Sherdog.com’s Guide to TUF 5

Last week Mike Sloan filled in for me while I made mud in pants over the Grand Canyon. After 10 hours of stand-bye hell in Phoenix, I was sitting next to an able bodied co-ed from the U of Nebraska who was very confused by the last announcement made by our pilot. He had just informed us of why we had turned around and were now circling Arizona.

"Why would they be dumping our fuel?" she asked me.

It seems we had some trouble with our landing gear and were now headed back to our original departure. I thought about to telling her the cold hard truth that the pilot and other aviation people involved were trying their best to minimize the size of the fireball our crash might create.

I knew that when confronted with this kind of news, she might be overcome with fear, grief or immense regret from any time she may have wasted during her young life. I tossed all that aside however and bluntly told her we could very well die, just because I had a sliver of hope that she may go with another more favorable option for me. Maybe we could just realize our doom and shake our fist at fate with one last romantic act of defiance.

Instead she just took in the news and then got real nervous and tried to text message her boyfriend who was waiting for her while on shore leave. I penned some final thoughts and wrote down my famous rice crispy treats recipe for my family to find amongst my remains.

As we touched down on the tarmac, surrounded by fire trucks and ambulances, I found that Gray Maynard (Pictures) and his winning fight was about No. 789 on my list of things to think about at the time.

Now with all that near death unsightliness put behind us, we can get on to figuring out who will be facing Joe Lauzon (Pictures) and Gray Maynard (Pictures) in the quarterfinals.

Nate Diaz doesn't want to hang out with Corey Hill anymore. The two have been friends and training partners the entire season but now with their fight looming, Diaz wants to keep his distance. He may not want to talk to him anyway since Corey has been talking to himself in the sauna.

Apparently, Hill has an alter ego he calls "Buddy Ro." Buddy seems to be a friend who helps Corey through difficult situations. Corey's sweating buckets while muttering things to him like "I will not forsake you" and "I'm going to tell you how it is."

If the man wasn't fatigued and wearing a rubber suit inside a 170-degree sauna, I'd think he was nuttier than a squirrel's cheek.

While Hill battles with his sanity, Nate decides to workout with B.J. Penn (Pictures)'s team in order to keep his distance. Joe Lauzon (Pictures) isn't thrilled with the decision since he's banged up from his last fight and would like to see his injuries kept secret from the other team.

B.J. doesn't have a problem with Nate's choice and Nate is glad because he is able to finally train with Penn, whom he's wanted to coach him since he first raised his hand on the debut episode.

Penn and Diaz get right to rolling and begin to prepare for Hill by planning on taking him down and getting rid of his reach advantage. B.J. then lectures Nate on how lighting Corey up with an ankle lock will be something he might not be expecting.

Nate prepares himself to "get hated on" by his own teammates and sure enough they aren't even all in the door before Brandon Melendez (Pictures) is calling him a "traitor." No one is sure how Coach will react and once Jens enters the building, things get even more awkward.

Nate plays off the infraction and says he'll stick around for a workout and Jens asks him not to do him any favors. Nate and Jens do some hemming and hawing before finally patching things up. Jens realizes that by fighting his teammate, Nate might be in an understandably weird headspace.

As far as the actual fight, Nate and Corey make for an interesting pairing. Nate's pedigree and skills have placed him at the top of most people's list of contenders this season and Corey's size and inexperience make him the ultimate wild card.

Since these two have trained with each other, they are well aware of the danger each other poses.

"Corey, he's the toughest guy on the team," said Diaz. Corey thinks that they are "two of the best" and can't wait to meet in the octagon. Both guys decide to have teammates corner them so that Jens doesn't get stuck in the middle.

Nate's one of the taller lightweights but he still gives up over four inches to the lanky Hill. Corey comes out pawing until Nate grabs his waist and tries for a takedown, but Hill is too strong.

Diaz tries to pull Corey down but the tall challenger is able to get out and stand. Nate goes for another leg and while trying to hold on, Corey brings down some hammer punches on his head.

Corey lets Nate back up but Diaz quickly pulls guard and tries to set something up. However, Hill pulls out of his grasp and backs out. Nate stands back up and comes forward while Corey lands a straight right that stops Nick Diaz (Pictures)'s younger brother from moving forward.

Nate tries to regroup and close the distance, but then falls down after a shove and gets thrown onto his back by Corey. Diaz seems to be having trouble with Hill's awkward size and strength. He's getting bullied and his face is puffy from being punched.

Hill decides to power Nick into a takedown but gets his head swallowed up in the process. Diaz is then able to get his limber legs up around Corey's shoulders. Corey slips out of the guillotine only to find himself in a tighter spot with a triangle and is forced to tap with about two minutes left in the first round.

Nothing is too surprising about a Diaz win; he was able to weather the storm and get Corey into a position that favors him. Hill realizes what he needs to work on and Pulver knows that he'll be a force in the future.

"He knows he's come so far from the beginning," said Jens. "Write it down, ‘six months,' write it down."

I'm writing it down Jens. Corey Hill will be a force after six months, though I don't think we'll have to wait that long to see Corey in the octagon again.

All that's left is to figure out which remaining member of these teams will be the last to join the final four. Dana White discusses the match-up and doesn't have much faith in Manny.

"I think he's too small," the UFC president said.

Maybe so but Manny gets a huge boost of energy when his training partner and cousin Karo Parisyan (Pictures) shows up to help him get ready. Karo's welcomed in by Team Pulver -- even by Nate Diaz, who has seen his older brother lose to the Armenian welterweight.

Wiman gets some last minute advice from Penn, who tells him that technique won't win this fight. "It's going to be decided by you wanting to win," B.J. tells him.

Manny prepares himself mentally by thinking about his diminutive stature and how he will prove his critics wrong while chanting in his native song. Matt figures he won't lose to Manny and wants to disappoint him and make him cry.

Once again Matt is wired to fight and, looking half-possessed, stalks in his corner of the cage. Wiman is five inches taller, but Manny only gives up three inches in reach.

Manny comes out swinging but Wiman avoids the shots. Wiman telegraphs a takedown and tries to slam Manny, but the Armenian is agile enough to land on his feet. Matt puts Manny on his back and tries to posture up for big punches, but Manny stays just as active on the ground.

During a scramble, Manny gets a grip on Matt's head and arm and tries to get in some knees. The two separate and Matt is brought over to the doctor to look at a cut at the corner of his right eye.

Wiman tries a throw but Manny powers him down and starts grinding his forehead into Wiman's bloody face. Manny stays very active while Wiman works for space and finally gets out from underneath.

Manny body-locks Wiman, which to a seasoned fighter is a warning about an impending hip toss. Wiman holds off any throws but gets balled up against the fence to finish out the round.

Wiman drops his head and comes in swinging to start the second period, but Manny's out of his range.

Manny might be small but he was smothering Wiman like a big man, keeping him from being able to get any sweeps or submissions going. Referee Herb Dean (Pictures) stands the two up and Wiman is choosing to cover up and defend any time the two start to exchange, highlighting his hesitancy to take the fight to Manny.

Wiman is able to get a combo off but then Manny drops down and lifts Matt's hips off the ground before dumping him on his back. Manny spends the next few minutes in Matt's guard, picking his shots and keeping Wiman tied up.

Dean stands them up again and Wiman is still protecting himself while Manny swings with haymakers. Wiman finally connects with a right hand and goes for a takedown.

Manny works for an armbar but Wiman slides onto his back. Manny tries to stand but there's nothing there. Back on the ground Matt slides off the shoulder and grabs Manny's arm, but Manny takes this moment to reverse and get back into Matt's guard.

Wiman is going to have to pull a submission off with only 30 seconds left, but Manny is just too close to his body and tough to control.

Manny was just a bulldog and showed that he's just as strong as anyone else, as he showcased some impressive explosiveness and athleticism.

Wiman takes the loss pretty hard, saying, "Now I got to go back in that house with that little bastard."

He noted that "if I fought that guy 10 times, I'd beat him more times than he'd beat me" and also adds, "I'll be back. No one's going to remember this when I smash in heads in the future."

Next week sparks will fly as Parisyan and Nate Diaz revisit the friction between the families. Dana tells the coaches that he'd like to see teammate versus teammate in the semifinal match-ups and the coaches don't want that at all.

Tune in next week and we'll find out if Gray and Joe get pitted against each other, and if so, we'll get to see Manny and Nate finish something their cousin and brother started.