The Final Fighter (TUF): Season 31 semifinals received underway this week within the ninth episode of the season. Rico DiSciullio finished Hunter Azure on last week’s episode, serving to Head Coach Conor McGregor keep away from a sweep within the course of. Nevertheless, Crew Chandler’s workforce of UFC veterans will nonetheless dominate the semifinal matchups.
This week will see Crew Chandler’s Austin Hubbard and Roosevelt Roberts vie for a spot within the light-weight match finals as we be taught the rest of the semifinal matchups on faucet for this season.
These with a subscription to ESPN+ can stream TUF 31 on demand.
TUF 31 Episode 9 Recap
Given the matchup of Hubbard and Roberts, we additionally know that Jason Knight shall be taking up Kurt Holobaugh within the different light-weight semifinal. I’m nonetheless uncertain why UFC President Dana White opted for the Hubbard-Roberts battle. If this have been an actual match, each fighters would most likely be seeded first and second within the eight-man discipline given the energy of a few of their UFC performances, and due to this fact couldn’t battle till the match championship anyway. As an alternative, the winner shall be gifted with a good matchup within the Knight-Holobaugh winner.
That’s not a slight towards Knight or Holobaugh, both. That stated, the winner of their upcoming battle might discover themselves outgunned by the winner of the opposite semifinal, although key to recollect this can be a present that’s received and misplaced within the Octagon.
The semis are introduced TONIGHT 👀
⏰: Catch a brand new episode of #TUF31 at 7pmPT
🇺🇸: ESPN & ESPN+
🌎: @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/OmTOuRpfJD— The Final Fighter (@UltimateFighter) July 25, 2023
The episode kicks off on the TUF Home coming off DiSciullio’s victory final week. Following a day of coaching, we be taught the semifinal matchups on the identical time the fighters do, along with their seeds. Apparently, White noticed Hubbard and Roberts because the second and third-seeded fighters at light-weight, with Jason Knight because the top-seeded remaining fighter. If this isn’t a glance into what the UFC President sees in MMA prospects, I’m undecided what’s.
Ever since perhaps the second or third season of Dana White’s Contender Collection, I’ve turn into aware about the concept there’s a distinction between an “MMA Prospect” and a “UFC Prospect.” MMA prospects are evaluated like prospects in some other sport: measurement, athleticism, intangibles all contribute to a fighter’s ceiling, whereas a distinguished base, energy, method, and flexibility may also be a giant plus with charisma and marketability being the cherry on high. UFC prospects are strictly fighters who can exit and placed on the very best high quality of efficiency for a tv product as attainable on the lowest price. The UFC has little interest in working packed arenas or constructing a Conor McGregor-esque celebrity in each as a result of that takes effort and prices cash.
For the UFC, it’s approach less expensive to signal fighters like Trevor Peek at a minimal and cherry choose their matchups. In the event that they occur to ultimately succeed by their very own benefit, nice. In the event that they occur to fail, additionally nice as a result of via a present like DWCS, they will simply substitute fighters like that who lack technical ability however are “powerful” and “don’t give up.”
By the way in which, descriptors like “powerful” needs to be a demise sentence for any fighter aspiring to succeed in the head of the game, because it implies they take a ton of injury which, because it at present stands, is the highest standards for MMA judging.
All of that’s not to say the UFC doesn’t worth actual MMA prospects, as they’ve loads of these in each division. Relatively, it’s obvious that Dana White particularly sees prospects via a distinct lens. When left as the only choice maker, the the UFC’s prospect ideology and typical MMA prospect ideologies can conflict. It’s like a basic supervisor in baseball solely seeing worth in energy and pace. Positive, a middle discipline prospect might have 60 HR and 60 SB upside, but when they will’t hit over .200, don’t stroll, strike out greater than half the time and are a whole defensive legal responsibility, are they actually a prospect?
I’m not saying Knight can’t beat Hubbard, and he would possibly even match up effectively with a fighter like Roberts. Nevertheless, the matchmaking does really feel like a ploy to get him into the finals, although Kurt Holobaugh is just not a man who’s simply going to roll over for him both. He does may have a path to victory via the grappling, however might want to evade all of Knight’s submission makes an attempt alongside the way in which.
Again to the present. The opposite two semifinal matchups at bantamweight shall be contested between Brad Katona (2) and Timur Valiev (3), and Rico DiSciullo (1) vs. Cody Gibson (4). Once more, given their resumes and expertise, there isn’t any motive for Katona and Valiev to be combating within the semifinals, however I digress, and these needs to be enjoyable fights regardless.
We’ve a swap to Crew McGregor this week 👀 #TUF31 pic.twitter.com/yWe5OWR4iQ
— The Final Fighter (@UltimateFighter) July 26, 2023
It had been implied just a few episodes in the past that a number of fighters could also be requested to modify sides given the lopsided outcomes of the quarterfinals. Katona, Holobaugh, and Hubbard are due to this fact all given the choice to do exactly that. “Choice” is vital right here, as fighters are usually not mandated to modify sides. Katona is fairly agreeable to this, as he hoped to land on McGregor’s workforce within the first place. He and McGregor each prepare underneath SBG Eire Head Coach John Kavanaugh in Dublin. Nevertheless, the remainder of Crew Chandler’s fighters all resist the concept of going to coach with McGregor. Neither Hubbard, nor Roberts had any curiosity in switching sides, and White hypothesizes that Conor’s post-fight outbursts have rubbed everybody the unsuitable approach. Holobaugh additionally publicly condemns the concept of teaming up with McGregor.
With Hubbard and Roberts each agreeing to stay loyal to Crew Chandler, Head Coach Michael Chandler has no alternative however to bow out of his teaching duties, splitting his assistant teaching staffs whereas himself specializing in coaching Valiev to battle Katona and Gibson to battle DiSciullio.
Because the motion returns to the TUF Home, McGregor stops by to make his selfmade “Irish Stew” for the fighters cooked with McGregor’s new stout beer. Coach Kavanaugh can also be right here. The response to him in the home is combined with Gibson significantly sad to see him. Landon Quinones known as the stew “scrumptious,” whereas Knight additionally seemingly loved it for what it was whereas saying he’s extra a “Keystone Gentle form of man.”
White permits the semifinalist fighters to name their households as a reward for successful their first-round matchups. Fighters are allotted 10 minutes on Zoom with their assist system (family and friends) and that is typical family-centric TUF fare. Hubbard known as talking to his household the spotlight of his time in Vegas up to now.
Identical to that, we have now reached the weigh-in portion of the present with little or no give attention to the precise preparation for Hubbard and Roberts. Roberts misses weight on his first strive by .25 kilos. With a purpose to fight this and correctly make weight, he opts for Crew McGregor’s Mando Gutierrez, the barber of the house, chop off his dreadlocks. Whereas the concept of issues like hair impacting weigh-in outcomes is basically a fantasy, a thick head of hair like Roberts’ might tip the scales, and there may be precedent for dreadlocks including a tiny quantity of weight as UFC ladies’s bantamweight Sijara Eubanks once did the same thing, satirically additionally on TUF.
Roberts is ready to make weight efficiently, so the battle will proceed as scheduled.
The Battle
Mark Smith is the referee.
Each fighters come out tentative at first, which is comprehensible given the hours the 2 have put in with each other within the coaching room in latest weeks. Roberts, for the report, is a large light-weight, standing 4 inches taller than Hubbard with a two-inch attain benefit, so he might want to discover a approach to make use of his bodily benefits to negate Hubbard’s tempo. However, the early respect between the 2 is obvious.
Smith warns Roberts about open fingers, then warns him once more as the 2 commerce abbreviated single strikes. Midway via the spherical, neither fighter appears keen to commit or mild their opponent up with a mixture, and it’s nonetheless anyone’s spherical at this level. To date, the battle has taken on the tone of a lightweight sparring session. Roberts is barely extra lively, attempting a leaping knee, however takes an unintended groin strike and hits the canvas. Nevertheless, he’s again to his ft earlier than lengthy and pushing ahead with single strikes whereas Hubbard is attempting to maintain him at bay with leg kicks because the spherical ends.
I’d rating it 10-9 for Roberts primarily based on exercise and exercise alone. Battle-altering injury was largely non-existent.
Because the second spherical begins, Roberts is once more warned for uncovered fingers. These seem like extra “recommendations” or smooth warning, as Smith is a referee who usually vegetation the seed in fighters’ heads early to not make the error at a vital second of the battle. To date, there’s been extra exercise to this spherical with Hubbard pushing Roberts towards the fence. He lands some offense, backs away, however shoots in for a takedown, which he succeeds with. Hubbard is usually utilizing high place for management, whereas Roberts seems to make use of submission makes an attempt to threaten a change of place. Hubbard is ready to get off some mild hammerfists from facet management, however quickly loses place with each fighters returning to their ft. Smith is now warning each fighters for his or her lack of exercise. Hubbard is now dictating the tempo and main the dance, which, albeit, is a sluggish tempo and sluggish dance. Roberts is as soon as once more warned for uncovered fingers because the spherical ends.
I’ve the battle even after two.
Each fighters come out with extra urgency with the battle seemingly up for grabs right here int he third spherical. Hubbard will get Roberts towards the cage early following a short-lived grappling sequence. Roberts tries to counter with a takedown of his personal, however Hubbard is smart to it. He is ready to get him down on a second strive, nonetheless, however Smith rapidly warns the fighters for inactivity on the bottom. Hubbard ultimately makes use of a triangle to get again to his ft. As time melts away, Smith once more warns the fighters for inactivity as Hubbard counters one other takedown by placing Roberts up towards the cage. Roberts lands some weak knees along with his again to the cage, and as Hubbard breaks away to seemingly deal injury, the ultimate horn sounds.
I’m undecided the right way to rating that third spherical, however I do know that neither fighter gave an excellent account of themselves. There have been no actual winners.
Austin Hubbard def. Roosevelt Roberts through Break up Resolution
Aftermath
White is just not shy in expressing his disappointment within the efficiency, and I don’t blame him. Each fighters had a number of alternatives to place a stamp on the end result, and each handed on the chance. Make no mistake, the UFC are usually not about to disclaim the winner of The Final Fighter entry again into the corporate, as this can be a competitors about successful greater than it’s placing on good performances. That stated, it’s questionable whether or not Hubbard even received that battle, and he might be on a brief leash except he rediscovers his type within the finale.
Chandler even admits he has no thought who received the battle.
In hindsight, perhaps the matchmaking was sound on the semifinal matchups in spite of everything? Whether or not he has to battle Knight or Holobaugh, both fighter may have no downside bringing the motion to Hubbard if he’s not keen to provoke it himself. Roberts, for the report, blamed his tentativeness on his friendship with Hubbard, and it now appears unlikely the UFC will retain him after a efficiency like that.
We then preview subsequent week’s episode, which is able to see Brad Katona battle Timur Valiev in what needs to be the most effective battle of the season, a minimum of from a expertise standpoint. UFC light-weight champion Islam Makhachev can also be set to seem.
