doing shots and it appeared May was doing some with them.  He claimed he had “twelve or thirteen” shots, which upset the other fighters.

Apparently May had filled up a vodka bottle with water and was only pretending to be drunk, trying to play some mind games with Brown and Team Forrest.

It was nothing new for May as we learned he had been nursing a knee injury that held him out of the majority of Team Rampage’s conditioning and sparring sessions.  May himself admitted he faked the severity of the injury to pace himself during training.  Jeremy rode the bike while his team completed grueling conditioning sessions.

That dishonest approach and his cocky attitude angered everyone in the house, including the other fighters on Team Rampage.  Teammate Matt Riddle was so disgusted with May that he revealed Jeremy’s knee injury to Matt Brown the night before the fight.

 Matt brown is no joke.  He revealed his colorful past that includes plenty of drugs, alcohol, fighting, and even a few stints in jail.  By all accounts, he is a serious individual.  He didn’t trash talk much before the fight and was just happy to finally get Jeremy and his mouth into the Octagon.

 Matt Brown (9-6) v Jeremy May (5-5)

May came out swinging, managing to land a few punches and a knee on Brown.  May tried a head kick and Brown sent him to the canvas with a straight right.

May, wanting to get the fight to the ground, did not attempt to stand up.  Brown hit a few leg kicks before dropping a right hand on Jeremy’s face and taking side control.

Brown moved to the mount and looked for submissions.  May sensed this and fed Matt an armbar.  Brown took the bait; and, Jeremy was able to slam out of Matt’s armbar attempt and wound-up standing in Brown’s open guard.

Jeremy landed a few punches from the top before Matt turned the tables and got on top in May’s closed guard.  Matt transitioned to side control, then knee-on-stomach and connected with a few shots before both fighters stood back up.

May, with his hands dropped, looked gassed.  Brown hit him with a jab and then a right cross that sent Jeremy to the mat again.

Brown punched May’s face twice from his open guard before both fighters stood again.  At this point May’s tank was empty.  He could barely stand up straight.  Brown smelled blood and landed a nice knee to set up a beautiful left head kick to the hunched over May, knocking him out and forcing referee Herb Dean to stop the fight.

 Winner by knockout:  Matt Brown

The loss didn’t humble Jeremy May.  Even though lying about his injury and skipping conditioning obviously contributed to him gassing out, he still said Brown got lucky and, that if they fought again, the result would be different.  

Fighters'com's first-ranked light heavyweight "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (28-6) was frustrated after losing the first fights and was even more so when sixth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4) revealed he was picking the match-ups by flipping a coin.  After the next coin flip at Team Forrest’s training session, it was determined Luke Zachrich (7-1) would take on Team Rampage’s Dan Cramer (0-0).

Neither man had the rugged look common of fighters, but they produced the most exciting fight so far this season.

Luke Zachrich (7-1) v Dan Cramer (0-0)

Cramer landed two punches immediately and the fighters clinched up.  Dan threw some more shots and attempted a trip that ended up pushing Luke against the fence.  They separated and Luke landed a straight left that seemed to stun Cramer for a second before he was able to tie Luke up again, land a knee to his face, and execute the trip for a takedown.

After a brief scramble, both men got back to their feet.  Cramer tried to walk through a few of Luke’s punches to get the tie up, but decided to stop after a few of them connect solidly to his chin.  He backed off and then charged in throwing long looping punches, sticking his chin out begging for Luke to connect.

The fighters clinched against the cage and engaged in some dirty boxing.  Cramer landed punch after punch on Luke’s face.  Zacharich landed a few clean shots of his own, but couldn’t match Dan’s pace.

After eating about twenty punches, Luke got the trip for a takedown and got to the mount.  Dan rolled and Luke took his back with just under a minute left.  Zacharich looked for the rear naked choke, and initially appeared to have it locked in pretty deep.  Dan, nearly punched out from his barrage on Luke, wasn’t doing much to defend the choke.  Luke, tired from eating all of those punches, had no energy to finish the choke; and,  both fighters were happy to finish the round with Luke on Dan’s back.

Round two started with Luke and Dan trading punches and clinching.

Cramer got a trip for a takedown and took the mount on Zacharich.  He landed some punches and elbows; and, Luke gave up his back to stop the onslaught.  Two more punches from there and Luke was under the mount again.  Dan rained down punches with a few elbows mixed in.  Luke couldn’t escape the mount or defend the punches; so, referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight.

Winner by TKO: Dan Cramer.     

Finally, Team Rampage won a fight and gained the matchmaking rights for the next fight.  Rampage was giddy after the win and to have control over the next match-up.

While chatting with Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) Tuesday afternoon, he broached two myths that frustrate him and I.  Let’s quash them. Myth one: “I can beat Rich Franklin.” Or, whoever you have a delusional cage fantasy about.  I only say second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) because I live in Greater Cincinnati and most often hear his name when I reveal I write about MMA; but, I’m sure, if you live in Vancouver, it’s Denis Kang (29-10-1) and, in Boston, it’s Florian. You can’t beat any of them, even if you saw them get thrashed by another elite fighter. Neither can your cousin who just got out of jail, nor your friend who just reached brown belt in BJJ. What is it about mixed martial arts, the most grueling and graceful athletic endeavor in organized sport, that makes couch potatoes think they can put down their Cheetos, brush the orange dust from their stained fingers, and compete at an elite level? No one watches baseball and thinks they can hit a 95 mph cut fastball 450 feet like Alex Rodriguez.  No one watches gymnastics and thinks they can roll out of bed into a triple axel.  (Well…no one watches gymnastics…) UFC fighters, as well as many mixed martial artists in other promotions, are elite athletes.  They’re experts in the fighting skills of many disciplines, but that’s just where it begins.  Their cardio and strength training is as regimented and diligently-followed as the top athletes in any other sport, perhaps more so. The fact is, even if you are as skilled in martial arts as a UFC fighter, there’s a genetic element that most of us just aren’t born with.  Just like many of us will never run a 4.4 forty or bench press 700 pounds, no matter how dedicated we are. It’s often a comment from someone who’s never trained or hasn’t trained since they were in high school wrestling and doesn’t realize they’re neither 18-years old, nor in any kind of athletic shape anymore. The only thing worse than saying, “I can beat Rich Franklin,” is saying, “I still think I can beat Rich Franklin,” a week after he picks you apart like a chicken carcass in front of 22,000 at the Centre Bell.  That’s not ignorant; that’s insane. Myth two: “Kenny Florian: Not Your Average Fighter.” Again, Florian or whoever in the sport can pack a coherent sentence with more than eight words is considered unique.  Often, it makes a headline in main stream media; but, I’ve seen it creep into MMA media too. Elite fighters are as intelligent as computer geeks.  Wait,that’s “J-Lau” Joe Lauzon (16-4).  Well, they’re as intelligent as people with master's degrees.  Well, that’s Rich Franklin.  OK, they’re as intelligent as lawyers.  Oops…that’s first-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and "Hungarian Nightmare" Christian Wellisch (8-3).  As intelligent as Ph.D.s?  Yeah…that’s “The Snowman” Jeff Monson (24-7) and UFC fighter Terry Martin (16-4).  None of them are unique among fighters in their intellect, they're just a few names off the top of my head. I think the stereotype of the meathead fighter stems from a self-consciousness that prevents some people from allowing for a guy who can both kick their ass and outwit them in a debate on ontological empiricism.  It's a way some people protect their own egos by reducing fighters to cavemen, regardless of the truth. Now, of course there are meatheads in MMA; but, if you scan the top of the sport, most of the elite fighters are college-educated, artistically gifted, or intellectually interesting. Intelligence is not unique among mixed martial artists, just like ignorance isn't unique among those who're surprised to meet a fighter who isn't beating their chest. Notes from around MMA * Rich Franklin (23-3) turned down a fight versus ninth-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) that was offered while the UFC rushed to bolster their London fight card after seventh-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) was pulled from the main event with a pulled hamstring. * Despite Franklin’s agent Monte Cox’s assertions on MMAWeekly Radio, Franklin is not considering a career move to 205-pounds, but would consider a one-off in the heavier division “if it was an interesting match-up”.  But for an unlikely challenge of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and first-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson, what meaningful fight could lure Franklin into a one-off?  Maybe a rematch with “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (12-0)?  That's interesting... * TUF 7 contestant Brandon Sene (2-0) was robbed on Wednesday night’s episode of the the UFC’s reality program.  Fighters.com scored both of the first two rounds 10-9 for Sene, who was more aggressive and intent on inflicting damage to his opponent, Dante Rivera (10-2).  BJJ player Rivera was able to take the fight to the mat, but managed few serious attempts to end the fight with a submission and was largely unable to avoid Sene’s striking from his back.  Fighters.com did score the final, sudden-death round 10-9 for Rivera; but, the fight should’ve never made it to sudden death. * The Tennessee House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on a bill to create a state athletic commission with the goal of attracting a UFC fight card and the $100 million in revenue that the big show’s events generate for local economies.  Now, which Tennessee native son might like to belt out a howl in a main event on the Mississippi? *  According to the Winnipeg Sun, “Road Warrior” Jonathan Goulet (22-9) and his girlfriend will put the $75,000 bonus he won for “Fight of the Night” versus Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5) at UFC 83 towards a down payment on a home.  Goulet hits the road to London 7 June to fight Paul Kelly (7-0). * UFC glove maker, Century, revealed to Fighters.com contributor Jason Wawro that the legend of Brock Lesnar’s (1-1) 4X-sized glove is a myth.  Despite rumors that Lesnar was the first MMA fighter to wear 4X gloves since “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1), a Century executive claimed, “I have the receipts right here and Brock Lesnar, Cheick Kongo, and Heath Herring all ordered 3X-sized gloves.” * When asked about the CBS deal to air EliteXC MMA events, Fox Sports president Ed Goren replied that his company hasn't struck a deal to air the sport because, "We don't need money that badly."  This from an executive of a company popular for such high-brow entertainment as When Animals Attack! and Celebrity Boxing featuring matches between Todd Bridges and Vanilla Ice and Paula Jones and Tonya Harding. ...

After losing the opening two fights, “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) knew he had to do something to inspire his team.  So, he brought in The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner, "The Count" Michael Bisping (15-1), to train with his team.

Bisping talked to the fighters about his experience on the show.

“It changed my life” said Bisping.  He reminded the fighters what a great opportunity they had in front of them, and told them, “Don’t slack on your training.  Don’t get drunk at the house.  Get your sleep.  Eat right…everything I didn’t do.” 

 We got to hear what the house thought of Matt Brown (5-6); and, he seems like someone you would not want to mess with.  He trains extremely hard!  So much so that Forrest had to remind him not the hurt his training partners during sparring.  He wasn’t there to make friends.  This no-nonsense attitude earned him the moniker Matt “Mother-Fuckin’ Brown” from his teammates.

So, who better to play a prank on than Brown?  Jeremy May (5-5) couldn’t think of anyone, so he decided to stir the pot a little and put lime juice in Matt’s chewing tobacco.

Matt heard from another fighter what May had done, and he was pissed.  Brown confronted Jeremy and told him to get ready to fight.  He wanted blood.

Just when we thought the Brown/May fight would be announced, team Forrest selected veteran Dante Rivera (10-2) to lock horns with MMA neophyte Brandon Sene (2-0), who’s fighting experience came on the battlefield as a Marine Corps Sniper. 

Brandon Sene (2-0) v Dante Rivera (10-2)

The match started with a few range-finding punches from each fighter.  Dante pushed Brandon into the fence and tried to control him there.  Sadly, this would the theme of the fight.  Sene threw a few knees before Dante managed to trip him and score the takedown.

Rivera got side control; but, Sene was able to explode back to his feet before Dante could do any damage.

Dante again pushed Sene up against the cage; and, Brandon began landing knees to the thighs of Rivera.  Sene defended another takedown attempt.  He connected with a few more knees before referee Steve Mazzagatti separated the fighters and restarted them in the center of the Octagon.

Dante looked again to tie up and push Brandon against the fence.  This time he slammed Brandon to the mat for the takedown.

From his closed guard, Brandon landed punches and elbows on Dante’s face, and was able to keep Rivera from passing his guard.  Rivera went for a dangerous-looking achilles lock before Brandon escaped.  Dante recaptured side control in the closing seconds of round one.

Fighters.com scored the first round 10-9 for Sene.

Round two continued the trend of round one when Rivera immediately pushed Sene against the fence.  Brandon landed some punches as Dante continued to control him on the fence.  Just as Mazzagatti was about to separate the fighters for a second time, Dante got another takedown and looked to try some ground and pound in Brandon’s half guard.  This strategy seemed promising until Sene stood up after Dante had landed only a few punches.

Once again, Rivera pushed Sene up against the fence and got the trip for a take down.  He was on top in Sene’s half guard; but, it was Brandon who was landing the shots.  With one minute left, Brandon executed a half guard sweep and tried some ground and pound of his own from the top.  He ground some elbows into Dante’s face and finished the round on top.

Fighters.com scored the second round 10-9 for Sene.

After two rounds, the fight was tied; so, we got to see the first fight of the season to go the full three rounds.  Not deviating from his game plan, Rivera pushed Sene against the fence and took some body shots from Brandon before Mazzagatti separated the two. 

After the restart, Rivera threw a big shot with the right hand before driving Sene to fence for the final time.  Brandon landed some punches that Dante powered through to get a double leg takedown.

From Sene’s guard, Dante looked to control the position while Brandon continued to punch and elbow from the bottom.  Dante landed some punches and knees from the top as Brandon tried to escape.  Dante was able to maintain control of the position and spent the last two minutes of the round countering escape attempts from Sene.

Fighters.com scored the third round 10-9 for Rivera.

Brandon did a good job of avoiding Rivera’s submissions, but all of his offense came with his back against the fence or on the mat.  UFC President Dana White was not impressed with either fighter, but felt that Sene was more active and did more damage.  The judges saw otherwise, giving the fight to Rivera based on his takedowns and control.

Winner by decision: Dante Rivera

Rampage was furious about the decision; and, we learned next week’s episode will open with Jeremy May taking on Matt Brown to settle their grudge.

Ponder this before next Wednesday's TUF 7 episode: Next week, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion "Rampage" Quinton Jackson (29-6) and Forrest Griffin (15-4) will be choosing fighters for their team.  Assuming you've watched the first two episodes, who would you choose? Would you choose fighters who're rough, but you think have a higher upside; or, fighters who're already more complete? Would you choose fighters with styles most like yours?  Or, would you try to fill out a well-rounded squad? UFC President Dana White was right tonight when he stated, "There are no pussies here."  The elimination round has held some of the best fights of any TUF season. The episode opened with Dan Simmler (0-0) versus Mathew Riddle (0-0); and, Riddler came to battle.  He scored a sweet toss early and worked inside the jiu-jitsu fighter's guard.  But, Riddle gassed shortly into round one and Simmler had the mo' going into the second. That mo' was floored almost immediately in what "Rampage" called, "The gruesomest knockout I've ever seen." As Simmler launched a kick, Riddle decked him with a right hook, followed by two vicious hammerfists after Simmler hit the floor. Simmler moaned for several minutes, then woke-up repeating, "Was this a real fight or practice?"  He was carried away by ambulance. Brutal.  Riddle takes a bed. In the next fight, Patrick Schultz (5-1-1) looked mean at the bell and piled on Cincinnatian Luke Zachrich (7-1); but, Zachrich woke-up after taking a few shots and rolled Schultz into a guillotine to take another bed. Erik Charles (2-5) bragged before his fight with Timothy Credeur (9-2) that he was "one of the fastest guys out here."  He was right!  Charles tapped out in a Credeur armbar quicker than any other fighter in the competiton.  Credeur takes a bed. In highlights, "Mohawk" Brandon Sene (2-0) beat Aaron Meisner (2-0) by rear naked choke. Gerald Harris (6-2) was all over Mike Marrello (7-1-1) with G'n'P for a unanimous decision.  Jeremiah Riggs (1-0) "put Mississippi on the map", but Daniel Cramer (0-0) put "Mississippi" on the mat for a first-round G'n'P TKO. Jesse Taylor (6-2) had a quick night taking down, mounting, and wrapping Nick Rossborough  (8-3) in a rear naked choke submission. Finally, Cincinnatian Matt Brown (5-6) weathered the early pressure of wrestler Josh Hall (1-2), who escaped two tight triangle chokes only to succumb to a G'n'P stoppage. My team picks, in alphabetical order: Matt Brown Timothy Credeur CB Dollaway Gerald Harris Nick Klein Matthew Riddle Dante Rivera Cale Yarbrough ...