The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights - Episode 1 Recap & Review

Within the first minute of The Ultimate Fighter Season 10, coaches Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans are barking at each other and trying to expose the other’s weaknesses. You can’t help but imagine what lays ahead for the two rival fighters, who are polar opposites and truly don’t like each other. While the two coaches continue to throw insults at each others’ techniques, the first group of cast members begins to roll in.

As the fighters introduce themselves to their coaches, Rampage is quick to announce that he is amazed at how big some of the heavyweights are. As fifteen of the contestants’ mill around the UFC Training Center, Rampage and Rashad revert back to their verbal war, which is now getting on their boss, Dana White’s nerves as he scorns them to stop.

Dana appears again, this time to bring the group together for the selection process, which as we remember from seasons past, can be very entertaining in itself. With the attention on Dana, he announces to the group that there will be a 16th cast member and that it will be someone that he has talked major smack on. When Kimbo Slice is announced to the group it wasn’t the reaction that I expected. While a couple fighters said that they didn’t care about him, others looked very uncomfortable.

Rampage immediately claimed that he wanted Kimbo on his team, while Rashad didn’t seem to care. Evans instead mentioned that he would be looking for three criteria during the evaluation process; mentally strong, coachable and skillful. Rampage took a different approach during evaluations, gearing toward a physically demanding testing process. During the evaluation, it was obvious that Kimbo looked strong with his standup but lacked with his ground skill.

It was now time for the selection process, which Rashad won via coin flip. Evans' decision consisted of either picking the first fighter or picking the first two fights. He picked the latter, choosing teammate James McSweeney first. Rampage lived up to his word and chose Kimbo with the second overall pick. One by one, Team Rampage and Team Rashad alternated selections until the final selection; Zak Jensen went to Team Rampage.

The focus briefly turned to the fighters entering the house and Team Rashad is chomping at the bit to fight Kimbo. Back at practice, Rampage is motivated to try and help Wes Sims shed his moniker of bring a dirty fighter. Team Rampage also chose to test his new team’s cardio and the former NFL star, Marcus Jones struggled with the pace, claiming that it was physically harder than NFL practices.

It was now time for Rampage to choose the first fight, settling on Team Rashad’s Jon Madsen fighting Team Rampage’s Abe Wagner. The selection made Evans smile; believing that Rampage had chose a fight that favored his team. Madsen was a terrific wrestler where as Abe strength’s favored stand-up and jiu-jitsu. During interviews, Madsen mentioned that he was a H.I.T. Squad member who trained mostly with smaller wrestlers. Abe believed that he had an advantage, claiming that his opponent was good at takedowns but lacked skill when on the ground.

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It's finally fight time, Abe Wagner against Jon Madsen on paper looked to be entertaining. The first round was anything but entertaining as Abe was easily taken to the ground, where he stayed for the majority of the first frame. Madsen dominated the round, hitting on elbows and short punches consistently. He opened up a massive cut on the forehead of Wagner, producing puddles on blood on the canvas.

Although many of Team Rashad’s fighters believed that he wouldn’t come out for the second round, Abe answered the bell. He returned for more of what he took from Madsen in the first round, easily getting taken to the ground and pummeled with ground and pound. Even with the help of referee Steve Mazagatti standing the two fighters up, the result was the same. Abe ignored advice from Rampage and his corner, getting thrown around the ring and pounded on the ground. Rampage, infuriated at the decision making of his fighter, even walked off the ringside before the fight ended. Madsen was easily given the unanimous decision 20-16, 20-16, 20-17.

While previews and promotion of this season ruined any major surprises, the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter 10 was eventful. The “back-to-basics” season looks to include more fighting and less interaction in the house. However, each season has its pranks and jokesters and I’m sure this season is no different. Hang on; it’s going to be a long, wild ride in the TUF 10 house.