TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode 1 Re-Cap

TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode One

“Size Does Matter”

This season features Heavyweights. The coaches are Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. We have a couple of high profile fighters in Kimbo Slice and Roy Nelson. They start off with Rampage and Rashad sitting on a bench and talking trash to each other. Dana comes in and tells Rampage and Rashad not to get into a fight as they have 5 minutes. Dana rounds the guys up and tells them that 15 guys are there and they have 1 more guy coming in. Dana says he knows for a fact that this next guy is a fighter but says the question is if he is a Mixed Martial Artist. Rampage says “Who is it Tank Abbott?” And in walks Kimbo Slice. Rampage says “he’s on my team”. A couple of guys react negatively to him when he comes in but not openly towards him. Brendan Schaub compares it to a sheep entering the room with a bunch of wolves.

“When the fighters started walking in I was like damn. These guys are big as hell.”- Rampage Jackson

“I think there’s gonna be millions of fans that tune in to this show to see me eat some crow and want Kimbo to prove me wrong. So here we go, we’re gonna find out”- Dana White

Dana tells the guys that they are going to get their gear on and divide up into teams and train for two hours and then they will pick teams after the coaches evaluate them and then they will move into the house tonight. Rampage adds “And I’ve got Kimbo Slice.”

“As soon as he seen Kimbo, he’s said Kimbo’s on my team. And I’m thinking cool…..Nothing against Kimbo, but I’m thinking there are probably a few other fighters that are more well rounded then Kimbo.”- Rashad Evans

Rashad Evans has Greg Jackson helping him out to do evaluations. Yoda! Now that’s a HUGE advantage. Rashad has two training partners on this edition of TUF, Brendan Schaub and James McSweeney. Tiki Ghosn is one of Rampage’s assistant coaches. A couple of the football players talk about how this training camp is harder than the NFL’s training camps.

Dana flips a coin for the right to choose who picks first. Dana says that the winner of the coin flip can choose to pick the first fighter or the first two fights. Then, the team has to win both fights in order to keep control of choosing the fights. Rashad wins and decides to pick the first fighter.

Draft Picks:
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rampage #1: Kimbo Slice
Team Rashad #2: Brandon Schaub
Team Rampage #2: Abe Wagner
Team Rashad #3: Justin Wren
Team Rampage #3: Demico Rogers
Team Rashad #4: Jon Madsen
Team Rampage #4: Wes Sims
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rampage #5: Scott Junk
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rampage #6: Wes Shivers
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Team Rashad #8: Mike Wessel
Team Rampage #8: Zak Jensen

“My team is bigger. And size does matter.”- Rampage

Rampage gets to pick the first two fights. The first fight Rampage chooses is Jon Madsen from Team Rashad against Abe Wagner. Rashad says Madsen is his number one wrestler. Madsen is a college wrestler who has worked with Robbie Lawler and Matt Hughes. He’s an undersized Heavyweight compared to a lot of the guys on this show. Rampage says that Abe has good stand up and good jiu jitsu.

“Abe is the toughest computer geek I’ve ever met” – Wes Sims

Abe Wagner (6-1) vs. Jon Madsen (1-0)

Wagner has a 4” height and 5” reach advantage.

R1- Madsen gets a quick take down and got some Ground and Pound and was able to maintain top position and opened up Abe with some strikes. Abe lost a ton of blood and was laying in a pool of his blood by the end of the round. Abe got beaten up but he got up pretty quickly after the round was over and went right back to his corner. That was a 10-8 round in favor of Madsen on my score card.

R2- Madsen pulled a really poor sportsmanship move at the beginning of this round as he faked going for a touch of the gloves and instead went for an immediate take down on Abe. The ref stands them up after a minute due to inactivity. Madsen quickly takes down Abe again and gets him pinned against the cage. Madsen looks really tired as he is in great position but isn’t doing anything and the ref stands them up again half way through the round. Madsen gets yet another take down. Madsen controlled this fight and was dominate in the first round but didn’t show the ability to finish or have the proper stamina needed that will hurt him in the next round.

Judges score cards say: 20-16, 20-17 and 20-17

Winner: Jon Madsen by Decision (Unanimous)

Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One