TUF 22: 'McGregor vs Faber' results, recap for episode 1 on FOX Sports 1

Can Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim featherweight titleholder Conor McGregor breathe new life into The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) franchise?

We're about to find out, as "Notorious" takes over as head coach opposite longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Urijah Faber. The tandem got season 22 off to a bang last night (Weds., Sept. 9, 2015) on FOX Sports 1, also featuring UFC President Dana White.

Here's what happened.

As with each season, we first meet the new recruits and TUF 22 pits Team USA (Faber) vs. Team Europe (McGregor). As expected, the Yanks are convinced that international MMA is still a few years behind stateside competition and expect to dominate the imports from across the pond.

Here's how the teams are broken down:

United States:
Andreas Quintana (8-1) from Albuquerque, N.M.
Austin Springer (8-0) from Portland, Ore.
Billy Quarantillo (6-1) from Tampa, Fla.
Brandon Ricetti (7-1) from Chico, Calif.
Brennan Sevin (7-1) from Chauvin, LA.
Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) from Peoria, AZ
Jason Soares (8-0) from Miami, Fla.
Johnny Nunez (5-1) from Las Vegas, NV
James Jenkins (8-1) from Long Island, NY
Jason Gonzalez (9-2) from Colton, Calif.
Julian Erosa (14-1) from Yakima, Wash.
Mike Flach (7-1) from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Ryan Hall (4-1) from Falls Church, VA
Thanh Le (4-1) from New Orleans, LA
Tim Welch (12-5) from Glendale, Ariz.
Tom Gallicchio (19-8) from Perth Amboy, N.J.

Europe:
Artem Lobov (11-10-1-1) from Dublin, Ireland
Abner Lloveras (19-7-1) from Barcelona, Spain
David Teymur (3-1) from Stockholm, Sweden
Djamil Chan (19-2) from Amsterdam, Netherlands
Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0) from Stockholm, Sweden
Marcin Wrzosek (10-2) from Bydgoszcz, Poland
Martin Delaney (10-1) from Bathgate, Scotland
Martin Svensson (14-5) from Malmo, Sweden
Mehdi Baghdad (11-3) from Toulon, France
Mohamed Grabinski (10-1) from Dusseldorf, Germany
Paulo Boer (10-1-1) from Holland
Sascha Sharma (8-2) from Stuttgart, Germany
Saul Rogers (10-1) from Bolton, England
Sean Carter (10-1) from Essex, England
Thibault Gouti (10-0) vs. Avignon, France
Vladimir Sikic (10-0) from Frankfurt, Germany

The weight classes represented are lightweight (155 pounds) and welterweight (170 pounds).

With 32 contestants and just 16 spots in the house, episode one will feature 16 elimination fights -- eight within each squad -- to see who will advance and live to see episode two. The show isn't even five minutes old and we already have our first chin joke from McGregor, who stands in awe of "The California Cleft."

Faber laughs it off and insists there is no legitimate beef between coaches (yet).

First fight for Team USA pits Johnny Nunez (5-1) opposite Ryan Hall (4-1). No touch of gloves from Nunez (meany) and he pays the price with a brutal leg lock. See where rudeness gets you?

Hall def. Nunez via submission (heel hook)

David Teymur (3-1), who talks like a Swedish Robocop, is up next challenging Thibault Gouti (10-0), who has to fight in secret because MMA is banned in France. They touch gloves and Gouti did a lot of finger wagging and head shaking every time he got hit. This fight played out mostly on the feet and Robo-Swede impressed the judges.

Teymur def. Gouti via majority decision

We move back to Team USA and Andreas Quintana (8-1) fights Thanh Le (4-1), who started fighting "right out of the womb." Okay then. Le lands some ridiculous kicks throughout the fight and looks to be a dangerous striker, winning with a brutal right hand after dominating most of the contest.

Le def. Quintana via knockout

In between fights, Faber compares McGregor's huge head to an Irish cantaloupe.

Zing!

Speaking of Ireland, we're back to Team Europe with McGregor broski Artem Lobov (11-10-1-1), whose record is a little suspect. He takes on "good guy" Mehdi Baghdad (11-3), a huge French striker who has no trouble talking himself up. Lobov is another one who likes to taunt and wave his arms, but can't back it up and drops a sloppy, back-and-forth kickboxing match.

Baghdad def. Lobov via majority decision

Julian Erosa (14-1) steps up and goes to war with fellow American Jason Soares (8-0), a muscly bruiser with lots of tattoos. "He looks tough," according to Faber. We get the fast-forward treatment for this one and Erosa sweeps the scorecards.

Erosa def. Soares via unanimous decision

Moving on and it's time for England's Saul Rogers (10-1) to face Paulo Boer (10-1-1) from Holland. Boer gives some snotty pre-fight interview then proceeds to get choked out. Dear fighters who are not yet in UFC: Zip your lips!

Rogers def. Boer via submission (rear-naked choke)

Team USA has Brandon Ricetti (7-1) squaring off against Billy Quarantillo (6-1). Faber says Quarantillio looks like a cross between Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum. Um ... okay. Regardless of how he looks, we know he can fight, as he battled back to finish Ricetti.

Quarantillo def. Ricetti via technical knockout

Moving right along and Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0) -- who can't go home again because he gave everything up to become a UFC fighter -- collides with Scotland's Martin Delaney (10-1). I guess the fear of being homeless is a powerful motivator.

Slioa def. Delaney via submission (rear-naked choke)

Jason Gonzalez (9-2) is up next from Team USA and there to cheer for him are his beautiful sister and equally beautiful girlfriend. Perhaps they are there to distract opponent and "part-Native American" Tim Welch (12-5). Welch ate a nasty kick to the body and folded up like a piece of redheaded origami.

Gonzalez def. Welch via technical knockout

A very serious Abner Lloveras (19-7-1) matches up with Vladimir Sikic (10-0), a Croatian who "loves to break people." I guess he includes himself on that list, dislocating his shoulder and losing the fight by way of painful injury.

Llveras def. Sikic via submission (injury)

Mike Flach (7-1) announces he's going to make the finalized Team USA roster so that he can quit his job. He'll first have to beat Tom Gallicchio (19-8), who hails from my neck of the woods (Dirty Jersey). I'm happy to report he made "The Garden State" look good with his slick grappling. "Hairy and dominant," according to Faber.

Gallicchio def. Flach via submission (rear-naked choke)

Up next is a very tall Martin Svensson (14-5) who wants to migrate to the United States and soak up all the fame that comes with it. That won't happen without a win over Mohamed Grabinski (10-1), who doesn't want to make any friends on TUF. What a poor attitude! We get highlights only and Svensson sends Grabinski back to Germany (sans friends).

Svensson def. Grabinski via unanimous decision

Another Team Europe fight and it's Djamil Chan (19-2), who admits he loves to hurt people. He also promises a "spectacular fight" against Marcin Wrzosek (10-2). The only thing spectacular was how badly he lost by getting tapped out.

Wrzosek def. Chan via submission (rear-naked choke)

Germany's Sascha Sharma (8-2) takes the cage and reveals he once lost the use of his legs after battling a severe illness. Now he's got them back and takes on kung-fu kid Sean Carter (10-1), who sports a fancy fedora. Sharma prevailed, but it should be noted that Dana White hated the first round.

Sharma def. Carter via unanimous decision

Back to Team USA and Austin Springer (8-0) confidently declares that no man in the world can beat him, but insists he doesn't mean it "cockedly." Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) is already acting like a turncoat, showing love for Coach McGregor prior to his walk out. He then smokes Springer in violent fashion. What was that about never being beaten?

Gruetzemacher def. Springer via technical knockout

The final elimination fight pits Brennan Sevin (7-1) opposite Team USA cohort James Jenkins (8-1), who wants to spend the rest of his life with his current girlfriend. That sounds like a proposal in the making, but it will have to wait until after the show, because he's the winner.

Jenkins def. Sevin via unanimous decision

The premiere episode begins to wind down and we didn't get much interaction from McGregor or Faber, but "The California Kid" is already referring to his team as the "Bad News Bears." Way to inspire confidence, coach!

Here is the finalized roster:

United States:
Billy Quarantillo (6-1) from Tampa, Fla.
Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) from Peoria, AZ
James Jenkins (8-1) from Long Island, NY
Jason Gonzalez (9-2) from Colton, Calif.
Julian Erosa (14-1) from Yakima, Wash.
Ryan Hall (4-1) from Falls Church, VA
Thanh Le (4-1) from New Orleans, LA
Tom Gallicchio (19-8) from Perth Amboy, N.J.

Europe:
Abner Lloveras (19-7-1) from Barcelona, Spain
David Teymur (3-1) from Stockholm, Sweden
Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0) from Stockholm, Sweden
Marcin Wrzosek (10-2) from Bydgoszcz, Poland
Martin Svensson (14-5) from Malmo, Sweden
Mehdi Baghdad (11-3) from Toulon, France
Sascha Sharma (8-2) from Stuttgart, Germany
Saul Rogers (10-1) from Bolton, England

White gathers the troops and Faber wins (via coin toss) the first fight pick, to be determined at the beginning of episode two, which also brings with it a special "twist" and "shocking end." The winner of TUF 22, of course, earns a "six-figure contract," as well as a brand-new Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

That's a wrap. See you in seven!