Starting his career in 2001, Rivera competed professionally 29 times, with 15 of those appearances coming inside the octagon. “El Conquistador” racked up 20 victories in those 29 bouts and finished his opponents in all but four of his victories. Throughout his career, Rivera has fought some of the top names in the sport including Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping, and Anderson Silva. He holds victories over the likes of Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Kendall Grove, UFC veteran Dennis Hallman, and former UFC title challengers Chris Lytle, Nate Quarry, and David Loiseau.

His final victory came against Eric Schaffer. After struggling in the first round with Schaffer’s grappling, Rivera rebounded in round two to finish “Red” with a barrage of strikes.

At the post-fight press conference, Rivera was all smiles when reflecting on his career.

“I’ve had my ups and downs, highs and lows. (My career) speaks for itself.”

Even when asked if he would change a moment in his career, Rivera didn’t balk, saying he wouldn’t have changed anything. While the lowlight of his career was last February when he fought Bisping in Australia, the highlight was, “Any fight where I got a knockout. You pick one and I’ll agree with it.”

As for retirement, Rivera said he made the decision to hang it up when training camp for the Schafer fight started. “It wasn’t a hard decision at all. I’m getting old. I’ll be 40 this year and these guys are young and no joke. My reflexes are slowing down. I have a family to take care of and I don’t want to suffer a serious injury that might complicate that.” Speaking of his family, they weren’t quite as sad as fans were when he announced his retirement. “(My family) is happy with it. They asked me to retire awhile ago.”

Rivera isn’t done in the sport of MMA though. “I have a school that is opening up and I’m sure I’ll do well there,” said Jorge. “I get to help people and I’m comfortable with that. I don’t feel the need to be a multi-millionaire as long as God provides me with what I need then I’m content.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Both bouts will likely be parts of the nights preliminary action and have been confirmed by UFC officials.

After winning the WEC featherweight strap in 2008, Brown hit a rough patch in 2009, starting with his title loss to Jose Aldo. He’s 3-3 since being dethroned as the 145 king but is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Nam Phan at UFC 133, which snapping a two fight losing streak. Rocha will be dropping to 145 for the first time in his career when he steps in the cage against Brown. He picked up his first UFC victory this past September when he submitted Cody McKenzie in the second round.

Rivera and Schafer are both in a must-win situation this January as they’re each coming off losses. Rivera has lost two straight bouts to Michael Bisping and Constantinos Philippou while Schafer dropped a decision to Aaron Simpson. A 39-year-old veteran, Rivera is 7-7 in his UFC career and appears to be on his last legs as a fighter. After spending his entire career at light heavyweight, Schafer dropped to middleweight but still couldn’t find UFC success as his octagon record dropped to 3-5.

UFC on FX 1 is scheduled for January 20 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The night will be headlined by a lightweight clash between Jim Miller and Melvin Guillard.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 39-year old’s next test comes this weekend at UFC 133 against Constantinos Philippou, a fighter who shares his passion for pugilism and backs it up with knockout power.

Rivera recently took some time to talk to Five Ounces of Pain about his bout with Philippou, the circumstances surrounding their match-up after original opponent Alessio Sakara withdrew due to injury, if a rematch with Michael Bisping is on his radar, and much more.

“Just disbelief,” Rivera responded when asked for his initial reaction to the news the Sakara scrap had once again fallen apart after two other failed attempts to pair the middleweights. “My manager called me up, told me about it, and I just didn’t believe him. I was like, ‘Oh sh*t,’ you know what I mean? And then the next question is, ‘Alright, now what do we do? Who do we fight next?’ And I had a couple of options and I thought out of all of those Philippou was most similar to Sakara so I didn’t have to change my preparation for the fight.”

The similarity in styles not only worked well in terms of training but, according to Rivera, should also lead to an entertaining in-ring affair on Saturday night.

“I think it’s gonna make for a good exciting fight. I don’t see him going for a double-leg or single-leg…if he does, so be it and I’ll deal with it then…but I see a good stand-up fight.”

However, just because he envisions the bulk of the bout involving fisticuffs doesn’t mean Rivera will be searching solely for a knockout even if scoring one would make him the first person to finish Philippou in his nine-fight career.

“I don’t put pressure on myself to knock a guy out – I just do what I do and the knockout will come,” said Rivera. “I want to finish the fight, but that’s the hardest way to get a knockout. That’ll just come when the opportunity presents itself. You don’t throw a punch thinking you’re going to knock him out, you just keep doing your job.”

This weekend’s bout will mark the first for Rivera in a little less than six months after a 2010 featuring a single showing and only four fights in the previous two years. Still, it’s clear his inactivity is not by choice, as “El Conquistador” explained, “The thing is, there are so many things that go into it. Your opponent gets hurt, you get hurt, or what’s available. It’s not always that you have a choice in the matter. If I can fight 3-4 times a year, hell yeah…I’ll do that. I’ll take what presents itself.”

“I’m taking it day by day,” he continued. “We’ll see how this fight goes. I mean I don’t know…I’m just living my life.”

On the subject of a second go with Bisping after their controversial clash in February, Rivera maintained a Zen outlook, saying, “I just handle my business and if we things go that way, fine, if they don’t, its fine. It is what it is. Either way it’s not the beginning or the end of my life. Obviously I’d love a rematch, but if it wasn’t meant to be, that’s cool.”

Rivera’s casual approach to things and appreciation for every moment is an attitude that’s developed as he’s gotten older and been given more perspective on the way the world works. One of the experiences undoubtedly shaping his perspective was the unexpected death of his oldest daughter, Janessa, on August 5, 2008.

Given the proximity of UFC 133 to the anniversary of her passing it’s understandable that the event means a bit more than a regular show might.

“I’ll definitely be thinking about her and she’ll be close to my heart. But beyond that I’ll be there, I’ll be ready to do my job, and I’ll be focused. Nobody needs to worry about that.”

When asked to impart some of the wisdom he has taken from the highs and lows of both his personal and professional life, Rivera replied, “Always believe in yourself, never give up, and remember there are six billion on this Earth and if God wanted us to be alone it would be just you (here).”

Rivera’s final message was to some of the people who have helped him throughout his career, yet another testament to his humility and overall character.

“Big shout out to Tim Burns Jiu-Jitsu, Peter Welch, and all my people from Massachusetts! I love those guys, I’ll never forget about them. Big shout out to Ranger Up and Alchemist Management. And for all the sponsors who’ve supported me over the years, thank you very much – I love you!”

Fans can catch Rivera’s latest Octagon offering on the PPV portion of the UFC’s stop in Philadelphia. Thirteen of his nineteen total wins have come via TKO including victories over Travis Lutter, Rob Kimmons, Kendall Grove, and Nate Quarry. He has also found past success against David Louiseau and Dennis Hallman.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, though Sakara is sidelined, “El Conquistador” will still see action in Philadelphia as the UFC has revealed 7-2 Constantinos Philippou agreed to fill the vacancy created by the American Top Team product’s absence. Philippou lost in his Octagon debut earlier this year but compiled five finishes in seven wins prior to the bout.

Rivera hasn’t fought since falling in a grudge match against Michael Bisping this past February. The long-time UFC veteran had won four of five entering their semi-controversial scrap including strike-based stoppages against Kendall Grove and Nate Quarry.

UFC 133 has seen a record number of changes to the card with the main event even undergoing a facelift when injured light heavyweight Phil Davis was replaced by divisional icon Tito Ortiz against Ultimate Fighter 2 winner Rashad Evans.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the re-scheduled scrap was announced on the UFC’s website where it was mentioned both fighters had verbally agreed to the match-up and would likely see each other at UFC 133 in August. No location for the event was mentioned but numerous media outlets have referred to Philadelphia as the card’s likely location.

Both men are coming off memorable defeats with a bloody but spirited Sakara falling on the scorecards to Chris Weidman last month at UFC Live 3 and Rivera gutting it out against Michael Bisping in February after absorbing an intentional illegal knee in the opening round of their grudge match at UFC 127. However, each had also emerged victorious in a trio of consecutive bouts entering those fights and should provide fireworks when things go down in late summer given their propensity for separating opponents from consciousness. Thirteen of Rivera’s nineteen total wins have come as the result of a TKO with his ATT-trained adversary earning three-quarters of his victories by means of striking.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

According to a conversation with Swedish outlet Kimura, “El Conquistador” revealed he will be fighting Michael Bisping at UFC 127 in Sydney this February.

Rivera, who has emerged victor in his last three fights, also made it clear he already had a loose gameplan entering the upcoming match-up, saying, “I not only want the fight – I want to f*ck him up.”

The Brit will represent the highest-profile opponent the Northeasterner has faced since returning to the UFC after competing in the Ultimate Fighter Season 4. “The Count”, who is easily the company’s biggest star in the UK, has transitioned his TUF 3 title-win into a good deal of success inside (and out of) the Octagon. He holds an overall record of 20-3 and most recently won back-to-back bouts against Yoshihiro Akiyama and Dan Miller.

UFC 127 is scheduled for February 27th and, in addition to Bisping vs. Rivera, is rumored to feature a clash between well-rounded welterweight contenders Chris Lytle and Carlos Condit. The show marks the UFC’s second venture into Australia and will come almost exactly a year after this past February’s UFC 110.

MMAjunkie.com was the first to break the news of the matchup.

Rivera is a eight-year veteran of the sport who last competed at UFC 85 this past June, where he lost to Danish kickboxing specialist Martin Kampmann via submission in the first round. Prior to the loss, Rivera recorded a first round knockout upset against TUF 3 middleweight champion Kendall Grove at UFC 80.

He will look to get back on track against Osterneck, who is coming off the first loss of his career this past November against former NCAA champion Jake Rosholt. Competing against Rosholt during a televised match at WEC 36, Osterneck was TKO’d by punches at 3:48 of round 2. The Hawaiian native has also competed for Mark Cuban’s HDNet Fights promotion in the past.

UFC Fight Night 18 will take place at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The two-hour Spike TV broadcast will be headlined by former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit making his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann and will serve as a prelude to the season premiere for the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Additional reported matchups for the UFN 18 include TUF 8 lightweight champion Efrain Escudero vs. Jeremy Stephens, TUF 8 light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader vs. Carmelo Marrero, Junie Browning vs. Cole Miller, Tyson Griffin vs. Rafael dos Anjos, Matt Horwich vs. Ricardo Almeida, former WEC welterweight title challenger Brock Larson vs. newcomer Jesse Sanders, Aaron Simpson vs. Tim McKenzie, Steve Steinbeiss vs. Ryan Jensen, and Rob Kimmons vs. Joe Vedepo.

Dollaway, 7-1, suffered the first official defeat in his pro career in June after losing to Amir Sadollah during the finals of the middleweight tournament of the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He returned less than a month later to compete at UFC Fight Night 14 in July, where he submitted fellow TUF 7 alum Jesse Taylor with a Peruvian necktie.

Dollaway is a former standout college wrestler who trains MMA under Trevor and Todd Lally at Arizona Combat Sports. Prior to joining the UFC he competed for notable promotions such as the now defunct IFO promotion out of Las Vegas as well as Mark Cuban’s HDNet Fights.

Rivera will be fighting for the first time since the tragic loss of his teenage daughter several months ago. A staple of the Boston-area MMA scene, Rivera holds an overall MMA record of 15-7 and is 4-4 lifetime in the UFC.

Rivera’s most recent fight was a first round submission loss to Martin Kampmann at UFC 85 this past June. He holds notable wins during his career over Kendall Grove, David Loiseau, Travis Lutter, and Dennis Hallman. Rivera is also a veteran from the fourth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which was titled “The Comeback.”

UFC 92 will be televised on pay-per-view and will emanate from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will defend his UFC interim heavyweight title against Frank Mir in a featured matchup. A light heavyweight title defense by Forrest Griffin against Rashad Evans has been rumored, but has not been confirmed.

“I was in the limo when [Taylor kicked out the window], and it wasn’t just the window,” Riddle said. “The night before, he got kicked out of another club for wrestling around all in the bathroom, out of control.

“Then the following night, we went out with Rampage to PURE (nightclub), and the security didn’t want to kick Jesse out because he is so big and a fighter, and the last thing they needed was this guy going crazy. So they asked me … and a bunch of guys from the show to escort him out. When we told [Taylor] he got kicked out, he flipped out in Caesars Palace.

“We were all dragging [Taylor] through the casino and trying to get him out the front door, and security was threatening to hit him up with pepper spray and Tazers because he was out of control. We finally got to the front door, and we literally couldn’t find a taxi, so I had to pay for a limo.

“In the limo, we are still holding him down because he was so pissed off and going crazy. Eventually, about 10 minutes into the ride, he calms down, and we get back to the Palace Station. Now, Zuffa (the UFC’s parent company) owns the Palace Station, so that’s why they have all the video footage. So what does JT do the second we park? (He) lies down on his back and kicks out the biggest window in the limo.”

The fact that it was at a point to where the security was threatening Taylor with pepper spray and tazers speaks volumes about Taylor’s behavior. The kid is just not mentally ready for the big time. I’m sure the fact that he’s been in exile for a while now has given him a good bit of time to think about what he’s done but who’s to say that if he makes it big in the UFC that he won’t revert right back to the same kind of behavior?

All of the guys from TUF talk about how hard it is when you’ve had that exposure and are now under the microscope. Kendall Grove let the Vegas lifestyle almost ruin his career and he seems twice as mentally strong as Taylor at this point. I think Jesse deserves to be in the UFC but I do wonder what will happen to him if he lets the glitz and glamor get into his head.

Dustin Hazelett was awarded Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night bonuses for his performance Saturday night. This bout was on the undercard so many UFC fans didn’t get to see it. UFC.com has pushed this fight video to its video player for viewers to watch for free (they usually charge $1.99 for fight video).

WATCH Hazelett vs. Burkman fight video.

Check out more TUF 7 Finale content on FiveOuncesofPain.com

Here’s the results of the TUF 7 FINALE event:

• Kendall Grove def. Evan Tanner via Split Decision
• Diego Sanchez def. Luigi Fioravanti via TKO (punches) Rd 3.
• Amir Sadollah def. CB Dollaway via Armbar Submission Rd 1.
• Spencer Fisher def. Jeremy Stephens via Unanimous Decision
• Matthew Riddle def. Dante Rivera via Unanimous Decision

Undercard

• Dustin Hazelett def. Josh Burkman via Armbar Submission Rd 2
• Dean Lister def. Jeremy Horn via Guillotine Choke Submission Rd 1.
• Drew McFedries def. Marvin Eastman via TKO (punches) Rd 1
• Rob Kimmons def. Rob Yundt via Guillotine Choke Submission Rd 1.
• Matt Brown def. Matt Arroyo via TKO (punches) Rd 2.

Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough – canceled due to Credeur testing positive for the ADHD drug Adderall.

Check out more TUF 7 Finale content on 5 Oz. of Pain.

Evan Tanner vs. Kendall Grove

David Andrest: Former champion versus struggling up and coming fighter. Grove has such and incredible upside despite losses to fighters that I do not believe are as tough as Tanner. While Tanner made his return against Yushin Okami a top level middle weight contender. Everything points to Tanner winning this fight, but I don’t see it happening. Grove has been spending time with Hilo with B.J. Penn trying to get his game right. Grove via submission in round 3.

Adam Morgan: Have you seen Grove’s hair recently? I mean, c’mon. Of course Tanner is taking this fight. Grove’s chin is extremely suspect and Tanner is a wily veteran who has been a champion at this weight class. He’s had a chance to get back into the cage, shake off the ring rust, and get back into a rhythm. Grove has done nothing but look atrocious his past few times out and with that haircut, I don’t expect anything to change. Evan Tanner via TKO, round two.

Paul Balsom: I have some qualms with this fight being a main event on any card. This is a fight between two fighters that are no longer relevant, and facing a possible UFC elimination. It’s more a question of which guy will look worst in this bout. Enough of that. If the two start trading leather, I think Grove is in a heap of trouble. However, if Grove decides to be smart about the stand-up game, and works his knees in a clinch situation, I think that could be really advantageous for him. I’m really having a hard time deciding which fighter to be less impressed with for this fight. Tanner really showed me nothing in his last fight, and I don’t think he’s going to show me anything Saturday night. I think they will stand for a couple of minutes; Tanner will catch Grove with a straight right and knock him to the mat. At which point, Tanner will pounce on Grove and the Hawaiian will use Tanner’s lumberjack beard to secure a guillotine choke within the last minute of round one. Is that precise enough? Kendall Grove via guillotine choke in round 1, thanks to Tanner’s mammoth beard.

Sam Cupitt: I see Tanner winning this fight one of two ways. The first way (and the least likely) is that Grove comes out and wants no part of the stand-up and decides to take Tanner down. If he manages to succeed I have complete confidence that Tanner will be able to work up a triangle choke and force the tap. The other way and the way in which I’ve seen this fight going in my mind ever since it was announced is that Tanner will at some point score a takedown, pass guard and force Grove into unconsciousness with elbow strikes from mount. I’ll give a Tanner a round to work out any remaining cobwebs before he accomplishes the latter. Evan Tanner via TKO in round 2.

Ram Maramba: I’ll disagree with Balsom and say this is a perfect headliner for a free card. Grove the gameshow winner and Tanner the former champ with the wheels-off, free association blog are two guys that are relatively well-known and have everything at stake in this bout. Show a shot of Tanner’s rotting boat and Grove dreaming about sugar plums after a Jorge Rivera punch and you have instant urgency that should translate to an exciting fight. In his comeback debut from the Big Rock Candy Mountain, Tanner showed about as much rust as is probably covering said boat. Granted however, the brick wall he ran into named Yushin Okami has a tendency of making people look bad. Grove lost to a wily home run hitter in Rivera and a streaking Patrick Cote via brutal knockout. The glassy-eyed look is not fashionable in MMA and has a way of overshadowing potential, even the mounds of it Grove has shown in the not-so-distant past. Tanner’s glory days are much, much more distant and are less likely to shine through. He won’t be able to dictate the pace on his feet to get the younger Grove to ground, where he’s most treacherous. It’s up to Da Spyda to take the right chances and keep Tanner from cashing in on his fragile jaw on his way to a stoppage. With all my heart, I want Tanner to win. My ostrich brain says otherwise, while my stomach is urging me to get this over with and go make a sandwich. Déjà vu, Big knee from the Hawaiian in round 2 puts Tanner away.

C.B. Dollaway vs. Amir Sadollah

David Andrest: Sadollah entered the TUF house with a clean professional record. No wins no losses. Dalloway entered the house ready for the big time. Without question Sadollah’s win over Dalloway can do nothing but help Amir’s confidence. Dalloway on the other hand will have an opportunity to avenge his loss and become The Ultimate Fighter. Dalloway via decision with Dana of course giving away two contracts.

Adam Morgan: Amir showed us throughout the season that he is a tough sumbitch. But it will be hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Amir has looked great in his fights on the show but I think a second fight against C.B. is trouble. It’s doubtful that Dollaway makes the same mistake again. Anything can happen, especially with Amir’s power and striking acumen, but I have to favor Dollaway in this one. C.B. Dollaway via unanimous decision.

Paul Balsom: After seeing some YouTube videos of CB Dolloway before this season of The Ultimate Fighter started, I was pretty certain that he was going to walk through everybody was relative ease. He hasn’t really impressed me in any one of his fights this season, and I think that Amir’s style is the worst possible match-up for him. Sadollah’s Muy Thai striking style is too advanced for Dolloway’s head down, blinded overhand punching. This, just as in their first fight, will force Dolloway to go for takedowns the whole fight. This, as we know, plays right into a strength of Sadollah. I think that this fight has a real chance of looking much like the first one, in that CB will do some ground and pound damage for a little while, but eventually Amir will catch him in a submission that he can’t handle. Amir Sadollah via submission in round 2.

Sam Cupitt: This was a good fight on the show and I have no doubts it will be an ever better rematch. I think this fight once again comes down to CB’s conditioning. If he gasses himself like he did in the third round of their first encounter and starts to leave himself open then I think Amir can capitalize again with either a submission or knockout. Amir has that Forrest Griffin quality of looking extremely buggered but still somehow being able to have the energy to fight on at a furious pace. In this fight I think Amir has to utilize a lot of the front kicks and body kicks he used in the first fight that gave CB fits just so he can wear Dollaway down. Like I said before, if he can get Dollaway tired I think he can capitalize like he did in the first fight. Amir Sadollah via 3rd round TKO.

Ram Maramba: Much like the headliner, my little MMA heart will be broken into pieces after this fight. I’ve liked Sadollah from the jump. His exciting, scrambling style and wry sense of humor made for great first impression, robot dance notwithstanding. With every victory he gutted out it made you want to cheer for him more. His supreme, mullet-powered upset of Dollaway in the semifinals was a typical underdog moment that laid it even thicker on the Amir mythology. To expect him to hit it out of the park in consecutive at-bats however may be a bit delusional against a certified stud opponent. Dollaway is more than just a surprisingly funny blogger; his wrestling credentials are top-notch and his hands are decently polished for a young fighter. Ask Rampage about his submission game. His seemingly limited gas tank can partially be chalked up to the roll of the dice every fight on TUF is considering the breakneck pace these guys have to maintain due to the limited timeframe. By the time the finale comes around, most TUF contenders look like completely different fighters. Sadollah’s game will tighten up, it’s just that Dollaway was further up the ladder to begin with. Logic will break my heart, Dollaway via UD.

Diego Sanchez vs. Luigi Fioravanti

David Andrest: Sanchez has said all the right things leading up to this fight. He has been complementary to Fioravanti outlining the well rounded game of his opponent. But I do not see this as more than a gimme for Sanchez and an experience fight for Fioravanti. Sanchez via TKO round 2.

Adam Morgan: Diego Sanchez came out like a beast against David Bielkheden at UFC 82 and I expect him to come out with that same fire against Fioravanti. Luigi is a tougher test than Bielkheden but nothing that Sanchez hasn’t seen before. He’s rededicated himself to getting back to the top of the division, and more importantly, the tiebreaker against Koscheck and eventually a title shot. I don’t see Fioravanti derailing that goal. Diego Sanchez via TKO, round one.

Paul Balsom: I say Diego beats Luigi in all facets of this match up. He’s is going to come out with his crazy long hairdo, wicked moustache, and mariachi music and put some hurtin’ on Fioravanti. Diego Sanchez via TKO (ref stoppage – ground and pound) in round two.

Sam Cupitt: I expect to see the sequel to Sanchez vs. Bielkheden in this fight except without Sanchez’s opponent tapping due to strikes. Sanchez has had a lot of troubles against guys with very good takedown defense but I think he should be able to overpower Fioravanti to the mat fairly easily and early. From there, it’s just a matter of time before he grabs a hold of somthing. Diego Sanchez via Submission (arm bar from mount) in round 1.
Ram Maramba: Fioravanti has had the definition of a mediocre UFC career and by all rights should be considered chum for Sanchez. But as history has shown us time again, advantages in MMA only exist in real time. After all, Fioravanti is a big, well-rounded welterweight who trains with the starmakers at ATT. The former marine has never been able to put it together on the big show and he faces his toughest test yet in Sanchez. “Nightmare” looked like a juggernaut on hyperdrive in his last outing and it seems as if his star is back on track after a couple of harsh lessons against AKA mates Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. It’s easy to hate the melodramatic Sanchez, but once you get past the circa 1988 A.C. Green jheri curls and in-ya-face spiritualism, his talent is undeniably championship level. The same can’t be said for Fioravanti. Dirty by GnP TKO in the 3^rd.

Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens

David Andrest: For me this is the “Return of the King”. Fisher returns to the cage after a loss via decision. I think the only decision we will see in this fight is submission or KO for the King. Stephens enters with a impressive record over suspect talent. Fisher is a very noticable step up in talent for Stephens and unlikely win would surprise me. Fisher via KO in round 1.

Adam Morgan: Spencer Fisher is finally back in action against a very game opponent in Jeremy Stephens. Stephens has knockout power and just earned an upset victory over Cole Miller, a great prospect from the fifth season of TUF. This will be a solid striking matchup and I doubt that it will hit the ground too often, if at all. I think Fisher’s experience is the deciding factor here. Spencer Fisher via TKO, round two.

Paul Balsom: Stephens came out looking really intense at the weigh-ins and Fisher hasn’t impressed me much recently. His fight with Sam Stout was fun to watch, but the fight was exactly what Fisher wanted; he didn’t face any adversity in that bout. In those fights where he faced adversity (i.e. Franca and Edgar), he looked like a completely different fighter. Stephens via unanimous decision 29-28.

Sam Cupitt: Fisher has always been an incredibly tough and durable fighter. He always finds himself on the cusp of title contention but always seems to fall short against other top level contenders. On the ground, I think Fisher could take Stephens but we all know this fight has a minute chance of going there so it comes down to who has the better striking. When Fisher doesn’t have to worry about takedowns there are very few better standing in the division, however something is telling me that Fisher’s time as the perennial leader of the second tier of contenders has come to an end. Stephens, to me, appears to be the next generation of Spencer Fisher and I think in this fight he can take the King’s crown. Stephens via KO in round 2.

Ram Maramba: Stephens is one of those fascinating talents that was thrown into the fire and has acquitted himself well. He has proven to be a strong 155er with a precociously well-rounded game that includes solid defensive skills. Stephens faces another stiff challenge in Spencer Fisher, a salty vet whose power and speed are a handful for anyone. Fisher is also coming in hungry after some rough patches in the last year, including a loss to Frankie Edgar and a scrapped bout against Marcus Aurelio. Long a fan favorite, a return to action for the “King” against a dynamic young fighter will provide surprising punch to the fight card. Also a personal favorite, I’m going with Fisher by 2^nd round submission.

Matt Riddle vs. Dante Rivera

Adam Morgan: Riddle is the wild card of the house. He fights his ass off, has heavy hands, is crafty as hell, but can get caught in a submission by good submission guys. Dante didn’t show me much on the show. He’s pretty much purely a grappler and he’ll want this fight on the ground without a doubt. I like Riddle’s gameness and toughness to persevere over Dante’s grappling game, especially if this one stays on the feet. Matt Riddle via TKO, round two.

Paul Balsom: Why is this on the main card? Riddle via TKO in round 1.

Sam Cupitt: Rivera better get his shoes bronzed because he’s about to face retirement. The pre-fight interviews for this fight on UFC.com are pretty damn funny and you should check them out if you have the chance. Riddle believes his stand-up has improved a great deal during the show as he has been working out at Dollaway’s camp with some high class kickboxing coaches. Rivera is as one dimensional as they come and if he can’t get the fight to the mat, Riddle is gonna give him fits. I think “Chipper” has the wrestling to keep this fight wherever he wants it. Matt Riddle via TKO in round 2.

Ram Maramba: Ambiguous sunglasses and pot habit aside, Riddle gets serious when fight time comes around. In all likelihood, that approach has transferred to his training at Arizona Combat Sports with Dollaway and other luminaries like Jamie Varner and Night Rider Fickett. Rivera’s BJJ is much lauded but wasn’t on display much during the season. This may be classic New Hotness v. Old and Busted with the bigger and stronger Riddle winning out over the more experienced and soon-to-be-retired Rivera. Riddle by TKO in the 3^rd.

Josh Burkman vs. Dustin Hazelett

David Andrest: J Burk is now full time in Vegas at Xtreme Couture, Hazelett is in OH with Team Jorge Gurgel. I like Hazelett, he has shown heart. I just think Burkman has now turned the corner in his career and full time training with a top level team will pay off. J Burk via KO round 3.

Adam Morgan: Burkman is known for making people look terrible when they fight him. Hazelett is a gamer who likes to attack and be exciting. Burkman stifles those kinds of fighters and makes them extremely frustrated. Hazelett is talented and a solid up-and-comer but Burkman’s freakish strength is something that Hazelett has not dealt with before. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision.

Paul Balsom: I became a pretty big Dustin Hazelett fan during his most recent fight with Josh Koscheck. However, based on McLovin’s flash KO loss in his last fight, I can see a wily haymaker coming in and connecting to Hazelett. Josh Burkman via TKO in the round 2. Note: I want Hazelett to win.

Sam Cupitt: Apart from wrestling and strength, Burkman doesn’t have any advantage over Hazelett in this fight. Add the fact that Burkman has gone on record that he will make this fight exciting no matter what then I think there’s a recipe for a Hazelett submission win. Burkman will come out and lock hold of Hazelett and will put a lot of energy into slamming “McLovin’”. If Hazelett doesn’t lock up a guillotine there then I think he will secure a triangle off of his back shortly thereafter. Hazelett via submission in round 1.

Ram Maramba: I keep hearing about this “corner” that Burkman has turned but haven’t seen any evidence. Is it training at XC Vegas? So did James Thompson and his left ear, JT Jr. Was it his awe-inspiring performance against Mike Swick at UFC Fight Night 12? Wait, that was at Alternate Reality Bizarro Fight Night 7F last Februvember; he sucked at UFN 12. I fail to see what giant strides he’s made since his stint on TUF. Hazelett on the other hand had won three straight going into his last bout against Josh Koscheck and was holding his own until a flying head kick put him down. His standup game may be a bit sloppy but his BJJ is the real deal. McLovin by triangle in the 2^nd.

Marvin Eastman vs. Drew McFedries

David Andrest: McFedries has been “one to watch” for a while now. He has looked both brilliant and uninspired. Eastman is always Eastman. To beat him you must be better than him. Depending on which Drew McFedries shows up will determine the outcome of this fight. Eastman via KO round 3.

Adam Morgan: McFedries’ last fight against Cote was an anomaly. His mother was just brutally murdered just weeks before the fight. How anyone could say that didn’t affect him is just silly. I think we’ll see the real Drew McFedries this time around and Eastman is just another guy that the UFC is feeding to a guy they want to succeed. I’ll use Michael Huckaby logic on this pick. Who does Joe Silva want to see win? McFedries, of course. Drew McFedries via TKO, round two.

Paul Balsom: Eastman was knocked out by Travis Lutter. Drew McFedries hits “slightly” harder than Lutter, according to my observations. McFedries was going through a crazy time in his life around the time of his last fight. I’m looking for McFedries to come out and make fairly quick work and Drew McFedries will win via KO in round 1.

Sam Cupitt: McFedries hits too hard and Eastman has too weak of a chin for this fight not to end in a devastating KO. McFedries just has to land cleanly once and this fight will be over. Eastman’s only chance is to secure early takedowns at the beginning of each round and then stay active enough so the fight won’t return to the feet. If “Beastman” or Dokes from Dexter decides to test the waters standing up then it will be nighty night. McFedries via KO in round 1.

Ram Maramba: Even before the tragic death of his mother, McFedries has been an inconsistent performer with obvious talent. On the other hand, you know what you’re going to get out of Twitchy “Beastman”. If McFedries has recovered mentally, a huge “if”, he’ll take this fight easily and with the quickness over the chinny Eastman. McFedries via 1^st round KO.

Matt Brown vs. Matt Arroyo

Adam Morgan: TUF 6 vs. TUF 7 is what we have here. And we also have Matt Brown fighting at his natural weight of 170 lbs. Obviously Brown is tough as nails but I don’t think he has the gas tank or the overall game to contend with Arroyo. Brown will put up a good fight in a spirited affair but I think Arroyo takes this one when it hits the ground. Matt Arroyo via submission, round two.

Paul Balsom: Matt Arroyo via unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: Matt Brown is a scary human but like Morgan said, his overall game isn’t where it needs to be just now to deal with someone like Arroyo. Brown will look good early and might even connect with a big shot or two but eventually Arroyo will get Brown to the mat and should be able to pass guard and work for a submission fairly quickly. I’m going to guess RNC after Brown turns to his stomach after taking too much punishment. Matt Arroyo via submission in round 1.

Ram Maramba: Arroyo is too slick for Brown at this point in their careers. Brown looks to have a yeoman’s future in front of him while Arroyo already has nice BJJ staple to rely on. Arroyo armbar in round 1.

Jeremy Horn vs. Dean Lister

David Andrest: Horn holds a victory over Lister via decision. Horn holds victories over better opponents. Horn via Decision ………….again.

Adam Morgan: Sure, Horn holds a previous victory over Lister but that means nothing now. Horn has looked lackluster as of late and has been submitted twice in a row now by Jorge Santiago and Nate Marquardt. Lister is the better submission guy, he’s younger in his fight career, and he’s not just fighting to pick up a check like Horn. Dean Lister via submission, round two.

Paul Balsom: I don’t think this one will be quite the bloodbath that it was in their first fight. I also don’t think either one will be as good a fighter as they were during the time of their first fight. This snore fest will go to a decision and Lister will be the victor via split decision.

Sam Cupitt: Everytime I hear that Dean Lister is going to fight I just apply the theory that if the fighter he is facing has more than one dimension to their game then they are going to defeat Lister. Horn has the superior striking and because of that he could most likely avoid any telegraphed shots from Lister. I don’t buy this whole “Horn’s-been-submitted-by-lesser-grapplers-than-Lister-in-his-past-two-fights-so-Lister-should-submit-him-argument”. The reason Horn got submitted by both Santiago and Marquardt is because they are younger and more explosive and Horn just can’t keep pace with the younger generation of fighters anymore. Lister may be younger but he has a much more methodical approach that Horn can recognise and keep pace with. Jeremy Horn via unanimous decision.

Ram Maramba: I wonder how many fights Horn has left on his contract. I guarantee you he knows, because judging from the look on his face he’s just riding out the string. There’s nothing he hasn’t seen in his storied career, but if he’s mentally checked out in this bout he stands to be overwhelmed by the rich, bold flavor of Lister’s world-class BJJ. “The Boogeyman” will never replicate the success he had in the grappling world, but he’s good enough to beat guys like Horn. Typically methodical despite being a strong middleweight, he’ll have to bully Horn a bit to win this fight. This almost guarantees to be a snoozer, but every time I see Lister fight I remember an ADCC opponent draped across his shoulders hanging on to Lister’s balls for dear life. That’s always good for a giggle. Lister by submission in the 2^nd.

Cale Yarbrough vs. Tim Credeur

David Andrest: Jesse beat Tim with pure power. Cale does not have that same type of power. Tim will submit Cale with ease. Tim Credeur via submission round 1.

Adam Morgan: Cale will want to keep this standing and Tim has shown that he is no slouch on the feet. He will be able to weather Cale’s storm on the feet, expose his terrible takedown defense, and submit him on the ground. Tim Credeur via submission, round one.

Paul Balsom: Tim Credeur is a great guy, and since my interview with him, I’ll probably be a Credeur mark whenever I’m picking his fights in the future. Luckily, in this fight, my bias doesn’t have to be illogical. Yarbrough will probably make some hay all over the cage for a couple of minutes, it will eventually get to the ground and Credeur will sub him out. Very easy, in my opinion. Credeur via submission in round 2.

Sam Cupitt: I know you commenters don’t like it when all of us agree on the same outcome for a fight but you have to agree with us that their are certain things that will always remain true in this world. Tim Credeur beating Cale Yarborough via first round submission is one of those things. Credeur via submission (kneebar) in round 1.

Ram Maramba: This season of TUF was interesting because of the personalities of some of the fighters, Credeur included. He’s got the BJJ skins to go along with it and that’ll be enough to overwhelm the equally one-dimensional Yarbrough. Credeur by 1^st round submission.

Rob Yundt vs. Rob Kimmons

Adam Morgan: I can’t say I know too much about either of these guys other than Yundt got choked out by Almeida earlier this year. So..I’ll flip a coin. Kimmons via unanimous decision.

Paul Balsom: My last vision of Rob Yundt was not a good one. I’ll go with Rob Kimmons via 39-second guillotine choke. ?!?

Sam Cupitt: Kimmons is a tough guy with plenty of fights who has made his way up through the lesser organisations. He’s also the head trainer at the Kansas City, Xtreme Couture affiliate so that at least means he should know a guillotine. Rob Kimmons via submission (guillotine) in round 1.

Ram Maramba: Wait, what? Which one is which? I remember Yundt and the last time I saw him he had a Ricardo Almeida hanging off his neck. I’ve never seen Kimmons, but apparently he headlined a bout with Marvin Eastman. Really? I’m going with Kimmons because he’s not some Alaskan scrub. Kimmons by Hot Carl in the 1^st.

On one hand, I think Jesse Taylor is the biggest idiot in the world for blowing the biggest opportunity in his life over something as trivial as alcohol.

On the other hand, I think Taylor is a good person whose punishment might not necessarily fit the crime.

Taylor clearly deserved a reprimand of some kind for his post-TUF 7 celebration that, according to UFC President Dana White, involved kicking out the window of a limousine on Station Casinos property and then verbally accosting several of the casino’s female patrons.

White was one hundred percent correct in his assertion that Taylor’s behavior was unbecoming of a UFC fighter. And Taylor’s decision to commit such infractions on casino owned by the owners of the UFC clearly shows he lacks basic judgment abilities.

That said, I can’t help but wonder though if his decision to remove Taylor from the TUF 7 live finale and out of the UFC entirely was too much.

Taylor is neither the first fighter in the history of the UFC to get caught up in what industry insiders refer to as “the MMA lifestyle” and he’s not the first member of a TUF cast to ever destroy property.

Chuck Liddell has been depicted several times on video as being someone who might like to party a little too much. There have also been eyewitness accounts of him carousing in Las Vegas the night of/morning of a big fight. And when Liddell did his infamous Nyquil interview last year with a local television station, White felt compelled to go out to California and have a talk with his marquee star.

Not to mention, was it just several weeks ago where TUF 7 fighters were depicted causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the TUF Mansion simply because they were bored?

I realize the analogies aren’t perfect. For one, there are different conduct standards that apply to stars of the UFC in comparison to the fighters trying to break into the promotion. In this scenario, the UFC is no different than any other major sports organization when it comes to applying a double-standard.

I also realize the fighters caused their damage inside of the house as opposed to in public. So, since it was inside, the incident was only seen by million of television viewers as opposed to a few hundred patrons at a casino.

Oh wait, that doesn’t make much sense, does it?

Kind of like how it doesn’t make sense that Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver was never formally disciplined for his arrest in San Diego for assault or the fact that Rob Emerson was welcomed back to the UFC with open arms even after his pre-UFC past as a suburban gangster in the “Lords of South County” (or is it “Lordz” with a “Z”?) was brought to light.

Does the decision to boot Taylor while Emerson and Koppenhaver are gainfully employed send the message that it’s okay to strike a person on property that is not owned by Frank or Lorenzo Fertitta but it’s not okay to kick a window out at a casino owned by the Fertittas?

I’m not sure what message it sends because I’m really confused. I’m not saying Koppenhaver or Emerson shouldn’t be in the UFC, merely that if they weren’t publicly reprimanded, why was Taylor? Unless there are some things Taylor did that are being covered up, the decision to remove him from the finale was too harsh.

White made the point that “these are guys that aren’t in the UFC, they are trying to be UFC fighters.” While I understand his point that they need to make the right decisions when trying to get hired by the UFC, I would counter that they are already in the UFC. Every fighter that appears on TUF signs a contract that gives Zuffa to the option to pick up their contract at the conclusion of taping.

Zuffa holds an option to use the fighter but the fighter doesn’t hold the option to fight for another promotion if his option is picked up. So in my eyes, Taylor was already property of the UFC and if the promotion has shown a willingness to offer second chances to other fighters on its roster, why not Taylor?

In the end, Taylor has nobody to blame but himself. I felt he came across as a good person on the show that simply had some maturity issues to work on. Hopefully he learned his lesson and will make changes in his lifestyle and hopefully the UFC gives him a second chance.

Based on some of the comments made by White when he was dismissing Taylor and Taylor’s video interview that was made available immediately after the show on Spike TV, I feel odds are good that he will indeed be given another shot. I just believe he should have been given that shot and allowed to compete in Saturday’s middleweight final.

Sorry that we didn’t have a full recap up this morning but I didn’t get a chance to see any part of the show until this morning and time is short, so here’s the skinny:Amir Sadollah beat C.B. Dollaway in the second semifinal matchup last night in a fight that C.B. was controlling for two rounds. Amir did catch him with some good shots and had him rocked a couple of times but Dollaway was able to regain his composure and take back control of the fight on the ground. Amir looked good, throwing lots of powerful shots, persevering through a nasty cut underneath his eye, and throwing up submission attempts from the bottom. In the third round it was clear that Amir was the fresher fighter and he rushed Dollaway and they ended up on the ground. From there Dollaway was careless and got caught in a tight armbar to which he immediately tapped.

They announced the finals as Jesse Taylor vs. Amir Sadollah and then Dana White tells us the story of how Taylor gets kicked off the show. Apparently Dana takes all the fighters out after the show to go clubbing, eat, kick back, and enjoy Vegas. Jesse and a couple of others stayed behind a day or so more and that’s when things got interesting. Jesse apparently drank too much (to no one’s surprise) and kicked out a window of a limousine at Stations Casino. He then went inside of the casino and was harassing several of the female patrons. Security came and Jesse was yelling “Do you know who I am? I’m a UFC fighter?”

Dana brought the coaches in, told them about the situation, and it’s decided that Jesse will be out of the UFC and out of the finals. They brought Jesse in to tell him that he’s out of the UFC and that he’s physically ready for the UFC but that he’s nowhere near mentally ready. Dana told him that it’s different when you’re tearing up the house and having fun but when you get out into the real world and do that kind of thing, you get arrested. Jesse actually showed some real emotion and regret for what he’d done, as well he should. He ruined the biggest opportunity of his life over some drinks and what he perceived to be some fun.

WATCH an interview with Jesse Taylor, he gives his side of the story.

From there, they didn’t know what to do. This is the first time this has ever happened in TUF history. So they brought back C.B. Dollaway and Tim Credeur, the losers of the semifinals, to fight against one another to determine who goes on to face Amir in the finals. This very well could have been the best fight of the entire season. It was a see-saw, back and forth battle that saw both guys land shots on the feet and land takedowns. C.B. got takedowns a couple of times but Credeur got right back up and was surprisingly effective on his feet. It was a hell of a fight and could have gone either way, but the judges score it a unanimous decision for C.B. Dollaway.

So we’ll see C.B. Dollaway vs. Amir Sadollah in the finals for the right to become the next Ultimate Fighter.

Tim had a bunch of thoughts regarding the fight itself, the show in general, his upcoming fight at the TUF finale show on June 21, and the upcoming fight between coaches Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Forrest Griffin.

Paul Balsom: After waiting a long time, you finally got to see last night’s episode. What are some of your thoughts?

Tim Credeur: I thought the fight was… a lot better than I thought it was. I think from my vantage point in the fight, on the bottom eating elbows for fifteen minutes, that fight was pretty difficult and I thought it was a lot more one-sided. When I was watching the fight, I feel like I did a lot better than I thought I did. I threw pretty much every submission I knew, but it was tough. Training with a guy like Jesse, who’s big and strong, for six weeks, he knew a lot of my game by then. It was just tough to catch him in anything. I think the fight, all in all, was pretty exciting, and the show was pretty exciting. I think America got to get a firm understanding of Jesse Taylor and his intensity. But yeah, I enjoyed the whole time I was on the show; it was unbelievable. So, all in all, I think the season went much better than I thought it would.

PB:There was one scene in the show last night where you were telling Jesse how to defend the triangle, and you got a little bit of flack for that. After fighting him, would you take that back, or do you stand by what you did?

TC: Jesse is my friend, and I’m probably a better instructor than I am a fighter. If I see a friend of mine doing something wrong, I’m going to let him know. I’m going to give him my best advice on how to help him. It may be that that did backfire on me during the fight, but I don’t care. If I’m going to beat a guy, I want to beat a guy doing his best. I don’t want to beat a guy that keeps doing the same stupid stuff in practice everything then catch him with it. It sounds stupid because it is a six-figure contract with the UFC on the line, but my integrity can’t be bought. I’m going to be the guy I am regardless of any of that other stuff. I was friends with Jesse before, and I’m going be friends with Jesse for the rest of my life. So no, I don’t take it back. I didn’t really think about what I was saying, or what I was telling him at the time, but that’s just the kind of guy and the kind of coach that I am. I definitely don’t regret it, and I don’t take it back. During the fight, he did get out of a lot and he did manage to get out of a couple triangles, so maybe it backfired on me, but I don’t really care.

PB: If you had to fight him a second time, how would you change your strategy?

TC: I don’t really know. No one was really able to keep Jesse off of them. Jesse’s takedowns are amazing. He’s pretty short and stocky, so for that weight class, when he shoots on you it’s pretty tough. He took Dolce down a couple of times, who is a really good wrestler, and Dante’s another good grappler that Jesse took down over and over. So I’m not really sure that I could stop the takedowns.

My corner was saying a lot of great things during the fight… to keep my butterfly guard, try to get over-hooks, and continue to work the sweep, all of which I did in the second round. Sometimes I’m a little too aggressive, and I just continue to go for the submissions regardless of the bad positions he put me in. I did that in the second round and lost that top position. I probably should have just stayed on top and beat on him for the rest of that round and hopefully taken some out of him.
I probably could have stopped that takedown in the third, but I had kind of a shoulder injury going into that fight from the Dan Cramer fight. I wasn’t really able to separate myself from Jesse to get my under-hooks in, so it was kind of tough having issues with that shoulder. I think I would work a little more on sweeps, and if I did get on top, I’d stay on top and make him pay for giving me the sweep. I wanted to try and lull Jesse into standing with me during the fight, but he knew how he had to win the fight.

All in all, I can’t say that the fight didn’t go according to my plan, other than none of the submissions I threw didn’t stick. If one of those submissions ended up landing… you know, you’d be talking to Jesse right now instead of me. But that’s how it goes I guess. It was disappointing, but I knew that any second I could have caught him. Some of my injuries caught up with me at that time, and I was having a tough time doing the things I normally do. I think the fight would be a little different if we did it again.

PB: Overall, how was the experience of living in the Ultimate Fighter house for you personally?

TC: There are two sides to that question. For my career, it was a phenomenal experience. For exposure for me and for my future in the sport, it is an opportunity that you can’t purchase. It definitely has changed my life.

Now, in terms of what the experience was like for me personally while I was there, it was a nightmare. You are living in a very small isolated environment with 15 other people that all want to kill you, so it is a pretty difficult and volatile situation. The training situation was really tough as well. Training with people, like Jesse, who you are going to fight is hard, because by the time you get to the fight, they know a lot of your game plans and your little tricks, and it’s tough to beat them. It was very tough being away from my wife and my family. For me, as a fighter, that is where I draw a lot of my support, so it was hard for me in that sense.

The training we got on the show with Forrest and the rest of the team was amazing. For my career, you can’t buy something like that. It was tough though, and it definitely an exercise in mental fortitude. I don’t think a lot of the fighters are ready for it going in, but it was really tough mentally.

PB: Building off of that, you mentioned your training with Forrest and all of the resources you had on the show. There have been some rumblings out there saying that maybe Forrest over-trained his fighters, or Forrest trained you too aggressively. What are your thoughts on that?

TC: I disagree. In my opinion, Forrest looks at it as his job. He took the job as being a coach on The Ultimate Fighter as a job. He’s not there to be on camera or to be cool. He took it as his responsibility to provide an environment for some up and coming fighters to get better. He made it so we had a couple sessions or two or three hours per day to train. There were many times I sat out of practice for a variety of reasons: my shoulder hurt, my back hurt, I felt over-trained, or just like I was tired and needed to rest more. I had no problem telling Forrest or any of the coaches that I wasn’t going to train for that session. At no time did any of them make fun of you or belittle you if you felt the need to rest. The jobs of the coaches were to provide the environment where there was some real training. You needed to take the responsibility to train if you wanted to. Being a veteran and knowing my own body and knowing how fighting goes, I don’t know if I had a bigger advantage because I was willing to say that I wasn’t training that day or what, but I had no problem telling them. I realized that at the end of the day, I’m on this show to win. I’m not on this show to be a training all-star… I’m here to win the show. If that means that I need to rest my body to heal, then that’s what it means, and I have no problem telling Forrest Griffin or Dana White or anybody else what I feel my body needs.

Maybe some other guys were intimidated or they didn’t want to seem like punks or whatever. So they did all of the training, and it was too much for them to handle. So I’ll chalk that one up to experience. I’m an experienced fighter, and I know what my body feels like and I know what it does, and what it is and isn’t supposed to do. So, I don’t think Forrest over-trained anybody, I think those people probably just over-trained themselves.

PB: Going back to the beginning of the season, what were your immediate thoughts when you found out that you were going to have to fight to get onto the show?

TC: My immediate thought was… “If I show back up in Browbridge after three days, my wife is going to leave me!” I really did think that! We actually got a memo that said we had to get off the plane at 190. Again, I don’t know if it’s my experience, or maybe my sharp intellect, I don’t know, but that tells me that I’m fighting pretty soon. I don’t know what that tells other guys, but for me, if the UFC tells me to get off the plane at four or five pounds above my weight class, I know that means that they’re going to expect me to be at 186 pretty soon. So my training camp going into The Ultimate Fighter was about eight weeks before the show and I was ready to fight when I got off of the plane. I was absolutely sure that they were taking me directly from the airport to an Octagon to fight someone… I mean, I just knew it. I had talked to some other guys that had been on the show, and showing up five pounds above the weight class was never something they had done with anybody before. So, I knew something was amiss.

So, it didn’t really surprise me. The guy that I ended up fighting first ended up being probably one of the most experienced guys of the whole 32-person cast. Eric Charles was 10-5 I think. He is an ex-boxer, kick-boxer from the Boston-area. He had great stand up, but a really suspect ground-game. That’s not necessarily a good thing when you’re fighting me, so I did what I had to do. I took him to the ground and tapped him. But like I said before, I expected to be fighting, I knew it was going to happen, I knew I was going on a fighting show, so when the time came, I wasn’t really too surprised.

PB: It seemed though, on that first episode, like it was a huge shock to some of the guys. Were there a lot who just didn’t pick that up, like you did?

TC: Yeah, there were a lot of people who were completely blown away. They were confused, had no idea, some had quit their jobs thinking they were already on the show. Not that I didn’t think I wasn’t already on the show, but I didn’t think that there was a possibility that I could be headed home after three days. I would say that was shocking, but the fact of me fighting quickly, I knew that would happen.

The whole point is that the UFC are trying to find fighters that are capable of dealing with some of these adversities. Now in the UFC, guys have to fight pretty regularly on short notice, and you have to fight all over the world and in all of these strange environments. That can be very taxing mentally. So TUF is kind of like a microcosm of that. There are a lot of different variables, and a lot of different scenarios that they get you ready for. It seems like the people that can handle some of situations on TUF are the type of people that can handle being in the UFC. Those are the things that guys don’t really pay attention to before they come onto the show. People get really worried about their jiu-jitsu and their boxing, but that mental game is huge. So the first fight was just one in a series of mental tests in The Ultimate Fighter, you know? Some people could handle it; they got in there and beat their guy and moved on, and some guys didn’t. The UFC is looking for people who can deal with it when things don’t go according to their perfect plans. Things don’t go like that, and that’s not how life works. The mental aspect of the show wasn’t too hard for me though. That’s probably where I’m best. Mentally I am probably better than I am physically. So I think it was a good opportunity for me to flourish in that type of environment.

PB: Are you going to be fighting for the UFC in the future? How was your correspondence been with them since the show?

TC: I’m fighting in the finale on June 21. I am definitely on the card, but I can’t say who I am fighting yet. At this point in my career, I plan on fighting for the UFC and staying with them for as long as I can. If for whatever reason I lose that contract and I’m no longer fighting for the UFC, it’s going to be really tough to go back to little small local shows. I like the UFC, I’ve always wanted to fight for the UFC, and it’s where I want to finish up my career. So, right now, I’m definitely contracted with them and I don’t plan on going anywhere.

PB: So, the preview of next week’s episode has left a bunch of people wondering about who gets the boot from the show. Can you tell me, for sure, that Jesse Taylor is going to be fighting in the finale?

TC: (Pause) It’s taken me about… 10 years… to make it… to the UFC. So, I am not going to risk that for your web site! (Laughs) So no, I cannot tell you… anything… nothing… but good question though.

PB: I didn’t think so, but I do what I can. So, you got to spend a lot of time with Forrest and Rampage during the taping of the show, and you got to know them and train with them a little bit. Now that their fight is right around the corner, what are your thoughts on the fight, and how do you see it finishing?

TC: Well I’m actually out in Vegas, training with Forrest and he’s helping me, and I’m… his training dummy. He just beats on me and throws me around all day. Obviously that helps me for my fight too. I’d be remised if I didn’t say that I was somewhat biased toward Forrest in this fight. He’s a personal friend and my training partner, so I definitely want the best for him. This fight is definitely the case of an athlete versus a hard worker. Forrest and I are a lot alike. He works really really hard. He’s not the greatest athlete, or he’s not this super-genetic freak, he’s just in the gym all the time training and training and training. It’s very similar to my style. For me, I have to believe that that style can win, that that style can be triumphant. So, of course I’m going with Forrest.

I have trained with Rampage in the past, though. Far before The Ultimate Fighter. This is back when Rampage was first starting his career, and I was living in southern California. The both of us trained together at Team Punishment, and he was an amazing athlete and an amazing fighter then. He has only gotten a whole lot better since.

So who’s going to win this fight? That’s a hard call. These fighters are two completely opposite sides of the spectrum. I think the later the fight goes, the better Forrest has a chance to win, with his mental preparation and endurance. Like we saw in the Chuck Liddell fight though, we always know that Rampage can finish you off quick. I think it’s going to be a great fight, but I’m pulling for Forrest, for sure.

PB: Are you planning on making the move to Vegas for good, or is it going to be just for this fight?

TC: I don’t think I’m making the move to Vegas just yet. My wife and I have not completely decided. I love Louisiana and I love back home where I’m at. There are some great fighters down there: Alan Belcher, Rich Clementi, Kyle Bradley. I don’t think that I necessarily need to be in Vegas to be competitive. It is up in the air though, so we’ll see.

PB: Did you buy Matt Riddle the XBOX?

TC: Yeah, of course I bought Riddle the XBOX. I mailed it to him down in Arizona where he’s training now. He loves it and plays it a lot, I’m sure.