The Ultimate Fighter 11: Episode 9 - “Civilized Sport” Recap

Recap of Episode 9 of the TUF 11 fights between Kris McCray vs Kyle Noke and Seth Baczynski vs Brad Tarvares

Tonight is supposed to be the night were we hear what happened to Tito Ortiz, and why he was forced to pull out of his fight with Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 on June 15. Tito, Chuck, Dana and co. have done a great job of keeping it secret till now, let’s hope it’s not as big a bummer as the “major announcement” made by Zuffa at yesterday’s press conference in Toronto. We have two fights tonight, as well as an octagon-side brawl, so this should be a fun episode.

The first fight will be Kris McCray and Kyle Noke. The two fighters are close friends and have trained prior to the show.

Dana says one thing he wants the fighters to understand about fighting in the UFC is that there are no friends.

Tito thinks that because the fighters know each other’s style so well, the fight will come down to who has the biggest heart.

And then it happens… Tito walks into the TUF gym and tells his team that his neck doctor wants to do surgery on his neck because his disk is pressing on his spinal cord. Tito isn’t sure if he’s going to do it, though he says he’s been through surgery before, and if it happens, it happens. He says he won’t let Chuck beat him if he isn’t at 100%, and if he needs to have the surgery to ensure career longevity, he will.

McCray and Noke get taped up for their fight. McCray says it’s weird fighting a friend, staring across the cage at a close friend. Noke says he’s never fought a friend before, but he has to do his job.

Noke enters the Octagon first and says he has no game plan, he’s just going to go in there and fight. He’s taking the fight very seriously and looks to impose his will on McCray.

McCray enters next and thinks if he can stay smart, he’ll get the win, and then they can return to being friends afterwards.

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Quarterfinals fight #2: Kris McCray vs. Kyle Noke

Kris McCray vs Kyle Noke - Round 1

Dana wishes them luck and the fight begins.

The two touch gloves. Noke lands a nice right straight followed by a thudding knee, but McCray uses the knee to secure a takedown. McCray pushes him against the cage, but Noke makes his way back to his feet. They clinch.

They break the clinch and stand in the center of the Octagon. They trade knees to the gut and McCray takes Noke down again into half-guard. McCray uses it to score points with some pitty-patter shots.

Noke makes his way back to his feet, and lands some nice knees to the belly from clinch. McCray goes for another takedown, but loses it and falls into Noke’s guillotine.

The guillotine isn’t tight and McCray is able to get back to his feet. They remained in the clinch.

McCray looks for the single leg as Noke counters with a kimura attempt. McCray spins out of the kimura and gets in Noke’s guard. Neither fighter throws anything from the position, choosing instead to rest.

McCray continues to lie in Noke’s guard until Noke starts to get aggressive and land some shots.

The round ends and according to Dana White, Noke did more damage from the bottom than the top.

It was a tough round to score because McCray choose to lay and pray at the end of the round instead of score points.

I score it 10 – 9 Noke because he landed the more damaging blows.

 

Kris McCray vs Kyle Noke - Round 2

Tito tells McCray that this is the last round of his career and to give it his all.

Round 2 starts. McCray lands a decent right hand and they clinch. They come apart.

McCray shoots for a takedown and lifts Noke into the air. He takes him down and has him against the cage. Noke gives him his back and tries to get back to his feet, but McCray takes him down belly to back.

From half-guard McCray scores points with a few left hands. McCray continues to control Noke and push him against the cage. McCray follows Tito’s instructions and goes body-body-head with his punches.

Noke tries to push out, but McCray controls his hips. Noke eventually makes his way back to his feet and into the clinch. From there he rips McCray to the ground and takes his back.

Noke gets in one hook, but can’t secure the other one as McCray “swims” around the mat. Noke reaches for a rear-naked choke and gets under McCray’s neck. It looks tight, but isn’t and McCray breaks free.

McCray turns out of back-mount and gets in Noke’s guard. He throws some weak shots that do nothing but score points. With 40 seconds left, Noke tries to cage-walk, but McCray pulls him off the fence. McCray mounts him and lands a weak punch to punctuate the round.

Tito tells McCray good job.

I score the round 10-9 for McCray.

Dana tells Chandella not to get up on the Octagon with the round 3 card because the fight is over. Two seconds later he finds out he’s wrong and the judge’s have called it a draw.

We’re going to a third and final round.

 

Kris McCray vs Kyle Noke - Round 3

Tito gets pissed off and throws his hat outside the Octagon. I have a feeling this is going to be the fight that leads to a brawl outside the Octagon.

We get a Chandella booty shot and the round begins.

They exchange shots and then McCray shoots for a double leg. Noke holds him off, but eventually gets taken down against the cage.

McCray lands a nice elbow from half-guard, and continues to scrape his elbow across Noke’s face to cause a cut. McCray isn’t all that busy from top and Team Liddell is giving him shit for it. With 3:15 seconds left, Noke still hasn’t been able to get out as McCray continues to score points with short lefts and elbows.

Noke tries to push out, but McCray smothers him. McCray lands a nice right hand, and continues to work elbows from half-guard. Tito keeps screaming for McCray to smash Noke’s face, and McCray follows his coach’s orders.

With a 1:40 Noke rises up and grabs an arm for a kimura, but gets nothing. Noke gets McCray back in his guard and the ref stands them up.

Noke fires off a knee, but McCray shoots for a takedown. They clinch and McCray has double underhooks on Noke. He can’t get Noke down, but continues trying as the final seconds tick away. The bell rings.

I score the round 10-9.

All three judges score the round 10-9 for Kris McCray.

Kris McCray wins via unanimous decision.

Noke says it was tougher than he expected fighting his friend, but he’s proud of McCray.

Dana says the obvious, stating that Noke is a good fighter but if he wants to compete at the top level he will need to improve his wrestling drastically.

Seth Baczynski and Brad Tarvares are the next quarterfinals fight.

Dana likes Tarvares in the fight, so that probably means Tarvares loses.

Chuck goes to the TUF house and Kyacey asks him what’s up with him and Tito since Tito just told them he has to get surgery. Chuck sounds like he’s hearing it for the first time and starts jumping around and calling Tito a p***y, and says he’ll go to Tito’s house and fight him if he has to.

Tarvares is the youngest in the house, and says he enjoys fighting the older fighters. He thinks Baczynski is a tough guy, and he likes Seth as a person.

Baczynski says he’s going to pull out the guns until someone drops. He says scrapping is how he likes to roll.

Tarvares enters the Octagon first and says it will come down to who’s going to fight the hardest.

Baczynski enters next and says you can’t be a fighter unless you love it. Money, fame, isn’t enough.

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Quarterfinals Fight #3: Seth Baczynski vs. Brad Tarvares

Seth Baczynski vs Brad Tarvares - Round 1

They touch gloves. The two fighters exchange leg kicks and throw some bombs. Baczynski pushes Tarvares against the cage and goes for a single leg, but Tarvares stuffs it.

Baczynski has double underhooks and uses them to take Tarvares down. Baczynski is able to get Tarvares’ back and securess the leg triangle. He throws some punches on the vulnerable Tarvares, trying to open up his neck for a choke.

Tarvares rises to his feet with Baczynski on his back, but can’t shake him off. Tarvares goes back to his knees and continues to fight off Baczynski’s wrists.

Baczynski sips his right arm under Tarvares’ neck and gets a choke, but Tarvers fights out of it. Baczynski still has position and continues to work for the choke. Baczynski works some more shots in on Tarvares, but can’t get anything.

Taravares gets Baczynski off him and ends up in his guard. Tarvares gets to half-guard and tries to work some ground and pound, but Baczynski gets a triangle on him. Tarvares tries to power out but fails. He tries again, doing a mini-powerbomb, and breaks the hold.

Tarvares postures up and throws some blows, but nothing clean lands. He throws a barrage of punches to end the round, but falls down, and with the bell about to ring, and Baczynski soccer kicks him in the face illegally.

Taravares hops to his feet, but is wobbly. He asks his corner what he got hit with and it’s clear that the illegal soccer kick has knocked something out of him.

I score the round 10-9 for Baczynski.

The doctor checks over Tarvares and Tarvares does his best to impress the doctor. Tarvares’ corner chooses to stop the fight based on his condition.

Brad Tarvares wins via disqualification in round 1.

Baczynski says immediately after the fight he wasn’t worried about the fight anymore, but Tarvares’ health.

Team Punishment tries to argue that Baczynski kicked him in the armpit, but no chance. One of the coaches tells the ref not to give Team Liddell another gift - referencing when Uscola illegally kneed Richy Boombotz on the ground and caused them to award the fight to Rich - and Richy Boombotz takes offense calling the coach a fat f**k.

Tito starts throwing a fit outside the Octagon about them giving Tarvares the fight, and one of the fighters on Team Liddell tells Tito to stop disrespecting Tarvares. Tito goes off on him from across the room, yelling and screaming. Once Chuck hears this he hops out of the Octagon to challenge Tito for talking down to his fighter, but the two teams are able to separate the fighters.

Dana makes a smug comment during the altercation saying in jest, “This sport is civilized.”

Dana takes a heated up Chuck to the back and tells him that Tito has officially backed out of the fight. Chuck gets up to leave saying, “I’m gonna’ go punch him in his face.”

On the next episode of the Ultimate Fighter, with Tito pulling out of the fight with Chuck officially, his future on the show hangs in the balance as a new coach/fighter may be called in, and Jamie Yager fights Josh Bryant in a fight that once again ends in “anarchy,” ambulance and all. Judging from the highlights shown, Yager’s leg might get messed up.

So if you don’t get Spike, can’t find a suitable website that streams it, or just like reading recaps of shows you’ve already watched, check back next Thursday for episode 10’s recapitulation.