The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Fridays @ 10pm ET on FX)

The Ultimate Fighter LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber
Debuts: 9pm ET, March 9th, 2012 (FX Network)
Airs: Fridays @ 10pm ET (FX Network)
Finale: June 1st, 2012 (FX Network)
Host: Jon Anik
Coaches: Dominick Cruz & Urijah Faber


TEAM CRUZ

Coach: Dominic Cruz, UFC Bantamweight Champion of the World (reigning)
Staff: Doug Balzarin, Phil Davis (UFC Light Heavyweight), Eric DelFierro, Lloyd Irvin, Ross Pearson (UFC Featherweight), Wilson Reis (former Bellator Bantamweight), Shannon Slack

Fighters: Myles Jury, Jeremy Larsen, Justin Lawrence, Mike Rio, Sam Sicilia, Chris Tickle, James Vick, Vinc Pichel


TEAM FABER

Coach: Urijah Faber
Staff: Dustin Akbari, Justin Buchholz (former UFC Lightweight), Lance Palmer, Fabio Prado, Master Thong

Fighters: Michael Chiesa, John Cofer, Daron Cruickshank, Al Iaquinta, Christiano Marcello, Andy Ogle, Joe Proctor, Chris Saunders


RESULTS

James Vick d. Daron Cruickshank
Justin Lawrence d. Christiano Marecello
Al Iaquinta d. Myles Jury
Michael Chiesa d. Jeremy Larsen
Joe Proctor d. Chris Tickle
Vinc Pichel d. Jon Cofer
Chris Saunders d. Sam Sicilia
Andy Ogle d. Mike Rios

James Vick d. Joe Proctor
Michael Chiesa d. Justin Lawrence
Vinc Pichel d. Chris Saunders
Al Iaquinta d. Andy Ogle

James Vick vs. Michael Chiesa
Vinc Pinchel vs. Al Iaquinta

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter Live: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

TUF Cast, as of Feb 27


Akbarh Arreloa (Chula Vista, Calif.)
Al Iaquinta (Wantagh, N.Y.)
Ali Maclean (Belfast, North Ireland)
Andy Ogle (Tynemouth, England)
Austin Lyons (Cordova, Tenn.)
Brendan Weafer (New York, N.Y.)
Chris Tickle (Bloomington, Ill.)
Cody Pfister (Amarillo, Texas)
Cristiano Marcello (Curitiba, Brazil)
Chase Hackett (Littleton, Colo.)
Chris Saunders (Long Beach, Calif.)
Dakota Cochrane (Omaha, Neb.)
Daron Cruickshank (Wayne, Mich.)
Drew Dober (Omaha, Neb.)
Erin Beach (San Diego, Calif.)
James Krause (Blue Springs, Mo.)
James Vick (Fort Worth, Texas)
Jared Carlsten (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Jeff Smith (Mechanicsburg, Penn.)
Jeremy Larsen (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Joe Proctor (Pembroke, Mass.)
John Cofer (Hull, Ga.)
Johnavan Vistante (Pearl City, Hawaii)
Jon Tuck (Hagtna, Guam)
Jordan Rinaldi (Matthews, N.C.)
Justin Lawrence (Villa Ridge, Mo.)
Mark Glover (Liverpool, England)
Michael Chiesa (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
Myles Jury (San Diego, Calif.)
Mike Rio (Miami, Fla.)
Sam Sicilia (Spokane Valley, Wash.)
Vinc Pichel (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

If you're wondering whether Spike TV is going to counter-program the new TUF LIVE -- you better believe it!

Spike is going to run TUF Friday's with 3-hours of old TUF episodes running concurrently with the new series, and they have tapped Kimbo Slice to 'host' the show.

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter Live: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

Oh yeah forgot to mention this is the guy that recently beat Jamie Varner and moonlights as a gay porn star (Cochrane, not Varner).

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

The show debuts tonight on FX.

If you are in Canada and don't have FX, Sportsnet is replaying at midnight, IIRC.

Keep in mind that while it's on tonight at 9pm ET, in the future it will be on at 10.

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

Maybe it's me but FX's production of TUF Live last night was awkward. It was quiet and uncomfortable, with long waits between decisions being announced (even when they were unnecessary due to a submission or knockout), the commentary of DW/Faber/Cruz was sparse and forced, and Jon Anik seemed like he was never sure what his queue was to start talking. Add to that an almost complete lack of background noise or music and it just came-off as if Zuffa hadn't done TUF before. Guess it will take FX a little while to work the bugs out.

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

The fighters who advanced are:

Michael Chiesa
John Cofer
Daron Cruickshank
Al Iaquinta
Myles Jury (2nd time)
Jeremy Larsen
Justin Lawrence
Cristiano Marcello
Andy Ogle
Vinc Pichel
Joe Proctor
Mike Rio
Chris Saunders
Sam Sicilia
Chris Tickle
James Vick

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

Dana White ‏ <s>@</s>danawhite Just landed in Vegas from TUF Brazil and something bad has already happened on TUF here so on my way to the training center.

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

After winning his live qualifying fight to get into the house, Mike Chiesa dedicated his performance to his ailing father. Shortly thereafter his father passed, but not before getting to see his son win on television, according to what we learned on the show. Chiesa was granted about 24-hours leave from the show to go home and attend the funeral and he returned the next day. It was probably the most emotionally charged episode of TUF ever.

 

Re: The Ultimate Fighter 15 LIVE: Team Cruz vs. Team Faber (Mar/9)

So the show is back to normal. Whatever problems they had last week must've been the result of doing a live show. Blame the director, maybe. Episode two was vintage TUF. Everything is the same as it ever was.

James Vick--fluke? What do you guys think?

 

That was easily one of the best episodes the show has ever had. At the expense of Mike Chiesa, it was emotionally powerful. The fight was quick and sweet with a surprise knockout ending. Then, for a finale, Dominic Cruz absolutely crushed and humiliated Urijah Faber and his team, punking the lot of them to a level I don't think we've seen on TUF before.

If you missed it, Cruz picked his top guy, Justin Lawrence, to fight next. He brought him up and turned to Faber and told him to choose Lawrence's opponent. Flabbergasted, Faber hesitates before asking if any of his guys want to step up and take the fight (none do), before putting it back to Cruz, who immediately picks Marcello. Complete ownage by Cruz.

I think it is even better than GSP's fake fighter list completely tricking Josh Koscheck into giving GSP the first pick. Only Koscheck was embarrassed that time. Cruz's entire team was punked and he was made to look a poor field general in the process.

 

Cruz's top pick Justin Lawrence looked pretty raw in his win over Christiano Marcello. I was surprised that he didn't get tired seeing as how every punch he threw was a full power shot. I think a very technical fighter like Nam Phan could beat him right now. The extended, 13-week run of the show will do him a lot of good as he looks like he needs a lot of refinement.

 

So is Chris Tickle the next crazy guy in the TUF house? Seems to be going that way.

Jury/Iaquinta was a bit frustrating to watch. Jury was doing well until he got his bell rung in the second round. Then they just sparred it out. Seemed like Jury was the better fighter but was either hurt or didn't have the will to win.

 

The ratings are in for TUF 15 and it's bad--they are the lowest ever for the show.

DFW is saying that people don't know the show is on FX. Maybe not, but 1/3 of the audience would have to not know for the ratings to be back to normal. Seems doubtful.

 

I'm just over the whole TUF thing. I haven't bothered to check into a single episode yet. No name (media wise) coaches and a major channel change on a night where most of the target audience goes out to bars? Really, Dana thought that would be a great idea?

 

^ It's true, Friday night is television wasteland. I DVR it because I can never watch, rendering the whole "live" gimmick pointless.

 

Chris Tickle got his five minutes of camera time and then got choked-out.

Not much to say other than Joe Proctor has a wicked Northeaster accent.