The Ultimate Fighter 12 Recap: Episode 8
Last Week, Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre sat down with Dana White to select the wild card picks, as the final preliminary fight is in the books.
This week opens up with Team GSP training in the gym and the fighters seem to be disagreeing with the wild card picks. Dana White, however, defends Stevens as the pick over anyone from St. Pierre’s squad. Michael Johnson is then shown in the cage training, while Bruce Leeroy complains of back soreness.
The camera swings over to Koscheck, who discuess that he has two guys on his team now going up against each other. He defends the pick of Stevens, saying that he did not get to show his potential at all. Andy Main does not believe that Marc Stevens deserved the spot over him, but Jeff Lentz seems to be fine with the picks. Stevens says he has a lot to prove. After his first performance, he certainly does.
Koscheck is then shown backstage talking it up with the “male nurse” again. Koscheck continues to call him by that name, and he is not to happy about that in the least. Koscheck tries to get into GSP’s room, but can’t. However, both guys seemed to have a good time with the situation as they went at each other with plungers and trash cans.
The action goes back to the house, and Leeroy and Johnson start going after each other verbally, but we quickly move back to the gym. Koscheck has nothing but good things to say about the two wildcard fighters heading into the fight for tonight’s episode. Both the fighters are then seen talking on the treadmills, talking about working together in the future.
However, the feel-good moment is cut short by Koscheck and his buddy coming back on the screen. When I say male buddy, I mean the “male nurse”. Koscheck begins getting irritated when he is made fun of for an alleged phantom knee, which is a reference to his bout with Anthony Johnson. Koscheck explains that he is about at the end of his rope, but, when the teasing continues, he goes after the Team GSP crew member, but we cut to a commercial break before we get to see the climax of the confrontation.
Back from the break, the remainder of the confrontation is shown, as Koscheck fights off the “male nurse” and gets up close and personal with a member of Team GSP. The member was Dane Sayers and he was so furious about what happened he walked out from the weigh-ins. Koscheck and St. Pierre follow him out to work out the situation. Sayers is clearly affected by the scenario, but he and Koscheck work it out and walk back cooled off.
Koscheck says that GSP is behind the whole confrontation, stating that he brought in guys who would get under his opposing coach’s skin. Koscheck says it worked.
Back to the weigh ins, Adam Wilkinson and Stevens hit the scales and each fighter made weight at 156lbs, ready to go for the next day.
Back in the locker rooms, St. Pierre states that his team will be picking who they want to fight off their team. Each member heads up to the notepad and votes for who they want to fight. Johnson is intent on fighting Alex a.k.a. Bruce Leeroy.
After another commercial break, Wilkinson takes a phone call from his mother finding out that his Nana had tied. One can’t help but feel bad for the guy, as he is taking the news pretty hard. However, he says that he does not plan to tell anyone about it and that he is just going to “keeping plowing through”.
Fight day comes around, and Koscheck has decided to watch the fight from the stands as opposed to picking one of his team members to coach. He says that the best case scenario is that no one gets hurt and that they put on a terrific fight for the fans. Coach Koscheck tells each guy that it is not often they will get a second chance, and the two walk out to the cage.
Marc Stevens vs. Aaron Wilkinson
Round 1: Herb Dean gets the two fighters started, and they touch gloves at the center. Wilkinson takes the center and takes two leg kicks. Stevens circles on the outside and looks for a takedown. He earns it and lands in side control. Wilkinson takes some elbows from the top and looks to escape, but Stevens moves to the mount, then the back. He switches positions back once again, but Wilkinson nearly escapes. Back to the back, Stevens looks to get his hooks locked in and work a choke. Dead silent in the room. Stevens rolls to mount, but Wilkinson wall walks and ends up in an armbar. Both fighters taking it slow. Wilkinson cringes as he pulls out and he ends up on top, but falls right into a triangle choke. Wilkinson’s corner calls for punches, and he seems to be okay, just biding his time. Stevens is very composed on the bottom and now he throws an elbow or two from the bottom. Less than a minute to go in the round, and Wilkinson is still caught, though he is not in serious danger. Stevens looks to lock it on with 10 seconds to go, but Wilkinson makes him pay with punches to the face. Wilkinson may have ended up on top, but Stevens controlled that round for the most part.
Round 2: Fighters touch gloves to start the second and Wilkinson throws an inside leg kick. Overhand right misses for Stevens, who guns for a takedown. Wilkinson looks to lock on the guillotine, and, just like in his first fight, Stevens is forced to submit. Unfortunate for Stevens, who looked very good in the first round. He disappointingly states after the fight that he guesses he needs to work on his guillotine defense. Yeah, you can say that again.
Wilkinson def. Stevens via submission (guillotine choke) in Round 2.
The Koscheck team members who did not earn the wildcard spot discuss their thoughts on the fight, and Lentz is quick to say that he feels he would have dominated Wilkinson. Other fighters believe they would have done better as well.
Wilkinson states that it was hard to fight a friend, but he understands the business and is in it to win it. Stevens is very gracious in defeat, but he is clearly disappointed in the outcome.
Dana White then sits down with the two coaches to determine the next fights. St. Pierre says he wants Johnson and Leeroy to fight, but it does not seem like White agrees at all.Both those fighters say that want to fight each other, and the other fighters come in one by one to say who they want to fight.
The debate on Michael Johnson vs. Bruce Leeroy continues, and Koscheck and White don’t really believe it is the best fight. The president says he is going to think on the match ups and then make a decision.
Fight Announcements
Jonathan Brookins vs. Sako Chivitchian
Nam Phan vs. Cody McKenzie
Kyle Watson vs. Adam Wilkinson
Michael Johnson vs. Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Cacares
Next Week
On the next installment of “The Ultimate Fighter” WEC veteran Jonathan Brookins and Sako Chivitchian face off, while Nam Phan and Cody McKenzie also go to war. As always, we can probably expect some trash talk from Koscheck as well.