Welcome, everyone, to the ninth edition of The TUF Stuff!
Each week, I'll be guiding you through a recap of this season's edition of The Ultimate Fighter, providing updates on what happens in each episode -- from the drama and storylines out of the Octagon, to the looks into who the competing fighters are, to what goes down inside the cage.
This season celebrates the 20th anniversary of TUF. That inaugural season from 2005 helped to influence many future MMA fans, media members, and fighters (yours truly included). And now, two more fighters this summer will get the opportunity to call themselves TUF champions when it's all said and done.
Last week saw the final first-round matchup of the season, a highly-anticipated grudge match between Team Cormier's Rodrigo Sezinando and Team Sonnen's Diego Bianchini. Sezinando scored a strong victory from a dominant second round to secure the final welterweight semifinal spot.
Recap of The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 - Episode 9
The semifinals begin tonight with a flyweight clash between Alibi Idiris of Team Cormier and Roybert Echerverria of Team Sonnen. One of these two will secure the first spot in the TUF Finale fights, held during the prelims for UFC 319 next month!
Also, Cormier and Sonnen play pickleball tonight in this season's Coaches' Challenge!
Let's get into episode nine of The Ultimate Fighter!
Coaches Challenge
$10,000 on the line for the coaches and $1,500 for the fighters as Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen play pickleball. And after a suggestion from Joseph Morales on Team Sonnen to make it $20,000 for the coaches (in recognition for 20 years of TUF), White decides the fighters will earn $2,500 each.
It's the best-of-3 match with the first to 11 points winning a game.
Game 1 is all about learning the rules, including Cormier calling himself "The John McEnroe of Pickleball," getting into it with the refs as he commits foot fouls. Cormier wins the game 11-6.
Game 2 sees Cormier commit foot foul after foot foul...but Sonnen just doesn't have it, even despite a late rally. Cormier wins again 11-6, and he takes the match.
Alibi Idiris Fight Prep
Cormier feels Idiris is a favorite on Team Cormier and that his style will be perfect to beat Echerverria. Idiris says he respects Echerverria but feels he knows Echerverria's style of big blows. Idiris says he needs to create pressure and strike more, making use of his elbows, knees, and general offensive production.
Cormier agrees that Idiris has to pressure and cannot let Echerverria get comfortable. Cormier adds praise for Idiris' cardio.
Team Sonnen Training Session
Colby Covington says he sees members of the team not taking training seriously, comparing to the sprints he saws during Team Cormier's practice. Covington tries to fire up the guys -- "We're not here to dress. We're here to win championships!" and to get them "comfortable with the uncomfortable."
Sonnen praises Covington's leadership, especially as he sees a newfound energy from the team the rest of practice.
Roybert Echerverria Call Home
Just like previous seasons, semifinalists are allowed to call home.
Echerverria says he knew he needed the phone call but didn't know how much it did. "It gave me extra strength, extra everything."
Echerverria admits that he feels like he is going to come out of TUF a different person than he was entering the season.
Alibi Idiris Phone Call Home (...Or does he?)
Idiris discusses his big family, who Idiris says he misses very much, but he has declined White's offer to the TUF semifinalists.
"I don't want to be impacted by my emotions," Idiris says. "I understand that I need to work harder; they're counting on my victory."
Team Sonnen Training Session - Julianna Pena Joins
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion, and winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 18 -- as well as a TUF 30 coach -- Julianna Pena, joins Team Sonnen for a training session.
Pena says winning TUF and going on to win a UFC title changed her life. Pena says the guys will never get another opportunity to just focus on themselves as a fighter, so they should make the most of it.
Matt Dixon describes Julianna Pena as a "woman of confidence." Pena tells Echerverria he needs to focus and make this moment, adding that she wants another Venezuelan TUF champion to go onto UFC success.
Roybert Echerverria Fight Prep
Sonnen says Echerverria has done everything right, with the perfect attitude.
Echerverria says he's going to walk Idiris down and Idiris will try to shoot just to neutralize him. Sonnen, who says he has a fear of Idiris, tells Echerverria to stay disciplined and stick with his gameplan.
Sonnen says Echerverria's keys to victory will be his conditioning and his high-level grappling.
"He's got the mental toughness, he's got a drive, and he's got a reason to fight," Sonnen said.
Echerverria says he will look to pressure Idiris and make him gas out.
The Fight: Alibi Idiris vs. Roybert Echerverria
-----IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE EPISODE AND DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO TURN AWAY NOW.---------
Idiris weighs in at 125.5. Echerverria weighs in at 126. The fight is on!
Tumelo Manyamala says Idiris has the cardio and is "next level" as a fighter. He feels Idiris will be able to pressure Echerverria.
Joseph Morales says Echerverria is a well-rounded fighter with great grappling, who will probably pressure and submit Idiris.
Alibi Idiris vs. Roybert Echerverria
Round 1
Low kick from Idiris. Round kick to the body by Echerverria. Idiris with a right hand. Idiris misses on a combination, and Cormier tells him to settle. Cormier tells him to be patient. Front kick by Echerverria is blocked. Echerverria with some solid side-stepping. Echerverria avoids the pressure and lands a combination. Round kick from Idiris. Idiris with a right hand as Cormier tells him to keep the pressure.
Body punch by Echerverria. Right hand from Idiris. Idiris pressures Echerverria to the fence, but Echerverria lands a combination. Idiris looks for a takedown, but Echerverria gets away. It happens a second time. Idiris misses a jumping punch attack. Round kick by Idiris. Idiris with some spinning attacks. Idiris with a right hand again.
Strong body punch by Echerverria. Idiris goes for another takedown, but Echerverria avoids it. Cormier tells him to pressure again and to use his kicks. Echerverria lands to the body, and Sonnen tells him to continue. Right hand by Echerverria as Idiris starts pressuring again. Body kick by Idiris. Echerverria goes in, but Idiris prevents it. Idiris pressures Echerverria into the fence, and after some struggle, he's able to get Echerverria down.
Echerverria goes for a sudden triangle choke, but Idiris escapes it quickly! Idiris lands a flying knee to Echerverria! A couple of follow-up shots, and despite some protest from Echerverria, the fight ends in the closing seconds of the first round!
Winner: Alibi Idiris via first-round TKO
Conclusion
Cormier says Echerverria is better than he thought, thanks to his strong strikes and takedown defense. Sonnen says Echerverria didn't live up to the gameplan, not changing elevation when Idiris came after him. Cormier adds that Idiris used punches to eventually secure the takedown.
White says that when Echerverria scrambled to his feet, he left himself open, allowing for the knee to land.
Idiris is so happy and gives thanks to Echerverria. Idiris tells White that he's the next flyweight star, and that his name will be remembered. Echerverria's coaches tell him he did everything great; he just got unlucky thanks to Idiris' perfect timing.
Next week's welterweight semifinal will see Team Cormier's Jeff Creighton and Rodrigo Sezinando square off in a teammate battle.
Also next week, Sonnen takes his team out in Las Vegas to see Criss Angel.
What will happen next week? Join alongside us then!
Thanks for joining me for another edition of The TUF Stuff!