The show opens with the official weigh-ins for Nick McCray vs. Kyle Noke.
OFFICIAL WEIGH-INS
Kris McCray (185) vs. Kyle Noke (185)
Kris and Kyle are friends, and Dana says they were pretty bummed about having to fight each other. Dana wants them to learn early that there are no friends in the UFC. He better hope neither guy joins American Kickboxing Academy.
I just want to point out that Nick Ring, since last week, has somehow managed to grow a sweet Hulk Hogan mustache. This leads me to believe one of two things: either Nick has the fastest-growing facial hair in the history of mankind, or this fight was actually taped much later than they’re leading us to believe.
Tito says that being friends with your opponent gives you an advantage because you know all of his strengths and weaknesses.
And the moment you’ve all been waiting for finally arrives. Tito tells his team that he went to the doctor for a checkup on his neck, and the doctor wants to do surgery. Not only that, but he wants to do it right away. Tito says that between his C6 and C7 vertebrae, the discs are putting pressure on his spinal cord. He has numbness down his arms and legs, has headaches on a daily basis and doesn’t sleep well. He’s not sure if he’s going to do the surgery. He’s been through one surgery before, and if it happens again, it happens again. He feels like he has another five or six years of competition left in his body, and if he keeps fighting injured he’s taking the chance of hurting himself even worse. He’s been fighting injured for the past six years and isn’t going to make the same mistake he made before. He’s not going to let Chuck beat him because he wasn’t 100 percent going into the fight. He’ll find out in the next couple of weeks if he’s going to be able to fight, but he’s putting it in God’s hands for now.
It’s fight day for Noke and McCray. Kris says it’s going to be weird looking at Kyle standing across from him in the Octagon. Kyle says he’s never fought one of his close friends before — he’s battled guys he knows, but never actually fought someone he’s close with. He’s hoping to just go in the cage and do his job. All fights are equally important to him, including this one.