Moving right along in this season of The Ultimate Fighter with only four fighters awaiting their fighting chance to be in the finale of TUF 10 Heavyweights. The week’s episode starts as the rest in showing the constant bickering between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. At this point it is hard to watch in knowing that Rampage’s retirement will likely mean no fight between the two.
Scott Junk will take on the ex-NFL Matt Mitrione leaving Big Marcus Jones and Mike Wessel to fight next week. Everyone watching has been waiting for Matt to get in the octagon so he can put up or shut up. I would bet on the latter. Matt may be a bit crazy right now, but Scott Junk just might be able to focus his experience and knock a few more screws loose. Scott Junk seems to come to the ring with more than MMA experience, he comes with heart. Being the great white hope for Team Rampage, Junk would actually be the first win for the team this season. I gotta get a beer and some pretzels for this one.
Crazy Matt Mitrione decides to go after a teammate in a sparring session because he mentioned he felt like slapping Matt in the face. This stirred up Rashad Evans and he gave Matt a bit of a tongue lashing. Rashad has obviously lost respect for “Meathead” as he has been calling him, as this is the only person on his team that he has truly made fun of during the season. First questioning his previous shoulder injury, now with Matt focusing his anger toward a teammate is driving Evans up the wall.
After seeing Sims dress up as a ninja and antagonize Matt to no end, it is fight time. The fight starts with Matt knocking Scott on his ass early, twice! Matt is leaving himself open, but is doing what it takes. Each time he knocks him down he pauses to let him back up. He obviously wants to keep it standing. Scott continues to not look that impressive as he fails at his takedown attempts and continues to take the in and out jabs from Matt Mitrione. With two minutes left in the first both fighter are breathing heavy, mouths open.
An exhausted Mitrione continues to leave his hands downs and during the last minute of the round takes several punches to the jaw from Junk. I am already preparing to eat my words as are several TUF cast members.
Round 2, Matt still seems to be a bit winded. Punches are light and have no power behind them. Scott Junk takes advantage by talking this to the ground. Junk isn’t doing much from top though connecting only a few times. Matt actually gets a few connects of his own from the bottom until the ref stands them back up. Continuing with playground quality jabs, Matt still manages to keep Scott away with them. At one point they both take a stroll around the ring to catch a breath. I didn’t wuite see the “bombs” Dana White exclaimed he saw in the fight. I can only assume he was talking about round 1.
However, after two rounds, the fight is stopped as the judges came to a decision. Scoring a 19-19, 20-18, 20-18 decision, Matt Mitrione moves on – unbelievable! He has earned a few more weeks of talking smack.
