-The show opens with a recap of last weeks Cole Miller vs. Allen Berube match. Miller took a few hammerfists to the face from Berube to sink in a triangle on Berube and win the match. Miller started crying with joy during the final ring announcement. Miller continued to cry in his dressing room. Miller says his goal was to make it to the UFC in 8-10 years after he started training. It only ended up taking him three and a half years. Miller says thinking about this accomplishment made him emotional. The fighters have crafted a championship belt. Manny Gamburyan put the belt around Miller's waist.

Jens Pulver talks about the importance of winning the first fight and establishing momentum. As a result of the win, Team Pulver will continue to pick the fight match-ups. Pulver says that as long as they have control of the fights, only the fighter they have chosen for competition will have to cut weight. If they lose control, then everyone would have to cut weight to be prepared.

-We go to the Ultimate Fighter House. Joe Lauzon says people are bummed because Allen Berube will have to leave the house after losing his fight. Berube comes back to the house and gathers everyone in the living room. Berube says he will continue to live at the house and train in support of Team Penn. Matt Wiman doesn't like the news. He'd rather people go home after losing, so the house is not full of drunken distractions at the end of the tournament.

-The fighters are getting massages. Gabe Ruediger lets it be know that he doesn't like Matt Wiman. Ruediger and Wiman are both on Team Penn. Ruediger says he wants to punch Wiman in the face. Team Pulver member Brian Geraghty is happy to see infighting for Team Penn.

-Matt Wiman confronts Gabe Ruediger. Wiman says Ruediger is making both of them and their team look stupid. Ruediger and Wiman agree to settle their differences when they eventually fight.

-B.J. Penn has devised a plan to get Rob Emerson to call out Corey Hill at the meeting to select this week's fight. Penn is hoping to manipulate Team Pulver to get a favorable fight match-up. Penn gives Emerson a handwritten note with some lines, including several f-bombs, to use in goading Miller.

-We go to the Fight Selection with UFC President Dana White. Jens Pulver acts a bit, contorting his face as if he hasn't yet made a decision, and even does the nose scratch. As Pulver steps forward, so immediately does Rob Emerson. Emerson says with all the barking Corey Hill has done (literally), Hill had better now back it up. Pulver is shown yawning as Emerson continues to posture. Pulver is no-selling Emerson, but Hill is getting rattled. Hill shakes his head up and down fervently, practically salivating. Both fighters are ready to thrown down now. Penn starts yelling, egging Hill on. Pulver says he needed to regroup. Manny Gamburyan is already standing next to Pulver.

[Commercial Break]

-We are back at the Fight Selection. Pulver is having none of Penn's plan, though, and nudges for Manny to announce the fight. Gamburyan looks at Gabe Ruediger and asks if he's on weight. To the cameras, Ruediger says he was hoping Gamburyan would pick him, because he'd "smash him." Gamburyan instead picks Noah Thomas. Gamburyan says Thomas is the weakest link left in the competition.

-We go to the Training Session for Noah Thomas. Thomas was born in Colorado but says he grew up in the Marines. Thomas says he is the underdog, but doesn't understand why since he's had over forty fights in two and a half years. Thomas says he is a different person when he fights.

-We go back to the Ultimate Fighter House. Gabe Ruediger is pouring water onto the head of a sleeping Allen Berube. Rob Emerson notices there are girls riding horseback in the distance. Everyone jumps up and runs over to the wall. They ask the girls to come around to the front of the house. The girls attempted to come up the driveway on the horses. Since the horses were wearing horseshoes, the driveway was like ice to them, and the first horse fell down onto its side on the driveway. This was literally like the saddest moment ever on TUF. The poor horse was laid out on the hot cement, unable to itself get back up. All of the fighters were still standing in the doorway to the house, since they aren't allowed to leave the house. Finally, someone asks the fighters if they can help, and they make a decision to go out as a team. They bring some carpet outside, so the horse can get some traction to stand up. Emerson was not about to get kicked by a horse, so he opted not to help. The fighters are able to successfully help the horse to its feet. They apologize to the girls.

-Matt Wiman and Gabe Ruediger are shown arguing as they ride in the van. To the cameras, Wiman says Ruediger is a "scumbag idiot that I can't escape." Joe Lauzon says the infighting is having a negative effect on their team, so they are going to inform B.J. Penn so he can squash it.

[Commercial Break]

-We go to the Training Session for Team Penn. B.J. Penn says he heard Matt Wiman and Gabe Ruediger are having problems. Wiman is talking to Penn about Ruediger, when Ruediger happens by. Wiman asks Ruediger to sit down with them, but Ruediger isn't about to do anything on Wiman's terms. Penn asks the two how this is going to look to Team Pulver. Penn addresses the team. He says they need to take care of any problems right now. Wiman asks if he can speak. Wiman says he has no desire to have a TUF feud with Ruediger. He doesn't want that to be a storyline on the show. Wiman says Ruediger needs to stop talking about him every time he leaves the room. Wiman says Ruediger needs to worry about himself and his "weight problem" and stop trying to cause trouble with him. Ruediger does not agree with Wiman on these issues. He does agree with Wiman that the two should fight immediately. Penn tells the cameras that he is almost to the point where he's going to kick these two out of practice. Penn tells the two to man up.

-We go to the Training Session for Team Pulver. Manny Gamburyan says he's been a fighter since the age of 3 and was a bad kid. Gamburyan injured his shoulder doing Judo two years ago and has not fought since. Gamburyan is the cousin of Karo Parisyan. Jens Pulver says Noah Thomas had better be prepared, because Gamburyan is going to be very hungry after such a long layoff.

[Commercial Break]

-We come back to the Ultimate Fighter House. Noah Thomas says he doesn't like any sport except fighting. Manny Gamburyan is skeptical as to Thomas's "over forty fights." Thomas says no one in the house is going to be able to break him.

-We go to the Official Weigh-in. Noah Thomas is eating a sandwich as he steps on the scale. Manny Gamburyan looks on, none too happy with Thomas's shenanigan. Dana White confirms Thomas has been in forty fights in the past two and a half years. White says this is the exact same amount of time that Gamburyan has been out of action. Thomas comes in one half pound under weight at 154 1/2, even with a sandwich in hand. Gamburyan weighs in an acceptable one pound over at 156.

-We go back to the Ultimate Fighter House. Team Penn has the day off. Rob Emerson, who is drinking, pulls a shield off the wall. Emerson, Gabe Ruediger and Joe Lauzon decide one of them will hold the shield, while others throw things at them. Ruediger pulls a tiki torch out of the ground and now has a spear. This can't be good. Someone is going to lose an eye. Luckily, Lauzon suggests they do a trial run with a soccer ball. Emerson holds the shield, while Lauzon throws the ball at him. The ball went under the shield, and right into Emerson's groin Jackass-style. Emerson fell over in pain, as everyone bowed over in laughter.

-Matt Wiman, Noah Thomas and Andy Wang write a tribute to the troops in marker on one of the house walls. Wiman and Wang have brothers who are currently serving overseas, while Thomas was in the Marines. Rob Emerson decides to take the marker on the wall a step further, and writes "Team Pulver Suck It" on a wall. Team Pulver arrives home and notices the initial writings on the wall. They're okay with it, but then they see the second writing. Nate Diaz is pissed. Diaz says he is Team Pulver, so when he sees that he takes it personally. Diaz is literally ready to fight whoever wrote it. Emerson says he wrote it, and Diaz tears off his shirt. Everyone else jumps in the middle, saying not to fight in the house.

[Commercial Break]

-A melee has broken out, with the house on the verge of gang warfare. Brandon Melendez has joined the fray. Rob Emerson tells the cameras that he didn't intend any ill will with his writing, and that he was only joking. Melendez does not find it funny. Melendez says he was getting even more mad because Gabe Ruediger was in his face. Nate Diaz again expresses that he didn't think it was funny either. Melendez and Diaz have calmed a bit, but now Manny Gamburyan has found out and he's pissed. Surprisingly, Corey Hill hasn't been shown barking at anyone yet. Gamburyan says he will fight each and every member of Team Penn. Ruediger says it was like a relay race, and Diaz handed the baton to Gamburyan. Gamburyan is really pissed. Emerson covers up his vandalism and writes "Sorry Guys Luv Ya!!!" instead.

Even though he wanted to beat up the rest of Team Penn, Gamburyan does tell Gray Maynard that he isn't mad at him. Gamburyan is so mad he is considering leaving the house. Noah Thomas believes Gamburyan is overreacting. Corey Hill, of all people, ends up being the calming force for Gamburyan. That's right. The same guy who was snarling and barking last week, ended up giving astute philosophical advice this week. Hill showed a completely different side here, calmly offering wise advice to Gamburyan. Hill tells Gamburyan that he would have his back no matter what, but that he should save his aggression for the fight tomorrow, instead of wasting it tonight on this insignificant issue. Gamburyan feels better, thanks to Hill.

[Commercial Break]

-It's now morning and things have calmed down. Noah Thomas notes how Manny Gamburyan may have burnt up a lot of his energy by being so mad last night. Gabe Ruediger gives Thomas a pep talk. Gamburyan says this will be his first UFC appearance, so he has to do well. Gamburyan is sitting by the pool and singing as a form of meditation. Ruediger says it sounds like a “dog getting raped while its hungry.”

To the cameras, Gamburyan says he hates Thomas. Thomas says he doesn’t hate anyone. Thomas says if Gamburyan is anything like Karo Parisyan, then he can expect that he’ll be coming straight at him. Gamburyan says he is going to make Thomas “puke blood.”

It’s fight time. This is the second fight of the TUF 5 tournament.

2 - MANNY GAMBURYAN vs. NOAH THOMAS

ROUND ONE: Steve Mazzagatti and his moustache preside. The fighters touch gloves to start. Gamburyan is a lot smaller than Thomas. Gamburyan lands an overhand right that stumbles Thomas. Gamburyan shoots in on Thomas, pushing him up against the fence. Thomas is holding him off, while Gamburyan is digging deep for the throw. Gamburyan scores a takedown. He’s on top of Thomas, in his guard. Gamburyan passes to side control, as B.J. Penn pleads for Thomas to get him back into guard. Thomas is squirming around on the ground, as Gamburyan controls him, throwing down punches. Thomas is baiting Gamburyan for a submission, but that might not be so wise. Penn screams for Thomas to watch out for the kimura, but it’s too late. Gamburyan cranks the armlock, and Thomas has no choice but to tap out.

STAR RATING: (*) Another quick, one-sided opening round match. Gamburyan landed one big punch, and Thomas was too complacent on the ground. Gamburyan is way too talented for complacency, so he made Thomas pay. Thomas was trying to be the trapper, but ended up getting trapped himself. A really impressive showing by Gamburyan. While it didn’t make for the most entertaining match, it did establish Gamburyan as a top contender.

RAMIFICATIONS: Manny Gamburyan advances to the TUF 5 quarterfinals. If Noah Thomas is going to compete at the UFC level, then he’ll need to work to become a more complete fighter. Thomas has a ton of talent, but needs to refine his skills.

Thanks for reading. Have a nice day!

Questions, comments, concerns and the like for Randy Rowles can be e-mailed to mmatorch_predictions@yahoo.com.