Team Serra fighter George Sotiropolous
The show starts with a recap of last week's fight where Team Hughes' Dan Barrera lost to Team Serra's Ben "The Jolly Green Giant" Saunders. (The nickname is from Blake Bowman)
Team coach Matt Hughes is angry and depressed about five straight losses for his team.
"What am I to do?" he asks. "You guys are pushing my tolerance."
Barrera heads to the doctor's - he's got a broken nose, a cut on the chin and one on the forehead.
UFC Prez Dana White talks to Hughes: "Cheer up, dude."
When Hughes continues to lament about his team's poor performance, White starts dropping f-bombs faster than ... well, really fast.
"Punish those m-----f------ for not listening," he said. "B---- slap 'em. Beat the living s--- out of them."
Hughes, like a hit man, says, "I'll take care of it."
Next we see Hughes putting his team through the wringer. But that's not all - Hughes loses it, talking down Barrera's loss the week before.
That doesn't sit too well with with Team Hughes' Mac Danzig, a heavy favorite to go all the way - just ask him - and self-appointed mentor to some of the younger, less-experienced fighters.
"It's kind of disheartening when your coach does that," he said. Danzig believes that Hughes has let his feud with Serra - and upcoming fight at UFC 79 - get the better of his judgment.
Matt Serra talks about Hughes, saying that there's a difference between tough love and an ego out of control.
Hughes gets to pick the fight, and says it'll be his fighter, Jared Rollins, against Team Serra's George Sotiropolous.
Commerical break: We got to hear a chorus of pre-pubescent crumb-crunchers murderize Poison's "Nothin' But A Good Time" for an X-Box ad? God, I'm getting old. After that, J-Lo, dressed like a flasher in a short trench coat and not much else, asked me to buy her new CD. Ummm, no. But nice coat.
Comic relief comes in the form of Ben Saunders complaining that Sotiropolous doesn't care about the team because he wakes up at 4 or 5 a.m., but doesn't get the team up at 10:30 a.m. Boo-freakin'-hoo.
Another punishing Team Hughes training session. Rollins gets hurt in practice, possbily a rib injury. Hughes' "witch doctor" takes a look at it and recommends that Rollins see a doctor to get an x-ray. The prospect of not fighting is more than Rollins can take, and he breaks down.
As it turns out, Rollins has just bruised some ribs, so he's back in the fight.
Saunders complains again about Sotiropolous not waking him up.
"You want me to make you breakfast?... Do I owe you something?" Sotiropolous asks Saunders. When Ben says no, then Georgie responds with, "So shut your f------ mouth."
Fight time: The fighters circle, then Georgie begins landing punches on Rollins, who lands a nice low kick, but otherwise appears tentative. Good knee by Georgie, then a clinch. The two wind up on the ground, where Rollins tries a quick double wrist lock. Georgie rolls out of it, and they're back to their feet and trading again. More fireworks from Georgie, landing pretty much whatever he wants. He eventually drops Rollins, following him to the ground, and firing more punches until the ref stops it.
Serra: "Six to one. Ouch, that's gotta hurt."
Cut to Hughes, who just shakes his head.
Rollins: "Of course I'm disappointed. I got knocked out." White tells him he has nothing to be ashamed of.
Looks like next week is the final preliminary fight, Tommy Speer vs. Jon Koppenhaver.
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