The Ultimate Fighter 4 (Episode 1)
by: DarthMolen 2 years, 3 months, 1 week, 5 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes ago
Email Review print review
UFC
I have been watching “The Ultimate Fighter” series on Spike since TUF1 premiered in March 2005 and absolutely love the series. The show is now up to it’s fourth cycle and each one has been distinctly different. this season is no different.
This season is different from all the rest in that they have brought in a full cast of veterans of the UFC to vie for a title shot at the end. These guys are seasoned professionals whom, for one reason or another, have fallen out of the spotlight and crave a return. They have labeled this season “The Comeback”.
They have also changed things up in the sense that there are no opposing coaches and all the fighters have access to the coaching staff (Mark DellaGrotte, Randy Couture, and Georges St. Pierre, Marc Laimon). I personally feel this is because of the crappy job that Shamrock did last season in preparing his fighters and they didn’t want a reocurrence of that.
Episode 1 has started off totally different than previous seasons in that they showed almost no house-shots. The other three seasons were replete with house-shots and it remains to be seen if they include these fillers as the season wears on. All the content pre-bout was focused around them training. This does not mean that all the pre-fight stuff wasn’t entertaining because they have SHONIE CARTER (Mr. International) to provide all the drama that they need.
Mr. Pimp Daddy himself (Shonie Carter) is an absolute hoot. He actually strolled into the UFC center with the full pimp get-up (bowl hat, grill, glasses, BATH ROBE, and Pimp Cup) and it didn’t stop there. He actually grafittied the UFC diamond-plate symbol at the UFC house (the one shot of the house they did show) AND wore a speedo equipped with an athletic cup for his practice attire. I was absolutely rolling in the aisles.
The thing that I found absolutely amazing is that Matt Serra and Shonie Carter hit it right off. If you don’t know the history there, let me give you a little lesson. Shonie Carter knocked Matt Serra out in UFC 31 with a spinning hammerfist (they say backfist but I saw hammerfist). Yeah, there ain’t a lot there to inspire love between these two.
It was even more amazing when Matt Serra volunteered to CORNER for Shonie when Shonie was chosen to fight against Rich Clementi. They had just shown Shonie gassed after some hard endurance training and wretching all over the floor so I gave him absolutely no chance to win this fight. Matt looked younger and fitter and Shonie looked like a walking sideshow.
(another side note is that the prelims look to be 2 rounds instead of 3.)
Shoney went into that ring and proceeded to prove me wrong.
Round one went to Shonie. They sparred back and forth. I was surprised how spry and crisp Shonie looked as he threw lightning fast round and roundhouse kicks followed by great punches. He caught Rich in the ribs and the head with his kicks multiple times and even made Matt smirk (which is usually a sign that it actually did something and got through). Matt was able to take him down a couple of times but Shonie kept taking away the angles. Shonie got an impressive sweep in but Matt countered with one of his own take-downs. I had Shonie winning it by a hair (mostly because the sweep and the kicks that landed).
Round two showed Rich being a lot more active. He landed some punches and even had some great take-downs. He sunk an armbar in deep but by this time, both were sweaty and Shonie was able to slip out of it. Rich also tried a triangle choke but by this time he was tired and Shonie slipped again and continued raining blows from up-top. The end of the round had them both on the ground locked up with Shonie on top throwing blows. I think I would have given this round to Rich because of all the submission attempts.
The judges thought otherwise and awarded a unanimous decision to Shonie. I have seen this a lot. They don’t smile very kindly upon you pulling guard. You have to usually submit the person to win a bout if you are constantly pulling guard and on bottom, no matter how skillfully you work it.
The episode ended with Rich complaining how slipper Shonie was (duh, he’s almost fully naked and probably sweating from a pre-fight routine) and Shonie telling the camera that Clementi should go back to lightweight’s. Great stuff.
I can honestly say that this first episode has made me want more. After the first episode in all the other seasons, I have just wanted to move on to the semi’s but this season should show some great technical prelims to sink our teeth into.
Good review Molen, I guess you’re the new UFC guru for Komikazee...that is until you mess up and say something silly like St. Pierre is going to beat Hughes in September, but until then you’re the guy!
HA!
Pffft.
I will never say that Matt Hughes can be beaten, but I think that GSP has the highest probability out of all the fighters right now to take him down...Doesn’t mean that it will happen though
I just don’t see Hughes losing that title anytime soon. I mean this will be their second fight with each other, but Hughes is just flat out superior in every possible way. The fight between them is actually in my hometown of Anaheim, Ca at the Arrowhead Pond. I definitely want tickets to that.
I would like to see Sobral take the title off of Liddell at 62 personally. I watched the “All Access” with him in it, and he seems like a really good guy that has learned a lot from his last defeat at the hands of Chuck Liddell...I think if anyone can take the belt off of Chuck, it’s going to be Sobral.
Hmm. I didn’t see the all-access unfortunately… I usually watch those because their training regimens fascinate me.
Hmph.
I have never been impressed with Sobral (bobalu) but he definitely has a punchers chance… Because if Randy Couture can’t hold Iceman down for some GNP, there is no way that Sobral will succeed.