"I felt like punching Matt in his face."

Rashad Evans - In reference to Matt Hughes' comments after his first fight in the TUF II show, after accusing him of showboating.
And perhaps he should have, it might have made for a much more interesting show, since the producers seemed to run out of ideas and any plot like development had already folded.

The Biggest Winner
I suppose that if any one got their pie and ate it too, it had to be Rashad Evans,who received his trophy for becoming The Ultimate Fighter II Heavy Weight Champion from none other than Mr. Matt Hughes who accused him of "showing very little heart". Not only had he quashed Hughes‚ favorite heavyweight Mike Whitehead in his quest for becoming number one, but he took out anyone they put in front of him including favorite Keith Jardine who fought only once, being protected like some sort of secret weapon.

Let's face it, with a script worse than any Hollywood movie, in this reality show, they tried to set up the Black Man various times, as he fought more than any other fighter in the show.
In the end not even the huge Hilly Billy Heartthrob, Texan Brad Imes could counter the much smaller Rashad's twin Michigan sized fists. Although Brad Imes is still a rookie in MMA, he shacked up with Tim Sylvia and those boys in Cincinnati, Ohio, and tried to make up for his lack of experience with, size, reach and power, and let‚s not forget a hell of a lot of heart.

Rashad on the other hand is a self training man whose strong grappling background mixed with a will as powerful as his left right hand combinations, proved that you don't need to be a giant to beat the giants, especially with heavy boxing hands. It was Rashad‚s left hooks in particular that seemed to knock Imes to the canvass.
Wrestling and boxing, hey that's not MMA or MA.

Leadership? Corn n Industry
The brand new 185lbs. champion who took the belt from "let's not forget his name " Mr. Evan Tanner, is a former High School math teacher from Boring, Ohio, who decided to redirect his energy to MMA. (I'll bet his future students are very fucking happy.)
Then you have Mr. Matt Hughes, another mid-western boy who has the experience of coaching a college wrestling team in Illinois as well as his experience in the Miletich Camp. The only thing between Ohio and Illinois besides the Ohio River is Gary Indiana.

Negativity
One of problems with this "reality show" TUF II, is that, if "coaches" are supposed to be positive role models encouraging their particular "team" through thick and thin, then what happened?
Perhaps what the season finals revealed most clearly was the incredible amount of negative, military-like attitudes possessed by the coaches.

Somehow I feel Evan Tanner would have been a more humane character. Rich Franklin maybe a nice guy if you know him, but he seemed a bit uncomfortable in his role and chose to be Terminator like, although in an act of friendship, he did chose his corner man Georgie - reminds me of a Rod Stewart song - before any other welterweight for his green team.

Instead Hughes and Franklin always seemed "disappointed", or verbally putting someone down in front of the camera, even taunting them. Whatever happened to positive reinforcement? It seems that no one is satisfied unless someone is puking after the work out. And what about rushing an injured fighter straight into the octagon instead of to a doctor as soon as possible? C'mon, would you have lasted fighting if your coaches treated you like that?

No Room For Quitters
After the first show in which the TUF participants were introduced and evaluated as "fighters," we saw certain personalities, which began to permeate the screen. (In TUF's first season, certain dominant figures where complete assholes, but then again there where some loveable characters too, weren‚t there?) In this season, right off the bell it‚s the losers and the quitters and the injured that all add up to nothing. First one character quits because he decides it‚s not for him. At least this MMA fighter had the sense to call it quits early. You have to question why he was chosen to be in the show with a 0-1 record. Perhaps it was too heady for him, "too much like jail," or too much like school? Maybe he felt outclassed or intimidated, and knew he didn't belong there.

"You better check yourself before you wreck yourself."
Whatever the reason, he didn't like the fraternity and quit, so why didn't anyone respect that decision? Instead everyone above him and around him acted like it was the end of the world and they made an even bigger quitter out of him, rather than someone who came to his senses or realized he was in over his head. The biggest talking head of course had no room for quitters in his life. God forbid we hang out with quitters. After all he's injured, but he ain't quitting.

What about the long run, the rest of your career? Maybe you should buy some common sense cause no one on your side is giving it away.

"So why don't you kill me?"
The next looser didn't even get to prove that he was looser, he got sent home without a fight by the end of episode two. And then we hear more comments by the green coach and the UFC president and of course the mouthiest and most judgmental dude in the program. Not only has he delusions of grandeur, but he is also completely self-centered and paranoid.

At least Marvin didn't put everyone else down, he just propped himself up.
But this guy thought for sure that the entire blue team was plotting and coming after his ass, when after all he is like Rambo, injured, but ready for combat. I know what its like being a Latino in Ohio, I feel for you my brother.

Pecking Order
But wait a minute, this character that talks too much, doesn‚t he train with Rich Franklin? Ah, so that's why he got picked so early on, at least his coach has his back covered. He was then taken out by Jason, who was efficiently arm barred by Matt Hughe's favorite welter, Joe Stevenson.
But, wait. Then we have the subversively sly character. He is a man of few words, but he is serious, and he is seriously stealing the show. Yes, Luke Cummo, and the rest of the crew thinks he is "really weird." Luke meditates, does tai chi, faces north to sleep, eats healthy organic meals, hypnotizes eating with chopsticks, and never says anything negative about anyone.

Luke Cummo vs. Joe Stevenson
In an incredible show of will and technique, Joe Stevenson held on for dear life in the second half of the war against a Cummo who grew bolder and stronger as time wore on.
I thought it was kind of fitting that these two would be the last two welterweight fighters in combat, they were definitely the two most compassionate characters, and one was more rowdy and outspoken while the other was more intellectual and reserved.

Luke took out Joe's bleaching buddy Sam Hogar with a vicious sleep inducing knee, and this must have been a clue for Joe, who survived the rounds by reaching down low and holding on to Luke‚s knee in more of a stalemate tactic rather than a finishing move.

Playing Those Mind Games
In season two, not only is Luke picked last, but he has been set up as the next "weak link." So Franklin and Hughes both judged the books by their covers.

In episode one, when the candidates were being evaluated, as each fighter gives up in under four minutes still sitting against the wall, Cummo is asked to stop. He had just passed the five-minute mark and solidly reposes in a sitting position, eyes shut, and palms together, back against the
vertical plane. When his trance is interrupted, he doesn't seem to be kidding when he says, "I could go all day." Despite displaying superior mental power, Luke is left for last.

Keep Your Friends Close
Perhaps Luke is to eccentric for these boys, but Cummo bit the bullet, his eyes got darker and he said in humble monotone. "Its not easy being picked last. But Matt would be my nightmare opponent (wrestler) I think I can learn a lot from him." So suddenly we realize that there is a philosopher in the house, and the real wise man is not an elder or a coach, but the skinny kid from Long Island.

Before the Finals
Although Stevenson confessed that he had separate a clavicle a couple weeks before the finals, his very strong grappling technique did not match up well with Cummo's grappling defenses and escapes cultivated with BJJ coach Matt Serra while back home on Long Island. Cummo had done his homework and survived a first round, which was obviously given to Stevens due to the top control and elbows for a few seconds in the final half minute. Luke defended very well, but had to scramble from the bottom, probably concerned that the referee might call it prematurely.
Joe's initial judo throw was his best moment in the round, but Cummo was to savvy from the bottom kicking Stevens off balance and utilizing the cage with his feet to pivot his position away from the barrier. Stevenson inside Cummo's guard and from the side position did what a typically powerful wrestler can, and kept pushing forward, muscling Cummo and looking for a mount which came in the last thirty or so seconds, when he started dropping a series of quick left elbows looking to impress the judges. At the bell Cummo got up a bit red faced, but was intact and ready for more. Joe on the other hand had used a lot of energy trying to control from the top.

In the second round Stevens got cocked with a right straight that dazed him back to California, followed by a left knee, which he held onto. He had to resort to working the take down strategy. From this point on Stevenson is obviously becoming fatigued, and the gray matter has been rattled. This is not the same Joe who did over an hour of "Up & Over" during the team challenge in which Franklin forfeited and Georgie threw the water bottle in a fit of defeat.

Joe eventually got the take down, but did very little except exert energy into vying for top control. Luke was like a live wire from underneath turning on his hip and trying to turn in and face off. After a couple and a half minutes Joe finally went for an arm bar but Luke simply stepped out of it. And it was a stand up exchange with Luke landing and eventually getting on top as Joe laid on his side holding a leg. Eating some elbows and leather, Joe once again sunk down low reaching for the knee between his legs and eventually wound up inside Luke's guard, unable to do much until the bell, as Luke kept busy landing elbows and fists from the guard and showing superior stamina.

In the third round what saves Stevenson is his incredible physical strength and ability to latch on to the lankier Cummo's leg yet again. He shoots in very low but is pushed back onto his back by the more energetic Cummo. Luke keeps the top position as Stevenson is obviously looking for a knee lock, but he seemed very far from it, as Luke locked up Joe's shoulder, completely stalemating the lingering attempt. Cummo then drops elbows and punches to Stevenson's up stare. From inside Joes guard Luke lands some g n p with fists and elbows. Luke is thinking about standing it back up. Stevenson then eats a solid downward left from a standing Cummo, who then backs out and the fight is wide open.

The Turning Point
This was the point in the fight that could have changed the outcome. As Luke backed away with his back to the cage, Joe would have been forced to his feet, but instead Joe got this burst from nowhere and took down Luke for a wrestlers ride. A Kafka like insect, Joe rolled from his back to his feet and latched on to his dangerous lanky striking nemesis for the takedown that would frustrate the strikers‚ efforts. In the end Luke tried a heel hook but they both decided to let the legs go for the stand up. As the final bell tolled there was no decisive victor, and there was no decisive evidence of damage, except to say that Stevenson looked much more gassed out.

Momentum Shifts
Although Cummo vs. Stevenson was a much closer fight, just as in the Diego Sanchez - Nick Diaz fight, the momentum of the fight was shifting, the stronger wrestler was beginning to get tired and the lankier striker was just getting started.

Had these been championship fights, five rounds, the outcome would have most likely been different.

Damage Assessment
When you asses the damage or points of danger, Cummo faced it at the very end of the first round, while Stevenson got rattled in the beginning of the second and also ate some fists and elbows from his back in the third. Stevenson as a grappler did try some submissions, but was never close to finishing, although it could be argued that he controlled from the top position for a longer time in the fight, although unsuccessful in submission attempts.

Sanchez vs. Diaz
Although this was also a case of the better grappler keeping top control, if this had been a take down tournament Diego Sanchez would have undoubtedly been the winner. But in the same way that Stevenson lacked the finishing touch, Sanchez left a lot to be desired in the striking and finishing edge as well.

Right off the bat Diego frustrated and overwhelmed Diaz with quick dynamic grappling power, but as the rounds wore on, this power and any moves evolving from it began fading.

In the second round as Diaz sat up almost sit up like, Diego nailed him with a knee right out of PRIDE, which was completely illegal, but the referee didn't even flinch. Just as in the first round, Diego could not make contact with the bombs and punched the air or the canvass instead.

By the time the third round came both fighters had done their share of bleeding and Diaz got to show a little of his stand up against a vulnerable Sanchez. The final judges cards were extremely deceptive with 30-27 all around, in what I believe to have been a much closer fight.

A Final
In the end, the finale to TUF II had a good punch and a sting. The two championship fights were hard fought and heart felt with fighters who no one could have predicted participating in these bouts. Perhaps the entire TUF II ending could have had a more heartwarming finish if there truly was camaraderie between the reality coaches and their athletes. It is obvious that Rashad, Joe, Luke and Brad all did their homework with their real coaches and should have all been awarded the filthy lucre. Then perhaps Rich and Matt could have really been proud papa‚s watching their kids graduate into MMA.

You Never Know
I am especially looking forward to a rematch for each of these welterweight match ups. It will be interesting to see how fighters such as Cummo and Stevenson fare within the UFC in the future, and more importantly, evolve within the much broader world of international MMA. You already might have noticed that Melvin Guillard is fighting in TUF Night III, so watch out for whom you least expect.

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