UFC's The Ultimate Fighter 5
Episode 6
May 10, 2007
Aired on Spike TV (taped Jan/Feb 2007)
-We go immediately to the Fight Announcement. Team Penn has been given a penalty because Gabe Ruediger failed to make weight for his scheduled match with Corey Hill last week. Team Pulver will get to pick the next two fights.
Dana White introduces the Burger King TUF Standings. Gabe Ruediger, Andy Wang, Allen Berube and Noah Thomas (all from Team Penn) have been eliminated. Nate Diaz, Brandon Melendez, Manny Gamburyan and Cole Miller (all from Team Pulver) have all advanced to the quarterfinals.
Jens Pulver sends Brian Geraghty over to call out Joe Lauzon. About Lauzon, White says, "Lauzon looks like a nice little quiet nerdy-looking internet kid...but this kid will rip your f---ing head off." Next Corey Hill steps forward and picks Rob Emerson.
-We go to the Training Session for Team Penn. Goofy spy movie music plays as Joe Lauzon is shown, and BJ Penn says he looks like a psychopath. Penn says Lauzon is known as "Creepy Joe," "Psycho Joe," and "Baby Joe." Lauzon is 22 years old and fights out of Boston. Lauzon says he has a good job working with computers where he could make a lot of money, but he fights because he loves it. Clips are shown of Lauzon's UFC fight with Jens Pulver. Lauzon scored a huge KO upset. Lauzon says some people call it "a fluke" or "a lucky punch," but he calls it "preparation." Lauzon is shown working out. He says he wants to be the first Team Penn member to win in TUF 5.
-We go to the Training Session for Team Pulver. Brian Geraghty says fighting Joe Lauzon is good for him because Lauzon is the biggest name. Geraghty says Lauzon is the only TUF 5 fighter with a UFC win, and it was a huge win over a former UFC Lightweight Champion and Geraghty's current TUF 5 coach, Jens Pulver.
In talking about his loss to Joe Lauzon, Jens Pulver looks uncomfortable and doesn't look into the camera. Pulver is usually pretty jovial, but on this topic he is clearly embarrassed. Pulver says against Lauzon, he forgot to bring his fight. Pulver says the most important thing for Brian Geraghty is for him to forget that Lauzon ever fought Pulver. Geraghty says it's forgotten.
Brian Geraghty says he was a troublemaker as a youth. He got into MMA to divert his anger. Geraghty hopes to tire Lauzon by extending the fight, since Lauzon is so explosive.
Joe Lauzon believes he's the favorite for the fight. Brian Geraghty says, "He knocked out my coach, of course I'm the underdog." Lauzon says he stays calm before a fight by "hanging out" and not thinking about the fight. Geraghty is certain he's going to win. Lauzon plans to beat up Geraghty and then choke him out. Geraghty says Lauzon better be wearing a clean pair of underwear.
[Commercial Break]
This is the fifth lightweight bout of the TUF Preliminary Round.
Tale of the Tape
Brian Geraghty (28 / 5'7" / 69" reach / 24-9-2)
Joe Lauzon (22 / 5'10" / 70" reach / 13-3)
5 - BRIAN GERAGHTY vs. JOE LAUZON
ROUND ONE: Steve Mazzagatti and his mustache preside. Glove touch to start. Lauzon charges in on Geraghty, and Geraghty pulls guard in the standing position. Lauzon slams Geraghty hard to the mat, smacking his own forehead off the mat in the process. Lauzon pounds away with punches. Lauzon unleashes a flurry of punches and elbows. Geraghty is stunned. Lauzon brings down an elbow of death, but Geraghty rolls out of the way, quite dramatically, and Lauzon elbows the mat as Geraghty stands back up. Lauzon leaps up on Geraghty's back like a Body Snatcher. Lauzon uses his foot to push off the cage, and he and Geraghty fall to the mat with Lauzon sinking in a rear naked choke on the ride. Geraghty's eyes are bugging out so he taps out. Lauzon didn't even have his hooks set in.
FINISH: Joe Lauzon won by Submission at 1:13 of Round One.
STAR RATING: (*+) Geraghty got immediately overwhelmed and there was no return. Lauzon did exactly what he said he was going to do -- he grounded Geraghty, beat him up and choked him out. Short sweet asskicking. Not much to the match, but Lauzon's dominating performance earned the plus.
RAMIFICATIONS: Joe Lauzon moves on to the TUF 5 quarterfinals. Brian Geraghty has to live with this miserable performance in the biggest opportunity of his career.
Post-Fight Comments
Jens Pulver says - "Maybe Geraghty didn't understand when I said [Lauzon] comes like thunder."
Dana White says about Joe Lauzon - "His level of intensity is awesome. He comes out to finish fights. Lauzon looked amazing in this fight."
Jens Pulver says about Joe Lauzon - "The kid's good. He is good and I'm glad he's good, 'cause that way I didn't get knocked out by a bitch."
Brian Geraghty says about himself - "I just went out there, and just got embarrassed pretty much. I didn't even put up a fight, and I wish I could have that minute back of my life. That was just the worst performance I ever had in my life."
BJ Penn is happy to have a win for his team for the first time. Penn says he knew he could trust Joe Lauzon
-We go to the Training Session for Team Penn. Rob Emerson says is happy to back in the tournament. Emerson says he feels more pressure this time against Corey Hill than he did originally against Nate Diaz. Emerson says he's going to be more aggressive against Hill.
[Commercial Break]
-Jens Pulver and Corey Hill are going for a walk. Pulver asks Hill how many times he's fought. Hill tells Pulver that he's fought twice, once in a ring and once in a cage. Hill tells Pulver he lied to the other fighters by telling them he had four fights. Hill tells the cameras that he lied to Pulver, because really he has zero professional fights. Hill says when he heard of the open casting call for TUF 5, he quit his job. Hill says he was somewhat intimidated by everyone else's records. Pulver tells him not to worry about their experience. To the cameras, Hill says he has had two amateur fights. At the casting call, Hill says when Dana White asked him how many fights he had, he believes he told him he was 8-0. Hill says he didn't know who Dana White was at the time. Hill is shown beating the holy hell out of a punching bag.
Corey Hill goes into Shonie Carter-mode and delivers the following soliloquy -- "I want this bad. I work too hard. I've overcome too much. I remember what I said I'd do if I got here. I'm on course. I'm on pace. I'm following the instructions. I'm following the manual. I'm playing by the rules, despite dudes not making weight. I still got to make weight again. That s--- ain't going to stop me. It's like they're trying to break me. They're trying to give Corey Hill a reason to quit. That s--- is not happening." Hill’s exquisite promo is played as he’s shown sweating his ass off in the sauna.
Dana White says he doesn't know much about Corey Hill, but “it's amazing to be 6'4" and 155 pounds.” White says Hill’s physique is going to give a lot of fighters trouble.
-We go to the Official Weigh-In. Rob Emerson is in a thong again. His ass his censored with a gray circle. Emerson weighs in at 155. Presumably, so does Corey Hill.
After Gabe Ruediger failed to make weight, Corey Hill says he is “a little perturbed.” When the fight doctor asks Hill how many fights he has, he answers four. Rob Emerson says Hill is going to have to back up all his barking now. Emerson says he doesn’t plan to lose again in TUF 5.
[Commercial Break]
This is the sixth lightweight bout of the TUF Preliminary Round.
Tale of the Tape
Rob Emerson (25 / 5’8” / 71” reach / 8-6)
Corey Hill (28 / 6’4” / 76” reach / 0-0)
6 - ROB EMERSON vs. COREY HILL
ROUND ONE: Steve Mazzagatti and his mustache are busy tonight as they preside again. Glove touch to start. Things get less friendly very quickly as Hill unleashed a combination of punches and kicks. Hill has a crazy reach advantage, as he stands waaay back and still lands with a kick. BJ Penn is yelling for Emerson to engage first. Emerson seems hesitant, befuddled by Hill’s long arms and legs. Emerson tries to come inside, but he gets hit several times for his troubles. Hill is stalking Emerson. Penn is telling Emerson to throw low kicks. Emerson officially pops Hill’s MMA cherry with a straight right to his cheek that trickles a little blood. Hill unsuccessfully tries to take Hill down. Emerson lands a stiff low kick to Hill’s lanky leg. Hill is dancing on his feet and teeing off. Emerson tries a kick, but Hill catches his leg. Thirty seconds left and Penn is calling for Emerson to explode. Close round, but Hill was the aggressor so he takes the advantage.
[Commercial Break]
ROUND TWO: During rounds, Penn tells Emerson that Hill can’t hurt him with strikes, so he should not worry about getting hit and just take the fight to Hill. Another glove touch. Almost a minute in and Emerson comes at Hill with a combination that ends with a brutal low kick. Emerson lunges in with a Superman punch. Emerson is looking much better this round. The fighters clinch and exchange strikes inside. Hill jabs Emerson. Another low kick by Emerson and Hill counters with some hard shots with his fists. Another low kick and Hill is starting to feel them. Emerson’s corner is rumbling with excitement. Emerson lands yet another stiff low kick. Emerson slips and Hill charges at him, resulting in the two going to the ground for the first time in the fight. Hill is in Emerson’s half guard. Emerson rolls him over and gets a heel hook. The round ends with Hill in Emerson’s submission. If Hill took the first round, then Emerson took this one and we’re going to Sudden Victory Overtime.
[Commercial Break]
ROUND THREE: A third glove touch and the fighters smile at each other. Hill continues to land jabs. Almost two minutes in, and not much has happened. Finally, the two exchange some sloppy inside strikes. Pulver is yelling for Hill to jab, while Penn continues to yell for Emerson to explode. Emerson lands a low kick and a straight left punch. Penn wants combinations from Emerson. Hill continues to jab. Emerson flirts like he’s going to flurry, but then backs off. Emerson tries to come inside, but gets punished. Penn yells, “Who cares if he hits you?” Sloppy round for each fighter, but Emerson has landed a few significant low kicks. Emerson lands another low kick that might have just sealed the deal. The round ends. I dunno. Emerson seems to have scored the most in the round. Dana White says he believes Rob Emerson won the fight. Emerson definitely scored the most with strikes, but Hill did most of the pursuing for the round.
FINISH: Corey Hill won by Unanimous Decision after Round 3.
STAR RATING: (**-) Not a great fight. The second round was the best, with Emerson landing a boatload of low kicks. The first round went to Hill by default. The third round really should have went to Emerson, so a fairly controversial finish here. But as Jens Pulver points out, “You can’t win these fights backing up, man.”
RAMIFICATIONS: Corey Hill reveals to his team that he just had his first professional fight. Rob Emerson is mad and believes he won the fight. Corey Hill advances to the quarterfinals. Emerson is eliminated from the tournament for the second time.
Post-Fight Comment
Dana White says about Rob Emerson - “All the things were lined up for Emerson to jump in and steal that fight and win it, and he didn’t f---ing do it. He didn’t do what he needed to do. He was fighting not to lose, and not fighting to win.”
