TUF 7 Blog

MMA Junkie has TUF cast member CB Dolloway writing a blog entry about his experience of being on The Ultimate Fighter.
I'll post his write ups in here so you can read his first hand experiences.
The write ups are after the espisode so no spoilers will be in the post.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Imagine putting your training, girlfriend, everything on hold because you were able to pursue your dream.

For a select few and me, we got that chance -- or so we thought.

When I was told I was selected for "The Ultimate Fighter 7," I was told the basics, which included: don't tell anyone, be here by this date, and be ready to go. There were no caveats, but also as I think back, there were not a lot of "welcome aboard" or "glad to have you" comments being made either. It would of stood out, but my trainers and of course my family were telling me congrats and all and filling my head with positive thoughts.

When they called for my sizes, I felt as if it was a real event that was just around the corner. My trainers had me get close to weight (what a blessing that turned out to be) and train as if I had a fight coming up right around the corner.

When we arrived in Las Vegas at the UFC Training Center, it was a pot of mixed emotions for all "16" of us. We were taking in the place and sizing each other up. It kind of reminded me of weigh-ins at a wrestling tournament -- except you know they are all your opponents and yet potential teammates at the same time.

For me I was torn with wanting to see exactly who I was going to fight and figuring out how was I going to smash him. I was also looking around and trying to really appreciate all the greats that had been here before me. This show has built some of the biggest stars and shown some of MMA's weakest links at the same time. As confident as I was, I must admit I was humbled by the venue.

We were all waiting, essentially not trying to show too much or too little. Imagine, if you would, about 16 or so 2-year-old male dogs in a park full of treats and fire hydrants. That would sum up the mood. We were all waiting for the next treat (which in my mind was meeting Dana White) when that door opened, and it was a group of eight more fighters. It felt like the air was sucked out of the building.

You always hear about editing and how the producers can make things appear differently from what is really going on. However, I think the first episode -- and for sure that very moment -- was captured as true reality. We were as confident as can be that we were on our paths to making our dreams come true. Then, bam! Another eight guys walk through the door.

At that moment I knew this season was going to be different, very different.

Dana then came in, and he laid it down: we were fighting to get on the show. He wanted to cut right to it and figure out who really wanted to be in that house.

My jaw hit the floor. I was hoping the 16 fighters in the second group were the alternates.

So there I was among 31 other guys that wanted my spot. I immediately went into competition mode. I wanted to be alone and away from all of these guys. At that moment I hated every single one of them, and I did not want to watch them fight, train or breathe. I was near weight thanks to my amazing trainers, so I found a corner of the gym and began getting ready to destroy whoever or whatever was going to stand between me and what I put my life on hold for. We were given 48 hours to lose the weight and be fight-ready.

I was unaware as to who was who and what the order of the fights were, so I was actually seeing a lot of the fights for the first time on TV with you guys. I think it was easy to see early on that Dana knows what he is doing and that some of the guys that lost looked like they did not want to be on the show.

For me, watching these fights live would have been almost as exhausting as fighting in them. I also think that Dana, Rampage and Forrest make for great ringside commentary, and it was refreshing to see them be very honest even when speaking about each of their fighters or friends. They were brutally honest. I thought John Clarke put on a good showing and that his loss can be attributed to cutting too much weight in too short of a period of time.

Watching these fights on TV, I finally got to understand why the guys going into the house were so anti-Jeremy May. He was gloating and acting as if he had just won a six-figure contract when in reality he wasn't even a cast member until that very moment -- and there were still many guys that were not going to make it. I wish I could tell you that Jeremy's idiocy was confined to episode one, but I would be lying.

Watching myself -- well, as I said -- I was ready. My training camp at Arizona Combat Sports has had people on the show before. They were very clear with me that the show and the pressures of being on it were much harder than as seen on TV, so I trained accordingly. My management company gets me paid monthly and even advanced me money to make sure the only thing I had to be worried about was being fight-ready. You heard Dana say it about me and it's true: I am "f***ing good," and I'm only getting better.

While they showed you "highlights" of my fight during the episode, that is exactly how it went: quick and painful. I wanted my next fight right then. I did not care how fresh my opponent would have been. If it came down to two guys who still needed to fight, then I wanted both of them. No one was going to stand between those crappy living conditions and me. I want to be on the greatest stage in the entire fight game, "the octagon."

My goal for you fans of "TUF" is to give you some behind-the-scenes things that the editors don't show, tell you about some of the drama in the house and at the gym, and how it all unfolded. I will give my opinions of how I saw the show and what I felt was really going on.

This is going to be a great show. Dana and the entire crew kept us hungry and ready and on our toes the whole time. It was clear they were looking for the next best fighter, and all 32 of us thought we had what it would take. Within the first week, 16 dreams ended quicker than they began.

If you have questions about the show, you can reach me at MySpace, available at www.myspace.com/subsmooth1. I will attempt to answer what I can.

Stay tuned to an amazing season ahead. Yes, some posers made it on the show – but so, too, did some really amazing fighters. Together you will see some of the most exciting fights and an amazing display of man drama. See who goes and who stays next, and then let the real fun begin.

I can assure you one thing: with having to earn your way into the house, once you're in, you're fighting that much harder to keep your place.

I'll see you next week!</div>

 

This season is gonna be the best one yet, Rampage is great for the show

 

The more I see of Rampage the more I like him.

I'm really glad that the show seems to be moving away from the reality TV cliche's and just focusing on the fights. I think that having to leave the house after a loss will really help that. Rarely are the active contestants involved in the drama.

 

you gotta go youtube search rampage. there's some great stuff on there.
one made prior to his title match with Wand in Pride has him talking about what he's gonna do witht he Pride Belt when he wins it.. too hilarous.

 

Here's week 2's recap from CB Dolloway

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"TUF7" Blog: C.B. Dollaway discusses episode No. 2
Welcome back to my blog for episode two of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest."

To help you follow my column, I think it is important that you know Spike TV is showing the fights out of order. Although my figh was shown last week, all of the fights took place in one day, and I was actually the second-to-last fight, and Cale Yarbrough was the last fight. So again, this episode was my first time seeing a lot of these fights.

I had heard about them, and obviously, I was aware of who won or loss, but during this long day, I kept to myself in my own little corner of the gym. The pressure I speak of was real. While there were a limited amount of spectators, the entire venue and what it represents is very overwhelming. You are in front of the best promoter in all of MMA, Dana White, and not one -- but two -- of the best 205-pound fighters in the world evaluating and judging if your good enough to be on their team and in the UFC. I am pretty sure every fighter in the building had the "UFC jitters," and win or lose, you never get another first opportunity to show these important evaluators what you are made of.

The losers of fights that did not need medical care stayed around the whole day interacting and being a part of the event. Some of them made a lasting impression, and others I could not remember until I saw them fight tonight or on last week's episode. That being said, I think you are going to hear the names of some of the guys that lost again. Some of these guys just need more training or another shot since some of the fights could have really gone either way.

My favorite losing fighter was "Mississippi" Jeremiah Riggs. He showed tremendous heart, and his words matched his fighting style. He lacks training and nothing else. A lot of talented guys could go far if they had an ounce of Riggs' heart. If I remember correctly, he was a former Army Ranger and an all-around tough SOB.

At the midway point of this long day, I was worn out mentally and physically. Emotions are all over the place from fighters elated that they won and back to acknowledging they haven't really won anything. As a matter of fact, we had only accomplished what we had previously thought we already accomplished, which was getting on the show. Aside from that, we still had a long road ahead of us, and who knew what the twists and turns ahead would be.

With a few fights left before mine, I knew I did not want to go home to face my family and friends and explain to them I was not really on "The Ultimate Fighter" but instead was "invited" to fight to tryout and lost.

The show tonight was great, mostly because I was not on it! Seriously, it is very difficult to watch yourself speak or interact with other people. Fighting on camera is one thing, but dealing with people, the camera and the pressure of the opportunity seem to draw out the strange in all of us.

Matthew Riddle's KO of Dan Simmler was brutal to see. I remember when it happened. At first, I thought someone was laughing. Or maybe since it is "TUF," a man-cry was not out of the question. Before the KO, the ref looked like he was backing away as that blow landed, and by the time he made it to the fighters, Riddle landed at least three more solid blows. Hearing a man groan in pain after a brutal KO makes you worried. I am sure this wasn't Simmler's first time getting his clock cleaned; it was obvious that he was seriously injured.

Then we have Riddle, who had nothing but smiles. He would go on to become nicknamed "Smiley," and a more true nickname could not be found. I really enjoyed my time with him, and I think you will come to appreciate what he is all about. Riddle and Simmler had crossed paths in the BJJ arena prior to this, and I do not think there were a lot of positive feelings between them. If you missed this KO, you do not need to wait to catch the rerun as it would be impossible to include Matthew Riddle in the "TUF7" series without including one of the many times he retells the story of his KO over Simmler. It wouldn't surprise me if Riddle is calling the Newsday writer who did that big story on Simmler during the tryouts. I'm sure Riddle is walking him through the reasons Simmler is not on the show.

Anyway, let's jump into the next fight they showed. Pat Schultz came out aggressive and I thought he was going to finish and finish fast. Luke Zachrich showed a lot of heart and hung in there to pull out a nice victory by rear-naked choke. Pat showed that you can lose like a man and walk out with your head high.

Tim Credeur was one of the better-known contestants. A few other fighters and I knew of him and his potential. He did exactly what we all expected and dominated his guy, Erik Charles. I will tell you that Tim is more than just a black belt in BJJ and is a real threat to win it all.

Gerald Harris was a big surprise to me. I had not seen much of him, but his style is hard and fast. I was surprised his opponent, Mike Marrello, lasted as long as he did. To me, Harris was one of the guys that could also win this show. A lot of credit should be given to his opponent for hanging in on a tough fight and never giving up.

I had seen Jesse Taylor fight before just like I had seen my opponent fight before. Jesse fought my teammate and fellow "TUF" alumnus Jesse Forbes and was defeated by arm bar. This fight showed us that Jesse was a real threat. He put on a clinic and had very accurate ground and pound. When Forbes beat him, it was Forbes that put on the clinic that night. Tonight would be different and honestly, I am starting to see why Dana made us fight to get in. Mentally, we all pretty much know where each other stands. No more waiting till the semis to see what everyone's abilities really are.

For those of you without a DVR, Jesse's mouthpiece said "Money," and his new nickname he was trying to push was "J.T. Money." Unfortunately for Jesse, we saw fit that he had a different nickname. You will have to stay tuned to see how much he hates it! I can tell you he won't be getting a new mouthpiece with the new nickname, but it fits him to a T!

Mike Dolce, Harris, Creduer and Taylor were my ones to watch. They all showed a ton of skill and aggression that will make for a terrific match-up for me if and when we meet up. During my life of competition, I do not get nervous. I mentally fight my opponent in my head. I can visualize how the fight may go. These four guys all had something that kept them, in my mind, more than others. They stood out. As you will see, this is MMA, and any fighter can be a threat. At any given moment, fights and outcomes can change and often do.

At this point in the show, we are still living out of our duffel bags in the hotel, and we are ready to get in the house. The service is very VIP, but I know the 16 winners are ready to get the show on the road. In my mind, we would have already had one of the 16 eliminated by now if we wouldn't have had to fight to get on the house. We had our cell phones, clothing and basically every personal item taken from us. We were given a ton of UFC and TapouT gear to wear (no, we all don't shop at the same store) and were essentially sequestered like jurors on a big trial. We wanted to get in the house, we wanted to know who our coaches were going to be, and we wanted to begin moving toward the finale.

We also had about 13 or so of the fighters that lost and were going home, and of course, the producers were dealing with what they were going to tell people. It was a group of happy guys and a group of guys that just had their dreams of being an ultimate fighter squashed and would be home quicker than any of us could have imagined.

I was not sure if my fight was long enough to really show Dana or either coach what I had to offer. For me, Rampage was more my fighting style. He is a wrestler that likes to slam his opponents and goes for the KO in every fight. Is that what I needed? My MMA career is short, but in that time, I have been known more for my striking than my wrestling. This is in large part due to my trainers from Arizona Combat Sports. Todd and Trevor Lally are great strikers, and they have taught me so much. Not having to lay on people to get wins is what makes me a happy fighter.

Then, I was thinking that Forrest may be better for me. He has great stand up and great takedown defense. His fight with Tito Ortiz showed how well rounded he is, and the TUF Finale with Forrest and Bonnar was one of the best fights I have seen in years. I do not know much about their coaching abilities but for sure, Forrest has an edge with his "TUF" experience.

I had to tell myself to calm down and let things happen. My job is to give 110 percent in the octagon when called upon. In six to eight weeks, these coaches won't be able to make that much of an impact. I needed to gather my tools, my senses and my thoughts and understand that the only thing I could control was how hard I fought. The rest was out of my hands. I have trained my whole life for this moment. The only thing I could control was my performance.

I know some of the crazy antics from the show may make us look like we were not serious about the opportunity or unaware of the lasting impression these antics will leave. I will say the producers do a good job creating an atmosphere where anything is possible. We will test that "anything is possible" theory many times through out the series.

What we now know is that 16 hungry fighters will enter the house next week. All of us have earned this spot. All of us are on the show because we want to be there. We have some great fighters in the house. Nobody wants to go home, and I am excited to be one of them.

This past weekend, I went to XCC 6, where my teammate Ryan "Darth" Bader was headlining the main event. He showed his dominance by winning in 47 seconds of the first round. It was my first post-TUF public appearance. Ryan and I are roommates and former teammates for the Arizona State University wrestling team. He was one of the big stars on the ASU team, and he and I entered into MMA together. Our management team works with corporate sponsors and was able to get SOYO.com and MTX Audio to financially support us, which allows us to fight full time. So essentially, we have been lucky enough to be full-time fighters from the start of our MMA careers.

That fight reminded me of the 31 "TUF" castmates that made the ultimate sacrifice to pursue the dream of one day fighting for the UFC. I know a lot of the guys like "Mowhawk" and others who sold a lot of their possessions to be a part of this opportunity. I am thankful for the easy road we have been given by our management company. You always here the grass is greener on the other side. For my teammates and me, we have a pretty nice lawn with a monthly lawn care service, and I think I owe LG Sports Marketing, MTX and SOYO.com a big thank you for helping me reach this important milestone in my career.

My website should be up soon. In the meantime keep hitting me up on Myspace. Now that we are moving into the house, the real fun begins. So stay tuned, and I will talk to you next week.</div>

dang this guy is a really good writer.. that or he has a great editor.

 

Here's C.B.'s write up for episode 3

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Welcome back to my blog for the third episode "The Ultimate Fighter 7."

The show begins with us moving into the house. We left the gym after the 16 fights that were held to see who gets in and headed to the house for the first time. We rode in two separate vans and soon arrived in an upscale neighborhood. Some people may consider it a track community. The houses were close to one another, and there was no doubt which house was ours. As we arrived, the house had tons of cars in front and lining the street, and stadium lighting could be seen in the backyard.

As we pulled into the driveway, it was obvious this was a very nice home. Most of the guys were walking around checking the house out and checking out the backyard. Not me, I headed for the rooms to claim my sleeping spot. We had not been assigned any rooms, and I wanted to get prime real estate. Some of the rooms had bunk beds, and some were set up with full beds and partitions. I landed in the master bedroom, and staying with me in my room was Patrick Schultz and my fellow MMAjunkie.com writer Luke Zachrich.

As sly as I thought I was being with the early selection, I ended up with a bed near one of the three restrooms. Big mistake since the guys seemed to use it nonstop. And after the guys get loose, they were partying, and I was trying to sleep right next to one of the busiest areas of the house.

The house has an amazing pool and resort-like backyard. There was a guesthouse that doubled as the production house. Throughout the house there are fixed cameras, and the producers sit in the guesthouse and listen to us through our microphones and watch us with the camera feeds. They don't miss a thing, and they direct the camera teams in the house to which fighter is doing interesting stuff. The fact that you have nowhere you can hide and they are catching every move you made added to the pressure of the situation.

I had met a few of the guys before moving in, and at this point, we were all kind of beginning the bonding experience and feeling each other out. One of the people I was speaking with that first night was Paul Bradley. Paul and I wrestled each other in college. He beat me my junior year, and my senior year, I beat Paul to earn my All-American status in 2006. Paul is really a great guy, and it was a shame to see him have to leave under such difficult circumstances.

Some guys partied that night, and some just found a rhythm to cope with living with 15 other guys and all of the cameras that first night. We were told pretty much anything we want is available. They said just to add the items to the "list," and the producers would make a great effort to get it. If we wanted prime-cut fillet, it was there. Alcohol of any sorts? It was there. Imagine a casino's worth of booze at your finger tips, and you did not even have to gamble.

Everyone pretty much got along the first night. We all discussed our thoughts on the coaches and how this season was going to unfold. We were reminded of Matt Riddle's knockout of Dan Simmler several times (that was what Matt was talking about when they show us the first night and he is swinging his arms), and overall, we all just got to know one another. MMA is a pretty small community, so we all knew people that knew people we knew.

The next day was team selections. I was glad that we were finally getting to the point where we were about to really fight and see who advances. When I heard Dana White explain the picking process, it was obvious that taking the first pick was taking a big risk. When "Rampage" Jackson picked me, I was honored. He could of picked one of many great guys, and he saw something in me. I was surprised that Riddle was the second pick. He becomes a great friend to me, but there were some guys available with deep and tested talent. So I was humbled a bit and assumed maybe he was just picking from what he saw and completely discounted our outside records. I was happy to be selected and happy to be on Team Rampage!

Matt Riddle getting picked so high in the selection will lead to a lot of drama and trash talking between him and Dante Rivera. I felt like we had a shot at having a pretty good showing with or without initial control. We just needed to win first, and the fact that every guy fought to be here, I felt we would be able to win back control.

After we picked teams, we talked and the issue with Paul's neck came up. He and I had rolled before production began, and I was worried that it might be contagious and wondered if I could have gotten it from one day of rolling.

We began training that day, and Paul was pulled off to get medical attention when I heard it was herpes or a form of herpes. I was really feeling sorry for him. During the first training session, they separated him, and he worked mitts and ran on the treadmill while we did our drills.

We then went back to the house for our first break. I was getting a lot of crap for being first picked. The guys were telling me it was a curse and the first picked never wins. Of course, we all gave Paul a ton of crap about his skin problem, not knowing how bad it really was. The smack talking behind his back was a ton worse, and I am sure a lot of us felt terrible after he got the boot. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about Paul's skin rash and hoping I did not catch anything.

When we went back for the second training session of the day, my fears escalated as Paul was pulled out again, and this time he was told by Dana the terrible news that while he made it to the house, he was going home and that his dream ends there. What a roller coaster of emotions Paul must have been feeling, arriving to find out he was not on the show yet, then fighting and winning his place in the house, to getting sent home for a skin problem. He sacrificed like the rest of us to make the journey, and again something completely out of his control was sending him packing. I think there were guys in the house, on both teams, that were relieved to see him go. Paul had great wrestling, and if they worked on his stand-up, he could have been a force to reckon with.

When they selected Pat Schultz to return, I was surprised. None of us really knew who they were bringing. We just knew for sure a replacement would come in so we all had even training partners. Pat told us that he was home in Boston on the couch when the call came in. He said initially he thought it was his friends playing a joke on him. Pat wasn't the most experienced fighter that they could have invited back, but he was one of the coolest guys on the entire cast. I am glad he came back, and it was a joy to get to know him.

Watching our rivals at Team Forrest train was very interesting. Looking back the Muay Thai coach would have been a great asset to have. He seemed to know his stuff and was a good coach. I also have known Gray Maynard through wrestling for a few years, and his wrestling for MMA is top notch. Team Forrest seemed to gel very quickly, and the two teams were stacked with great fighters and great assistant coaches.

That being said, the way The Champ Rampage treated us and interacted with us was amazing, and I would not of traded that for anything in the world. He really is a great guy with a bigger-than-life type of personality.

The uncontrollable aspect of the show actually helped me focus on just training and getting mentally fight ready. I was getting to be friends with guys that I was going to fight. My teammates were also potentially my future opponents, and if I made it to the finals, 100 percent one of these guys was going to be across the octagon from me trying to make my dream end and his continue. In your fight camp at home, the potential of fighting your teammates is possible but not likely. I could one day fight one of my Team MTX teammates, but in this situation, I was for sure fighting one and potentially many of my roommates. That aspect of the show really plays in the back of your mind. You are careful in your conversations, and when training, you're careful not to show too many of your skills. With Pat coming back and Paul going home, it shows how anything is a possibility and even a guy that loses may some day face you again.

The night before Mike Dolce's fight, Rampage came to the house. We were all a little nervous when he showed up? Was it bad news or what? As you saw he was there just to hang and to get to know each and every one of us. He does this a lot throughout the season, and I hope they show it as it was one of the best parts of the show for me. Spending that time with Rampage was better than the coaching received. When do you get a chance to spend an evening with a PRIDE and UFC legend? He acts like a friend that you have known for years, and immediately you are impressed by his friendliness and approachability. He really was every bit as fun and great as you would imagine.

I was surprised that we did not see a lot of Forrest in the episode, and my thoughts on him and his "TUF" experience being a benefit to his guys was fading, and my confidence was growing just by the visit and the small confidence boosters Rampage was giving us. The champ picked me first, one of the tougher guys had been sent home early, and for the first time, I was getting to evaluate the competition. I was eager to fight and was glad to at least be able to help get Dolce ready for his fight.

Jesse Taylor's superior wrestling and Mike not using his great movement is what dictated the outcome of that fight if you ask me. Mike is a better fighter than we saw tonight, and he helped our team a great deal throughout the season as we prepared for our fights. He will likely drop down to 170 and be a force to deal with at that weight class.

The next few episodes are going to be filled with more great fights and plenty of comedy. The Dante and Riddle arguments continue to a boiling point that you do not want to miss. Rampage spends a good deal of time with us at the house and really allows us into his world. No one tried to eat or kill him (which are the only requirement for being his friend), so he was cool with us. And that did include him in and make him the butt of some of our practical jokes.

Starting this week, I am going to be watching "The Ultimate Fighter 7" live with my fans at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mesa, Az. The bar and grill is located at 1130 W. Grove Ave, Mesa AZ, 85210. It starts at 8:45 p.m.. Come join my fellow MTX Team members and me as we will be watching the fights and eating good food and drinking some Bud Light.

I just took a late spring break and went down to Mexico for a few days. I was surprised when some other tourists recognized me, and I am beginning to realize the reach of "The Ultimate Fighter." We took a camera crew down with us, and I will be posting pictures and videos of the trip on my website, CBDollaway.com. I will be using my website to keep you posted on my next steps and giving you a sneak peek behind the scenes of the life as a fighter.

I look forward to hearing from you guys, and if you are in the Greater Phoenix area, come out to Buffalo Wild Wings in Mesa and watch the show with me.</div>

 

Episode 4 Blog

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Team Rampage blog: C.B. Dollaway on episode No. 4 of "TUF7"
by C.B. Dollaway [cb-dollaway] on Apr 24, 2008 at 9:13 am in - News -
This episode begins With Jesse "Lil John McCarthy/Nick Cage" Taylor strutting around the octagon like he had just won the Olympic gold medal. Fact is his fight was not very impressive, and the celebration was greater than the fight. I understand being happy with the victory, but that was a douche-bag move if you ask me. That night Jesse got totally drunk. They may have shown him having trouble opening that bottle of beer, but I can assure you Jesse got that bottle opener figured out that evening!

Our team suffered the first loss, and we knew we needed to turn the tables and regain control or Team Forrest was going to start picking our team apart one by one. Knowing that you need to have control and gaining control were two different things, as we were about to find out. Forrest Griffin and his coaches were not easy to read, and no one on Team Forrest was talking about whom they were about to pick. So all seven of the remaining fighters on Team Rampage had to be ready to fight next, and our potential opponents were a complete mystery.

That evening our team had some internal discussions about how the picks might go and what we needed to be doing to prepare in the event they made the picks we thought they would. Since they seemed to be attacking our weaker fighters, I thought they would pick Pat Schultz. By picking Pat, they could potentially lock up the next pick. Rooming with Pat we discussed the many possibilities, and he was really excited to get a chance to redeem himself on camera. He was getting a second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Pat really seems to enjoy being a fighter.

When we arrived for our morning training session, Rampage Jackson was ready to train and get us on the winning track. He felt like the power was going to shift if Forrest remained in control after this next fight. Whoever was fighting next, he needed to change the tides for our team. I think we all felt that way about it too.

At this point I am beginning to really appreciate Pat. His attitude toward fights was always positive, and he was just happy to be there and participating. Pat and his amazing hair were a good addition to our team, if not for anything other than the positive vibe he brought back with him.

Also "The Riddle and Dante Show" continued. Matt Riddle was witty and took no crap from anyone. He is quick witted and has a sharp tongue, and he seemed to feel under attack about being so young and green, and because of that, he tore into the older fighters with vengeance. What really seemed to bother Dante Rivera was that it did not matter what he would say to Riddle; the kid kept smiling and talking trash right back. He always had a response. Early on it is very clear that Riddle was going to shake the house up.

What is not shown is Dante is in everyone's head -- or at least trying to be in everyone's head. Dante was a pot stirrer, and Riddle did not just take it, but he also gave it back and sometimes he gave back 100 percent more than he received. Riddle was very giving when it came to harassing or talking smack to Dante. There were moments I was sure they were going to fight, and we are just beginning a long stay in tight quarters. Dante's attacks were well-thought-out mental mind games, and Riddle's responses were sometimes quick and vicious, and I think some people were not ready for that type of response from such a young guy. After his loss on this episode, his Spring Break begins, as does the real trouble in the house.

During fighter selection, we were shocked when Forrest went after Rampage's second pick Riddle. Forrest was changing things up and keeping us in guessing mode. Tim said he asked for Riddle, and I thought that could have been a huge mistake. Riddle had powerful hands, and if the fight stayed standing, Tim might of bit off more then he could chew. Tim for sure had experience on his side, and in the end, I think that is what helped him secure the win.

Riddle was upset that Dana White was not there for fight selection, and he was pretty sure that Dana would be missing the fight. While this episode shows Dana giving the pre-fight instructions, I can tell you that he was not at this fight, and that seemed to really bother Riddle.

The night before the fight, Rampage came over to the house to make sure we all were set and doing all right. He seems to make it to the house for almost all of the fights. I have to say it was nice to have him trying to connect with us since coming over helped us mentally prepare -- even if it doesn't show during the first couple of fights.

That evening and as the show progresses, you will start to see the disdain a lot of us had for Jeremy May. Team Forrest and Team Rampage only agreed on one thing the whole season, and that was that we all had issues with Jeremy -- or "The BAMF" as he liked to be called. Later in the season, someone in the house will bring a new meaning to his nickname.

The Riddle/Creduer fight is what I have been telling you to look for this season. The quality of this fight sets the stage for the rest of the fights here on out. The fighters came to win, and when in the octagon, they would leave it all in the octagon. Some fights will go quicker than others, but all of them were fun to watch and to see the evolution of training and talking about game plans and then watching how that game plan was or was not applied in their fight.

This fight put Tim's vast experience against Riddle's lack of experience and huge heart. Riddle was all smiles from bell to bell. I was surprised to see Riddle go for a take down early on and then continue to resort to trying to take down a BJJ black belt. Riddle is a purple belt in BJJ, but after his KO in the elimination round, I thought we would see more of his hands. (That is where I would of tried to keep the fight.) In round one, I thought Riddle was winning early, and then in the last 50 seconds, Tim more than likely stole the round. He inflicted a lot of damage, and Riddle was lucky the clock ran out when it did. What makes Riddle so great to be around is that he stood up after the beating with blood running everywhere and smiled at everyone. The kid has a ton of heart.

The second round begins, and everyone knows the fight is close, and each team is sure they were about to win and regain or keep control of the picks.

At this point it is so loud that you could not hear yourself think. If you have ever seen the scenes in the movies where the stock traders are on the floor of the stock exchange yelling buy, sell or hold -- well, it was just like that. Everyone was yelling some sort of advice, and it was clear the two fighters could not hear a word.

Riddle learned what happens if you let a world-class jiu-jitsu practitioner spend too much time on the ground with you. I felt if he stood up and kept the fight standing during the second round, Riddle might have come out with his hand raised. Both fighters gave us a great show and displayed a lot of class in winning and losing.

As it stands, Team Forrest remains in control. They will have the upper hand for a third fight, and for Team Rampage, with every loss comes a sense of desperation. We were sent home to face the fact that our opponents controlled our destiny. We would enjoy more tormenting from Team Forrest on the hypothetical picks they won't make, and of course, in the morning we would face an already disappointed Rampage with our second team loss in a row.

Dante decides to continue to "get in Riddle's head" except now Riddle has nothing to lose but his pride, and the fireworks will begin.

In the early fights, I have noticed that Forrest's camp was either over training or under training. I was not sure what to make of it, but you grasp for straws when in this situation. Jesse threw up after his fight, and Tim looked gassed in this fight. Truth be told, I was looking for any sort of positive ray of light as the losing and lack of control were eating away at my mental strength.

Was Team Forrest that much better than us? I had not seen all of the fights, so for me these preliminary fights were the first time I got to evaluate the competition. Here I am living and chasing my dream, and my opponents are in total control over who and when I am fighting.

The fights continue to get better, and the drama in the house goes to another level as the losers cope with having a run at becoming "The Ultimate Fighter" being over and the access to excess that the show allows.

For Riddle his Spring Break started when his quest to become "The Ultimate Fighter" ended. I wish I could tell you I was not sucked into house destroying or the other antics. All I can say is spend six weeks in a house with guys like Riddle partying like it was Spring Break without the girls in the bikinis, no outside communication or TV, and see if you do not bust out a few walls.</div>

 

Episode 5 Blog

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Jeremy May.

What can be said about Jeremy May that won't offend my family and sponsors?

This guy would spend countless hours talking about how he would demolish everyone in the house. I honestly think Jeremy is surprised that Anderson Silva is not calling him out. Team Rampage knows they need Jeremy as a training partner and for the sole purpose of gaining control. We want him to win his fights for this reason only. It would be fine if he got stomped for two rounds and pulled out a come-from-behind victory. Maybe a good whooping would humble him.

During the point of the show you saw in Wednesday's episode, I was really learning to hate this guy, and I am usually a low-key, easy-to-get-along with person. I would be lying if I told you I did not feel like smashing him myself at times. After Matthew Riddle's fight, I think our whole team was learning how big of an ass Jeremy really was. His comments to Matthew in the van ride back to the house about getting submitted by armbar were out of line. That was a great fight, and both fighters had nothing to be ashamed of.

Jeremy, on the other hand, is a different story.

This episode begins with Tim Credeur congratulating Matthew and telling him he is buying him an Xbox 360. Tim is a classy guy. He would have shown great honor in defeat. He is just that type of a fighter, and I am a fan of his. As I said I was proud of Matthew. I thought he had many chances in which he could have won that fight. This experience will only make him a better fighter.

I have been talking to my management firm, LG Sports Marketing, about Matthew and a few other guys that really impressed me on the show.

After his fight they called me and got his number and reached out to him. I'm happy to report that Matthew Riddle arrived here in Arizona on Tuesday and began training at Arizona Combat Sports with my training partners and me. He should fit in nicely, we have a lot of great fighters, and we train like no other gym out there. We cover all of the aspects of MMA, and the Lally brothers really know how to develop talent. I think you are going to hear a lot more about this gym in years to come. Who else pays their fighters on a monthly basis and gives them world-class instruction?

As we get back to the house, Jeremy works for his camera time and does his best to piss off each team equally.

When he puts lemon juice in Matt Brown's tobacco, I know we are headed for trouble. On the ride home, Jeremy already insulted Matthew and basically had the entire team wishing he had mat herpes and would just go home already. As you saw Jeremy is not happy with just playing the practical joke; he needs everyone in the house to know what he is doing and when. He thought he was on the "Real World" and not "TUF."

Matt Brown is not the most social guy in the house, and he is not partaking in any of the B.S. games and smack talking that is going on. Matt was working while on "TUF," and where we come from (Ohio), you don't mess with a man when he is working -- and you don't mess with his stuff. Jeremy picked the wrong guy to mess with, and I was sure Matt would be asking Forrest Griffin for this fight.

Matt never had to taste that chew because a member of Team Rampage guys told him about what Jeremy did. Jeremy is lucky Matt is such a professional because a lot of guys would likely not have waited for the octagon to settle the score. Jeremy "BAMF" May really crossed the line, and no one in the house was happy about his antics.

So the fight selection came, and again, I was surprised by Forrest's picks. He really is strategic in how he is making his selections. He is advancing his good guys early and taking our mid-level guys with precision. So it is likely that our less-experienced guys may advance only to face his top members. He is a pretty smart dude, and his plan obviously continues to work.

Again I was surprised with the selection. Brandon Sene ("Mohawk") is a huge dude, and while I am not easily intimidated, when I saw him on the first day, his sheer size told me he was going to be tough. As I got to know him, I knew he was tougher than he looked. He served several tours in Iraq. He has skill sets from those tours that meant, without asking, you knew he was involved in dangerous situations. As a sniper you are part of an elite group of trained killers that were often on the front lines during the scariest of times. When he was done serving our country, he went to work as a "contractor" in Iraq to do the jobs the military can't or won't do. I knew for sure Dante Rivera's record or the enormity of the situation would not phase Mohawk.

At this point we are training twice a day in rotation. We are usually the first guys in the gym, and as we would leave, Team Forrest would be arriving. We were training six days a week with Sundays being the down days. The majority of the training was taking place at the training center. A couple times they would take us to a local park (it was a dog park, so I was allowed) where we would run and break the monotony of things.

The day of the fight, Rampage Jackson is his calm self. We know what needs to be done, and we are thinking the match-up is not a lopsided one and this should be a good scrap.

As the fight begins I am surprised by how slow Dante is at getting off. He is supposedly one of the better grapplers in the house and also one of the best smack-talkers in the house. I was not seeing much of anything we had been hearing so much about. He was pressing the action on round one, but he was not doing any damage.

Mohawk was winning this fight from a defensive position, and he was the guy getting off with punches and elbows -- while Dante tried to hold him. When he was pressed against the fence, Mohawk was the one landing the punches. When the fight was on the ground, it was Mowhak that was doing the striking from the bottom. In the first round, you saw two takedowns and two sloppy submission attempts. To take a round away from a guy who landed at least a 10-to-1 striking ratio and surely inflicted 100 percent more damage then Dante would be crazy. Mohawk won this round.

The judges on the other hand saw it differently and gave the first round to Dante. I do not know how. This is MMA, and you can win from the bottom. While Dante had the superior positioning in the fight, Mohawk won that round by being more active and damaging in my eyes.

Round two was much of the same with Dante attempting takedowns and pressing Mohawk against the fence and eventually getting the takedown and then doing nothing. Dante's experience in BJJ is helping him win this round. He pretended to be busy, and the ref allowed them to stay on the ground. Mohawk just did not know how to get standing, but he steals the round near the end with a sweep and some light ground and pound.

As this round comes to a close, I think both corners think it's close enough to go to a third round. I thought Brandon won both rounds. He was busier but felt round two could be called either way. Mohawk was busier, but the activity had tapered off from round one.

When they said it was going to a third and final round, I was sure Brandon would be able to pull this one out. The third round had both fighters being totally exhausted at the beginning. I felt Mohawk was the fighter that did the most to win the third round, though each round was just a slower and less-powerful version of the first round.

The judges saw it differently, and for the first time, we saw Rampage show some anger. He felt -- we all felt -- that Brandon got robbed, and while he did not have all the experience in the world, he did enough to beat the more experienced fighter that day. He showed he wanted it more, and the judges missed it. My trainers say to never leave it up to the judges, and this is exactly why. Dante was given a gift, he advances, and Team Forrest remains in control.

Next week you are going to see two great fights. Will Jeremy get what he has coming to him, or will Matt's emotions make him blow his energy and lose this fight? You do not want to miss it. That's for sure.

Back at the house we are all pretty much giving Dante crap about his performance and lucky win. Matthew is absolutely laying into Dante, and the hatred is growing day by day between those two.

We are all pretty excited because we are getting close to the Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson fight -- and our first TV time in about three weeks. We needed the break, and it gave us all a lot to talk about that wasn't about who is fighting next and against whom. It was a much-needed mental break for us all.

The most common question I have been getting is, "What is Rampage like?" I know I have covered that a lot already, but for those that missed it, here it goes again. Rampage is one of the most grounded celebrities you will ever meet. He is a big friendly guy that will do whatever he can to help you. We all felt like we were on his level. (Well, maybe he was able to come down to our level -- that is a more accurate statement.) It was just that he knew how to make us feel welcomed. He was not unapproachable, and he never acted as if he was better then anyone. After the short time we spent with him, most of us feel as if we made a lifelong friend. If you could place a label on a guy like Rampage, it would likely be "REAL." You get what you get, and he is what he is. The first time he meets people, he knows how to make them feel as if he has known them his whole life.

During the show we spend a lot of time at the house with Rampage, and he participates in a lot of the practical jokes. We even turn the tables on him a few times and make him the victim of some pranks. So far this season the editing is keeping us in the gym and not in the house; I hope some of this footage makes it to the show. For a world champion and one of the most dominating forces in MMA, he is really a great dude to be around.</div>

this is some great insight into what goes on and isn't show. I can't wait to see DB fight. IMO he's got to be one of the favs to win it all.

 

Episode 6 Blog

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>I am learning there is more than meets the eye when it comes to becoming a top-level fighter. It takes more than physical attributes to rise to the top.

Being home for a few weeks and six episodes into "TUF 7," I can't say that I am feeling what the top-level guys feel. What I can say is that my less than 60 seconds on TV spread out over six episodes has already changed my life in ways I would have never imagined.

It is not like I have people coming up and asking for my autograph or anything like that. I get the "haven't I seen you somewhere before?" or the "who the hell do you think you are" more often than not. April 30 is a great example of the strangeness that follows me

This past Wednesday Matthew Riddle, Ryan Bader and a few of my buddies from ASU headed out to Mill Avenue to hit a few bars. We are all training and not drinking a whole bunch – we had maybe two or three Bud Lights throughout the evening. So we called it a night at around midnight and headed to a local late-night sandwich shop to grab a bite. I had just come from my "TUF" appearance at the Baer's Den, so I was wearing my free UFC clothes. Matthew? Well, he might of had zero pieces of clothes before the show because the only thing I have seen him wear since he got to Arizona is TapouT and UFC gear. So here we are in the sandwich shop, in full TapouT and UFC gear, looking as obnoxious as you can imagine. We looked like our moms had just won a UFC prize pack. To make sure we were even more obnoxious looking, we had a camera guy out with us gathering footage for my website.

As we sit down to await our late-night meals and laugh at whatever story Riddle is about to tell, we notice three guys approaching us. One can't walk, as he is 10-sheets-to-the-wind drunk. He is flanked/supported by "David and Goliath," as we called them. Goliath was about 6-foot-8, and his buddy was a much shorter 5-foot-9. Riddle had a bright read hand print dyed in his hair, and I was certain that it wasn't going to be an autograph request.

The drunkest guy speaks first, and it is along the lines of, "What are you pussies looking at?" Well, the cameraman jumps up first and attempts to defuse the situation in a calm and respectful manner. He told them we were just there to eat and that we hadn't even noticed them and that we mean or meant no harm.

That seemed to make things worse as we, the supposed UFC and TapouT posers, are sitting down and leave a cameraman to work out the peace accord. Truth be told, I gave them more leeway than usual; I am pretty respectful and don't get along well with those that are not. These three guys were looking for trouble.
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The guys continue on about us "mad-dogging them" and that they are going to "kick our asses." The cameraman once more asks for peace (he was wearing a Ron Paul shirt), and Goliath responds by grabbing him and putting him into a sandwich-shop guillotine. My boys and I jump up and try to save the poor cameraman.

David (the short one) swings on me, and I duck out of the way and put him in a rear-naked choke. While Riddle and the rest of the guys pull Goliath off the cameraman, they quickly realize I am still chocking this guy, and they begin to peel me off him.

The guys run out as the clerk says the cops are on the way. We got our order and attended to the cameraman's bloodied nose until the police arrived. They asked us if we wanted to press charges, and when we said no, that was the end of the day.

The fact is everything is changing for me, and I have not even fought my preliminary bout yet. I wonder what the guys that have been getting the majority of the camera time are experiencing. I hope they had more clothes then Riddle, or who knows how many fights they are getting into.

We were simply minding our own business and something about the way we looked made random people not like us. To me this is going to be the hardest part about being on the show. I have not even really been seen yet, and here I am dealing with drunk guys like I'm Pam Anderson. What if I had actually thrown blows with the guys and got arrested? Would I lose my sponsors if I got arrested for defending myself? Am I going to hurt someone with my training? What would the UFC say? While I know I am not on "American Idol," I doubt the UFC wants its fighters fighting in bars -- let alone sandwich shops.

The only thing that will rile the drunks up more the wearing of TapouT and UFC clothing head to toe is the reciting of my "masterful" martial arts techniques. As a wrestler I meet a lot of guys that used that BS on me. Like saying, "I am a triple black belt in flying Tiger Sholin." I would be like, "I am whopping that ass and take them down for some dirty ground and pound." My life is getting more and more hectic and all because I am following my dream.

A warning to you late-night sandwich shop gangs: do not let the TapouT apparel throw you. There are 16 fighters that were and are so freaking poor that if Burger King gave us employee uniforms, we would be wearing them in the streets. So be careful: don't assume that a guy dressed like a rejected UFC or TapouT model is an easy mark to pick a fight with.

With that said, let's move on to the latest "TUF" episode.

This season you are seeing a lot of fights and not so much house time. I am one of the few people still supporting Jeremy May at this point. Riddle and others are telling me I am crazy and the guy is bad news. I feel like we need a win, and I really do not care who it comes from. In my years of wrestling, I had many teammates with whom I did not see eye to eye, but I needed -- the team needed -- their six points. To me Jeremy was no different. I did not have to love him to want him to win for us. He was not going to get invited to Arizona to hang out with me anytime soon. But he was standing between us having control and not having control. For that reason alone, I was willing to tolerate him and his antics.

The weigh-ins for his fight with Matt Brown reminded me of a cheesy high school fight. Pretty lame showmanship, and May was showing cracks in his exterior. The thing with Matt is that he is a real fighter -- in life and in the octagon.

I was hoping for our sake that he was letting the emotions of the events get to him. At this point I had decided that Jeremy had better be the best freaking fighter in the house because he was not training with us. He would ride the bike and talk crap all day long. So either he had something up his sleeve or he was going to be destroyed.

The day before the fight they showed Riddle and Jeremy drinking a bit and partying. That was actually two days before the fight. I remember that because the following day Rampage took us to a local park to run and play volleyball. He brought his HUGE dog with him, and he made Riddle run with the dog. (Well, I should say the dog dragged Riddle around for the day.)

Playing volleyball and just getting out of the house and away from the gym was a much-needed mental break. Rampage said this dog cost him $25,000. (Obviously he overpaid as the Doberman is the best breed.)

That evening, I was shown kicking a volleyball full speed into Jeremy's face. That did not happen pre-fight and instead took place after his fight, which made it feel even better. I will explain how that went down and how it felt later in the blog.

So leading into Jeremy's fight, he was not training and was really separating himself from the team. We were all there for a single contract, so to me, that did not really bother me. Everyday he separated himself more and more, and it was getting harder and harder to defend the guy.

During the pre-fight events, you see assistant coach Juanito Ibarra applying his "secret concoction" to Jeremy's face. I know that "Stitch" Duran is the best cut guy in MMA, but that may be because whatever it is that is in Juanito's concoction seems to really work.

According to Rampage, Juanito won't tell anyone what's in it. He said he really doesn't care as long as it keeps working the way it does. I will admit as a team, we had far less cuts then Team Forrest, so he may be onto something.

As the fight begins, we see that "Jeremy Jitsu" is the art of allowing your opponent to take you down and get full mount at will. Jeremy was saddled up and mounted like a horse. This might be the first martial art that is officially geared toward losing. I think the three guys from the sandwich shop were black belts in Jeremy Jitsu. The drunkest one surely had JJ-type moves.

Toward the end of round one, in a move not often seen in Jeremy Jitsu, Master Jeremy pulls off a "lure kick" to the face. That is where you leave your guard down and lure your opponent to kick you in the face. I think the referee in the fight was not up to speed on Jeremy Jitsu and thought Jeremy was in trouble and called the fight. In Jeremy Jitsu, getting KTFO is a part of the art form.

At that point both teams join in and celebrate Matt's victory. Matt dominated Jeremy from start to finish.

In all seriousness, Jeremy was lucky he was not hurt, seeing how that was one of the most vicious head kicks to the jaw I have seen.

After that bout, I'm thinking I am ready to fight and I want to be next. When they show that Forrest was flipping coins, it was just to see who on his team was fighting next. They were not picking our guys with a coin; they were strategic in how they were picking us, and it was paying off in spades.

The next fight puts my fellow MMAjunkie.com blogger, Luke Zachrich, against Dan Cramer. Cramer has hardly had any camera time, and while the show makes him out to be some sweet wholesome boy, he is a real fighter. Cramer was a hard worker and trained hard for Team Rampage. He was respectful to the coaches and did what he was asked to do. He gave 110 percent in practice, and I thought we had a great chance at stealing back control.

The fight began with both guys engaging and going for the win. They held each other and punched like hockey players, and both guys seemed to inflict damage. For those of you that do not train or fight, it takes a lot of energy out of you when you're striking like that. When you get struck, especially struck hard, it takes a lot of energy from you. These guys were simply spending a ton of energy. This fight was full of power shoots from both fighters. They were tired from the exchange -- not a lack of stamina.

At the start of round two, the noise level was to a point that you could not hear yourself think. There was no way either fighter could hear what the corner was saying and no way that any of us were going to be quiet. I was thinking the whole time that it was a gift to see the fight live. What a great scrap, and what it lacked in technicality was made up for with pure entertainment. They both showed a ton of heart, and thankfully for Team Rampage, we are now in control with Cramer's win.

At this point, I am trying to figure out how I get picked to fight. I want to be in the octagon again and soon. It was weird waiting and not knowing, but I knew I was going to get an answer soon enough because we're getting to the final first-round fights.

Anyway, after Jeremy's loss he was playing soccer in the house trying to stay relevant to the cameras. He was kicking the volleyball and doing all sorts of stupid and annoying things. So I grabbed the volleyball and loaded up and unleashed it. The ball was filled with karma -- not air -- so when it traveled off my foot, it headed straight for Jeremy's face. He was sitting there nursing a broken nose, and out of nowhere, this volleyball smashes him in the face.

I will admit that I rewound that scene and played it over and over again and laughed. Good times -- and what a great volleyball. I think a bonus round in the UFC video game should be kicking Jeremy May in the face with balls. It would be great fun for the whole family.

Speaking of video games, the Xbox Tim Credeur promised Riddle arrived last week. Tim had it and was waiting for a permanent address to send it to. Tim is a classy dude, and if you are going to lose to anyone, why not lose to a guy that hooks you up with great parting gifts?

As a reminder, you can catch some of my MTX Audio MMA Team members and myself every Wednesday night at the Baers Den in Tempe, Ariz. This is a local bar that is near ASU. You will be sitting with me and enjoying the show. Last week we even had the WEC world champ Jamie Varner in the house.</div>

love getting this behind the scenes info.. so the soccer ball was AFTER the fights.. curious editing for sure...

 

episode 7 Blog

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Welcome to my latest "TUF" blog. I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day, and happy belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I wanted to thank everyone who has responded positively to my sponsors, my website and these blogs. I struggle with what to write and am glad you enjoy what little I have to say.

On this episode, we are shown two more fights, and again, very little house time. Back at the house Patrick Schultz, Gerald Harris and I are discussing the possible opponents and getting to know one another. Both guys are great and made for excellent roommates and training partners. Gerald was in Arizona this week, and he came by Arizona Combat Sports and trained with us a few times. He really impressed the coaches and my teammates at ACS.

Patrick is just that guy. You know the kind that just makes you feel like you have known him for years. I was really enjoying training with and getting to know Pat. He has traveled many places, and his experiences in life help him in the fighting world. He wasn't the most skilled fighter in the house but he made up for it with (in my best Boston accent) HEART. Every thing you see on screen is even better off camera, even the hair. If you check out his MySpace, you will see that his students have made a lot of tribute goofs on his hair. He displays them all proudly, and that is the kind of stuff that makes me a Patrick Schultz fan.

When we found out Rampage Jackson was going to pair up Gerald with Amir Sadollah, Pat and I then began dissecting the final two. I think we all thought control was going to stay in our hands. If we won, I wanted to fight Cale Yarbrough pretty bad. He was running his mouth to me in the house, and it was getting old fast. Cale was acting as if he was somehow above all of this stuff because his coach and friend, Forrest Griffin, helped him with making the final 32. The fact is the one time in Cale's life he needed a friend's help was at the tattoo parlor. I swear he must have gone into the tattoo parlor with $2 and a don't-take-no-for-an-answer attitude. Who the hell brands himself outside of prison? He needs to get that thing worked on; it's not hardcore!

I wanted Cale and felt like either he or Nick Klien would match up nicely for me. I have wrested since I was 4 or 5 years old, and to be honest, it bores the hell out me when overly used in MMA. I love wrestling with a passion, but I am proud to be called a striker. When in a fight, I love to stand and trade punches with my opponent. I knew Cale liked to stand, and I would've loved to kick and punch him a few times for all of the stupid stuff he had said.

Patrick also wanted Cale -- not because of his attitude but because Patrick felt that he could win a lot easier with a stand-up guy rather than a wrestler. I knew Patrick and I were going to fight the same day, so in my mind, I prepared for Klein and dreamed about smashing Cale.

So the day of the Gerald's fight is here, and basically, both teams are sure they have a victory in their pocket. Gerald is a great wrestler who has a lot of top-level experience. In practice he was strong and aggressive, and he really impressed us all.

Amir was someone we did not know a whole lot about. Coming into the show, he was 0-0 in MMA. He had a mullet, which was just amazing to see in this day and age. When I saw his first fight on TV, I was less than impressed. This fight, however, showed me something I had not seen before. Amir is a calculating fighter; he is almost always setting something up. He is also very tough; he allows his opponent to beat on him, and he stays extremely calm and continues to work on his game plan.

In the fight Gerald showed how powerful he is, and in most circumstances, those slams would change the tide of a fight. In this fight all they did was tire out Gerald and allow Amir some more opportunities to look for an opening. I am sure everyone watching the fight gave round one to Gerald.

Round two begins with Gerald being very tired. He still goes out and imposes his will on Amir. In my eyes he is once again doing enough to be winning this round on all scorecards. Then out of nowhere that knee appears to land on the button, and Gerald looks out.

I have seen a lot of people get KO'd like that, and to this day, Gerald says he was not out. Either way he was dropped by the knee and then did not intelligently defend himself, and the fight was called.

The melt down that ensued was edited in Gerald's favor. He really lost it, and that went on for about 10 minutes. He had given up so much to get here and the feeling of that coming to an end was too much to bear. I had an empty feeling in my stomach for Gerald. It feels terrible to be winning and then all of a sudden you have lost. It is very difficult to deal with. In your mind you were dominating, and therefore, there should have been no way for you to lose.

Amir proved he has a lot of heart, a crazy sprawl and staying power. I loved the kick off to a flying knee. There is no doubt in my mind Amir is not a practicing member of Jeremy Jitsu.

Forrest regains control, and Schultz and I are a little pissed by the fact that when we fight and who we fight are back in Forrest hands.

At fight selection it was decided that Patrick would face Cale, and Nick and I would fight. The fights would happen the same day, and I was stoked to be fighting soon.

Last night was the first time I saw the Patrick-Cale fight, as I was getting ready for my own fight when it originally took place. I do not quite understand how that fight went to a decision. It was easily tied after the second round. Patrick beat Cale "I Hate Grappling" Yarbrough on his feet -- he actually dominated Cale. In round two Cale needed to fall back on that grappling he loves so much. I would score round two 10-9 for Cale, but I had round one scored 10-8 for Schultz. Either way this fight had to be heading toward a third round for the tiebreaker.

When I was in the holding area I heard the commotion and knew we had either a huge KO or controversy. Imagine warming up -- and your corner and the other team's corner gets in a fight on national TV. Both corners were cursing and throwing things around, and I was trying to get ready for a fight.

From watching it on TV and hearing about it a few times from my team, it was clear that Rampage was pissed about Forrest's lack of backbone. When Dana White said "we have a decision," both coaches were on the same page and saying "no way" and "we need a third round." Then out of nowhere Forrest backs down from his "we will do a third" comments and accepts a BS win.

Rampage says what he means and means what he says. He expects that out of everyone around him. His furry is less about a close fight going to Team Forrest and more about the fact that had Team Rampage got that win, Quinton would have still wanted a third round. What is right is right, and that is what sent Quinton over the edge.

I think everyone is frustrated at this point. The judges are affecting outcomes, and the results are devastating to those on the losing end. Both coaches had an opportunity to right a wrong, and only one stood up. I am up next, and I cannot wait. I know that whatever happens, I cannot leave it up to these judges.

For me the funniest line was when Patrick told Forrest to shut up and that he couldn't wait for his fight against Rampage. That is Patrick's East Coast swagger in full effect. I hope that after my fight next week, we get to show you some of us spending time in the house. So far Rampage has been over to the house a lot, and we are all really getting to know him. It's a shame they don't show that each week.

Every Wednesday night at 10 p.m., my training partners and I from Arizona Combat Sports watch "TUF 7: at a local bar called The Baer's Den in Tempe. It would be great if any of my local fans can come out and watch my fight next week with me. There is no cover, so come out and hang with me.</div>

 

I am really not liking the decreased house time this season, maybe it was because this was a dull group but for me the house time always gave you guys to cheer for and it seems this season it woulda been cool to show the Rampage bits. I think CB agrees with me here. Also, in his blog it says hes back home or whatever, I thought for most reality shows the contestants had to be holed up until the episodes were over so they dont leak any of the results.

 

not so, after the shooting they go home so they can train for the live final (those who are invited back).
I'm assuming the networks have them sign a confidentiality contract and if they blab, they lose any chance with the UFC of course, but the network can probably sue them for damages which is way more imposing for anyone who's cut by the UFC.

 

The last episode was classic. Forrest gets all pissed because of trash talk, and blows a hole in the door.. He gets back at Rampage for it by shooting him with a capture net! LOL. Rampage is embarrassed and repeats it over and over on national TV... Rampage gets revenge by supersoaking Forrest with a watergun.. lol....

This is going to be fun!!!!! Glad Page got at least a couple of his fighters to the 2nd round....

 

Yea, hahaha, I totally know. I loved how much he went over it. It was great. haha. Rampage is an awesome character, I want him to stay champ for 10+ years.

The UFC needs another program to keep Rampage on the air somehow.

 

Jesse is hilarious. One of the more entertaining guys in the house

 

Whoops, I totally forgot to posts last weeks blog!! and it's the one where CB actually fought!
TUF 7 Blog Episdoe 8
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Team Rampage blog: C.B. Dollaway on episode No. 8 of "TUF7"
by C.B. Dollaway on May 22, 2008 at 6:00 am ET
It felt like Christmas in springtime this week as I waited for my DHL delivery that contained my advance copy of this week's episode. I was anxious to see how the whole thing with coaches Rampage Jackson and Forrest Griffin went, and of course, seeing my fight. Even knowing the results, I was anxious and nervous all at the same time.

The episode begins with Forrest crushing that door. I was warming up and getting ready for my fight, and I hear furniture breaking and doors slamming. Then I have Rampage and Dana White in my dressing room discussing the rules and how scoring went down.

So here I am, preparing to fight in the craziest tournament format you could imagine, and the world champ and UFC president decide to use my dressing room as the conference room. To say I was distracted would be an understatement. The only person that had it worse than me was Nick Klein as he was in the eye of the storm.

I thought Pat Schultz did the right thing by apologizing to Forrest for his post-fight comments. Forrest is a good coach, and Pat let the emotions of the event get the better of him. Forrest did not even seem to start processing the comment until after he tested the structural soundness of the UFC Training Center. I am sure Pat was glad Forrest wasn't "King Konging" him.

Heading into this fight, I wanted to accomplish three things. I wanted to get in and get out without injury, I wanted not to show a lot of my skills since my potential future opponents were surely taking notes, and I wanted to look impressive. I think I accomplished one of the three goals (not showing a lot).

When they begin telling the background information on Nick and myself, they used footage of us training over time. Our fight was immediately after Pat and Cale Yarborough's bout, which aired last week. I wish I could sit here and somehow blame me talking in third person on the editing, but CB can't lie; CB pulled the "douche-bag card" out on national TV.

I was surprised to see Nick speaking to his teammates about his doubts in his ability. I can tell you first hand that Nick has good jits and is a tough, tough fighter. He should hold his head higher and believe more in his abilities. I know I do.

When I train for fights, I try to peak my performance for the fight. In this situation, in which you have no idea when or who you are fighting, it is very difficult to peak or get ready. Leading into this fight, I was sidelined a bit and had very little opportunity to do much more than cardio, so to say my training was out of whack was an understatement. I was lucky that Team Forrest was also working hard and none of us was at our peak performance.

When the fight began, I could not get my hands moving. When they did, I could feel the strikes were sloppy and had little or no snap. When we went to the ground, I wanted to go for the finish. Nick did a good job moving and transitioning, but I was able to stay with him.

When I was throwing punches from the top, I hit Nick a few times in the back of the head, and I could tell the referee was close to taking a point away. It is real difficult to strike a moving target, and Nick was definitely moving. When a fighter covers up like that, you do not want to waste your energy on hitting his gloves, so you need to pick and time your shots. Obviously I was having some difficulty doing that.

When he got me in the knee-bar, I was in trouble. I felt the knee ligaments stretching, and if I didn't do something quickly, my chance at winning was going to be over. That was the only time he had me in serious trouble, but it was indeed serious.

In my mind I said, "He almost knee barred me." And at that point I decided this was a tough fight and walking through Nick wasn't going to happen. He was here to win the show, and if that meant tearing off my knee, he was down for it.

No way I was going to lose this fight, though. All the pressure was on me, being the first guy picked and having Rampage telling me he needed me to win. It was a lot of additional pressure in an already pressure-filled environment.

Nick showed how tough he was in Round 1, and he really surprised me with all of his submission attempts. He was working hard for the win, and with that fighting style, he is going to be able to catch a lot of people. I was glad to have made it through the first round and knew I needed to get him out of the fight without leaving this to the judges.

In between rounds, when the referee told me to watch the strikes to the back of the head, I knew that I was going to have to adjust my game plan a bit. "If I can't put him out and I lose a point, I could loose this fight," I thought. So I wanted to either go for the KO or submission.

As the second round begins, he and I trade a few strikes, and then he pulls guard. At that point, I am thinking, "Great, now I have to watch where I strike again." Every time I was behind or on top of him, the referee was reminding me how close he was to deducting a point.

I heard a lot of talk about wrestlers not being able to handle being put on their backs. While in the early years of the UFC that was true, I think most fighters today are fully evolved MMA fighters. They may excel in certain areas, but they are able to adapt to all the arts (see Amir Sadollah, for an example). At my gym we have some of the best jiu-jitsu guys in the world, and they are teaching me jiu-jitsu for MMA while I am teaching them wrestling for MMA. The guys at Arizona Combat Sorts teach a well-rounded version of MMA with an emphasis on striking from every position.

I think, if anything, I was stronger then Nick that day and my strength and determination helped me secure the submission early in the second round. It felt great to submit a guy that pulls guard on you. He is basically saying, "Your ground game is not good, and I want you on the ground." So beating a guy at his own game makes the win that much sweeter.

If I could have had one thing in the house, it would have been women, but if we could have two things, I would have also wanted the ability to watch the tape of our fights. We are on the show to become better fighters, and seeing the mistakes you make and analyzing tape is a big part of improving. I made a lot of mistakes in that fight and waiting 10 weeks to see them is different than picking it apart while it is fresh in your mind.

It was pretty flattering to hear all of the coaches and even Dana give Nick and me so many accolades. I think it was a good fight, and I was very impressed with Nick and his toughness. As for me, I showed that I am well-rounded with a lot of learning to do. I put myself in positions to lose that a more-experienced fighter would make me pay for. I guess I should be thankful this is "TUF" and not the UFC.

Post fight we get to go in and speak about our match-ups for the next round and whom we as fighters want to fight. I had Cale spending a lot of time talking smack about me, and I wanted to fight him and soon. I was glad they gave me the fight I wanted.

As for Cale, he was just jealous that he had not figured out a way to procure such cool sunglasses. They were likely too difficult for him to spell, so he did not put s-u-n-g-l-a-s-s-e-s on the shopping list. If he had an issue with me, he should have come to me man to man. Instead he corralled his posse of homophobes and tried to be cute. I want to make him pay for his remarks; I want to do that in the octagon.

The deal with the sunglasses was that I was able to convince the producers to allow me to get them. They had no visible logos, and the producers were OK with them. Once the guys on my team saw them, they wanted them. The reason they went with the same color and look is likely due to not wanting to be told no. Why reinvent the wheel?

On this episode they show me catching Rampage in a submission. But that was not a peruvian necktie -- that was a basic guillotine. As fun as it was catching him, it is not like we were going 100 percent in a real live fight. The great thing about Rampage is that he is as interested in helping you as he is learning from you. He has no ego, and he never took any of his frustrations out on us.

He did say I have a big head, but looking at him, I think the pot is calling the kettle black!

When Dana made the quarterfinal match-up announcement, I was stoked. I get to fight Cale, and I think this is the first time that I had a real personal issue with a potential opponent since my pro debut. When in life do you get to kick and hit someone who has talked smack about you -- and potentially earn $10,000 for doing so?

The other fight that really piqued my interest was the Matt Brown vs. Amir bout. Both of these guys are bangers, and I knew this fight could be the best one of the entire season. I had a feeling this fight was going to be an all-out war. I was happy to be cageside for it.

Finally, I wanted to thank Nick for coming into our bout and giving me a real fight. You are a great fighter and should hold your head high like the warrior you are!</div>

LOL at least he admitted referring to himself in third person was a douche move

 

nothing up from CB on the last episode, but here's an interview with Matt Brown about his loss etc..

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Ten TUF Questions: Week No. 9 eliminated cast member

This week's episode of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest" featured arguably the most exciting bout of the season. After Jesse Taylor scored a decision win over Dante Rivera to kick off the show's quarterfinals, friends and Team Forrest teammates Matt Brown and Amir Sadollah took to the cage for a much-anticipated bout.

The two stand-up fighters set a fast pace early, and both battled back and forth before Brown was eventually forced to tap out from a triangle choke.

Brown left the cage with his head held high, however, after his high-energy performance earned him praise from his opponent, his teammates and even UFC President Dana White.

Find out Brown's thoughts on the fight with Sadollah, the controversial Jeremy May, and his time spent living in the "TUF" house in this week's "Ten TUF Questions" feature.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: How did you end up on the show? Did you go through the application process, or were you recruited?

MATT BROWN: I went through the tryouts. We did striking, grappling and an interview.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: You defeated Josh Hall by TKO in your elimination bout. What was your state of mind heading in to the house after that first victory?

MATT BROWN: I was just ready to fight. It gave me a lot of confidence after that fight. He was a big guy. Everybody talked him up a lot. Rampage's guys told me that he would have been their first pick. So my confidence was pretty high. I was a little bit worried at first because I'm a natural 170-pounder, and I was going on a 185 (pound) season, and I was like "I just beat one of the better guys," so my confidence went up even more.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: What was it about Jeremy May that made you despise him so much, and how satisfying was it to defeat him?

MATT BROWN: Man, Jeremy, he just has social problems or something. He just doesn't know how to be cool with people, really. Even if he likes you and is trying to be cool with you, he doesn't know to go about it. The issue with Jeremy May, a lot of it is just the fact that he was being a dumbass around the house and stuff. I didn't even know the kid, so I was like "[expletive] him." It was more satisfying to win my fight and move on in the tournament. I didn't really care who it was even though I didn't really like Jeremy at all. I mean nobody liked him. Everybody would be just as happy to knock his head off as I was.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: After the coin-flip decision in Wednesday's episode, you were shipped to Team Rampage. Did the change in coaches disrupt your training in any way?

MATT BROWN: I don't think it did. I'm not the kind of guy that needs certain people around me to fight. I've done a lot of fights without even having a corner, so it didn't really disrupt me at all. I think it actually even helped me a little bit. I got to train with Juanito (Ibarra), who's a guy I look up to and admire, so I was real happy to get to work with him.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Did you hear Rampage praise you for your "samurai spirit" during this past episode?

MATT BROWN: I didn't get to watch the show with audio yesterday, so that's actually the first I've heard of that. Anytime you hear that from a world champion, you've got to take that as an honor. I don't really think about that kind of stuff. I just do the best I can every day, train as hard as I can every day, and whatever happens, happens.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: In the quarterfinals you were matched up with your teammate and best friend in the house, Amir Sadollah. How tough was it to prepare to face off with a buddy?

MATT BROWN: We only had three days after the fight selection to get prepared, so you didn't have time to even think about it. You just go in and do it. The hardest part was getting pumped up to fight him. I'm not necessarily the kind of guy that has to hate my opponent, but there's definitely some disliking – a definite desire to knock his head off. I wasn't really too excited about hurting Amir, so that was the toughest part. But you know once the bell rings and you're standing there in front of your opponent, he's an opponent. He's not your friend anymore. He's trying to knock your head off as much as you're trying to knock his head off.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: It appeared that you edged Amir out in that exciting first round. How did you feel about your performance heading in to the second round?

MATT BROWN: I felt confident after the first round. I was sure I was going to be able to knock him out. I was setting things up a lot, trying to get a good feel for what his game plan was. He changed the game plan up in the second round, and I didn't really change my game plan up. I was setting up certain strikes, certain things on the feet, and he did a good job of catching me off guard.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: You mentioned being caught off guard. Considering Amir said he believed you two were the best strikers in the house, how much did it surprise you when he elected to take you to the ground?

MATT BROWN: At the time, I didn't even know he had tripped me. I thought I had fallen down because I planted on my ankle and my ankle rolled pretty badly. I thought that was why I went to the ground. I didn't know it was because he actually took me down. But once we got there, a lot of people don't realize that Amir has really good jiu-jitsu. He actually did jiu-jitsu before he started doing Muay Thai and kickboxing. I'd rolled with him. We'd done some grappling in training and stuff, and I knew his ground game was a little bit better than mine. But I didn't think it would come in to play in the fight because I know that I have better wrestling than Amir, so I didn't think he'd be able to take me down. He caught me off guard.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: We've seen many fighters be devastated after losing in "The Ultimate Fighter." Why were you able to stay positive despite the defeat?

MATT BROWN: I didn't really show a lot of my emotion. I was devastated, too. But I went out there and I fought the best I could. You can't go out there and kill yourself over a performance like that. When you get in there for a fight, your entire objective is to fight the best you can. If you lose, at least you still fought the best you could. If you win, then so be it. As long as I get in there and perform the best I can, that's all I can ask of myself.

MMAJUNKIE.COM: Many competitors have mixed feelings about their time on the show. Now that you're through it, was it worth it to you, and would you do it all over again?

MATT BROWN: I would definitely do it over again. I actually really enjoyed the time. It made me a better fighter. It was a chance to get away from all this everyday life and do just what you love. The only time it definitely started sucking was when people started tearing up the house. Guys are staying up late getting drunk. Then obviously, after you lose, it kind of sucks because you don't have anything to look forward to.</div>