The Ultimate Fighter 12 Recap
The episode gets underway following “Bruce Leeroy’s” impressive victory over Nick Lentz, and the victor certainly has no problem rubbing it in after a few drinks. Cacares says that Lentz underestimated him heading into their bout and says his afro deflected Lentz’s kicks.
Josh Koscheck, clearly frustrated by the opening round loss, looks to fire his team up by getting his hands dirty and becoming more hands on. However, a few members of the team seem disinterested, taking bathroom breaks and saying that they are “tired”. Koscheck does not approve.
The next match up is selected, as Michael Johnson and Aaron Wilkinson are the next fighters to head into the cage in hopes of advancement in this season’s tournament. Johnson, one of the highest prospects in the show, feels he has a lot to prove. But so does the Team Koscheck fighter.
Koscheck tries to get under Georges St. Pierre’s skin, which is obviously nothing to be surprised about. After an awkward exchange in the training facility, the welterweight champion walks out to see that good old Koscheck has parked his car very close to his, making the passenger door nearly inaccessible. St. Pierre laughs, saying that he’s dealt with bullies before. Something makes me doubt he ever had much of a problem with bullies.
The action moves back into the training facility, where Koscheck and company continue training. Koscheck explains that a win here will be excellent and that he will get in St. Pierre’s face if his fighter takes to “W”.
The fighters weigh-in for the fight, with Michael Johnson coming in at 155.5 pounds. Aaron Wilkinson comes in at 155 pounds. Dana White says that Johnson is easily one of the best guys here, but also says that Wilkinson is one of the toughest guys here. The President thinks the fight could really go either way. Johnson explains that he really wanted this fight to show his dominance and prove himself worthy.
The episode switches over to St. Pierre requesting that Mike Tyson be brought in to talk to his team. Tyson meets several of the fighters, saying that he is thrilled to be there. The fighters are even more thrilled at the opportunity to meet the boxing great. However, Tyson seems extremely excited to be there.
St. Pierre tells Johnson this fight will decide his career, while Johnson is very excited that Tyson is there to see him go to work inside the cage. Johnson enters the cage, and St. Pierre urges him to follow the game plan. Wilkinson enters next, saying that he thinks Johnson is a good guy, but that is not a factor inside the cage.
Michael Johnson vs. Aaron Wilkinson
Round 1: Johnson comes out with a leg kick, and Wilkinson seems a bit timid. Johnson looks for the takedown and he gets it, but Wilkinson is quick to work his way back up. They separate and Johnson continues to look for the leg kick. Both coaches yell instructions to their respective fighter. Johnson misses with a superman punch, and Wilkinson looks to take the fight down. Johnson avoids and clinches, pushing the Brit up against the cage. Left hand lands flush for Johnson, but Wilkinson does not look to be affected. The action halts for a second, but Johnson quickly looks for the takedown and he gets it. Once again, however, Wilkinson quickly stands back up and looks to press the action. He pushes Johnson up against the cage, in hopes of securing a takedown, which he ultimately gets after nearly 30 seconds attempting to do so. Wilkinson reigns down elbows, mixing in punches here and there, but Johnson does a good job of defending. Johnson forces Wilkinson out of half guard and into his guard with 10 seconds to go, and Wilkinson finishes in top position. Heavy.com scores the round 10-9 for Wilkinson.
Round 2: The two touch gloves, and Mike Tyson tells Johnson that he has to go “all or nothing” in this round. Johnson listens, landing a nice shot that stunned Wilkinson momentarily. He pushes the British fighter up against the cage, working knees and punches. Wilkinson separates and lands a nice combination of his own, but can’t stop Johnson’s takedown attempt. St. Pierre yells for an elbow, but Johnson instead transitions to Wilkinson’s back, which allows the British underdog to work his way back up and look for a takedown of his own. He gets it and lands a few elbows, all the while pondering his next move. Johnson manages to reverse the situation by standing back up and getting a takedown of his own. Johnson issues some ground and pound, but Wilkinson works his way back up and the two stand opposite one another in the center of the Octagon with two minutes to go. Both look a bit timid, keeping a rather large distance in the striking game. Wilkinson misses with a one-two, but pushes Johnson up against the cage looking for the takedown. Johnson reverses, and Koscheck screams at “English” that he needs to get a takedown. Meanwhile, St. Pierre calls out for some knees. A poor takedown attempt by Wilkinson is easily stuffed by Johnson, and with ten seconds left, it seems this fight may be headed for a third. Heavy.com scores the round 10-9 for Johnson.
Round 3: Dana White is shown saying that it comes down to who wants it more, and the third and final round is underway. Johnson steps up the pace immediately, jumping all over his opponent. The fight moves to the ground after a nice combination from Johnson, and he begins to work his ground and pound. Johnson moves to the back, sinking in a rear naked choke almost effortlessly. Wilkinson is forced to tap out, and Johnson moves on to the next round after securing a choke following two unimpressive rounds. Johnson def. Wilkinson via rear naked choke at 0: of Round 3.
Koscheck believes that Wilkinson took the first two rounds, while White suggests that Johnson’s successful third round was fueled by Mike Tyson’s presence. St. Pierre says that Johnson just defeated one of the most skilled guys, and he says that the fight was just a warm up.
Wilkinson apologizes to his coaches after the fight, but Koscheck says he is very proud of him. He says he is proud to have coached him and reminds Wilkinson that there is a “Wild Card” that he could earn. Wilkinson is happy to be reminded of this, but is clearly upset at the result of the fight.
Next Week: Mike Tyson hangs around for next week, giving advice to St. Pierre’s team. Koscheck says he does not want to lose any more fights to St. Pierre, while he also decides to continue to attempt getting under the skin of the welterweight champion. Also, Bruce Leeroy continues to talk trash, causing a confrontation with a fellow housemate. It seems this season is just going to keep getting better.