Episode No. 2 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians'

American Top Team (top) and the Blackzilians

Episode No. 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’ opens with the fallout from the season opener, in which American Top Team’s Michael Graves lost a majority decision to Blackzilians fighter Kamaru Usman.

Graves had never suffered a defeat in pro or amateur competition prior to the fight, and now he has some doubt about his place in the tournament. Graves’ veteran teammates provide a pep talk and encourage him to keep training hard.

UFC President Dana White said the second fight in the competition is critical. Blackzilians are up 25 points to none, and ATT needs a win to even the score and take home gym advantage.

At the next ATT training session, Dan Lambert and the coaching staff gather to debate which fighter should compete in the next bout. There are several options, but the final decision will be made after consulting the athletes.

ATT’s Uros Jurisic is the top candidate, and after brief discussion, he jumps on the opportunity to earn the first victory for his team.

Glenn Robinson and the Blackzilians coaching staff also gather to discuss which fighter would give the best chance to take a 2-0 lead in the competition. The coaches consult the fighters and decide Luiz Firmino will fill the role in their second fight.

Focus shifts to Firmino’s preparation for the bout. The 33-year-old has 24 pro fights on his record and is a ground specialist. He’s earned seven of his eight stoppage wins by submissions and owns victories over UFC veterans Tyson Griffin and Jacob Volkmann on his record.

Weigh-ins take place and Jurisic and Firmino are made aware for the first time that they will be fighting each other. They both successfully make the welterweight limit. During the staredown, coaches Lambert and Robinson exchange heated words, which only bolsters the pre-fight intensity.

Jurisic and Firmino attempt to cram as much training and strategy as possible into the few hours before the fight. Both men are confident in the matchup and believe they’ll earn a critical victory for their respective teams.

Fight day arrives, and the second tournament bout is here. Jurisic and Firmino finalize preparation with their coaches, and the first bout is underway.

Luiz Firmino (18-6) vs. Uros Jurisic (4-0)

Round 1 – Firmimo opens with a body kick and Jurisic fires back with a series of wild punches. Jurisic wobbles Firmino with a jab and Firmino dives in for a double leg takedown. He completes the attempt and Jurisic goes for a guillotine. Firmino escapes and takes top position. Firmino works punches to the body and head from half-guard until Jurisic recovers full guard. Firmino spends several minutes throwing punches from top position and Jurisic makes little effort to escape back to his feet. Firmino stays on top and is just active enough to hold position for the rest of the round.

Round 2 – Jurisic is far more tentative to begin the round. He shoots for a double leg takedown and presses Firmino against the fence. Firmino shakes him off, reverses position and lands on top in side control. Jurisic doesn’t rest on his back this time, though, and scrambles up to his feet. Jurisic wings wind punches that miss and Firmino replies with straight punches that connect. Firmino shoots for another takedown that he scores with ease. Jurisic attempts a guillotine but quickly releases the submission. Firmino throws punches from guard until Jurisic fights his way back to a vertical position. Firmino holds onto a body lock and slams Jurisic back to the ground. Jurisic gets back up, but gives up another takedown seconds later. Firmino takes top position and advances to side control where he methodically attacks for the remainder of the fight.

Luiz Firmino def. Uros Jurisic via unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18)

White reacts negatively to the fight and said it “sucked.” He criticizes the referee for allowing the fighters so much time on the ground without advancing position or threatening a finish. Nevertheless, Firmino’s victory earns the Blackzilians its second 25-point win of the season and gives the team a 50-0 lead in the competition. The Blackzilians retain home gym advantage for the next fight.

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FOX Sports 1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.