Tina Black (Valesca Machado), long viewed as a potential future champion in the UFC, faces off against teammate Delphine Benouaich in the second women’s strawweight semifinal on The Ultimate Fighter 34, in Episode 11.
Black sees the fight as striker versus striker, but plans to dominate all over. “Delphine is a striker like me, but I feel like I have grappling too. I can pressure her on the wall, but Delphine is no easy chick,” Black tells the camera.
Team Bisping have the week off, since both Black and Benouaich are part of Team Cormier. So Michael Bisping takes his team out to a steakhouse, so they can “feel like normal people for one evening.” Bisping gets asked if he wanted to use his cell phone when he was on the show, back at TUF 3. “The Count” admits he called his wife, but back then, everyone had a flip phone.
We get to hear from Delphine next. “Tina’s a very tough match-up. I think it’s the toughest, because her style is difficult to fight for me,” she admits.
Both fighters get to call home before their semifinal fight, and Black in particular is overwhelmed by emotion. “Everything I’m doing here is all for you, okay?” she says tearfully. Later, she tells the camera that “my family is everything.” Her mother says a prayer for her over the video call.
Come weigh-in day, Daniel Cormier notes that Tina Black “looks strong.” She comes in at 115.5. Delphine weighs 116. The fight is a go.
“Two amazing women, two amazing human beings. You guys have been an honor to coach, and I’m so proud of you two,” states coach Cormier.
Tina Black vs. Delphine Benouaich
Black was on the outside early, but soon had her power on display, with Benouaich’s corner warning her to move her head and not stand in front of the Brazilian. Both women let their hands go, but Delphine’s corner urged her to “throw with volume.” Black’s corner wants some fakes, looking to set something up. Black went high with a kick that was blocked, and landed a right hand up the middle. Benouaich called for some wrestling, which didn’t materialize, then more volume.
Benouaich dumped Black at the midway mark of the opening round, and quickly took her back, though Black was able to stand back up, carrying the French strawweight. Black leaned back against the fence, helping take some weight off, while Benouaich drilled her with punches. Benouaich went for a choke, but was across the face and didn’t have it. Black would extract herself before the end of the round, which they would finish with another exchange or two.
“Punches before your kicks,” Benouaich’s corner called in round two, while imploring her to “be first.” Black was on the outside again, firing her right hand and low kick. Benouaich was having success herself, in a fight that remained competitive. 90 seconds in, Black landed a volley of right hands, backing Benouaich up. The French start retreated then regrouped, going back on the attack, mixing in her kicks, but again being warned to “punch before you kick” by her corner.
Benouaich was looking a bit tired by the midway mark, and Black clinched up, looking for a takedown. While she wouldn’t get it, Black was able to impose her will pretty much until all but 30 seconds remained in the round.
A low blow that connected with Black halted the action for just a moment all of 50 seconds into round three. Back underway, Benouaich continued to press, with Black landing heavy counters. A very active stand-up fight, but it was paused again for an eye poke, with Benouaich the victim this time. Black protested that it wasn’t a finger, but the timeout lasted mere seconds anyway.
When they resumed, Black fired her right hand, and several other heavy shots, then the right again. Benouaich then closed the distance and clinched up, but Black turned out and escaped. She landed a couple more heavy punches, shots Benouaich was clearly feeling. With two minutes left, Benouaich’s corner urged her to attack, saying Black was tired. If she was, she was hiding it well, and it was Black then trapping a leg while looking for a takedown, outmuscling Benouaich and landing knees in the clinch.
“Very good fight,” noted Dana White, sitting cageside as they entered the final minute. Quite frankly, both ladies looked UFC ready, and arguably even top 15 ready.
They’d fight to the bell across three rounds, with White exclaiming “great fight” when addressing the pair. With no fourth (sudden death) round required, it was Tina Black winning by unanimous decision. The fight was one of the best of the season to date.
Delphine takes the loss hard, suggesting “I’m not the fighter I think I am, or something like that.” She tells her coach that “everything is not okay.” Coach Cormier counters by saying “it has to be, right? You can only control what you can control, and that’s everything going forward. What do you take from this? How do you get better? That’s what you can do now, and then you get yourself ready for another opportunity. Because that was such a killer fight, you’ll have an opportunity.”
Michael Chiesa agrees, adding “you’re getting signed.” They’re not wrong. It would be shocking if Delphine didn’t turn up on the upcoming Paris card, assuming she’s uninjured and ready to go.
As for Tina Black, she exclaims that “you’ll only take me away from here if I’m dead.”
Last Up on TUF 34
The final episode of TUF 34 prior to the finale sees Christian Strong facing Mehemmedeli Osmanli.
