Episode No. 11 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 20: Team Pettis vs. Team Melendez'

“The Ultimate Fighter 20? cast

Episode No. 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter 20: Team Pettis vs. Team Melendez” opens with Tecia Torres discussing her history with upcoming opponent Carla Esparza.

Torres says she was supposed to challenge for Esparza’s 115-pound title under the Invicta FC banner, but when the strawweight division was added to the UFC, both fighters were brought onto “TUF.”

Esparza says she didn’t think she would face Torres unless it was the finals because they started on opposite sides of the bracket. The matchup became even less realistic when Torres suffered a loss in the first round, but when she was brought back due to an injury to Justine Kish and placed in Esparza’s bracket, the collision occurred.

Fight day arrives, and the third quarterfinal-round contest of the “TUF 20” tournament is underway.

No. 1 Carla Esparza vs. No. 3 Tecia Torres

Round 1 – Both fighters are tentative to open the round. Esparza tries for a single leg takedown, but Torres easily shakes it off. They exchange strikes and Esparza attempts another takedown, but it’s stuffed again. Torres uses a lot of movement and mixes in punches. Esparza tries to close the distance for another takedown and can’t get Torres down. Esparza sticks to the takedown attempts and is relentless until she finally drags Torres to the mat. She can’t keep her there long, though, as Torres fights to her feet. Esparza hangs on the back and has Torres trapped against the cage. Torres reverses the position, but Esparza hits a trip and briefly gains top position. Torres scrambles free to her feet and looks to strike. Esparza lands another takedown as Torres tries to close the distance and lands punches from the guard as the round comes to an end.

Round 2 – Torres presses forward and lands a hook. Esparza is thinking takedown and fails on her first attempt of the round. Torres controls the center of the octagon but doesn’t throw many strikes. Esparza pursues the takedown again. She can’t complete her first two attempts and nearly gets Torres on the third. Torres displays tremendous balance, as she stays upright on one leg before breaking free. Esparza dives for another takedown, but there’s no set up whatsoever. Torres begins to find her range and tags Esparza with a combination. Esparza responds with a huge double leg takedown that plants Torres on her back. Torres slowly works back to her feet, but Esparza is on her back. Esparza controls Torres against the cage and Torres eventually gains control. Esparza drops for a leg and completes one final takedown before the end of the round.

Carla Esparza def. Tecia Torres via majority decision

Esparza earns her second victory of the tournament and advances to the semifinal round, where she will face No. 4 Jessica Penne. She admits to feeling mentally and physically worn out at this point of the competition and wishes she had a better performance.

Focus shifts to the second quarterfinal matchup of the episode. Team Pettis’ Joanna Calderwood faces the lone Team Melendez fighter to advance past the first round, Rose Namajunas.

At the next Team Melendez training session, Namajunas becomes overwhelmed by emotion as fight time nears. Namajunas says she’s a perfectionist and grows frustrated with the flaws in her training.

Calderwood, on the other hand, is calmness defined. She displays little emotion before her bout and says she doesn’t know much about Namajunas other than what she’s seen in the competition.

Fight day arrives, and the fourth and final quarterfinal-round contest of the “TUF 20” tournament is underway.

No. 2 Joanna Calderwood vs. No. 7 Rose Namajunas

Round 1 – Namajunas opens with a front kick to the face. Calderwood presses forward and both fighters throw wildly. Namajunas jumps for a flying armbar from the clinch, but Calderwood escapes into the guard. Calderwood works her ground-and-pound from the top as Namajunas attempts a triangle choke. Namajunas gives up on the submissions and scrambles to her feet. Namajunas attempts another flying armbar, but Calderwood easily shakes it off. Namajunas presses Calderwood against the cage and lands punches and knees from the clinch. She completes a takedown, but Calderwood pops back to her feet. Calderwood lands a takedown of her own and moves on top. Namajunas dives for a leg lock, but Calderwood escapes into guard. Namajunas then goes for a kimura from her back and uses it to roll into top position. Namajunas keeps top position until the end of the round.

Round 2 – Calderwood pushes Namajunas to the ground with a front kick. Namajunas stands up and lands a lunging right hook. Calderwood connects with kicks to the body then presses Namajunas against the cage. She peppers Namajunas with knees and elbows from the clinch. Calderwood lands a hard elbow that causes Namajunas to jump forward with a takedown attempt. Calderwood stuffs the takedown, hits a switch and gains top control. Namajunas goes for the kimura from her back for a second time, but this one’s locked in and she forces Calderwood to tap out.

Rose Namajunas def. Joanna Calderwood via submission (kimura) – Round 2

Namajunas earns her second victory of the tournament, both by submission, and advances to the semifinal round, where she will face No. 14 Randa Markos.

The final two bouts of the season will take place on next week’s episode and determine who will fight for the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight championship at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas.

Also see:

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 20: Team Pettis vs. Team Melendez” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FOX Sports 1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.