Vinc Pichel vs. Chris Saunders

Fun first round with both guys showing how evenly matched they are. Pichel was working for a take down against the cage and Saunders reversed the position, got the take down, but nearly ended up on the bottom. The rest of the round was a battle for position with Pichel getting the better of Saunders with inside striking.

Pichel most definitely won the second. Saunders was the one fighting better on the inside, getting his back, but not being able to take him down. Pichel was landing knees to the abdomen. Saunders was getting tired trying to hold on and let him go. Pichel immediately tagged him and it looked like it could be over. But Saunders fought back, but still lost the round.

Winner: Vinc Pichel by way of majority decision

Andy Ogle says it’s his time. Urijah Faber says Iaquinta doesn’t let on what he’s thinking.

Andy Ogle vs. Al Iaquinta

These guys came to throw hands. Ogle was having trouble keeping Iaquinta off him, but was holding his own with strikes. Iaquinta just kept stalking him though and was starting to land bigger shots. He put Ogle down and looked like he was trying to get his back, but they were back on their feet. Iaquinta used his left hand to hold Ogle’s head and just laid him out with an elbow. Nasty shot.

Winner: Al Iaquinta by way of 1st round TKO

The semis are going to be James Vick vs. Michael Chiesa and Vinc Pichel vs. Al Iaquinta.

Dana White announced that Urijah Faber would face Renan Barao. Dominick Cruz looked heartbroken.

White can play defense and has a right to be able to stick up for his company, but the fact of the matter is, he put a low level card on broadcast television and the fans didn’t tune like they did for the first two cards. Notice that he never mentioned the Mayweather/Cotto fight.

Here’s the video:

Edit:
On the forum on Meltzer’s website, he mentioned that Dana called him and told him what he was going to do and said all he cares about is if the story was fair and wasn’t mad at Dana in the least bit.

Dana says Cruz will stay and coach his team. Cruz says he hopes Faber wins so he can whip him when he’s better. Faber says that he’s starting the rumor that Ronda Rousey tore Cruz’s knee.

James Vick vs. Joe Proctor

Vick is so long and he’s able to hit Proctor in the face all while not being hit. He bloodied Proctor’s face early on, but he also has a bloody nose. So he got hit as well.

Proctor got a takedown, but Vick quickly got up. Proctor tried a choke, but Vick was able to get him down and landed on top of him. Vick’s using his kicks to keep the distance, but Proctor has been able to decrease the distance better in this round.

Winner: James Vick by unanimous decision

I think I would’ve given Proctor the second round for sure and thought there should’ve been a third round.

Justin Lawrence vs. Michael Chiesa

Fast paced first round that was mostly on the ground, surprisingly. For whatever reason, Lawrence stayed on the ground with him and Chiesa was just destroying him off his back. He was going for a Kimura and nearly had a triangle when the round ended. While he didn’t have the triangle, he was nailing Lawrence’s head with elbows.

Like the opposite of the first round, this one was nearly all on the feet. Chiesa couldn’t get it to the ground. Lawrence threw two shots to the body and Chiesa went down, which suckered Lawrence to go to the ground and Chiesa nearly tore his shoulder off with a Kimura. Lawrence stayed on top of him surprisingly. Cruz didn’t want him there.

They’re going to a third round. I had Chiesa winning the first and Lawrence the second. They were on the mat and Lawrence was tired. Chiesa reversed him easily and Lawrence pretty much gave up on the bottom from exhaustion. Chiesa hit him a few times and the referee stopped it.

Winner: Michael Chiesa by way of 3rd round TKO

Dana White has next week’s fights as Vinc Pichel vs. Chris Saunders and Al Iaquinta vs. Andy Ogle.

In the coach’s challenge, they’re testing their marksmanship. They have to do an obstacle course which includes shooting pistols, rifles, machine guns, and a grenade launcher. This is nuts. This year, the coaches get $20,000 in cash and the team members each get $1500.

Cruz shot up the rope climb first and then hit all his targets with the pistol. He beat Faber through the turning over of the tire. Cruz shot through the rifle targets, carried the dummy quickly, and then went to the machine gun first. He was struggling with the second target and Faber caught him. They had to carry ammunition back and forth before getting to the grenade launcher stage. Faber got his first target and then Cruz hit his. Faber hit his second target to win the competition. Team Faber wins.

Ogle says that he has a big heart and Rio will have to kill him to beat him. Rio says he wants fight of the night. Wait, this isn’t a main UFC card fight.

Dana White brought Faber and Cruz together to help put the quarterfinals fights together. Faber is grating on Cruz’s nerves.

Andy Ogle vs. Mike Rio

Ogle moving around the cage, landing punches one at a time. He wasn’t really sitting on his punches and wasn’t throwing combinations. Rio took him down quickly and easily, but then it went back to Ogle’s one-punch shots.

In the second round, it was more of the same until Rio took him to the ground, but Ogle had the better position. Rio had Ogle’s back, but couldn’t do anything with it and was being pounded on until he gave up his neck and Ogle sunk in a rear naked choke to submit him.

Winner: Andy Ogle by way of 2nd round submission

Dana White gave two quarterfinal fights for the next show. It’s going to be James Vick vs. Joe Proctor and Justin Lawrence vs. Michael Chiesa.

Cruz brought Ronda Rousey to train with his team. She was throwing guys all over the place. Faber came in while Cruz and Rousey were leaving and they started trash talking. Cruz told Faber to teach his team overhand rights and guillotines. Faber said he was going to teach one-armed guillotines which Cruz knew so well.

Rousey came to the house to watch Jones vs. Evans. None of the guys were spitting game to her except for Tickle. Faber said they blew it.

Faber wants Saunders to stick and move because Sicilia throws haymakers. Cruz wants Sicilia to keep a fast pace.

Team Faber lubed themselves up and brought in some of the workout equipment into Team Cruz’s team room and trained and sweated in the room. That was interesting to say the least.

Sam Sicilia vs. Chris Saunders

Best shot of the round was Saunders kicking Sicilia right in the head and Sicilia going down and nearly out, but bounced back up. Faber was right. Sicilia is swinging for the fences. Sicilia had two guillotine attempts and is starting to use his strength to his advantage.

Damn good round. Sicilia was throwing bombs, but Saunders never quit. He was in good position on every exchange and wouldn’t quit. He was rocked a few times, but continued to come back. Hard round to score, but probably Sicilia’s round.

Winner: Chris Saunders by way of split decision

How is it a split decision? Maybe majority decision? It probably should’ve gone to a third round.

The final fight of the first round is Andy Ogle vs. Mike Rio.

More thoughts from this weekend:

- I wrote about Floyd Mayweather and what might be next for him after his jail stint for Popblerd. After writing about that last night, I think Canelo Alvarez might be next because of Oscar De La Hoya’s comments that he thinks he’s ready. But I’m not so sure about Mayweather fighting above 147. Duan agrees, but thinks it might’ve just been a good night for Cotto.

Duan said:

Floyd showed a great range of skills and an ability to adapt and fight in different styles. I don’t think that weight suits him still and I think he should steer clear of it in future. Although part of the reason he didn’t look as good at times was because Cotto was boxing so well.

- In fact, I’d love to see Miguel Cotto face Canelo next. That’d be a great fight.

- Kevin Iole thinks Mayweather’s next fight should be against Andre Ward. What? I like Kevin a lot, but man, I’d steer clear of Andre. He’s way too big.

- I was disappointed that Canelo didn’t put away Shane, but as one of the guys I follow on Twitter mentioned, he probably didn’t want to put someone away who once and may still have some stock in Golden Boy, or a future boss even. And Shane was all heart last night.

- Back to the UFC, I think it’s fine for Nate to wait to fight the winner of Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar later in the year. Though, a fight between he and Anthony Pettis could be tremendous. Both guys deserve their shot.

- This UFC on Fox 3 show looks to have done a pretty bad rating. But that’s not unexpected based on the card.

- I really hope Josh Koscheck’s eye isn’t going to continue giving him problems. While I don’t think he beat Johny Hendricks, it was a competitive fight and I’d hate to see him have to retire because of his eye.

- I’m not really feeling the next UFC heavyweights show. The main event was once must-see, but with Frank Mir replacing Alistair Overeem, it’s now not so much.

Andy Ogle is letting the cameras get to him and he’s mentally and physically breaking down.

Pichel wants to keep the fight standing. He says the judges will not decide the fight.

Sam Sicilia is frustrated and trying to over perform. He’s putting more pressure on himself because he was the second pick and doesn’t want to let Cruz down.

Ogle is getting frustrated at Mike Chiesa’s relationship with Sicilia because he knows they’re best friends and think Chiesa is leaking information.

Faber says Cofer is going to use his wrestling because Pichel doesn’t have good wrestling.

Chiesa talks to Ogle and clears up the situation. Ogle says he trusts him.

Dana White tells the guys that this is the longest anyone has ever been on The Ultimate Fighter. He tells them to suck it up and stick it out and they’ll be better fighters and better men after it’s all over.

Vinc Pichel vs. John Cofer

Pichel said that if they stood up, he’d own him. Well, not quite. It’s clear that Pichel hits harder but Cofer was doing a better job of being in and out and hitting him with shots. Pichel started to get him really late in the round, but Cofer may have taken that first round.

The second was Pichel’s round all the way. He dominated the standup and ended up on top of Cofer at the end of the round, mostly in the north-south position. This thing is probably going to a third round.

Pichel came out on fire in the third. He was caught in a guillotine, got out of it and finished Cofer with an arm triangle.

Winner: Vinc Pichel by way of 3rd round submission

Cruz picks Sicilia to face Chris Saunders for Friday.