A Brazilian training out of Canada, Sezinando had collected belts in Samourai MMA and BFL, two of the more notable promotions in the Great White North. Ukraine’s Donchenko had also earned a regional title, under the Naiza FC banner.

Round one started with a quick start from Donchenko. Dipping off to the side and throwing in blitzes. Sezinado though, landed a counter right and blasted through with a takedown attempt. Donchenko was able to defend the takedown and landed an elbow off the break. You can see the blood stream from the face of Sezinado from a nasty elbow he took early in the round.

Pushed by urgency, Sezinado pressed forward, but Donchenko kept timing him with counter elbows that continued to tear him up. Donchenko then hit a clean takedown and punished Sezinado with a heavy knee to the body as he tried to stand.

Battered but undeterred, Sezinado kept charging forward, forcing Donchenko into a sloppy shot. Sezinado looked for his own takedown, but Donchenko stuffed it and unleashed a brutal combination. Every punch landed, capped off by a crushing right hand that dropped Sezinado. Donchenko swarmed with ground-and-pound until the referee waved it off.

Official Result: Daniil Donchenko def. Rodrigo Sezinando by TKO, round 1, 4:27

The post Daniil Donchenko Makes Quick Work Of Sezinando, Wins TUF 33 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Earlier in the season, Joseph Morales, the only fighter on the show to have previously competed in the UFC, booked his spot in the flyweight finals, where he will face Alibi Idiris.

Rodrigo Sezinando, a Brazilian who has made a name for himself fighting in Canada, went on to win a decision over countryman Diego Bianchini to claim the first spot in the welterweight final.

Tuesday night’s The Ultimate Fighter 33 Episode 12 saw coaches Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier take their teams out in one big group to close out their time in the TUF house, with D.C. adding a motivational speech for the entire crew.

“Chael and I have done a lot of things in our career that allow us to be in this position where we get to see our name in lights,” he said in part. “Know that you guys are now on a path to doing that for yourself at some point. So envision that, because it’s possible for every one of you.”

With Sonnen unable to attend one of the final training sessions, former UFC light heavyweight champ and TUF veteran Rashad Evans turned up as a guest coach, the last special guest of the season.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Daniil Donchenko vs. Matt Dixon

The final exhibition fight of The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 saw welterweights Daniil Donchenko and Matt Dixon start hot, trading at an impressive pace. While the ref would warn both fighters for having their fingers extended, no eye pokes actually connected, thankfully. Instead, Dixon went in on a takedown, only for Donchenko to smash away in response, bloodying Dixon. Worse, some blows connected to the back of the head, leading to the ref halting the action. Donchenko drew a warning, but the fight did continue after a brief moment, despite Dixon’s team urging him to take a longer time out.

Back underway, it was right back to stand and bang action, both men connecting, and Dixon smiling at his opponent. Donchenko, however, tagged Dixon, forcing him back to the fence. Suddenly, he was under fire, and dropped to his side. With Dixon covering up, the ref urged him to fight back. Coach Sonnen tried to buy his fighter some time, hollering out that Dixon was okay, but the ref clearly did not agree, halting the action shortly after. Daniil Donchenko earned the TKO win, and a spot in the welterweight finals!

Your TUF 33 final match-ups are:

• Rodrigo Sezinando vs. Daniil Donchenko
• Joseph Morales vs. Alibi Idiris

Of note: all four finalists were among the top four picks on their respective teams. None of the bottom four picks on either team went the distance this season. Joseph Morales was the highest pick to make the finals, selected #1 overall by Chael Sonnen. The other three finalists were all part of Team Cormier.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33: Season Wraps, Finals Set appeared first on Cageside Press.

However, after semi-finalist Joseph Morales brings up the 20th anniversary of TUF this year, White gives in and grants the fighters $2500 each if their coach wins.

The rules sound simple enough: a game of ‘mini-singles’ pickleball, with the first to 11 points winning the game. Their first match is marked by controversy, with Daniel Cormier committing multiple fouls, but ultimately cruising to an 11-6 win over Chael Sonnen. The pattern repeats in Game 2 despite a premature celebration, as Cormier stayed focused and secured another 11-6 victory.

Semi-finalist Daniil Donchenko highlights the impact of the money in a statement following DC’s win.

“I can pay five months of my apartment in Thailand with this money.”

Different Training and Different Mindsets?

Moving to Team Cormier’s training room, chilling music plays behind Alibi Idiris as he prepares for his semi-final matchup against Roybert Echeverria.

“I respect Roy as a professional. I recognize that he’s the best, and I’m aware of his strengths. I’ve seen Roy in his fight against Tumelo and how he works.”

Idiris gave an insight into his approach:

“I need to approach him capably, create pressure, grapple more, strike more. I’m going to misdirect him, utilize elbows and knees, and make him work.”

Cormier reiterated this game plan, feeling Echeverria is most uncomfortable when pressured and outworked.

Team Sonnen’s training room has a completely different vibe, with Colby Covington scolding the team for a poor work ethic: “It’s a completely different mentality than what I came and watched earlier at DC’s practice.”

Echeverria appreciates the tough day of training that follows a hard scolding as he prepares for his semi-final fight.

White gives the semi-finalists a chance to call their families for the first time in weeks. Echeverria talks to his parents and reflects on how his time with the show has already changed him. Idiris has opted not to call his family, stating that “I really want to talk with them, but I came here to battle, to fight.” Idiris continued, “I don’t want to be impacted by emotions; I want to focus solely on the fight.”

Sonnen introduces former TUF champion Julianna Pena as coach of the day, with Echeverria talking through his big moment with her. Sonnen openly admits his fears when facing a fighter like Idiris and how he utilizes his range. Interestingly, the game plan for Team Sonnen is to use Idiris’ cardio against him. With similar game plans from both teams, it’ll be interesting to see who can execute.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Alibi Idiris vs. Roybert Echeverria

Both men look to establish control of the center of the cage to start, with Idiris throwing some massive punches to do so. Idiris pushes forward with blitzing combinations multiple times in the first minute. Echeverria maintains focus on countering at the end of these blitzes, circling away after firing back. Idiris’s check left hook starts to find the target consistently, as the battle for cage control continues. Takedown attempts by Idiris are shrugged off as the kickboxing battle wears on past the halfway mark of Round 1.

Echeverria works into boxing range with a big left hook to the body, but can’t seem to find the right punch to the head. A big knee up the middle from the Kazakh sends a message and gives the cage control he’s hunted for; however, some big body shots from the Venezuelan back him up. After securing a bodylock, Idiris finds his first takedown with just over 30 seconds left in the round. Echeverria rolls off his back for an armbar, transitioning to a heel hook, with Idiris standing up. As Echeverria stood up, Idiris cracked him with a perfectly timed flying knee that sat him right back down. The Kazakh ran over and finished the fight with follow-up punches to the wobbled Echeverria. Alibi Idiris was declared the winner by Round 1 TKO and will advance to the TUF Flyweight Finals, expected to take place at UFC 319.

Episode 10 will feature the first welterweight semi-final between Team DC members Jeff Creighton and Rodrigo Sezinando.

That wraps up an action-packed Episode of The Ultimate Fighter 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 9: Pickleball for Profit appeared first on Cageside Press.

“The Ultimate Fighter means a lot to me. The mental aspect of being away from everything was like an unforgettable experience.”

Diego Bianchini is up first, showcasing his deep connection with his roots in São Paulo and his parents, as Bianchini describes himself as “spoiled.” Since starting his pro MMA career in 2015, Bianchini has racked up a 9-1 record and trains with the highly acclaimed Fighting Nerds.

“I’ve been working all my life for this moment. I’m not gonna disappoint my family, I’m not gonna disappoint myself. I will be there and I will smash everybody and get this contract.”

Deeper Motivations

We return to an emotional Rodrigo Sezinando, looking at pictures of his mother. Sezinando hasn’t seen his mother in over a year since leaving Brazil and moving to Canada. Traveling to Rio de Janeiro, we are introduced to Sezinando’s single mom, who is fully aware of her son’s care for her.

“His heart’s greatest concern is me, his mom. He wants to give me a better life, so he fights hard for that.”

Sezinando delves into his passion for MMA and why he moved to Canada to further his career, despite having just $200 to his name.

Back in the Team Sonnen training room, weaponizing Bianchini’s pace seems to be the main game plan. With emotions running high going into the fight, they expect Sezinando to waste energy going for the early finish.

Cormier seems to have similar concerns, worrying that Bianchini’s only way of taking advantage is if Sezinando overreacts to his awkward movements. Following this conversation, DC gave some serious words of inspiration:

“Remember what you’re doing this for. You guys are different; you have different motivations. You do this because you know if you win this thing, it will change your family’s life. For him, he’s doing this like buying a new sports car; it’s fun to him.”

We then get a deeper glimpse of the odd trash talk that Bianchini has thrown Sezinando’s way. The disrespect towards Sezinando’s family has angered him, but whether Bianchini’s plan will work is to be seen. One thing is for sure: this is this season’s most anticipated fight among members of the house and fans alike.

Close-ups of heated final words dissecting their hatred for each other show the animosity as we lead into the fight.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Rodrigo Sezinando vs. Diego Bianchini

Bianchini rushed in with a roundhouse followed by a spinning kick, but neither landed clean. After attempting another spinning kick, Sezinando caught the wild striker’s leg and took him down. The grappling was short-lived after a successful sweep, and Sezinando reopened the striking with a spinning kick that slaps into the fence. After trading leg kicks, both men settled into their striking, Sezinando on the front foot while Bianchini counters. A beautiful headkick is landed by the ‘Brazilian Bad Boy’ with Sezinando leaning right into it; however, he eats the kick and pushes forward. After a blitz of short punches, Bianchini walked into a heavy exchange, eating a massive left hook that stunned him and forced a failed grappling attempt. Bianchini finds success with quick, popping punches and fires off another spinning kick, but the power difference is clear as he’s clipped by another left hook before the round ends.

Bianchini fires off a variety of strikes to start Round 2, keeping Sezinando at range and guessing. However, the Canadian-Brazilian stalked his way into range and forced a bad takedown attempt from Bianchini, immediately reversing into side control and landing some devastating elbows. Once in half guard, Sezinando was in his comfort zone, smothering Bianchini with top control and ground and pound. The fight continued this way until the final bell, with Sezinando getting the Unanimous Decision win. The rivalry also concluded following the fight, with an embrace and kind words shared between the former foes.

The semi-final matchups are set by the coaches to end the episode following conversations with each fighter. The following matchups are now set for the semi-finals:

Flyweight semi-finals

Alibi Idiris vs. Roybert Echeverria 

Imanol Rodriguez vs. Joseph Morales

Weltweight semi-finals

Matt Dixon vs. Daniil Donchenko

Jeff Creighton vs. Rodrigo Sezinando

With Episode 8 over, the quarterfinals are all wrapped for The Ultimate Fighter 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 8: The Time For Talk is Over appeared first on Cageside Press.

There’s some bonding between teammates and hot wing eating, but it’s mostly a commercial. Hey fight fans, watch out for UFC BJJ. Then it’s off to the TUF house, where we get to learn about some of the personal story of Roybert Echerverria, who took part in protests in his native Venezuela in years past. “Nothing has changed, the government is still corrupt,” says Echerverria, who alleges that he and his family were followed by government agents. Echerverria trains at the GOATShed Academy, which has seen names like Jose “Shorty” Torres and Gillian Robertson come through.

It’s Tumelo Manyamala who will represent Team Cormier against Echerverria this week. “He needs to make him pay every time he enters,” D.C. says, adding that he believes Tumelo can finish the flyweight fight. Cormier however bemoans Manyamaia’s “reserved” personality, and hopes it takes a back seat when it comes time to fight. “I believe when people act out, they’re trying to convince themselves they’re good enough, they’re man enough,” Tumelo later counters.

Robert Whittaker, former middleweight champ, continues the trend of UFC stars past and present stopping by TUF 33 for visits. Whittaker being a TUF vet himself and going on to become champ is added motivation no doubt. Whittaker happens to be a former TUF coach as well, and as Dana White points out, remains a top 5 ranked middleweight. Whittaker gets in a little training with Team Sonnen, working on footwork and movement.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Tumelo Manyamala vs. Roybert Echerverria

Roybert Echerverria has the experience advantage in his fight with Tumelo Manyamala, and early on, hems Tumelo in, backing him up to the fence. Manyamala circles along the fence line, finally bursting forward just over a minute in, but soon Echerverria is back to walking him down. Tumelo throws some low kicks, but is on the backfoot a bit too much. Coach Chael Sonnen, meanwhile, urges Echerverria to let his hands go then calls for a takedown. We get a competitive round from there, with Manyamala finding his rhythm, and Echerverria firing some spinning attacks.

Tumelo opens round two with some leg kicks; Echerverria goes after a takedown, and ends up tying things up along the fence, but only for a moment. No takedown to be had. A very scrappy couple of minutes follows, Echerverria struggles with his range initially and Tumelo might have better shot selection. Yet with half a round to go, Echerverria lands a key takedown. Manyamala gets back up, but Echerverria stays on him, and soon takes the back. More of a side mount, but he gets a rear-naked choke in, and shortly after, Tumelo taps!

Roybert Echerverria wins the fight via second round submission, moving on in the tournament! That’s the final flyweight quarterfinal for TUF 33. The final welterweight quarterfinal goes down next week.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 7: Don’t Fear the Reaper appeared first on Cageside Press.

The episode starts with a gifting of another Kazakhstan fur coat from Alibi Idiris, this time to the man he fought the day before, Furkatbek Yokubov. While Yokubov is disappointed in his performance, he holds a lot of respect for Idiris and embraces him after accepting the gift.

Diego Bianchini jokes about where the jiu-jitsu coach is, and is instantly mocked by Rodrigo Sezinando, his house rival. The two slowly get more aggressive as Sezinando mocks Bianchini’s only loss, which he feels he was robbed in. Bianchini retaliates by bringing up Sezinando’s only loss and mocking his representation of Brazil while living in Canada. Sezinando makes a note to ask for this fight specifically next, which makes sense considering they’re the only two unmatched welterweights.

Former Women’s Champions Reflect on TUF Lessons

Daniel Cormier introduces two TUF alumni who’ll help coach for the day, Raquel Pennington and Rose Namajunas. After some quick advice, the ladies got to work on helping the prospects.

“The Ultimate Fighter was a great experience for me. Definitely came at the perfect time in my life, a huge opportunity, and I really thrived,” Namajunas fondly recalled from her time on the show.

Former women’s bantamweight champion Pennington piggybacked off this,

“The Ultimate Fighter for me was a pivotal moment in my career. Became one of the first women to sign with the UFC. I wanted to become the world champion; I became the world champion. It totally changed my life and my family’s life. It truly let me spread my wings as an athlete and as a person.”

Firstly, we lock in on Matt Dixon and his past on DWCS, where he suffered his only career loss. Dixon blames his pace for gassing out and losing the fight, recalling the negative effects following the loss.

“It definitely took its toll on my joy for the sport. This is my chance to get redemption in front of him as well too. So this fight right here will be an awesome opportunity.”

Chael Sonnen and his coaches rave about Dixon and his well-rounded ability, looking to see him grab a finish against Alex Sanchez. Dixon himself sees the same,

“I want to mix it up. You’re gonna see kicks from me, you’re gonna see dynamic footwork, dynamic movements. I’m going to put the pressure on him, and I’m going to throw with bad intentions. I want to walk this guy down and knock him out. I believe that it’s going to be an all-out striking war.”

Team Sonnen Learns Old School Dirty Boxing, Ground and Pound

Team Sonnen also gets a guest coach for the episode in UFC veteran and former TUF alumni Ed Herman. Herman shows the team some nasty ground and pound, which Matt Dixon takes note of before his fight.

We then flip to Alex Sanchez, in the middle of a deep conversation with Rodrigo Sezinando. Sanchez says he never struggled growing up, but that he was taught to work in the fields as soon as he could. He used the money he made to start training MMA in Mexico. Sanchez now trains with his girlfriend, former UFC fighter Silvana Gomez Juarez, at the UFC PI in Mexico.

Traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and taking a look back at some footage of a young Matt Dixon boxing. Visiting his home gym, we see TUF veteran Gerald Harris, and a glimpse at Dixon’s motivation.

“Being in the UFC means so much to me, to the point where I would sacrifice being away from my daughter and my wife.”

Additionally, a glimpse of how Alex Sanchez got to TUF is shown, with a seven-fight winning streak leading to the appearance.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I am very well-rounded, I believe I would be worried. Truth is, wherever the fight goes, I’ll be able to handle it. If he wants to wrestle me, if he wants to strike with me, I’m not worried. I am going to try to look for the finish like in all of my fights, I’m the type of fighter that can deliver great knockouts.”

Cormier seems worried about Sanchez being held against the cage, wanting him to focus on keeping his back off the cage. Instead, putting the pace and pressure on Dixon with his striking seems to be the game plan for Sanchez.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Matt Dixon vs. Alex Sanchez

Dixon kicks off the fight on the front foot, landing a massive right hand seconds in. Sanchez looks to return fire on the aggressive Dixon, countering with calf kicks and winging hooks. As soon as Dixon finds himself in boxing range, he throws short combinations in bunches. Sanchez continues to get walked down, eating some big body strikes while struggling to land counters. The Tulsa native started using more head movement and showed more confidence, blocking less and less and pushing forward harder as the opening frame wore on. Dixon backed Sanchez to the cage and landed a massive 1-2 into a winging left hook that dropped Sanchez. It took just five ground and pound strikes before the ref stepped in to save the stunned Sanchez.

Matt Dixon was declared the winner by TKO and advances to the Welterweight semi-finals. Afterwards, Daniel Cormier was audibly upset, scolding Sanchez in the back for not listening to instructions and backing up throughout the fight.

Episode 7 will feature the last Flyweight quarterfinals matchup between Tumelo Manyamala and Roybert Echeverria.

That wraps up an exciting episode of The Ultimate Fighter 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 6: Tensions Rise in the TUF House appeared first on Cageside Press.

Team Cormier’s guest coach for Episode 5 is revealed: top UFC flyweight contender, former champ, and TUF alumni Brandon Moreno. Moreno is the only fighter in TUF history to win a title despite never winning on the show. The former flyweight champion gave some motivational words of wisdom before taking control of training for the day.

Family Motivation Driving Both Athletes

Alibi Idiris and his hometown of Aktobe, Kazakhstan, are up first, where his family is heavily showcased as his root of motivation. Idiris lives in a house with his parents, wife, kids, and siblings. This close relationship between family is what motivates Idiris’ push to the next level. Much like UFC fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, Idiris also loves horses and uses them as a key part of his diet and free time.

Moving on to Team Sonnen’s Uzbekistan native Furkatbek Yokubov, we’re shown big knockouts on recognizable UFC Fight Pass promotions. Sonnen says that conversations with Yokubov reveal past training sessions between him and Idiris. Yokubov feels his striking is better, but Idiris’s advantages on the ground are not enough to get him down.

Traveling to Dubai, we see Yokubov’s family and his emphasis on safety for them, with Dubai being the perfect location. Yokubov’s emotion is on full display when discussing the 2015 death of his mother, Karima, after whom his daughter is named.

Back at Team Cormier’s training, Alibi Idiris gifted Daniel Cormier a cream-colored robe from Kazakhstan. A better look at Idiris’ past is shown, with a devastating highlight reel showing the trail of dominance he left in Kazakhstan with a 10-0 record. Cormier seems focused on weaponizing Idiris’ strong cardio ahead of this matchup.

Unlike our previous episode, there is no controversy on the scales, and both fighters make the flyweight mark. Right before walkouts, former NFL safety and podcast host partner of DC, Ryan Clark, delivers a motivational speech to Idiris.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Alibi Idiris vs. Furkatbek Yokubov

The speed of both men is apparent from the jump, with Idiris using kicks to fend off the pressuring Yokubov. The Uzbek fighter closed the gap and landed solid punches in the pocket after taking some stabbing body kicks. Idiris then started using knees anytime Yokubov entered the pocket, causing him to eat a big right hand before clinching. A low blow in this clinch caused a brief break in the action. As soon as the fight resumed, Idiris shot a beautiful takedown that wrapped Yokubov up before taking the back. The Kazakh managed to land heavy ground and pound from back mount before the end of the round.

Round two continued much of the same way as the first on the feet, with both fighters trading a high volume of powerful punches and kicks. A beautiful flying knee into a 2-3 combination showed the unique striking flow of Idiris, cracking Yokubov with the follow-up strikes. Idiris’s pressure seemed to start getting to Yokubov, as he started teeing off with boxing combinations on the fence. A finish feels on the horizon, but an eye poke mid-combination pauses the action. Despite the limited effect of the poke, referee Jason Herzog deducts a point from Idiris, frustrating Team Cormier.

Idiris comes out swinging when action resumes, but is coaxed into fighting for the decision following the deduction. The Kazakh fighter attempts another successful takedown and works straight into mount, locking up an arm triangle in seconds. Yokubov’s will to survive showed, as he escaped the choke but was caught on bottom mount. The intense top control of Idiris caused serious problems for the Uzbek. Yokubov managed to work back to his feet with 90 seconds left in the round, but was subsequently dragged back down and controlled until the final bell.

A New Star from Kazakhstan?

Daniel Cormier was in awe of the performance, marking Idiris as a potential future champion. As the bell rang, Idiris walked over to Dana White, shouting a reminder to the boss, “Remember my name, I am Alibi!”

After two rounds, a decision was ready, and the fight was declared a Unanimous Decision win for the Kazakh, Alibi Idiris. Matt Dixon vs. Alex Sanchez was decided as the matchup for Episode 6.

That wraps up an exciting episode of The Ultimate Fighter 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 5: Brandon Moreno, Ryan Clark Inspire Team DC appeared first on Cageside Press.

“When I was a contestant on Season 4, I had the right mindset, and I didn’t put pressure on myself. I looked at it like a six-week gladiator training camp. I would just take it one fight at a time, and it worked out.” Serra said, reflecting on his time with the show.

California’s Jeff Creighton was showcased first, detailing his close relationship with his wife and family. “At some point, I want to be able to take care of my mom and dad. They’ve sacrificed a lot for me, without them, I wouldn’t have gotten this far, I know that.”

Ireland’s Andreeas Binder is up next, where a significant narrative of the episode was the grappling disparity in the fight. Binder’s training in Ireland had little focus on grappling, and with Creighton being an experienced and high-level grappler, the stylistic matchup worried Team Sonnen, but not Binder. When speaking about the matchup, however, Binder expressed confidence, “He’s very strong, he’s done wrestling growing up. I don’t really care, I just focus on myself. I can adjust in a split second, and I can put your lights out in a split second.”

Creighton seemed unworried about his supposed grappling advantage: “I’ve really been working on just using good, clean boxing to close the distance. I just wanna get my hands on ’em and make it a dirty fight, make it a real fight.”

Chaos Erupts on Fight Day

The vibe evidently changes in the episode when the focus shifts towards Binder’s struggles with his weight cut. Following the prioritization of his health, weight is no longer being cut. Chael Sonnen negotiated a pay of $2,500 per pound of weight missed with Jeff Creighton, and the fight was underway with Creighton being paid $12,500 for Binder’s weight miss. At face-offs, Creighton left Binder with a chilling statement, “You gave up on yourself earlier, you’re gonna give up tomorrow too.” A haunting statement based on Binder’s previous struggles with bullying.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Andreaas Binder vs. Jeff Creighton

Creighton started the fight pressing the action as he planned with a smashing rear body kick and some slick jabs. Binder stayed patient, looking to defend takedowns and counter when he saw an opening. After seeing that opening, Binder went on the front foot and applied serious pressure, stunning Creighton with looping hooks against the cage. After a second defended takedown, Binder grew more confident and started to flow with his striking. He caught a kick from Creighton and dropped him to the floor, storming the Team Cormier fighter with heavy ground and pound. An armbar attempt from Creighton was fended off, and Binder maintained control of the round until a late elbow against the cage opened a nasty gash on Binder’s forehead.

Creighton looked to initiate his grappling more in Round 2, using his kicks to move into clinching range. He found success just under a minute into the round, taking Binder down and securing instant back control. Creighton landed some big ground and pound before securing a body triangle and looking for a choke. Due to the amount of blood coming from Binder’s now pouring cut, Creighton was unable to squeeze the choke despite having his hands under the chin. Team Sonnen was sure the third round would follow, making the costly mistake of telling Binder to just survive the round. Binder did just that and even landed some punches from his back, but it wasn’t enough. Surprisingly, to the shock of everyone, including Team Cormier, a decision was ready to be announced. The fighters were gathered, and Jeff Creighton was declared the winner by Majority Decision.

That wraps up a chaotic and reminiscent episode 4 of TUF 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 4: Matt Serra Makes An Appearance appeared first on Cageside Press.

“This was like for me, the perfect opportunity for me to escape,” Dillashaw said of his time on TUF, which saw him enter the house with just four pro fights to his name.

Ukraine’s Danil Donchenko is up first in episode two, representing Team Cormier, and talks about the war back home, with Russia having invaded in 2022. Donchenko has already seen teammates and old school chums killed and maimed in the war. “I have friends who are already dead,” he says, calling the situation at home a big motivation for him.

Brazilian welterweight Richard Martins tells coach Sonnen that he wants to stand and trade with Donchenko, rather than trying to take him down. “I will try grappling, but for me I want to strike with him.” Sonnen eventually agrees, telling Martins that he’s convinced him. With a Muay Thai background, Martins says he always tries to win his fights by knockout.

“I’m going to make Richard bleed,” Donchenko says following weigh-ins. “Maybe I will bleed too, but I don’t care. I want to feel his blood.” Ominous.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Danil Donchenko vs. Richard Martins

Donchenko connected with a big right hand early once episode two’s fight got underway, then exploded forward, swarming Martins. A very strong start by the Ukrainian, with the ref urging Martins to fight back. Martins avoided being finished on the feet, tying things up and fighting for underhooks. When they came off the fence, coach Cormier admonished Donchenko for loading up on his punches, and told the welterweight to “just touch him.” Donchenko was keeping up so high a pace that Cormier also told him to slow things down a bit.

Despite that early onslaught, Donchenko vs. Martins made it out of the round. Sonnen advised his student not to worry about Donil Donchenko’s power, and to “just touch him” as well, shades of DC in round one. Donchenko’s overhand flashes, and he trails with a kick. Donchenko drops levels, looking for a takedown but Martins fights that off as Sonnen urges his guy to stay active. Martins seems to be having issues pulling the trigger by the time the midway mark of the round rolls around. Sonnen is worried that Martins doesn’t have enough time, and urges him to get to work. Martins does get a little scrappier, and soon Donchenko is bloodied. Martins fires a knee to the body towards the end of a hard-fought round. Both teams get their guys ready for a possible third round, but instead, the judges have a verdict – and it’s a decision victory for Danil Donchenko.

That’s a wrap on episode 2 of TUF 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 2: Dillashaw Drops By appeared first on Cageside Press.

Yet here we are, another season of TUF launching, this time Team Cormier vs. Team Sonnen. At least in this case, there’s no fight between coaches expected, given both popular fighters and current analysts have long since hung up the gloves.

Instead, Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier will look to guide another class of fighters into the UFC, with flyweights and welterweights taking part.

TUF 33 marks the 20th anniversary of the original Ultimate Fighter, something UFC CEO and President Dana White noted early and often during Tuesday’s season debut.

“Once you get inside here, this competition is an absolute pressure cooker,” noted White, reminding the TUF 33 fighters to remember why they’d come there. White also promised that they would bring in former TUF winners who went on to be champs, to help inspire the fighters. Speaking of, Forrest Griffin was on hand for episode one.

If there was any surprise in the TUF 33 season opener – let’s be honest, the format hasn’t changed much in recent years, though the antics have been mercifully toned down in most season – it’s that Colby Covington turned up as one of Sonnen’s coaches.

As usual, episode one saw coaches pick their teams, with Cormier winning a coin toss and claiming first pick (in both weight classes). Eduardo Henrique went first, with Sonnen picking Joseph Morales, already a UFC vet, second at flyweight. The last picks, meanwhile, get a speech from DC about Brandon Moreno being the last fighter picked during his season – as Sonnen made snoring noises throughout.

Forrest Griffin tells the fighters that after he won TUF all of 20 years ago, he hasn’t worked a job since. Technically, he’s currently the Vice President of Athlete Development at the UFC Performance Institute, but he clearly loves what he does, so point taken.

The first fight of the season is selected by Chael Sonnen, who lines up his own Joseph Morales against Eduardo Henrique – the first overall picks. Henrique is the reigning LFA flyweight champ; Morales went 1-2 through three UFC fights in 2017-18.

Weigh-ins for the bout get a little heated, with DC’s team chanting “you’re gonna die” in Portuguese, which Sonnen takes offense to.

The Ultimate Fighter 33: Eduardo Henrique vs. Joseph Morales

The first fight of the season opens competitively, and Henrique holds his own on the feet as expected. When Morales gets the fight down, however, he quickly gets the back, locks up a body triangle, and gets to work, putting the fight away with a rear-naked choke all of halfway through the opening round.

Morales says following the fight that he feels like “some of the weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” and he’s not wrong. After a brief stint in the UFC that was cut short, he’s taken the first steps towards a return.

That’s a wrap on the debut episode of TUF 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.

The post The Ultimate Fighter 33 Ep. 1: UFC Vet Takes First Steps Towards Return appeared first on Cageside Press.