The Ultimate Fighter: Liddell vs Ortiz Episode 10 Recap

Last week, we had a couple of fights, as Kris McCray beat Kyle Noke by unanimous decision and Brad Tavares ate an illegal soccer kick from Seth Baczynski to advance to the next round. Afterward, Ortiz and Liddell argued, with the crux of Ortiz’s argument being that the illegal kick was actually to the chest, not the head. Unfortunately, video evidence said otherwise. Oh, and the worst kept secret in MMA history was made official, as Ortiz pulled out of the fight with Liddell, to Chuck’s displeasure.

We pick up where we left off, with Liddell being none too happy about the news of Ortiz withdrawing from their planned scrap. He makes it pretty obvious that he feels Ortiz is a pussy by saying “he’s a pussy” about seven or eight times. He mentions over and over that he never would have done the show if he had known this would happen, and that this is why he didn’t want to do it. He rants a bit inside his locker room, and Ortiz sits in the next room and just listens to it, not saying anything in his own defense. My brother notes that for the rest of the show, “Chuck gets unlimited shit-talking rights.”

Then we’re right to the weigh-ins, as Jamie Yager and Josh Bryant both make weight without any trouble. Kyacey Uscola isn’t drinking the Yager Kool-Aid, saying, “There’s a lot more to the fight game than just talent and speed,” Uscola says. “And apparently you don’t have either of them,” my bro says. Ba-zing!

Nick Ring is still rocking the awesome handlebar moustache. Yager feels confident, knowing that Bryant will throw overhand rights and try to take him down. He thinks he’ll knock Bryant out: “When you tap that chin, it’s the off button. There’s no cardio in the chin.” Bryant is not looking past Yager. McCray says Yager’s hair looks like a “dirty Q-Tip”. Nice. “Being undefeated is pretty awesome,” says Bryant. Yager has been told no one with the “speed or dynamic” he has has fought Bryant yet. Bryant says his game plan is not to take Yager down but to hit him, then take him down. He plans to come out aggressively.

Referee “Fishy” Steve Mazzagatti kicks off the festivities, as the two dance around a bit, neither wanting to commit until Yager throws a little flurry fifteen seconds in. Yager throws a Superman punch that misses and eats some leather for it as he backs into the cage, throwing a pretty slick jumpkick that misses in the process. Bryant clinches and gets an underhook as Yager works knees to the body and then separates. The two unnecessarily touch gloves and feel each other out. Yager throws a head kick that’s blocked. He lands an inside leg kick. Neither guy doing a whole lot until Yager lands a body kick and a left hand. Bryant doesn’t know how to proceed, but there has to be a better way than standing out of range and absorbing kicks. Yager kicks him in the nuts, and the two resume after a moment’s rest.

Yager is working the inside of Bryant’s lead leg, and some incredibly annoying Team Ortiz member is repeatedly yelling “Hiiyyyooooo!” everytime anything happens. Yager comes forward aggressively, throwing kicks and gets a high kick caught. Bryant advances for the takedown and Yager uses the top of the cage to help him jump over the takedown attempt. Another lead leg kick for Yager. Bryant has been a moving heavy bag for much of this round. All of a sudden, Yager comes forward with a left and right hook that plant Yager, who gets it together and traps Bryant in his guard as he moves in to finish. Definite 10-9 until the knockdown, which I have to say makes it a 10-10 round in my book. Bryant only landed leg kicks throughout the round, and they were all lead leg without a lot of power, so the knockdown makes a big difference.

The second round starts and Yager goes back to the kicks, throwing a strange right front kick to the lead leg of Bryant. Bryant pays Yager back for the first round with a kick to the balls, and the two shake hands for the billionth time before going back to trying to maim one another. Yager makes full use of his reach, kicking more with his feet and with a lot of snap. Have to think he has a TKD or karate background. A great exchange occurs with Bryant tagging Yager, and Yager using explosive kicks and a flying knee to back him off as he advances to capitalize. The two tumble to the mat and Bryant secures side mount, but Yager stands and goes for a takedown. He’s stuck in a guillotine attempt, but Bryant lets it go and stands.

Bryant comes forward with a left hook that doesn’t land, and Yager throws a push kick to the face of Bryant, who comes forward with punches and clinches yager. Yager backs off and looks tired, throwing a rather fruity looking kick and then possibly kicking Bryant in the balls again. Bryant knees Yager in the face and Yager responds witha flying knee that doesn’t do much. Both guys are hitting the other, but not with a lot of power as they are both gassed. Yager throws a kick and slips, allowing Bryant to get on top and in side mount. That may decide the fight, actually. Bryant is throwing a few punches and has Yager’s left arm trapped between his legs. He’s not going to finish him, but he definitely takes the round, 10-9. Yager looks tired. The judges order a third round. Let’s see how much determination Yager has.

My God, the pig-man from the Burger King commercial is the stuff of nightmares. What a creepy ass creation that is. Scarier than 90% of the garbage that pass as “horror movies” are these days.

Yager seems like he may quit on his stool. Ortiz is trying to get him to compete, but he gives up. Unbelievable. Liddell goes over towards Yager and claps in his face, saying, “Just like Tito! Just like Tito.” Wow. Ortiz is just taking it, too. Dana White gives his analysis of the problems Yager has, most notably heart, so let me do the same as a fellow armchair quarterback. Yager seems like he likes to kick from the outside and stay out of the fray against opponents with a reach disadvantage, but as soon as he’s pressed, he seems like he folds. Ortiz is throwing Yager under the bus big time, too. Yager apologizes as he gets the obligatory ambulance ride, complete with unnecessary neck brace.

White peeks his head in to the Ortiz locker room. Time for a “wanna be a f&$king fighter” speech? Nope. He wants to talk to Ortiz and offers him a chance to get a second opinion from a very good doctor before making a final decision. White mentions that this is a situation that hasn’t happened before, and says when Ortiz leaves for his doctor’s appointment, it will be his last day on the show. Ortiz is speechless. Ortiz says he doesn’t understand the decision to replace him as coach, noting that he still has a guy in the competition, and White offers no real justification. He just keeps saying, “it’s never happened.” That really makes no sense. Why make the fighters deal with a new coaching staff right at the end of the show? White acts like his hands are tied here, but the fact is that it’s his decision.

White seems to think that perhaps Ortiz knew he was hurt when he went on the show. Liddell definitely felt that way, maybe because of the comments Ortiz made about being hurt after the Forrest Griffin fight. I think that’s the real reason Ortiz is off the show- White thinks that Ortiz never planned to fight Liddell and went into it knowing he would probably be needing surgery, and took advantage of the opportunity to get some exposure and TV time, anyway. I can’t say that I wholly disagree. Ortiz is an absolute master of keeping his name out there and staying in the proverbial newspapers without really doing anything noteworthy in the cage.

Ortiz’s team is not sure what is going on, as they are out in their van waiting, while Ortiz just left without saying anything to them. White has them come into the training center and explains that Ortiz is done. White is surprised that Ortiz didn’t say goodbye, and so is his team. Hammortree says they were all “shocked and awed” over the lack of a goodbye. Kris McCray notes that there are only six days left on the show and it is pretty sucky to not have a coach. White promises that “somebody” will be fighting Chuck, and that person will coach them. Hammortree really seems hurt over the whole situation. Seth Baczynski looks like he’s about to cry, even. Yager comes back in pretty good spirits, only to find out that Ortiz is gone. McCray tells Yager that everyone was “pissed” that Yager didn’t come out for the third round. McCray is really pouring it on, saying that Yager is generally unliked by the rest of the house. Yager says if anyone has a problem, they can “bring it.” Insert your own “quit on your stool” joke here.

Ortiz shows up at the house after all to explain what happened to his team. “I thought this was about you guys,” he says to his team. He says he won’t go into a fight with Chuck with a serious injury, and he’s clearly annoyed with White’s decision to remove him from his coaching position. The guys genuinely seem to like Tito, and are bummed that he’s leaving.

Right before the show is due to end, we get everyone together for the semifinal announcements. The first fight will be Brad Tavares and Court McGee. They’re shaking hands and they simply freeze in place, as if someone is taking pictures of them. Neither really knows what to do. Awkward… The other fight is Kris McCray against Josh Bryant. McCray says that when he first fought Josh, he had a lot of holes in his game, but says it will be different this time. That’s interesting, because it’s been like three weeks since their first encounter. Then, we see a pair of legs walking towards the building, and highlight footage tells us what we already know: it’s Rich Franklin. Ortiz’s team walks in to greet him and look between “unimpressed” and “stoked”, depending on the person. The assistant coaches will be…ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap, end of the show.

What a cliffhanger, my friends. The hype video for next week says that it is a “former UFC champion,” though. Also, Yager calls another fighter “a little bitch” in the house, which is funny, as he’s the one who quit on his stool when his opponent put up a bit of a fight. All this and more will happen next week, so be there or be…here, I guess?

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Tags: Chuck Liddell, Dana White, Jamie Yager, Josh Bryant, Kris McCray, Rich Franklin, The Ultimate Fighter, The Ultimate Fighter Liddell vs Ortiz, Tito Ortiz, TUF