So here we go with the sixth episode of The Ultimate Fighter 7 and since the fight of Jeremy May and Matt Brown was announced last week they waste no time in hyping the fight. Matt is getting a lot of respect from the other fighters. Jeremy May? Not so much.
May of course does nothing to help his own cause. He replaces vodka with water and does shots so that everyone will think he's drunk. Normally you replace water with vodka so people think you AREN'T drunk but since when does Jeremy May do anything normal?
He also promises to give Matt Brown a beating "in a good Christian way". Having taken a few Christian beatings myself, I can assure him there is nothing good about it.
May also coins the term "Jeremy-jitsu" which not only insults the jiu-jitsu legacy, but sounds like an offensive simulacrum of Yves Edwards "Thugjitsu".
To top it all off, May blows out his knee during training and that gives him an excuse to skip practice and sit on the stationary bike for a few hours. Not that I think his injury is disingenuous but even Eight Belles hit the dirt with less complaining than he did.
Over at Team Forrest we get a glimpse of Matt Brown alone in the cage while slow piano music plays in the background. I can't be sure but it almost sounds like the "Incredible Hulk" TV credits in reverse. Brown reveals a checkered past including drugs, streetfights and prison. Either Brownie is playing it up for the camera (ala Marlon Sims) or there are some serious loopholes in the TUF application process.
Forrest hopes the same Matt Brown that brings the hurt in training is the same Matt Brown that shows up in the cage but is also concerned that an enraged Brown will burn himself out in round one.
At the weigh-ins May gives Brown his best Alfred E. Neuman impersonation and Brown responds with the tried-and-true tough guy head fake. Brown thinks May will have to pull something out of his ass to win this fight. Good thing he's not fighting Tim Credeur or it may have been Matthew Riddle (see episode four).
Speaking of Riddle, he tells Brown to aim for the knee. Normally I wouldn't take advice from someone like Riddle but anytime you can invoke the image of a stone-faced Sensei Kreese you get a free pass.
May admits to selling his knee injury to get out of intense training. He even uses the expression "sandbagging it." Wow. Considering how many cuts the UFC has made in recent weeks he better come out and give the fight of his life to erase that idiotic admission.
May also wants to someday open his own MMA school. Note to all interested applicants: See above. (On the bright side he'll save a ton of money on equipment since he doesnt like to train.)
Griffin tells Matt Brown that May is a piece of meat and he's an animal that's going to eat him. A part of me wishes that Mac Danzig was a contestant under Forrest Griffin just to see the look on his face.
Team Brown’s Matt Brown (9-6) vs. Team Blue’s Jeremy May (6-5)
Round 1: May opens up wild, swinging and kicking like it may be his only chance. He comes in Superman style and Brown drops him like he just shot a goose out of the sky. Matt gives a few kicks to the grounded May and then plops down on top. Some ugliness ensues followed by an armbar attempt by Brown who loses it and inexplicably doesnt get back to his feet. May does the work for him and kind of falls into him and Brown works his way into side control but shows no offense. Griffin is SCREAMING at Brown to do something. He doesn't get anything done and they eventually get back to their feet where some sloppy striking takes place. May starts doing a spastic defense, flopping around like he's pantomiming an earthquake until a well-placed knee stuns him. Brown then clocks him with a nice fade-away kick to the face. Fight over.
Afterwards Brown was playing badass but his performance left a lot to be desired. May of course had more excuses than the Germans at Nuremburg. The only positive stemming from this fight is the fact that they didn't dwell on it.
With Team Griffin up 4-0 and still in control, Luke Zachrich is selected to fight Dan Cramer. Tim Credeur calls Cramer this season's hottest contestant and remarks how he should be in an Abercrombie catalog. Somewhere in the retail world, Fitch is feeling a bit slighted.
Dana is amused at the Griffin style of matchmaking which consists of flipping a coin and calling it a go. Knowing Forrest, this methodology does not come as a surprise.
A Team Brown training session gives us a solid look at Luke Zachrich who admits to having something to prove since he was picked last. Coming from Team Jorge Gurgel, he may have two things to prove.
On the other side, Dan Cramer wants to shed the pretty-boy image and he hopes to accomplish that through hard work and dedication. A huge contrast from someone like Jeremy May - and a very welcome change.
Both guys are soft spoken and serious minded. Part of me desperately hopes they have a strong showing to make it the total package (and erase the memory of the first fight).
Team Brown’s Luke Zachrich vs. Team Blue’s Dan Cramer
Round 1: Cramer charges and they tie up. Some wild exchanges leads to a struggle against the cage. They separate amd Zachrich lands a few. Cramer gets a trip but they dont stay down for long. On the feet they go Griffin/Bonnar. Both fighters going for broke. Cramer getting the better of the exchange. Punches are flying and Zachrich is rocked. Both fighters showing tremendous heart as the exchange continues. Zachrich gets a desperation trip and Cramer gives up his back. Zachrich looking for the rear naked choke but doesnt have enough gas in the tank to secure it. An electrifying first round ends with Zachrich collapsed on top.
Round 2: Both guys sucking wind but Cramer looks to be a little fresher. Cramer comes out firing and backs Zachrich to the cage. Cramer scores a takedown and drops some elbows from the top. Zachrich gives up his back. Cramer trying to find a submission but instead gets mount and unloads. Zachrich too tired to defend and gets stopped. Team Rampage has its first victory.
This was a very exciting fight. Again there was little in terms of technical prowess, but when both fighters go for broke who really cares? Zachrich shows class in defeat by giving credit to Cramer and admits to being wiped out.
This episode ends much differently then last week's as Rampage walks back outside smiling and singing instead of destroying public property.
Stay tuned next week as Team Rampage gets their first fight pick and Dana compares Forrest and Rampage to Ken and Tito. Ouch. That's like comparing Bo and Luke to Coy and Vance.
See you in seven!
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