The Ultimate Fighter 11: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz - Episode 1: “Smashed Up” Recap

Last season, The Ultimate Fighter 10: Heavyweights, left a bad taste in the mouth of many MMA fans. From the lackluster talent to terrible cardio to the freak show of Kimbo Slice, TUF 10 was a hard season to sit through. Now, with legendary fighters Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz as coaches, TUF 11 hopes to return the MMA reality show to the good graces of MMA fans across the country. Dana White hasn’t been hyping the show as much as he usually does, which leads me to believe the show will do the talking for itself.

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TUF 11 opens and wastes no time starting the hype train, "The guy is a complete doorknob," Liddell says. Tito, what do you have to say? "I'm a better coach, and at the end of the season, I'll show that I'm a better fighter.”

The Liddell, Ortiz, White montage finishes, and the camera reveals a remodeled UFC gym. In a way to liven up the new season and separate it from the previous one, the UFC has revamped the TUF gym, much to the 28 incoming fighters’ approval.

Dana brings the two coaches in and has the fighters line up for his new speech that sounds a lot like his old ones, full of f bombs and want to be a fighter talk. He then unveils the big mystery format surrounding the show, as it turns out, following the first round of fights, there will be a wild card round featuring two losing fighters who Dana, Chuck, and Tito agree should be given another chance. The winner of this fight will be allowed in the house, and automatically advances to the quarterfinals.

Knowing fans want to see less drama and more fights, and considering they have 14 fights to squeeze into one hour of show, they waste no time in setting up the first bout.

Jamie Yager vs. Ben Stark

Yager comes out first, showcasing his massive fro and solid build. His look alone is marketable and sure to earn him fans. White notes, “he is cocky as {beep}”. Upon hearing this, Tito immediately takes offense and begins defending his, I mean Yager’s, “cockiness,” saying, “Well, I guess there's cocky and there's confidence, right? Cockiness is always good."

I think it’s the other way around, Tito. Confidence is good, cockiness not so much. His comment is immediately met by an uncomfortable tummy rub and silence.

Stark makes his way to the cage and reveals he grew up an Orthodox Jew with all “the curls”. Such a gimmick makes me think he might not handle himself to well in the Octagon.

And within seconds my hunch is confirmed. Yager swarms on him with powerful high kicks that break through Stark’s guard and eventually send him crashing to the mat.

An impressive debut that now has White understanding why the man is so damn cocky.

Jordan Smith vs. Brad Tavares

They start bringing in the next fighters and the first one to the cage is Jordan Smith, a 7th grade teacher, who likes to fight as an outlet for his anger. Not exactly the kind of person I want teaching my kids, but who am I to judge.

Brad Tavares is a Hawaii native who grew up in a place where fighting was part of everyday life, and actually quite fun.

The fight comes to an end in only 37 seconds, as Tavares unleashes a lethal knee to the face of Smith and then a right hook squarely on the chin. Another impressive KO.

Two fights down, two delicious knockouts. A Great way to kick off the new season.

Cleburn Walker vs. Kris McCray

Walker walks to the Octagon and we find out his struggles with poverty, evictions and car repossessions galore.

McCray on the other hand seems like a young kid with no responsibilities. He called himself the “Savage” and believes himself to be a ferocious superhero.

The fight begins and Walker goes for the takedown, but McCray hip tosses him to the mat and in the process dislocates Walker’s shoulder. Walker taps and the fight is called to an end.

Make that three fights ending in the first minute of the first round to kick off this new season of TUF. A good sign. Or at least that’s what they want us to think.

Norman Paraisy vs. James Hammortree

As Paraisy makes his way to the cage he lets us know he was born in France and is now representing his home country in the Octagon.

Hammortree, interestingly enough, is a fireman as well as a fighter, and points out the contradiction himself between saving lives and kicking ass for a living.

Paraisy starts off hot with a takedown, but Hammortree easily gets back to his feet and from then on takes control of the fight. When the round ends, Paraisy is noticeably wobbly as he walks to his corner.

In his corner, Paraisy proceeds to quit as corner men John Hackleman and Howard Davis Jr. try to convince him otherwise. The Frenchman is not changing his mind and when Herb Dean walks over to see if he wishes to continue, Paraisy tells him no.

So much for destroying the stereotype of the French being cowards and quitters. Dana comments about how Paraisy came on to the show to prove the French aren’t “p***y”, and then indirectly calls Paraisy a “p***y”.

Following this debacle, Ortiz shouts out, “There's no quitting in the game of MMA.” Which presents Liddell with the opportunity to call out Ortiz for tapping due to strikes, saying, “It’s almost like that whole thing about tapping to strikes, you know? That's quitting."

The next couple of fights aren’t shown in their entirety and are instead shown as highlights.

Nick Ring vs. Woody Weatherby

Nick Ring earns a TKO victory, which, according to Tito, was impressive.

Kyle Noke vs. Warren Thompson

We see Noke control Thompson for most of the fight and then open up a nasty gusher on Thompson’s forehead that rivals an old school WWF bloodbath. Somehow Warren survives, but he loses via unanimous decision to Noke.

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Curt McGee vs. Seth Baczynski

As the highlights flash across the TV, we’ll have to take White’s word for it that McGee dominated the first round, and that the fight remained close through the second. It goes to the judge’s who declare the fight a draw, leading to a third and final round.

According to White, McGee wins the round due to his wrestling and notches the unanimous decision.

Victor O’Donell vs. Chris Camozzi

The two fighters exchange punches, trade takedowns, and scramble back to their feet throughout the three rounds of highlight. Dana White is estaic about the fight, clapping and singing the fighters’ praises, but he says there must be a loser, and sadly it’s Victor O’Donell via unanimous decision, who as it turns out, broke his orbital bone in the first round and fought two rounds with only one eye.

Kyacey Uscola vs. Brent Cooper

As Uscola walks to the cage we get a glimpse of his record, 18-15. Something which Dana mentions saying that Uscola told him he took a lot of fights he shouldn’t have taken.

And Uscola proves himself worthy of a better record, crushing Cooper with a right hook that sends him to the mat and stops the fight.

Joe Henle vs. Constantinos Philippou

This is another fight that we end up seeing only the highlights of, and according to Dana White, consisted of Philippou dominating the first and second round until he gets caught in an armbar and taps.

Henle, whose mane rivals Andrei Arlovski, asks Steve Mazzagatti to announce him as “Leonidas”, the character from the movie “300”, which Mazzagatti proceeds to do in the center of the Octagon.

Rich Attonito vs. Lyle Steffens

We don’t see much of the fight, but according to Tito Ortiz, Attonito is a great wrestler who completely controlled Steffens for two rounds and the judges’ agree, awarding the unanimous decision victory to Rich Attonitio.

Josh Bryant vs. Greg Rebello

Not much shown here, Josh Bryant wins via decision.

Jacen Flynn vs. Charles Blanchard

Blanchard, the shortest fighter among the 28, works a good top game according to Liddell and wins the first round. The fight is stopped in-between rounds after Flynn tells the referee, Josh Rosenthal, that he can’t see.

Charley Lynch vs. Clayton McKinney

McKinney is sporting half jello green, half black hair cut that matches his wild personality. As it turns out, the two fighters are buddies, and for much of the fight McKinney treats Lynch like his little brother, putting a beating on Lynch that culminates in a strike that breaks Lynch’ nose.

They still fight and in the process, McKinney makes not of Lynch’s shattered nose, scaring Lynch and almost making him stop fighting. Soon, McKinney lands one more shot which drops Lynch and finally ends the fight.

We get a good look at the nose which Dana White declares as the nastiest nose break he’s ever seen, and boy is he right. Lynch’s nose looks like someone photoshopped it and accidently erased a chunk of it.

The two “buddies” hug it out, broken nose and all, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck eat your heart out.

That is the last of the fights, as the 14 fights have been decided. White gathers the 14 winners together and congratulates them, saying he’s glad they listened to his pep talk.

It is revealed that the teams will be picked next week on episode 2, and we’ll just have to wait to see who makes it to the wild card.