We get clips of last week’s fights. The other fighters noted that Corey was tossing Nate around until he got tired. They also not that Manny was the better brawler and kept the pressure up.
Now it’s time for drama, as Karo Parisyan does the “kid brother” routine to Nate and Nate isn’t all that amused, which leads two pissed off guys that I wouldn’t want pissed off. Manny plays it smart and stays out of this. Karo eventually leaves. Nate wants to leave, but now it’s time to make the semi-final fights. Somehow Dana has made it to Manchester… wasn’t he there for the semifinal fights?
Anyways, Dana plays with Jens and suggests teammate vs. teammate. Then he suggests Joe vs. Manny and Gray vs. Nate, and both coaches are in agreement. Sounds like some good fights.
The first fight will be Joe and Manny.
B.J. and Rudy both admire Joe’s learning ability. Joe’s strategy would be to get top position.
Jens notes that both guys are pitbulls. Dana still thinks that Manny’s too small for this competition. B.J. thinks that this will be a great fight.
Fight Day
Joe thinks that the fighters that have lost didn’t stick to the game plan, and that if he sticks to the game plan, he can win. In contrast, Manny hates game plans, and doesn’t really set one.
Semifinal Fight #1 – Joe “Not a Bitch” Lauzon (Penn, 13-3) vs. Manny Gamburyan (Pulver, 8-2)
The referee is Steve Mazzagatti.
Round 1
Manny immediately scores a takedown off a missed kick, and works to half guard. He’s tenacious, and Joe is trying to get out, but Manny secures a guillotine. Joe works his way out of it, and gets back to his feet against the fence, but Manny takes him down again. Joe is working his legs up, Manny grabs a leg, and works his way to half-guard. Manny is staying aggressive, but doesn’t seem to be doing much damage. He pushes Joe to the fence, and Joe is throwing short elbows from the bottom. They seem kind of stuck in half guard, but they work back up, and Manny gets in some knees in the clinch. They end up back on the ground, and Manny is again on top, and it stays that way until the end of the round.
10-9 Manny.
Round 2
Wiman tells Joe to go for the double leg, but it’s Manny that goes for one, and Joe gains control, with knees from the clinch. Manny hits a body punch flurry, and again has a shoot stuffed. But now he’s got Joe against the fence, and he’s looking for a throw. Manny gets a single leg takedown, and has Joe up against the fence. He starts throwing some hard punches from up top. Joe is having a lot of trouble getting out. Manny works his way to full mount, but Joe works him back to guard. Mazzagatti stands them back up, and Joe stuffs another shot from Manny. Leg trip gets Manny a front facelock, and Joe sneaks around to a facelock of his own, but he can’t do anything with it as the round ends.
10-9 Manny.
Round 3
Joe is better at avoiding the takedowns now, so Manny kicks him in the leg instead. And then he shoots right into Joe’s knee, but sheer determination gets Manny into Joe’s half-guard. He lands some punches, and Joe gets a butterfly guard. Joe keeps trying to get out, but Manny is some serious dead weight when he wants to be. Manny gets a guillotine, but Joe gets out, and Manny lands a bunch of elbows to the side of the head. Now he locks in a guillotine but Joe spins out and gets Manny’s back. One hook in, but he can’t lock in the rear naked choke. Joe tries again, but Manny escapes, and once again ends up in Joe’s guard. Manny finishes the fight with a flurry in order to leave no doubt as to the winner.
10-9 Manny.
Jens notes that Manny never let Joe get into a groove.
Winner: Manny Gamburyan (Unanimous Decision)
Dana eats crow and apologizes to Manny for underestimating him. And so now we go to the second hour…
…as the fighters talk about the previous fight.
As usual, we see Gray running, and B.J. saying that Gray needs the coaches’ help to beat Diaz. Gray’s game plan is to take Nate down and punch him. And that’s apparently fun for him.
Back at the house, Team Pulver is having a fruit war. Team Penn comes back and they get in on it. Eventually, the war ends and Butters somehow ends up getting to clean up the mess.
And now, Dana has a $10,000 challenge for B.J. and Jens, over a game of table tennis, and the winning coach nets his team members $1,000 each. And since Dana knows these two coaches like to make up rules, he’s got a list of rules and makes sure that they understand. Game is to 11, best 2 out of 3.
And so it goes, and we get some hilarious slo-mo shots of everyone’s reactions to the game. It of course goes to the third game, and it gets to 10-up. 11-up, and Pulver manages to win 13-11, and B.J. is truly upset.
We now see Diaz training, and again, Manny is his training partner, helping him with his wrestling defence.
Meanwhile, B.J. just wants to retire Jens. And Jens puts the credit os his team’s success on his team. And Brian gives Butters a slam and a legdrop. I think Butters would make a better pro wrestler than a fighter.
Last day, and Andy introduces the other fighters to sake bombs. I have to say, Emerson is an entertaining drunk. But as Brian says, anytime you;ve got 12 guys and alcohol, things just don’t turn out right. Even Cole gets bombed off of what appears to be Mike’s Hard Lemonade… which is not bad up here in Canada – vodka and lemonade – but the malt beverage version you’ve got down there is vile. Anyways, Cole passes out, and if you’ve ever lived in a place with a bunch of guys, you know that that’s not good news. Sure enough, Cole gets his head shaved… poorly. Luckily mixed-martial artists generally have short hair, and Cole simply finishes the job.
Fight Day
Both guys are ready. Tale of the tape shows a definite height (3″) and reach (4″) advantage for Diaz.
Semifinal Fight #2 – Gray Maynard (Penn, 3-0) vs. Nate Diaz (Pulver, 5-2)
The referee is “Big” John McCarthy.
Round 1
Gray goes for the takedown but settles for a facelock. He takes Nate down but Diaz immediately works for a kimura. Diaz now works for an armbar but Gray gets out and Nate looks for a triangle. Gray is trying to ground and pound and Nate is cut – looks like it’s above the eye. Nate’s flexibility is impressive but Gray is still on top. Nate again tries for a kimura but Gray again works his way out and stacks up Diaz. Nate gets back up but Gray takes him down. Once again trying for the kimura as Gray tries to get the back. Nate tries for a kneebar and Gray makes him pay. Triangle attempt by Diaz is evaded and Nate is now landing shots from the bottom. Nate is still working for submissions as the round ends.
Tough round. Nate went to school with tons of submission attempts but Gray escaped them all and was landing shots so I’ll give it to him 10-9.
Round 2
Gray seems more tired, and Nate lands a kick to start. Gray hits some punches and brings Nate down with a guillotine. Nate gets out and winds up on the top, and now Gray is in trouble. He locks in a guillotine and Gray is too tired to do anything but tap.
Winner: Nate Diaz (Tapout -> Guillotine, 1:16 R2)
And now that that’s done, the fighters say their goodbyes, and we’re looking towards the finale on June 23… and oddly enough, UFC.com now has the full card:
Live Card
B.J. Penn vs. Jens Pulver
Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Diaz
Roger Huerta vs. Doug Evans
Thales Leites vs. Doug Sword
Undercard
Joe Lauzon vs. Brandon Melendez
Cole Miller vs. Andy Wang
Rob Emerson vs. Gray Maynard
Allan Berube vs. Leonard Garcia
Brian Geraghty vs. Matt Wiman
By process of elimination, Corey vs. Butters was probably the last fight, but apparently Corey was injured during training (apparently with Jeremy Horn), so that’s off the card.
That’s it for the reality show, but I’ll be back next week with the preview of the finale.
