Ultimate Fighter Episode 10 – Gut Check

Written by Ryan AnthonycloseAuthor: Ryan Anthony Name: Ryan Anthony
Email: mica1884@gmail.com
Site:
About: 25 year old Tennessee resident and small government conservative. I first discovered my love of writing while working for a high school newspaper; that was eight years ago. Now I'm studying for an Associate's Degree in journalism. My favorite topics to cover for Parcbench include contact sports and television.See Authors Posts (34) on November 24, 2009

After last week’s improbable loss by Justin Wren, our next hour finds – during Team Rashad training – the concussive waste laid to Matt becoming less a concrete reality and more another piece on a chess board which is falling down around him.

Coach Evans, and other fighters, voice ever louder discontent with what seems less like his interaction with the other fighters in the household; more like Episode 10 of “Days of Matt’s Life.” But, it seems like the most biting criticism will shoot forth from Londoner James McSweeney, who angrily describes the Rat as a “two-faced little bitch without a heart.”

Knees bust, heads turn and voices raise as it looks more and more like Kimbo will enter the eight-spoked wheel of destruction – should Matt decide to turn tail and bow out permanently.

A triangle of training after tempers have cooled; between Brendan, James and Big Country – the former receiving pointers from the latter as he prepares to fight Jon Madsen.

Kimbo receives some bad news from an in-house doctor related to his left knee, and isn’t taking it very well.

The Coach’s Challenge of this season begins at the Palms, has some sand and a huge net in the middle, and ends with . . . wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Honestly, this has to be one of the better ones (or should that be “threes?”) I’ve seen. Rampage wins the first game 15-8, Rashad’s team wins the second 15-10, and . . . the last by two points. Woo hoo!

Go Sugar, go Sugar, it’s your birthday . . .

Night at the house. Slice endures the most freezingly cold hydrotherapy regimen I can think of out back. The other fighters look on from their comfy chairs, and chortle up a storm in commemoration of his misfortune.

Post-obscene profit timeout, Rashad tries to keep Matt in check by questioning his urge to win the gold. This leads to a whole bunch of rambling from “Meat Head,” which includes something about peer pressure. If Matt wants the show to be over, someone’s going to oblige him pretty quickly, since its obvious from this point forward that the firewater has drained from his veins. Time to get Dana on the horn.

Some rather transparent insistence that Mitrione’s manhood isn’t being called into question follows . . . of course, we all know Dana intended that the apology convey its opposite effect. It’s kind of like bagless verbal vomit, given the go-ahead by polite society with a contrived “and all due respect . . .” prefacing.

A quick hop on the scales for the pushing-240 Brendan and a heavier Jon. They lock eyes, put up fists and shake hands after the stare down.

It’s going to be a good fight.

Or at least, it better be for our tenth episode.

The green light is lit for our newest elimination: in response, Madsen does nothing for almost a full minute. At 3:49, however, Brendan is lifted up and brought down to the canvas. Elbows, feet on the fence and hands grabbing outward set the tone for the next minute and a half, at the conclusion of which they slow dance at one corner of the Octagon. An attempted choke turns into a downward slam, and the round ends with Brendan on his back. Doesn’t look too good for our Colorado hero so far.

Second round heralded by the Octagon girls, and our trial-run combatants return to whaling on each other. It looks like whatever Brendan’s coaches drilled into him in the intermission paid off: a quick knockout punch by the AFL graduate @ 3:23 of Round 2 does the job.

That, in turn, paves the way for his cocky (though earned) bow-and-throat-slit ensemble reminiscent of popular video games in the fighting genre.

Not bad, Brendan. Not bad at all. Good job turning that one around.