Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back for episode seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18, led by bantamweight coaches and UFC 168 co-main event rivals Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. Things get underway with Jessamyn Duke sporting raccoon eyes.
Raquel Pennington, meanwhile, has a bunch of stitches and UFC Coach President Dana White tells "Rocky" to let her hands go if she wants to win the entire show. Then Julianna Pena wonders if it's just lip service, since he said something similar to her.
Since there are a few dads in the house, Team Rousey shows up at the house with Father's Day gifts, even for the guys on Team Tate! Oh "Rowdy," you softie. David Grant was "over the moon" and Cody Bollinger got a little teary eyed over the absence of his family.
Josh Hill gets called a "pretty boy" and it turns out his grand pappy was a famous WWF wrestler, one of the "Valiant Brothers." He insists he is 100 percent into mixed martial arts (MMA), so all you pro wrestling haters can holster your sidearms.
Team Tate ups the prank ante with a photo mash-up of Rousey and her coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, titled "Edmond Rousey." So clever! It's a sour-puss face with a giant unibrow, except Dana gets to the photos before Ronda does and scowls at the camera while preventing another "war" between the two coaches.
Boo that man!
Anthony Gutierrez finds a leftover pic in the sauna and shows it to Edmond who storms out of the gym in disgust. Rousey accuses them of being racist because Edmond is Armenian and making fun of unibrows is a passive-aggressive way of mocking his race, or something like that.
Back at the gym, Rousey is teaching her team how to do scrunchies, which is sliding across the floor without using your hands or feet. It's harder than it looks! Then they have to go front and back instead of side-to-side. It's funny watching everyone fail at it, so the segment is a winner in my book.
Michael Wootten grapples with some of the gals -- up close and personal -- to prepare for his fight against Hill, reminding us of the obvious benefits of co-ed training. Hey look, it's one of the NOS commercials starring Georges St-Pierre. It's not a joke that holds up well, I'm afraid.
Speaking of shit that's getting old, it's followed by a sneak peek of "The Escape Plan." I'll still see it.
Back at the TUF house, Wootten is cutting weight, which for some reason means he needs to let house flies crawl on his face. David Grant is helping him do the deed and it looks like a lot of fun. I grab an Oreo cookie in defiance. Both fighters hit their mark without incident and Gutierrez lends his opinion on how the fight goes down.
Dana doesn't like Hill as a "one-trick pony" because he uses his wrestling too much to lay on guys and win. The fight is starting early so it looks like we're going to the scorecards.
Elimination fight #7: Michael Wootten (Team Rousey) vs. Josh Hill (Team Tate)
Round 1: Touch of gloves and Hill charges in looking for the takedown. They struggle for position against the fence and Wootten gets scooped up and slammed hard, Matt Hughes style. Wootten works back to his butt but Hill smothers and takes his back. Hill has a clear path to the rear naked choke but fails to capitalize. Wootten grimaces his way through it and gets back to his feet but Hill doggedly pursues another takedown. He gets it, briefly, and Wootten pops right up. Quick break to replace a mouthpiece. Wootten bleeding from the nose. The round ends with them slugging it out against the cage. Yawn. 10-9 Hill.
Round 2: Huge knee by Wootten floors Hill and he follows him to the floor to finish the job. He's on top dropping elbows and Hill is getting worked. Wootten's size a huge factor here as he blasts punches from top. Pun intended. Hill survives and gets to his feet. Hill scores a few big punches of his own. They break away and get back to the center of the cage. Now it's Wootten who shoots and Hill stuffs him and tries for a guillotine, dropping down but failing to seal the deal. Instead he gives up position and gets blasted by Wootten. Hill gives up his back and gets trapped in a rear naked choke. Wootten can't finish and Hill reverses. Now he's on top dropping heavy leather. The clock runs out with Hill on top. 10-9 Wootten.
Round 3: They touch gloves and Hill does a wild spinning back fist that sails wide. They tie up against the fence and Wootten stuffs a takedown attempt. Hill keeps trying and gets turned around after burning a minute on the clock. Now it's Wootten dropping down and he gets Hill to one knee. Hill gets to his feet and gets warned for fence grabbing. Wootten gets spun like a dreidel but stays on his feet. Hill uncorks a few punches after Herb Dean begs them to work. They break away and Wootten gets a takedown after another failed spinning backfist from Hill. Wootten rides out the clock on top with intermittent ground and pound. 10-9 Wooten.
Result: Wootten def. Hill via unanimous decision
As a result, here is a look at the updated TUF 18 roster:
Team Rousey:
Jessamyn Duke
Peggy Morgan
Jessica Rakoczy
David Grant
Michael WoottenShayna BaszlerChris Beal
Anthony Gutierrez
Team Tate:
Roxanne Modafferi
Raquel Pennington
Julianna Pena
Sarah MorasLouis FisetteJosh Hill
Chris Holdsworth
Cody Bollinger
All tied up at three apiece.
After the fight, which was embarrassing compared to last week's, Dana expresses his satisfaction at Hill's loss because fuck one-dimensional fighters and all that jazz. Hill says he "looks like a pussy" while Wootten returns to his locker room a hero.
Stay tuned next week for a special episode of TUF 18 as they recap the highs and lows of the season thus far and then come back in two weeks for the last two elimination fights featuring Peggy Morgan vs. Sarah Moras and Cody Bollinger vs. Anthony Gutierrez.
See you in seven!