The Ultimate Fighter S07E05 Show Recap

This week’s episode begins with a recap of the fight that took place last week between Tim Credeur and Matthew Riddle. Credeur enters Riddle’s locker room and tells Riddle, “I owe you an XBox. I’ll buy it for you.”

Riddle is in an upbeat mood since he’s getting an XBox 360. In a joking manner Jeremy May tells Riddle, “this is what you do, don’t defend the armbar and you get an XBox,” which kills the mood.

At the Team Rampage training session, Rampage decides to bring in Michael Bisping to help liven up the mood for his team after being down 0-2 in the early part of the season. Bisping started to spar with some of the fighters and gave the team this piece of sound advice, “just remember the biggest opportunity in the world here. Really if you want to make it as a fighter, this is the best thing that could ever happen to you. It’s changed my life completely.”

Next up is the Team Griffin training session where all the fighters are given the chance to spar. Matt Brown is highlighted during the session for his hard work during their team’s sessions.

Back at the house, Jeremy May is shown putting lime juice in Matt Brown’s chewing tobacco. When Brown finds out, he calls out May and tells him that he’s going to be the next fight. At the next fight selection though, Forrest Griffin announces that Team Griffin has chosen Dante Rivera to fight Brandon Sene.

Brown is shown in the confession room saying, “so assuming that we win the next fight. I will be fighting Jeremy May.”

Third Fight
Dante Rivera (Team Griffin) vs. Brandon Sene (Team Jackson)

Round 1:
As the fight starts, Rivera clinches Sene up against the Octagon cage where he is able to score with a leg-trip into side control. Rivera, the superior grappler attempts to go after Sene’s arm but Sene works his way back to his feet. Once the fighters engage in the clinch once again, Sene is able to land knees to Rivera’s thigh and midsection until the referee restarts the fight. Rivera shoots in for a single-leg takedown that Sene stuffs so he goes for a double-leg slam and ends up in Sene’s guard. Rivera falls back for a heel-hook attempts but Sene is able to escape as the 1stRound ends.

Round 2:
When the 2ndRound begins, both fighters are engaged in the clinch again with Rivera pushing Sene up against the cage. Sene is doing a better job at landing some decent knees from inside the clinch until Rivera is able to take Sene down once again. Rivera is starting to land some ground-and-pound from Sene’s half-guard, but Sene is able to work his way back to his feet and end up in Rivera’s clinch when Rivera trips Sene again. From Sene’s half-guard, Rivera is able to maintain his position while land some decent punches, but Sene is able to reverse on Rivera as he was attempting an arm triangle. Now with the opportunity to be in Rivera’s half-guard, Sene starts to push the pace and begins his ground-and-pound.

*Both teams think their fighter won, but are preparing for a sudden death round.

Round 3:
Rivera looks exhausted as the 3rdRound begins but is able to get Sene in his clinch once again as both fighters are pummeling for underhooks as the referee restarts the fight for lack of action. Sene is able to get a muay-thai clinch on Rivera and land a series of knees to Rivera’s stomach. Rivera is able to score a double-leg takedown and attempt some ground-and-pound. Sene is working hard from the bottom to elbow and punch at River who looks like he waiting for the round to end. Rivera passes into side-control where he’s attempting to isolate Sene’s right arm, but is unable to do so. From there Rivera lands a few knees to Sene’s side to soften him up, but Sene is the one who looks like he’s the more experienced fighter even though he only has 2 fights under his belt to Rivera’s 12 total fights.

Dante Rivera from Team Griffin wins the sudden death round. Rampage loses his cool after the fight as he yells out, “he [Rivera] didn’t even fight!” Rampage is then shown taking down an employee parking sign. Everybody, including Dana White agrees that Sene did the most damage but unfortunately the judges didn’t see it that way.

The next fight announcement is made at the end of this episode as Forrest Griffin announces that an intense Matt Brown is going to fight Jeremy May. Brown looks ready to fight as Jeremy feels that Brown is hyping himself up too much.