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411’s Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Report 5.31.17

May 31, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka

The Ultimate Fighter 25: Episode SEVEN
INTRODUCTION: Current UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt will be coaching opposite former champion T.J. Dillashaw. Both of them are former training partners. The twenty-fifth season (American version) of the series, the producers have opted to bring back previous participants from the previous seasons; the cast will consist of welterweights that have all competed on The Ultimate Fighter on previous seasons; this includes former participants and winners of the show, as well as one current UFC fighter. The winner gets $250,000 (no mention of a contract). Judging by the opening video package, some of these good brothers have had rough times post TUF. LAST WEEK, Dillashaw continued to out coach Garbrandt, going 6-0 as Ramsey Nijem (9-6 MMA) vs. Julian Lane (11-6 MMA) via RD1 stoppage. THIS WEEK, Justin Edwards – (9-5 MMA) faces Joe Stevenson – (33-16 MMA). Then, after Dana and the coaches deliberate, the wildcard matchup is announced.

– We see Stevenson discussing his long career, noting that he fought in the 90s and took any fight offered. We get clips of him winning season 2 of TUF. We then see clips of his early UFC dominance, until his bloody loss to BJ Penn. He lost 4 fights in a row, leading to his UFC release. He admits to being a “functional alcoholic” for a long time, but has been sober for 4-years. He feels lucky to get his chance at redemption.

– Garbrandt discusses needing a win badly so that he doesn’t get shut out. Edwards thinks he’s a good match up for Stevenson, and feels he will finish the fight because Stevenson he slowed a step. Dillashaw discusses getting to coach Stevenson, noting that he doesn’t want to change up too much because Stevenson is so experienced and knows himself more than he does. He’s just there to fine-tune him, and maybe even learn from such an experienced fighter.

– At the house, the fighters speak about the tough times they have been through. Stevenson tells a story about his messed up childhood, his aunt dying and his mom being arrested for vehicular manslaughter. His aunt was stopping a car (which his younger sister in it) and the emergency beak broke. His aunt tried to stop the car, did long enough to save the sister, but it ended up rolling over her and killing her. His mother put the sister in the car and set the break, but had been drinking, leading to the manslaughter charges.

– We get home video of Stevenson and his kids, he has four sons, who were really excited for him to come back to the UFC. He’s a tech advisor and fight choreographer on Kingdom. He gave up a lot to come back to do the show, for him it is all about the redemption.

– Edwards says the show can be difficult, because you try to make friends, but your all fighting for the same goal. When not fighting, Edwards works as a heating and air conditioning technician. It’s not glamorous, but is a guaranteed pay, and pays more than regional MMA. He works 8-hour days, and then drives at least 90-minutes to train. He sometimes has to train as late as 2AM to get in a second session. He was a replacement on TUF 13, and fought Tony Ferguson on the show and ate a scissor kick from the bottom and was KO’d. He fought 7 timed with the UFC, going 2-5

WEIGH-INS: Edwards (171), Stevenson (170).

– Dana hypes the fight, and feels that Stevenson wants to prove he is still a force in MMA.

– Both fighters do their final prep at the house, and then head to the gym for warm ups and the fight.

Justin Edwards (9-5 MMA) vs. Joe Stevenson (33-16 MMA): ROUND ONE: Stevenson obviously has the experience advantage, Edwards is three-inches taller, but Stevenson has a three-inch reach. They are the same age, but Stevenson has a ton of miles on his body with 49 fights and a laundry list of past injuries. Stevenson comes out, working the jabs right away. They both look to unload and bit a bit wild, they both connect, but Edwards is landing the harder strikes. Edwards is starting to beat Stevenson to the punch, not allowing him to settle into his jab. Stevenson then presses Edwards to the cage, Edwards works a guillotine but Stevenson escapes. Thy work away from the cage, Edwards is really reaching for some of his strikes, but is again beating Stevenson to the punch. Stevenson finally starts to mix in some kicks, which helps him a bit. Edwards is more aggressive, which is frustrating Stevenson. Stevenson shoots, and gets Edwards down, but he pops back up. They trade center cage, both landing and the round ends. SCORECARD: Edwards 10-9

ROUND TWO: They come out, Stevenson looks to establish the jab and mixes in some leg kicks. Stevenson looks to shoot, they work to the cage and Stevenson lands a knee on the break. Edwards then opens up on him, landing a lot of clean strikes. Edwards again is beating him to the punch here, they trade center cage and Stevenson desperately shoots, but Edwards stuffs that. Edwards then shoots and takes Stevenson down, Stevenson works for a guillotine but Edwards escapes. Back to the feet and Stevenson gets a takedown, and they work along the cage. Edwards works for a guillotine, Stevenson is bleeding from the nose and is trying to escape and pops out Stevenson lands strikes as they work to the feet. Stevenson shoots in the final 10-seconds, Edwards stuffs him as the round ends. SCORECARD: Edwards 20-19

Stevenson fought hard, but could never establish a rhythm and looked sloe the entire fight, those 49 fights clearly caught up to him here.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Justin Edwards via unanimous decision

– Stevenson was disappointed, and knows he never established his gameplan.

– Team Dillashaw is up 6-1.

– Dana meets with the coaches to pick the wild card fight. They discuss the possibilities, and Dana picks Joe Stevenson – (33-16 MMA, 0-1 TUF) & Hayder Hassan – (6-3 MMA, 0-1 TUF) to come back for the wildcard fight. Garbrandt is pissed that Stevenson gets to come back and says that Dillashaw is putting Stevenson in danger by having him fight again in 6-days. Garbrandt continues to be an asshole. Dana thinks it’s a great fight.

NEXT WEEK: The wild card fight between Joe Stevenson – (33-16 MMA, 0-1 TUF) & Hayder Hassan – (6-3 MMA, 0-1 TUF). We also get the coach’s challenge, and there will also be a second fight.

Team Garbrandt
* Justin Edwards – (9-5 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Julian Lane – (11-6 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Hayder Hassan – (6-3 MMA, 0-1 TUF) (got to return for the wild card fight)
* Johnny Nunes – (6-1 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Mehdi Baghdad – (11-5 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Eddie Gordon – (8-4 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Seth Baczynski – (20-14 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* Hector Urbina – (17-10 MMA, dismissed due to missing weight)

Team Dillashaw
* Joe Stevenson – (33-16 MMA, 0-1 TUF) (got to return for the wild card fight)
* Ramsey Nijem – (9-6 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Dhiego Lima – (12-5 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* James Krause – (23-7 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Jesse Taylor – (30-15 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Tom Gallicchio – (19-9 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Gilbert Smith – (12-6 MMA, 1-0 TUF)

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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