Sherdog.com’s Guide to the Ultimate Fighter
Scott Holmes Oct 27, 2006
As we move towards the conclusion of season four, Matt Serra (Pictures) and Chris Lytle (Pictures) are already headed to the finals
of The Ultimate Fighter. Many of you fans probably picked
these two to make it there. Since the welterweights are out of the
way, it's time to get to the bigger boys.
Since the fights have already been selected, we know that Pete Sell (Pictures) will take on Travis Lutter (Pictures). Pete, you may recall, decided to take on the tough Lutter because he thought it gave his buddy Patrick Cote (Pictures) a better shot of making it to the finals.
Many questioned Sell's decision and it was time to see if he knew
what he was doing, or if loyalty and short-sightedness came
together once again to end another reality show contestant's run
like so many before?
You know, I can't remember the name of the show or even the channel I saw it on but … maybe it was "Trio." Anyway, I watched a documentary about these researchers in Britain who put a dozen or so kids into homes and left them there without adult supervision. The doctors and parents were next door observing the behavior of the children.
During tonight's episode of TUF, Mikey Burnett decided to don some swimming goggles and run full speed into the living room wall of the UFC house. After knocking himself loopy — and the sheetrock off the wall — Mikey joined in an impromptu object throwing fight between housemates that began with poker cards and ended with ice cream, pillows, paper goods, fruit, billiard balls and Chinese throwing stars for all I know.
When I saw the aftermath of their night of frivolity I couldn't help but think about their wives and girlfriends watching this in horror. Not much can change from 8 years old to 34, especially when there isn't any adult (female) supervision. Put one woman in that house and watch as the ice cream ends up where it belongs … not covering up the bronze bust of Dana White on the mantel.
Amidst the ruins, the guys find the time to sit down and watch the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 3, feeling a certain kinship to fighters like Kendall Grove (Pictures) and Ed Herman (Pictures) since they now have gone through the same TUF gauntlet.
The next morning they survey the damage caused by Mikey, who complains of bruising and pains — go figure. I'm a little shocked. Mikey looks to me like the kind of guy that's just not used to making bad decisions. I'm just saying the guy looks like he's made some very sound decisions.
Now with Lutter and Sell on the clock, it's time for some training. Not just any training: training with Chuck Liddell (Pictures). Pete and Chuck get some work in and while I'm sure that Pete was able to glean good pointers out of the champ, it still kills me to hear Chuck give advice.
"Put him on the end of your punches." OK Chuck, I'll do that. I'll put my opponent on the end of my punches just like you showed me. Only one problem, my punches aren't Chuck Liddell (Pictures) punches. You throw bombs and I throw scoops of half-melted ice cream. Should work out just fine.
Nothing against Pete Sell (Pictures), he's a good fighter. But having Chuck tell you how to get up and out of a takedown attempt is like being at the X-Games and having Tony Hawk say, "spin like this." OK Tony. Thanks. I'll do just what you said once I buy a skateboard.
Well I'd love to have more to tell you at this point, but this is the way the how has gone down. Fifteen minutes of boring house nonsense mixed with Xyience commercials.
"Mr. Franklin how much Xyience do you drink?"
“Well, one for every knee I eat.”
After that you have 30 minutes left, but they are giving you a tale of the tape, which means we will watch a fight that goes to a decision and needs all the time it can get. So whom do we have on the bill?
Pete Sell (Pictures), a Matt Serra (Pictures) disciple with perhaps some solid hands. On the other side we have Travis Lutter (Pictures), who might KO you when he's just screwing around. And if not he'll have you on your back dealing with years of Machado trained jiu-jitsu.
Let's see … big puncher … great ground guy: I wonder how this will go.
Call me lazy, question my sexuality or refer to me as a dirty woman: I don't care. All three rounds went the exact same way and I'd rather be buried up to my neck in Brazilian sand and have my head painted like a soccer ball before I'll sit here and type out a 1,000 words about how Travis took Pete down easily and kept smothering him with positions that left Pete without much to attack with.
The action wasn't always constant; a lot of wise stalling by Travis kept Pete from ever even being able to construct a game plan. Over the course of three rounds the damage began to add up and Pete began to look a little roughed up.
Travis never really made the effort to finish the fight. Instead, like gum on a park bench, he stubbornly stuck to Pete. He was calculative and was able to hook a unanimous decision.
Pete was upset and rightly so after the loss, shedding a few tears while remarking that he had laughed at previous UFC fighters when they cried after losing. He said that he now knew what they had put into it and why it hurt so much.
For me crying isn't a sign of weakness, so I'll never bag on Pete because he showed emotion. But I can't say the same for the rest of America. I bet that if I opened my window and strained my ear I could hear the faint taps of keyboards as everyone across the country races to be the first on a message board to call Sell queer.
Next week we will find out who will be finishing out the 185-pound class to face Lutter in the finals.
Since the fights have already been selected, we know that Pete Sell (Pictures) will take on Travis Lutter (Pictures). Pete, you may recall, decided to take on the tough Lutter because he thought it gave his buddy Patrick Cote (Pictures) a better shot of making it to the finals.
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You know, I can't remember the name of the show or even the channel I saw it on but … maybe it was "Trio." Anyway, I watched a documentary about these researchers in Britain who put a dozen or so kids into homes and left them there without adult supervision. The doctors and parents were next door observing the behavior of the children.
I watched two programs, one focusing on the girls and another about
boys. In both groups certain cliques emerged and certain kids were
seen and treated as outcasts. None of the kids knew how to really
cook or take care of themselves. Due to the wild antics caused by
peer pressure and groupthink, the houses were completely destroyed
by the end of their experiment. Once the allotted time had expired,
the parents were allowed to see the kids again. They didn't have
excuses for why they behaved the way they did. It was a remarkable
look into the human psyche.
During tonight's episode of TUF, Mikey Burnett decided to don some swimming goggles and run full speed into the living room wall of the UFC house. After knocking himself loopy — and the sheetrock off the wall — Mikey joined in an impromptu object throwing fight between housemates that began with poker cards and ended with ice cream, pillows, paper goods, fruit, billiard balls and Chinese throwing stars for all I know.
When I saw the aftermath of their night of frivolity I couldn't help but think about their wives and girlfriends watching this in horror. Not much can change from 8 years old to 34, especially when there isn't any adult (female) supervision. Put one woman in that house and watch as the ice cream ends up where it belongs … not covering up the bronze bust of Dana White on the mantel.
Amidst the ruins, the guys find the time to sit down and watch the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 3, feeling a certain kinship to fighters like Kendall Grove (Pictures) and Ed Herman (Pictures) since they now have gone through the same TUF gauntlet.
The next morning they survey the damage caused by Mikey, who complains of bruising and pains — go figure. I'm a little shocked. Mikey looks to me like the kind of guy that's just not used to making bad decisions. I'm just saying the guy looks like he's made some very sound decisions.
Now with Lutter and Sell on the clock, it's time for some training. Not just any training: training with Chuck Liddell (Pictures). Pete and Chuck get some work in and while I'm sure that Pete was able to glean good pointers out of the champ, it still kills me to hear Chuck give advice.
"Put him on the end of your punches." OK Chuck, I'll do that. I'll put my opponent on the end of my punches just like you showed me. Only one problem, my punches aren't Chuck Liddell (Pictures) punches. You throw bombs and I throw scoops of half-melted ice cream. Should work out just fine.
Nothing against Pete Sell (Pictures), he's a good fighter. But having Chuck tell you how to get up and out of a takedown attempt is like being at the X-Games and having Tony Hawk say, "spin like this." OK Tony. Thanks. I'll do just what you said once I buy a skateboard.
Well I'd love to have more to tell you at this point, but this is the way the how has gone down. Fifteen minutes of boring house nonsense mixed with Xyience commercials.
"Mr. Franklin how much Xyience do you drink?"
“Well, one for every knee I eat.”
After that you have 30 minutes left, but they are giving you a tale of the tape, which means we will watch a fight that goes to a decision and needs all the time it can get. So whom do we have on the bill?
Pete Sell (Pictures), a Matt Serra (Pictures) disciple with perhaps some solid hands. On the other side we have Travis Lutter (Pictures), who might KO you when he's just screwing around. And if not he'll have you on your back dealing with years of Machado trained jiu-jitsu.
Let's see … big puncher … great ground guy: I wonder how this will go.
Call me lazy, question my sexuality or refer to me as a dirty woman: I don't care. All three rounds went the exact same way and I'd rather be buried up to my neck in Brazilian sand and have my head painted like a soccer ball before I'll sit here and type out a 1,000 words about how Travis took Pete down easily and kept smothering him with positions that left Pete without much to attack with.
The action wasn't always constant; a lot of wise stalling by Travis kept Pete from ever even being able to construct a game plan. Over the course of three rounds the damage began to add up and Pete began to look a little roughed up.
Travis never really made the effort to finish the fight. Instead, like gum on a park bench, he stubbornly stuck to Pete. He was calculative and was able to hook a unanimous decision.
Pete was upset and rightly so after the loss, shedding a few tears while remarking that he had laughed at previous UFC fighters when they cried after losing. He said that he now knew what they had put into it and why it hurt so much.
For me crying isn't a sign of weakness, so I'll never bag on Pete because he showed emotion. But I can't say the same for the rest of America. I bet that if I opened my window and strained my ear I could hear the faint taps of keyboards as everyone across the country races to be the first on a message board to call Sell queer.
Next week we will find out who will be finishing out the 185-pound class to face Lutter in the finals.
