That being said, I understand that the UFC needs to take advantage of the ratings potential of Kimbo Slice but I can't remember seeing a more misleading promo of a TV show than for this week's episode of TUF. A mysterious illness strikes down Marcus Jones opening a window for Kimbo Slice to maybe get back in the ring this week. Not even close. There was something wrong with Marcus but it was even before fight announcements and the only purpose is served was as another way to showcase Kimbo as a likable guy as he was helping Marcus out.
Just like in the first three episodes, Rashad is proving to be ten times the coach Rampage is. I don't know if it's that Rampage isn't any good at coaching or that he just doesn't care. A part of me thinks he just doesn't care as evidenced by picking Kimbo first for his team in episode 1 despite other guys having more size and skill but then go back to his first coaching stint on Season 7 and out of the eight quarter finalists that season, he had 2 of the 6. I don't know. Rashad talked about his coaching strategy. He realizes that the few weeks he has to work with his fighters isn't enough time to reshape them so he's going to focus on making them better at what they are already good at. Rashad and his coaches also devise a strategy of who is going to fight who to ensure all eight of his guys makes the quarterfinals. After telling his fighters who they are going to fight next, Justin Wren initially agrees to fight Scott Junk before changing his minds because they're friends outside the show. But that's not the biggest problem because Mike Mittrione for some reason lets Team Rampage in on who's fighting who. There is speculation that Mike tipped their hand hoping that it would make Rashad change the fights because he wasn't keen on fighting Marcus Jones (who during a montage, was pulling a Lennie from Of Mice and Men on his teammates during training not knowing his own strength during sparring and rolling on the mat. Often connecting to hard or going too far on a submission).
Rashad picks Brendan Schaub to fight Demico Rogers which was Rashad's original plan despite Mike letting everyone know this was coming. Brendan is excited about the fight as is Rampage, calling it a "winnable" fight. There was some funny stuff this episode between Rampage and Demico. Rampage not wanting to train him because he looked like Rashad Evans. Even going as far as covering his face with a towel while rolling on the mat during one of those mid commercial vignettes.I'm not going to play-by-play leg kicks and take down attempts since it wasn't that long of a fight but to sum it up, Demico was is very good position doing a lot of good work on top. Despite having good position he decided to continue to pass Branden's guard where Branden was then able to reverse it and within 30 seconds was able to get Demico to tap out via Anaconda Choke. Incredulous that one of his guy could lose by Anaconda Choke, no one went in to the ring to console Demico. Rashad comforted Demico and severely questioned Rampages coaching style in his confessional.
One good thing might have come out of this loss for Team Rampage. Rampage called his coaches in for an emergency meeting. He came to the conclusion that the fighters here are very green and that they can't feed them as much information as they could to someone more seasoned. It looks like Rampage may actually start coaching.
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