Episode No. 11 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions'

Episode No. 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions” opens with UFC President Dana White discussing the semifinal round, which starts with a matchup between No. 1 Alexandre Pantoja of Team Cejudo and No. 5 Hiromasa Ogikubo of Team Benavidez.

The fighters have already weighed in and are in the back rooms of the “TUF” training center finalizing preparation for the first flyweight tournament semifinal match.

No. 1 Alexandre Pantoja (16-2) vs. No. 5 Hiromasa Ogikubo (15-3-2)

Round 1 – Pantoja opens the fight by pumping his jab and Ogikubo is throwing kicks to the legs and body. Pantoja responds with a leg kick that knocks Ogikubo off balance, but he quickly regains his footing. They throw more kicks back and forth and once again Pantoja knocks Ogikubo off balance by kicking his back leg. Pantoja pounces this time and tries for a takedown. Ogikubo keeps him off, though, and forces his way into the clinch. Ogikubo presses Pantoja’s back against the fence and is working for a body lock takedown. Pantoja defends well but Ogikubo is relentless with multiple attempts until he gets the fight to the mat. Ogikubo lands in Pantoja’s guard off a double leg and is trying to gets shots off. Pantoja is active off his back and shows good defense by keeping Ogikubo from passing his guard. Pantoja tries to kick his opponent off but Ogikubo is sturdy on top. Pantoja lands a slick sweep and kicks Ogikubo off him to stand up. Ogikubo tries to grab his opponent but Pantoja breaks into open space. Pantoja starts to get off with good punches from a distance but Ogikubo fires back with a hard body kick. Ogikubo closes the distance again and completes a takedown before the end of the round.

Round 2 – Pantoja comes out with a flying knee and body kick combination but it falls short. He warms Ogikubo with fast combinations which forces a retreat. Ogikubo shoots for a takedown but it’s easily stuffed. Pantoja is throwing kicks and punches with bad intentions but Ogikubo is taking everything and pressing forward. Ogikubo counters with a head kick, which somehow doesn’t hurt Pantoja, but his confidence is coming back. Ogikubo throws a body kick that’s caught and turned into a leg sweep by Pantoja. Pantoja jumps on top but he can hardly keep Ogikubo down before he reverses and gets on top. Pantoja kicks him off, though, and they return to striking. Ogikubo lands a hard uppercut and goes for another takedown. Pantoja fights off the first attempt but Ogikubo continues to chase for it and plants Pantoja on his back. Ogikubo is connecting with big punches from guard and Pantoja is having a difficult time creating space to get up. The Brazilian is doing everything he can to work back to his feet but Ogikubo is controlling his body. Pantoja is complaining to the referee for a stand-up and he finally gets one. Pantoja rushes forward with less than 30 seconds but his last swarm of offense fails to put Ogikubo in any kind of danger.

Hiromasa Ogikubo def. Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision

Ogikubo becomes the first fighter to advance to the tournament final, where, if he is victorious, he’ll earn a shot at UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas.

“Well, I’m advancing to the finals and this is the very last fight,” Ogikubo says after his victory. “I will win no matter what happens.”

Focus shifts to the second tournament semifinal matchup, which pits Team Benavidez teammates against one another: No. 3 Tim Elliott fights No. 15 Eric Shelton.

Elliott was one of the favorites coming into the tournament because of his experience and the fact he’s competed under the UFC banner in the past against some of the best 125-pound fighters in the world. Shelton, meanwhile, is the Cinderella story of the competition, coming in as the second lowest seed but making his way into the final four.

The fighters have already weighed in and are in the back rooms of the “TUF” training center finalizing preparation for the second flyweight tournament semifinal match, which will determine who faces No. 5 Ogikubo next week.

No. 3 Tim Elliott (13-6-1) vs. No. 15 Eric Shelton (10-2)

Round 1 – Elliott comes out aggressively throwing big haymakers but Shelton retreats and backs out of range. Elliott is pushing forward hard and eating straight counters for his troubles. He closes the distance though and grabs onto one of Shelton’s legs and turns it into a takedown. Shelton throws up his legs and nearly locks in a triangle choke but Elliott displays good defense and slips his head out of dangerous positions. Elliott moves into half guard and is throwing punches and elbows to Shelton’s head and body. Shelton tries to back toward the fence to stand up but Elliott steps over for a guillotine choke. Elliott drops to his back and is trying to tighten the choke but Shelton stays calm and pops his head out. Shelton is on top now and is paying Elliott back with some ground-and-pound of his own. Elliott is trying to fight his way back to his feet and eventually breaks free of Shelton’s grip. Shelton jumps onto the back but Elliott rolls over and retakes top control. Shelton scrambles and Elliott goes for another guillotine choke. He can’t secure it, though, once again allowing Shelton to take the top. Shelton is trying to pull Elliott away from the fence when he delivers an accidental head butt. The referee stops the action but both fighters are fine to continue. The fight resumes from a standing position and Elliott immediately goes for a takedown. He can’t get it and nearly turns it into a takedown of his own but Elliott goes for another guillotine. He holds the choke until the end of the round but can’t force a tap.

Round 2 – Elliott opens with spinning back kick that misses badly. He rushes in throwing wild punches and Shelton obliges as they trade back and forth. Both sides come out of the firefight unscathed and Elliott falls just short with a spinning back fist. Elliott shoots for another takedown but Shelton easily fends him off. Elliott continues to pressure on the feet with punches, body kicks and another back fist. They clinch and Elliott throws a knee to the head that causes Shelton to back off. Shelton comes forward with a combination and a takedown attempt but Elliott once again goes the guillotine choke. Shelton shakes it off and is in top control again. Elliott is active with punches and elbows off his back. He goes for an armbar but Shelton keeps his posture solid and protects himself. Shelton is holds on from on top and waits for an opening to scramble and get on top. He briefly takes mount but Elliott finds a way to get away and take over top position. Wild back-and-forth scrambling exchanges take place and Shelton ends up on Elliott’s back working for a rear-naked choke. He can’t get it but continues to control Elliott, who is doing anything he can to create space and get up. He’s eventually successful and before longs finds himself back on top of Shelton. Shelton scrambles and Elliott jumps on his neck for another guillotine. He squeezes tight but can’t get Shelton to tap out.

Tim Elliott def. Eric Shelton via majority decision

Elliott earns the crucial victory, which advances him into the second and final spot of the tournament final, but he’s very honest about his performance and his belief the bout with Shelton should have gone to a sudden-victory round.

“I’m happy with the win, but I feel my performance was not that great,” Elliott says. “I feel like I maybe got lucky with the judges’ call there a little bit. I had us going to the third. I think he deserved a third round and maybe even the win. My coaches kind of got me through that fight. I was hurt in the first round and my coaches did a good job of staying in my ear.”

The final now is set, and on next week’s episode No. 3 Elliott fights No. 5 Ogikubo for the chance to challenge Johnson for the UFC flyweight championship.

Also see:

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FS1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.