Before I begin with this week's recap I have a confession. Last week's review was incomplete as my DVR was full without my knowledge and cut off the ending. Don't worry, the excess episodes of Gilmore Girls have been removed (the price I pay for a female companionship) and this week's recap will be complete. Sorry for any confusion.
Now that my pennace is complete let's talk about TUF.
Last week, Spike producers were awarded for their wickness when TUF 11 villain, Jamie Yager, defeated Charles Blanchard with a vicious superman punch TKO to regain control Team Ortiz Punishment.
At the house discussion turns to this season's added twist -- the wild card. As there are only 14 fighters this season that leaves an odd number for the quarter finals. That's where the wild card comes in. Dana White and the coaches will pick two eliminated fighters to fight for the final quarter final spot. With a chance of redemption up for grabs the Team Punishment fighters are jockeying for who could fill that role and in an added twist, Team Liddell hasn't replaced Rich Attonito who had to withdraw from the competition due to a broken hand.
Tito finally has control and selcet Josh Bryant of Team Liddell to fight Kris McCray.
McCray tells us that he's finshed his last three fights in thirty-nine seconds, which sounds like foreshadowing for him to gas out in sixty seconds. Kris is an Austrian-Puerto Rican and he speaks German. Too bad the UFC was banned on German television recently or this guy could be the Germanic Michael Bisping. Hell, I am sure he would even be popular in the Alsace-Lorraine!
Clayton McKinney (the guy with the dyed green hair) has a seperated labrun and underwent surgery to repair the damage. That removes McKinney from the wildcard race. Ortiz later apologizes for riding Clayton hard during training sessions, saying he didn't realize how hurt his fighter was.
Chuck Liddell will miss his second fight of the season due to prior engagements and will hand control over to John Hackleman for the second time. This actually seems to be a growing trend. Liddell disappears or offers so-so analysis and the producers lean on Hackleman for soundbites, like this one, "I will be taking the reigns but in reality [Liddell will] be calling the shots like John Gotti did when he was in prison." Basically the show is quickly becoming Team Hackleman vs. Team Punishment.
The first round of the fight devolves into a poor man's grappling match akin to watching seals fight on National Geographic but it appears that Kris McCray takes the first round 10-9 with superior control. In Team Hackleman's corner, coach John tellls Josh Bryant to throw hooks. Bryant listens to his coach and McCray appears powerless to avoid the punch. Josh wasily takes round two and we are on to a "sudden victory" round (got to love how sensitive the UFC is the "d-word").
The decisive third round begins and it is immediately obvious that McCray is gassed (the foreshadowing was right!). The seal wrestling continues and Bryant easily takes the final frame grabbing control back for Team Hackleman--er, I mean Team Liddell.
Overall it was a pretty yawn-tastic episode of The Ultimate Fighter, which really could have used a litle TMZ-Tito Ortiz-Jenna Jameson ménage à trois, but hey, next week's episode has dodgeball!
