I apologize for this being up a day late. For some reason, my DVR didn’t record the show. But thanks to the beautiful thing that is iTunes, I was able to buy the show in HD. That’s how you turn a negative into a positive! Ok, I’m still out three bucks, but whatever.

Team USA is definitely making this an us vs. them thing. Even better, they’re wearing Team USA and Team UK shirts to differentiate each other. There’s no need. You just need to hear them talk.

Junie’s baby brother is already causing issues by throwing eggs. I think he’s just trying to live up to the expectations. He calls one of the guys a “British motherfu****”. Ya think?

They call him Little Junie. He’s even pissing off Team USA. He slams an egg on one of his teammates’ chest and is begging for a punch to a jaw. At least Junie was funny at times. This dude is just annoying. They just reminded us that this is day one.

The teams agree to not mess with each other’s food or sleep.

Dan Henderson says that MMA in the UK is a few years behind the US. He also thinks wrestling is pretty much non-existent so they’re going to use their wrestling.
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I blogged all the episodes of TUF Season 8 and if you want to go back to see how we got here, you can do so here.

Junie Browning and David Kaplan will open up the show. If you remember, when Kaplan fought Phillipe Nover, Browning told Nover what his teammate Kaplan could and couldn’t do. Kaplan was also one of the crazier guys in the house (though not nearly as crazy as Browning) who allowed Tom Lawlor to punch him right on the chin to test it.

1. Junie Browning vs. David Kaplan

Mike Goldberg said that you either love or hate Junie Browning. I haven’t heard anyone who loved him.

Browning comes out to Eminem. I didn’t notice how similar they look until now.

Browning’s first kick hit Kaplan right in the genitals. Browning is picking Kaplan apart. Kaplan is doing a good job of blocking Browning’s punches with his face. Browning looks really good. Browning went down from a slip and Kaplan went for his leg, but Browning got out and transitioned into a rear naked choke, but Kaplan got out of it. Kaplan’s face is already bloody. Browning almost got another rear naked choke in there, but Kaplan got out of it again. Great round for Browning.

Browning took Kaplan down and worked to get side control. Once he did, he set Kaplan up for an armbar and sunk it deep immediately.

Winner: Junie Browning by way of 2nd round submission

He apologized for being a dick on the show and to Frank Mir.

2. Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez

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Thanks to MMA Junkie for the line-up.

The full card includes:

MAIN CARD
Efrain Escudero vs. Phillipe Nover (“TUF” lightweight finals)
Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhaes (“TUF” light heavyweights finals)
Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason MacDonald
Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson
Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan

PRELIMINARY CARD
Shane Primm vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Jules Bruchez vs. Eliot Marshall
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
Shane Nelson vs. George Roop
John Polakowski vs. Rolando Delgado

Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan in the fight between stubborn guys who won’t listen to their coaches. I can’t imagine Frank Mir is going to be anywhere near those guys.

They tease that Junie goes on another freak out and Dana has to decide whether to let him fight or kick him out.

The first fight is Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Vinny Magalhaes. Krzysztof says that you punch a black belt in the face, he becomes a brown belt.

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Vinny Magalhaes

After getting hit in the face, Vinny pulled guard and pulled Soszynski down with him. Then he pulled his foot behind his head and trapped him there while laying in elbows. Soszynski threw about 5 unanswered leg kicks. Vinny was trying to go to the ground at every opportunity and pull guard. Vinny caught him and arm barred him quick for the victory.

Winner: Vinny Magalhaes by way of 1st round submission

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The first fight is Ryan Bader vs. Eliot Marshall.

Big Nog says that he thinks Bader is going to win the season and also be a champion some day.

Eliot admits that Bader is probably the favorite to win the show. Frank Mir says Bader won’t take him down because Eliot is a jiu-jitsu black belt.

Bader says he controls where the fight goes. Eliot says he just gets to control where he gets to lose.

Eliot Marshall vs. Ryan Bader

Eliot is so lanky. But he’s also decently built. About half way through the round, Bader took Marshall down and they just stayed there for the rest of the round. Marshall didn’t try to pull anything off from the bottom. And Bader just threw some punches, but nothing happened.

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Shane Prim says that John Polakowski is legally insane. He’s John “The Hugger”.

George Roop says that even though John is nice, he’s going in there with bad intentions and is going to make him bleed. He hurt his hand sparring. Mir says he hyper extended his finger at the knuckle. He can’t make a fist.

Someone stole the marshmallows from John’s box of Lucky Charms and he’s no longer John “The Hugger”. He’s pissed.

Mir says Roop’s hand is a dead fish. Dana White says John “The Hugger” is goofy, but he can go toe to toe. Mir says it should be an easy win for Roop, but because of that hand, the fight is harder.

Big Nog likes Roop and plays around with him.

John Polakowski vs. George Roop

Roop had the upper hand for more than half the round, but “The Hugger” got on top with about 1:30 left in the round. But Roop was doing just as much from the bottom as John was.

John was throwing the better punches and seemed to have hurt Roop in the second. Then Roop took over and controlled him for the rest of the round and then got his back, but couldn’t get the choke in.

Winner: George Roop by way of unanimous decision

Dana White says bad judging killed the fight because “The Hugger” won the second round.

Junie blew up again because the guys were messing with him and throwing eggs at him while he was at the pool. Not sure why it was even necessary to show it.

They are picking the semi-final matches.

The semi-finals are:

Ryan Bader vs. Eliot Marshall

Philipe Nover vs. George Roop

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Vinny Magalhaes

Junie Browning vs. Efrain Escudero

Next week, we get two fights and they are the first on the list.