411’s Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Report 6.07.17

The Ultimate Fighter 25: Episode EIGHT
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, Team Garbrandt got their first win as Justin Edwards (9-5 MMA) defeated Joe Stevenson (33-16 MMA) via unanimous decision. THIS WEEK, in a special two-fight episode, an emotional wildcard matchup (Joe Stevenson – (33-16 MMA, 0-1 TUF) & Hayder Hassan – (6-3 MMA, 0-1 TUF) determines the last quarterfinalist. Then Cody and TJ face off in an epic tetherball challenge. Finally, two welterweights compete for the first semifinal spot.

– Hassan is excited to fight Stevenson. Garbrandt thinks Stevenson will shoot and not want to stand and trade, so he heavily drills Hassan on takedown defense. Garbrandt has a lot of faith in Hassan, and feels he is stronger and faster than Stevenson, and will bring home the win.

– Team Dillashaw arrives to train, and Garbrandt is talking shit and says TJ is claiming false shit on social media, and portraying him in a false light. TJ heavily drills head movement and level changes, which is where Stevenson was flat on and failed at in his loss. Stevenson wants to force wrestling and submit Hassan, and TJ agrees with this plan. Stevenson knows Hassan is a heavy hitter, and knows he has big time KO power. TJ admits that he’s working light with Stevenson, due to the fact that he just fought a rough two-round fight. Fight day is the same day as one of Stevenson’s son’s birthday, he also fought the day he was born and won.

– Weigh-ins: Hassan (170.5), Stevenson (171). We actually have no drama at the weigh-ins. Win or lose, Stevenson wants to pray with both teams after the fight.

– Fight day, and both reflect on getting second chances and are grateful.

Joe Stevenson (33-16 MMA, 0-1 TUF) vs. Hayder Hassan (6-3 MMA, 0-1 TUF): ROUND ONE: Hassan has a 2-inch reach advantage and is 3-inches taller, Stevenson is the more experienced fighter, but just fought 6-days ago. Here we go, Hassan immediately tries to walk down Stevenson, throwing leg kicks and then clipping him with an uppercut and laying in a few strikes and it is quickly stopped. Garbrandt yells at Dillashaw, telling him that he was right about the fight. OFFICIAL RESULT: Hayder Hassan via RD1 KO

– Team Dillashaw is up 6-2.

– Stevenson was obviously disappointed as Garbrandt keeps talking shit, which Dillashaw finds disrespectful to Stevenson. He then acts apologetic in the post fight interview.

– Stevenson then prays with both teams as promised.

– The quarterfinal fights are:
* Justin Edwards – (9-5 MMA, 1-0 TUF) vs. Tom Gallicchio – (19-9 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Dhiego Lima – (12-5 MMA, 1-0 TUF) vs. Gilbert Smith – (12-6 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Jesse Taylor – (30-15 MMA, 1-0 TUF) vs. Hayder Hassan – (6-3 MMA, 1-1 TUF)
* James Krause – (23-7 MMA, 1-0 TUF) vs. Ramsey Nijem – (9-6 MMA, 1-0 TUF)

– Dana says the real competition stars now.

– The first quarterfinal is Justin Edwards – (9-5 MMA, 1-0 TUF) vs. Tom Gallicchio – (19-9 MMA, 1-0 TUF).

– We see Gallicchio training, and Stevenson is basically acting as an extra coach now. He’s heavily drilling guillotine offense and defense.

– We now see Edwards training, and he feels he is all around a better fighter.

– Time for the coach’s challenge, which is an “epic tetherball challenge,” on a balance beam over a pool of water. The winning coach gets $10,000 and each of his team members gets $1,500. TJ fell in the water even before they officially started. Garbrandt controlled early, and both guys took some nasty falls. Not the situation I’d put my fighters in. Garbrandt went up 5-1, but TJ made a comeback, making it 8-4 Garbrandt. TJ then made it 8-6, and then 8-7. TJ got it to 8-8. Nijem started to talk a lot of shit, which made Garbrandt upset and he claimed he’d beat Nijem’s ass. TJ completed the comeback, winning 10-8. Garbrandt claims he lost because his hair got messed up.

– Weigh-ins: Edwards (170), Galliccho (170).

– We see the final fight prep.

Justin Edwards – (9-5 MMA, 1-0 TUF) vs. Tom Gallicchio – (19-9 MMA, 1-0 TUF): ROUND ONE: Gallicchio is 4-years younger, has more fight experience and has a 6-inch reach advantage. They touch gloves, and Gallicchio works leg kicks right away. Edwards looks to find distance and really lay in his strikes, and drops Gallicchio and locks in a guillotine; Gallicchio fights to escape, and does, getting the back of Edwards. He has the body locked, and works for the choke and sinks it in and Edwards taps. OFFICIAL RESULT: Tom Gallicchio via RD1 submission

– Team Garbrandt only has one fighter left, the double redemption man, Hayder Hassan.

– As if Edwards didn’t feel bad enough, Garbrandt was all over him post fight for his mistakes.

– Edwards seemingly had that locked up, but Gallicchio showed great resilience and made the comeback.

– NEXT WEEK: Garbrandt keeps trying to piss off Dillashaw, and the fighters go out and drink; then the next quarterfinal fight, Dhiego Lima – (12-5 MMA, 1-0 TUF) vs. Gilbert Smith – (12-6 MMA, 1-0 TUF).

Team Garbrandt
* Hayder Hassan – (6-3 MMA, 1-1 TUF) (got to return for the wild card fight)
* Justin Edwards – (9-5 MMA, 1-1 TUF)
* Julian Lane – (11-6 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
* 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
* Tom Gallicchio – (19-9 MMA, 2-0 TUF)
* 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)
* Gilbert Smith – (12-6 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
* Joe Stevenson – (33-16 MMA, 0-2 TUF) (got to return for the wild card fight)

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”