We’ll be recapping each episode of The Ultimate Fighter 32 this year, with episode 3 arriving on June 18, 2024. Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are your coaches, while featherweights and middleweights are featured.
The third episode of The Ultimate Fighter 32 opened with Giannis Bachar struggling to cope with his knockout defeat at the hands of Robert Valentin.
“Don’t be ashamed,” says Valentin. “This is the way of warriors.”
That 18-second KO might have been devastating in the moment, but UFC President and CEO Dana White notes that many fighters have fallen on the show, and gone on to have successful UFC careers.
Then it’s on to the latest action, starting with Kaan Ofli, who talks about an abusive upbringing, struggling to go to school and living in government housing. South Africa’s Olfi now resides in Bali, Indonesia, where he’s a BJJ coach.
“He is strong, he is durable, he is a complete MMA fighter,” coach Valentina Shevchenko says of her pupil, Nathan Fletcher. Fletcher himself says he has an aggressive style that sees him push the pace and look for finishes.
“My strategy is to damage Nathan. I’m going to hurt him,” Olfi says ahead of the bantamweight fight, saying what fans will witness amounts to a lion versus a cub.
The Ultimate Fighter 32: Ofli vs. Fletcher
Round 1:
After about a minute of standup action and some leg kicks, it’s Ofli landing a takedown, then another after Fletcher scrambles up. This second takedown sticks, or more accurately Ofli sticks to his opponent, staying heavy and getting set up inside the guard. Moving into Fletcher’s half-guard, Ofli fires punches and threatens to pass to mount while potentially setting up a choke. Fletcher is well away from the cage, can’t seem to shrimp back, and is unable to scramble. Ofli moves to mount with just over two minutes on the clock, then takes the back. He has hooks in, might be a bit high up, and winds up firing punches. He then looks for an arm-triangle choke, but Fletcher survives that. Elbows follow. Nasty. Fletcher finally grabs a leg and uses it to get up. Just under 30 seconds, but Olfi is winning on the feet as well. Fletcher’s biggest victory is that he survives the round.
Round 2:
Olfi lands a big takedown 30 seconds into round two. He soon has the back, hooks in. Fletcher reverses, however, and scrambles up! Much better response from Fletcher than in round one. Soon enough, however, he’s taken down again. Demoralizing no doubt. Again Fletcher would survive, and again he would make it to the end of the round. That was the lone bright spot for Fletcher, however, who was thoroughly controlled by Kaan Ofli. No third round required, with Ofli earning the decision win.
Official Result: Kaan Ofli def. Nathan Fletcher by unanimous decision
“I’m here for it. I’m here for everything,” Ofli says after his first TUF 32 victory. It’s back to middleweight next week, for the delayed Omran Chaaban vs. Shamidkhan Magomedov.
