Castmates Heather Clark and Lisa Ellis dish on 'TUF 20' rivalries

Despite being cast early on as the outsider of “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” Heather Clark didn’t go it alone on the set of the FOX Sports 1-televised reality show.

Clark (6-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and fellow contestant Lisa Ellis (15-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC) stuck together despite Clark’s rivalry with other members of the cast. The two recently appeared on MMAjunkie Radio, where they spoke about the pressure cooker of the house, where 16 fighters lived while training and competing for a shot at the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight title.

For Clark, a constant rivalry with teammates proved to be too much to handle at times.

“I think as the season progressed, I wasn’t able to deal with it as well as I was in the beginning,” she said. “It’s like a tattoo; when you start at the beginning, it’s annoying. But after six hours, it’s like torture. It was kind of like that.

“I was like dodging bullets, like, Matrix-style, in the first couple of weeks, and then all of a sudden, they started getting closer, so I put on a bulletproof vest. And then they started to hit the bulletproof vest. Even though they weren’t puncturing my skin, they were still hitting me. So there were times I had to strike back. So as you will see later, there were times where I had to stick up for myself.

“Lisa was helpful because she saw it, and I didn’t have too much beef with Rose (Namajunas), either. She would say what she said behind your back to your face, and I respect her for that. At times, she may have gotten caught up in it, and anyone would, but her and Lisa were the ones I was closest with.”

For Ellis, it was the fallout from her fight that proved a huge challenge. Injured early on in the show’s taping, she said producers neglected to show that part of her backstory and focused rather on her family life, portraying her as “the crying mom.” But when her show opponent, Jessica Penne, accused her of making excuses after a submission loss, she became angry.

Ellis said Penne broke her nose in their first fight due to an accidental headbutt. Penne shot back that it was a perfectly legal knee.

“She was referencing to that, saying I was making excuses for that loss, and I think that’s pretty pathetic,” Ellis said. “I think that was my eighth or ninth loss. I don’t ever make excuses. She thinks she kneed me in the face, and that knee didn’t even hit me in the face. My nose was already broken. I remember it breaking.

“I’ve never been disrespectful about it; I thought it was a great fight. But this point, she can kiss my ass now because I’m over it. I don’t care if you think otherwise. I’m not taking away your win. You won.”

Looking back on the experience, both fighters learned a lot about their limits as fighters and human beings. But through it, they remained close.

On Dec. 12, they begin their professional UFC careers at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale, which takes place at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Clark and Ellis can be thankful they can leave their personal lives at the door when they step into the venue. Although their time in the house ensures they will never be judged solely for their work inside the cage, they will work to create some distance from those perceptions.

“It was really challenging being there,” Ellis said. “It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.”

For more on The Ultimate Fighter Finale 20, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM channel 92, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.