411’s The Ultimate Fighter 23: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia Report 5.25.16

The Ultimate Fighter 23: Episode Three
Welcome to episode six of the Ultimate Fighter 23. This season, we will see UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 1 contender Claudia Gadelha as the coaches for the season. 16 fighters, 8 strawweight and 8 light heavyweight, will compete this season to earn a UFC contract. Last week, Team Claudia’s Lanchana Green (2-1 MMA) battling Team Joanna’s Helen Harper (4-1 MMA) to take a 4-0 advantage in the series. This week, Team Claudia’s Eric Spicely LHW (8-0 MMA) faces Team Joanna’s Elias Urbina LHW (3-0 MMA); after receiving an alarming phone call from his wife, Abdel Medjedoub is forced to decide whether to leave the competition or risk the end of his marriage. After hearing about the fighter’s predicament, Dana White calls him into his office and ends up giving Abdel an interesting opportunity. Joanna and her coaches work hard to prepare Elias Urbina for the next fight. He believes that his inexperience will not hinder him in the fight. Claudia’s fighter, Eric Spicely, is unimpressed by his opponent and feels like he will have no problems getting the victory. The night before the matchup, guys and girls decide to have some fun at the house and a series of pranks ensues.

* We see team Claudia train, as Dana breaks down the fact tat they are 4-0 so far. He also discussed the Abdel Medjedoub situation, and arrives at the gym for a meeting with him to find out if he is in fact a fucking fighter. Abdel keeps saying he messed up, but does not say what he did. Dana lets Abdel call his wife again, who demands that he meet her face to face so that they can discuss the issues. Abdel asks her to wait three weeks so he can finish the show, but she says she will leave him if he doesn’t come home tomorrow. Abdel isn’t sure what to do, and Dana says it is up to him. He doesn’t want to lose his wife, but also wants to stay. Dana, in an unprecedented move, allows Abdel to go home for three days to get his shit in order, and will then allow him to comeback. Dana says that this is a weird situation, and doesn’t want Abdel to choose between his marriage and his career. But if he can’t return, someone will get a second chance. We then see Abdel leave, and he says he hopes he gets to come back.

* Team Joanna training time, and we get to know Elias Urbina. His older brother was on TUF 19. His younger brother is also a fighter, and also has a 12-year-old brother that trains. Joanna feels that Claudia thinks that Urbina is a weak fighter, and while he is young, he has skills and she thinks he can do well. He is not worried about Spicely’s BJJ game. Urbina wants to win for his family. Dana then mentions that if Abdel cannot return, one of Joanna’s light heavyweights will get to come back. Rountree is having knee issues, which are pissing him off. Joanna knows he is tough, but wants him to take it easy.

* We get to meet Eric Spicely, who tells the story of his girlfriend dying. She is his motivation in life, and he always told her he’d make it to the UFC. Spicely then discusses his career; he’s never lost a round and doesn’t care if it goes to the ground because it gives him more chances to win. They watch footage of Urbina’s fight, and Spicely laughs at his ground game. Claudia says he will close the distance, take it to the ground and get the submission victory.

* Back at the house, we get pranks like baby powder in the hair dryer. The ladies retaliated by pouring baby powder on the guys in the hot tub. Shenanigans happened.

* WEIGH-INS: Elias Urbina weighs in at 203.5. Eric Spicely weighs in at 205.5

* Abdel returns from his trip to see his wife. He went home, fixed his issues and everything is ok. He will not discuss the issues, out of respect for his wife.

* FIGHT DAY: After some chill time at the house, both guys arrive for the fight. Spicely is very confident that he will not only win, but that he will break Urbina.

* It looks as if this will go two, maybe three rounds.

Light heavyweight Bout – Team Claudia’s Eric Spicely (8-0 MMA) faces Team Joanna’s Elias Urbina (3-0 MMA): ROUND ONE: Urbina will have a four-inch reach advantage, but Spicely has the edge in experience. Urbina needs the win badly for his team here. They clinch quickly, and then the fight goes to the mat in under 20-seconds. Spicely got an arm bar, but Urbina picked him up and basically swung him into the cage to escape. Spicely then tried for a heel hook, but Urbina again escaped and landed elbows to the ribs. Spicely kept going for submissions, and then got Urbina’s back. He got hooks in and Urbina tried to defend, and did well in not allowing Spicely to lock in any thing too dangerous. Spicely then figure foured the body and worked for the choke. Spicely stayed busy with strikes all during this time, but Urbina kept defending. The issue was that Urbina just could not get off of the mat. Spicely simply grapple fucked him and won the round with ease. SCORECARD: Spicely 10-9

ROUND TWO: While Urbina was trapped on the mat most of the round, and had to play defense, he did cause swelling under Spicely’s right eye. Urbina did his best to keep the fight on the feet, and landed well until Spicely tied him up along the cage and pulled him down. He got the back once again, and figure foured the body as he once again landed some strikes while searching for the choke. Urbina has two things on the ground, jack and shit. I will give him credit; the defense is good enough to not get submitted here, and for all of Spicely’s shit talk, he is having a lot of trouble finishing him. Janna looks completely frustrated as Spicely is humbling Urbina here. Spicely again going for the choke and Urbina is able to stop that, but the grapple fucking is complete. SCORECARD: Spicely 20-18

Dana says, “that fucking guy is terrible and he’s going to win.” Dana was not impressed, at all.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Eric Spicely via unanimous decision (20-18 across the cards)

* Team Claudia is now 5-0 in the competition. Spicely was upset that he couldn’t finish the fight, and says that Urbina was a tough fight.

* Urbina is a sad panda, claiming that Spicely did no damage, but that he couldn’t get off the ground. He also thinks a third round was needed, because Spicely just “humped his leg.”

* Claudia feels that Joanna is being humbled by this experience, which is good because she needs to respect her.

NEXT WEEK: Team Claudia’s Amanda Cooper SW (1-1 MMA) faces Team Joanna’s Jamie Moyle SW (3-1 MMA), while the fighters get a night on the town.

TEAM CLAUDIA
* Kate Jackson SW (7-2-1 MMA)
* Amanda Cooper SW (1-1 MMA)
* Abdel Medjedoub LHW (3-0 MMA)
* Eric Spicely LHW (8-0 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Lanchana Green SW (2-1 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Andrew Sanchez LHW (7-2 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Tatiana Suarez SW (3-0 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Cory Hendricks LHW (3-0 MMA, 1-0 TUF)

TEAM JOANNA
* Josh Stansbury LHW (7-2 MMA)
* Jamie Moyle SW (3-1 MMA)
* Ashley Cummins SW (3-3 MMA)
* Elias Urbina LHW (3-0 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Helen Harper SW (4-1 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Myron Dennis LHW (12-4 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* JJ Aldrich SW (2-1 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Khalil Rountree LHW (4-0 MMA, 0-1 TUF)