The Ultimate Fighter: USA vs. UK Episode 8 Recap

Last week, the traditional coaches’ challenge took place, with Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson taking part in a tennis match that didn’t exactly make Roger Federer break into a cold sweat.  Also, Pierce couldn’t stop kicking with “that dang foot”, and Dave Faulkner hit himself with a sledgehammer, of all things.  We also saw the UK’s Ross Pearson put away Richie Whitson.  Who will bow out of the competition this week?

Pierce opens the episode by listing his many setbacks during the filming of the show.  He’s apparently got a staph infection in his right leg.  He’s hoping that it heals up so he can be ready to face “the UK’s best fighter”, David Faulkner. 

Speaking of Faulkner, he’s working out with Michael Bisping in the octagon and has a curious problem: he can’t keep his mouthpiece in.  He says it activates his gag reflex and he can’t stop wanting to spit it out of his mouth.  This is…bizarre.  Bisping says, “you’ve gotta sort it out,” which seems accurate, if a bit of an understatement.  Bisping drops a half dozen you-know-what-I-means while he re-emphasizes the importance of the competition.

Meanwhile, the US guys are getting ready with some old school training by competing in- wait for it- ultimate Frisbee!  That looks like fun, actually.  Luckily, Pierce hasn’t taken the day off from complaining, and updates Bisping and co. on his situation.  Pierce is talking about how he hasn’t trained in a week, and how even if his leg is not contagious, it hurts a lot.  It sounds like he wants out of his fight.  Henderson wants him to show some enthusiasm, but realizes that any motivation will have to be of the intrinsic variety for Pierce.

Back at the house, Jason Pierce is getting on the US team’s nerves, as he tells them not to eat too much while they try to cook a meal.  Santino Defranco is not happy about how Pierce and Jason Dent like to eat the food that the others make, but don’t want to help cook.  Of course, Frank Lester takes it another step and says he’s “this close” to punching Pierce in the face and that he “wants him to die”.  Ah, household squabbles!

It’s fight-pick time at the gym, and since Pierce still isn’t ready, Jason Dent will be facing off against Jeff Lawson.  Then, back at the house, Dent talks about the struggles of living with 15 other guys.  “I like Dent…but he’s out of his mind,” says Defranco.  Gotcha.  Damarques Johnson thinks that Dent will see himself on TV and regret the way that he approached the show, as Johnson doesn’t think that he attempted to get to know his housemates or make the best of the situation.

At the gym, Dent works out on the mat while Henderson talks about how Dent resists change and doesn’t want to learn new ways to do things.  It “really irritates” Hendo that Dent won’t accept coaching or advice.

Lawson contrasts himself with Dent, saying that he was a bit more reserved at first, but is opening up to his teammates more and more with each passing day.  As we see him hang from the wall with his butt cheeks on display, it is clear to see that what he’s saying is true.  Then, donning luchador masks and a set of faux big ears mixed in for good measure, Dean Amasinger, Faulkner and Lawson work an improvised pro wrestling match, which leads to a nice suplex into the pool from the diving board.

Lawson tells his buddies that he has 21 arm bars (10 in the amateur ranks and 11 as a professional) to his credit.  “You know you’re not gonna get knocked out by Jeff Lawson, though, don’t ya?” he concedes.  Bisping admits that he was concerned with Lawson early in the season, when Lawson was keeping to himself more.  Amasinger mentions Lawson’s throws, and says that everyone on the UK team has been thrown by him at one point.  Lawson is used to being overlooked due to being a “ginger” (redhead, to you non-Brits).  It’s good to see that discrimination against redheads is an international thing.

On the way to the gym for the fight, Lester pumps up his teammate, telling Dent that he’s better in every area than his British opponent.  The atmosphere in the British van is much more laid back, as Lawson and friends mock the US “hands-in” chants, saying, “1-2-3, we’re not gay!”

In the locker room, Dana White peeks his head in and Jason Pierce decides to talk to him about his staph infection.  He asks Pierce whether he’ll be ready, and Pierce talks about his doctor’s recommendations and says he’s ready to fight, but White doesn’t think he wants to fight.  White says Pierce has until Tuesday to decide whether he wants to fight, and Hendo wishes that Pierce would have sold his desire to fight to White a bit more.  Hendo says he’s different from Pierce and that “no matter what was going on with my leg, I would have sold it, I would have fought.”

Now, Lawson walks to the cage and awaits his opponent, and Dent jogs out energetically to hop into the octagon.  Dent makes fun of his own trash talking in his pre-fight interview.  Referee Herb “The Gangster of Love” Dean starts us off and Lawson whiffs on a high kick as they feel each other out.  Lawson circles away as Dent flicks a few jabs in his general direction.  Lawson is carrying his hands low.  He moves in and attempts a hip throw and ends up on top of Dent, but on his own back as well.  He looks for a leg but can’t get anything, and spins out and hops into Dent’s guard.

Lawson postures up and throws some nice punches that land on Dent’s dome, before settling back in to Dent’s guard, as Dent tries for a triangle, which Lawson slams out of.  Dent tries to hold Lawson close, but Lawson is active within Dent’s guard and ends up passing to mount.  Is an arm bar attempt imminent?  Lawson postures up and swings away, and Dent is actually able to regain guard, impressively enough.  He pushes Lawson away but doesn’t have enough space to stand up, and Lawson hops back into guard as the round nears to a close.

Between rounds, Hendo tells Dent that he lost the round, and Bisping tells Lawson to keep his hands up.  As we start the second stanza, the fighters touch ‘em up, and Dent closes in aggressively before Lawson shoots in for a takedown attempt, which Dent stuffs.  Dent is clinched up with Lawson against the cage, but lets him go, and Lawson looks for another takedown, which is again stuffed by Dent.  Lawson rolls to his back, but Dent lets him up and won’t get into his guard.  After a few wild swings, Lawson jumps in with a leg scissor takedown attempt and the fighters play footsie, but neither can sink in a leg lock.  Lawson lands a nice knee when they both stand, but Dent takes advantage of another missed takedown attempt to cinch in an Anaconda choke.  Dent rolls with it and Lawson is forced to tap out to end the fight.

White notes that Dent won but was “far…far from impressive.”  Ouch.  Lawson walks back to his locker room and the frustration surfaces.  Lawson’s bummed out, as he wanted to take his family on vacation with the bonus money he would have won if he had finished Dent.  Bisping thinks that Lawson’s cardio was the culprit behind the loss, as Lawson had bronchitis when he first arrived and couldn’t train.

White then pulls Pierce into his office, and tells Pierce that he’s not going to be allowed to fight.  Pierce, for his part, doesn’t offer any sort of retort.  He simply stands and says nothing, then sits down in apparent disappointment.  White feels that Pierce showed up and realized that he wasn’t a real fighter, though he doesn’t tell Pierce that.  Pierce plays the role of the frustrated pro fighter who can’t compete, and Hendo tries to keep him in a positive frame of mind.

Next time, Hendo finds a replacement for Pierce, as there are a number of volunteers.  Also, Johnson and Bisping nearly come to blows for God knows what reason, and Faulkner attempts hypnosis to fix his overactive gag reflex.

 by Jon Hartley for Fightmania.com

Tags: Dan Henderson, Dana White