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411’s The Ultimate Fighter 24: Team Benavidez vs. Team Cejudo Report 9.14.16

September 14, 2016 | Posted by Larry Csonka

The Ultimate Fighter 24: Episode Three
The Ultimate Fighter 24: Team Benavidez vs. Team Cejudo is a flyweight spectacular. The coaches are top flyweights, the 16 competitors are top flyweight champions from outside of the UFC, and the winner will receive a title shot against Demetrious Johnson, and a Harley Davidson motorcycle of their choosing, and the six-figure UFC contract. Basically, Demetrious Johnson is a very bad man and has cleaned shit out. LAST WEEK, #5. Hiromasa Ogikubo (Shooto (Japan) 15-3 MMA) defeated #12. Nkazimulo Zulu (EFC Africa, 7-2 MMA) via RD2 submission, giving Team Joseph Benavidez their first win. Team Henry Cejudo still leads the season 2-1. This week’s fight is #4. Damacio Page (Legacy FC, 19-10 MMA) from Team Joseph Benavidez vs. #13. Adam Antolin (Tachi Palace Fights, 11-3 MMA) from Team Henry Cejudo.

* Cejudo says he and Page have history. They were supposed to fight for Legacy FC, but Cejudo started to negotiate with UFC and then got the call. Page feels that the fight was his ticket back to the UFC. Page fought Johnson in 2010, and dominated for two rounds before losing via submission in the third round. Page lost three in a row in the UFC, and rebuilt his career in Legacy FC. He went 4-2 since leaving the UFC in 2012. Page says the others know he has a name and big power, and the others know that.

* We see Adam Antolin train. He is 11-3 overall, and 7-0 since 2012; Dana White feels that he is a dark horse in the competition. Antolin respects Page’s skill and experience, and feels that he will have to use all of his skill to pull off the victory.

* We see some background home video on Page, he breeds dogs for a living as well as fights. He takes care of the dogs in the morning and trains at Jackson/Winklejohn MMA. He has trained with a lot of guys that have been on the show and done well, so he feels like he is prepared. He also discusses that he has invested his money well, he has several rental properties and even works as a handyman on the homes. He feels he fight with Antolin is a great match up for him, Benavidez says that Page is faster than Antolin and should be able to control the striking game. Page wants to keep him at range, open him up and go for the kill. Benavidez does say that Antolin can take a lot of punishment.

* We get some background on Antolin. He trains six-days a week, has no wife or girlfriend, he lives for fighting. He trains at AKA. He was in a relationship for five years, and couldn’t make time for her and MMA, but still spends time with her son. We see then playing some hoops. He wants to wait until he is done fighting before getting into a relationship because he doesn’t feel he can give 100% to both at the same time. He praises his parents for helping him be a success.

* Prior to the weigh-ins, it’s trash talk time for Benavidez and Cejudo. Benavidez says he doesn’t try to be a role model, and says he is just who he is. If people look up to him that’s cool, and he hopes he does inspire people, but he doesn’t go around claiming to be one. He says no one wants to fight like Cejudo, he’s never heard that. Cejudo just wants to be the best Cejudo he can be. This actually turned into a more pleasant conversation than last week. It’s like the decided to talk trash and the ran out of material after one week.

* WEIGH-INS: Page weighs in at 126, while Antolin weighs in at 125.

* Antolin cuts Page’s hair prior to the fight. He says everyone like to look fresh prior to fighting, and he wanted Page to look good on TV. Antolin says Page looks like a killer, but it means nothing once they get into the cage. Page says people make a lot of judgments based on his look, but he is educated, went to college and runs businesses and you can’t just judge someone by their look. Page also carries his mother’s ashes with him to all of his fights so that she can be with him.

* FIGHT DAY: We get the usual pre-fight warm up footage and then head to the cage. Judging by the time left, we’re getting at least two rounds.

#4. Damacio Page (Legacy FC, 19-10 MMA) vs. #13. Adam Antolin (Tachi Palace Fights, 11-3 MMA): ROUND ONE: Page has more experience (15 more fights) and a two-inch reach advantage. Antolin is actually one year older than Page, which surprised me. Antolin landed a hard body kick and slipped, he fell but got back up. Page landed some hard rights and then the traded hard kicks, these boys aren’t messing around. Antolin worked good body shots, tried for a takedown but Page stuffed him. Antolin keeps landing clean to the body with hard body kicks, and follows with leg kicks. Page stuffs another takedown, but eats a combo as he can’t get started with his staking game. He finally lands a good three-punch combo, but Antolin is doing very well with the kicks to the body. Antolin lands a spin kick to the body, which wakes up Page and he starts landing hard and heavy shots on Antolin. Page mixes in knees as Antolin’s corner keeps calling for a takedown. Page fought off the takedown well and landed knees along the cage. Page has picked up the pace and landed a lot more towards the end, Antolin gets a takedown in the final five seconds and gets some ground and pound before the horn. Close round, Antolin controlled a lot and had that final takedown so he likely took the round. SCORE CARD: Antolin 10-9

ROUND TWO: Benavidez tells Page that he needs this round, which I agree with. Antolin goes to the body right away with the kicks, drops Page along the cage and follows up with strikes and the ref stops the fight. Dana says that stoppage sucks. It did feel a little early.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Adam Antolin via RD2 TKO

– Team Henry Cejudo is now up 3-1 overall.

– Antolin admits that the stoppage was questionable, but felt the result would have been the same if it continued.

– Page says he got hit in the liver, and it hurt, but he popped up ad felt it was a bad stoppage. His team agrees. Benavidez felt bad for Page. Page thinks he broke his hand in the first round.

– Dana loved the fight.

– Next week’s fight is #2 Yoni Sherbatov (XFFC Canada, 5-0-1 MMA) from Team Henry Cejudo vs. #15. Eric Shelton (Caged Aggression Iowa, 10-2 MMA) from Team Joseph Benavidez.

– We get a video preview for next week.

Team Joseph Benavidez
#5. Hiromasa Ogikubo (Shooto (Japan) 15-3 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
#3. Tim Elliott (Titan FC, 16-6 MMA)
#7. Ronaldo Candido de Oliveira (Shooto South America, 6-0 MMA)
#11. Matt Rizzo (Ring of Combat, 9-2 MMA)
#15. Eric Shelton (Caged Aggression Iowa, 10-2 MMA)
#4. Damacio Page (Legacy FC, 19-10 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
#8. Terrence Mitchell (Alaska FC, 11-2 MMA, 0-1 TUF)
#16. Brandon Moreno (World Fighting Federation, 11-3 MMA, 0-1 TUF)

Team Henry Cejudo
#1.Alexandre Pantoja (Resurrection Fighting Alliance, 16-2 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
#9. Kai Kara-France (Bragging Rights Australia, 12-5-1nc MMA, 1-0 TUF)
#13. Adam Antolin (Tachi Palace Fights, 11-3 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
#2. Yoni Sherbatov (XFFC Canada, 5-0-1 MMA)
#6. Matt Schnell (Legacy FC, 9-2 MMA)
#10. Jaime Alvarez (Absolute Fighting Championship, 6-1 MMA)
#14. Charlie Alaniz (Hex Fight Series Australia, 6-1 MMA)
#12. Nkazimulo Zulu (EFC Africa, 7-2 MMA, 0-1 TUF)