Episode No. 1 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber'

Urijah Faber and Conor McGregor

“The Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber” kicks off with a video package centered on arrivals of confident U.S. fighters. That sets up the format for this season, which will pit American athletes against European counterparts.

The American fighters are confident they’ll dominate the season because the sport is more developed in the country compared to the majority of European nations.

The package cuts to the “TUF” gym with a voiceover of UFC President Dana White, who explains this season consists of all lightweight fighters: 32 will fight to get into the house, 16 will make it, and only two will compete in the finale for the six-figure UFC contract and a custom Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Interim UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor will coach the team of European athletes, while former WEC featherweight titleholder and multi-time UFC title challenger Urijah Faber will oversee the Americans.

McGregor and Faber butt heads from the outset. “The Notorious” claims he doesn’t view Faber as a competitor because he already “smoked” his Team Alpha Male teammate, Chad Mendes, at UFC 189 earlier this year.

White explains teams will be formed through 16 upcoming matchups. Sixteen Americans will face off and 16 Europeans will do the same to determine which eight to advance to the house for each team.

McGregor and Faber join White cageside to evaluate the talent.

Cameras head backstage where fighters are warming up and preparing for the all-important elimination round. The first bout is underway moments later.

USA: Johnny Nunez (5-1) vs. Ryan Hall (4-1)

Round 1 – Nunez launches a winging overhand but Hall ducks under the attack and drops for a leg lock. Nunez shakes and rolls to break free, but Hall pulls Nunez into his guard. Hall isolates a leg, maneuvers for a heel hook and forces Nunez to quickly tap out.

Ryan Hall def. Johnny Nunez via submission (heel hook) – Round 1

Europe: David Teymur (3-1) vs. Thibault Gouti (10-0)

Round 1 – Teymur opens with a leg kick. Gouti moves forward and pumps the jab. Teymur throws a head kick following by punches and another leg kick. Teymur’s kicks keep Gouti at bay as he mixed up strikes to the head, body and legs. Gouti presses Teymur against the fence and slows the action to end the round.

Round 2 – Teymur lands a leg kick and hook that forces Gouti to back up. Gouti moves forward to close the distance and lands a takedown. Teymur reverses position and gets on top where he and unleashes a massive flurry of strikes. Teymur returns to his feet and both men throw powerful strikes before the end of the round.

David Teymur def. Thibault Gouti via majority decision

USA: Andreas Quintana (8-1) vs. Thanh Le (4-1)

Round 1 – Quintana takes the center first and stalks Le. Le is first to fire, though, as he plants a kick in Quintana’s midsection. Le hurts Quintana with a big punch and follows with flying knee and head kick attempts. Quintana attempts to responds with leg kicks, but Le counters with another solid right hook. He then charges forward with multiple kicks, including a spinning wheel kick to the face that stumbles Quintana, who manages to escape the round.

Round 2 – Quintana is the aggressor to start the round. Le continues to counter with precision and accuracy. Le lands a perfect straight right hand that immediately drops Quintana to the ground. Le connects with one follow up shot and the fight is over.

Thanh Le def. Andres Quintana via knockout (punch) – Round 2

Europe: Artem Lobov (11-10-1) vs. Mehdi Baghdad (11-3)

Round 1 – Baghdad throws the first strike and Lobov uses it as an opportunity to move inside the clinch and throw uppercuts. Lobov breaks free and the fighters feel each other out from in the pocket. Lobov holds his hands low and tries to counter Baghdad’s attacks. Baghdad is patient, though, and mixes up his offense. Lobov lands a body kick that causes Baghdad to shake his head in disapproval. Baghdad lands an elbow from the inside then a head kick that nearly drops Lobov. Baghdad slows down toward the end of the round while Lobov’s activity and accuracy picks up. Baghdad goes for a takedown late in the round but Lobov denies it.

Round 2 – Lobov and Baghdad pick up right where they left off. They clinch and throw punches and elbows from close range. Lobov changes level for a takedown, but Baghdad keeps him away and scrambles back to his feet. Lobov is bleeding from his forehead due to a cut from an elbow. Lobov responds with body kicks and short punches. Baghdad takes over the role as counter striker and hammers Lobov with punches before a successful takedown. Lobov gets back to his feet just before the round is over but is taken down again before the bell sounds.

Mehdi Baghdad def. Artem Lobov via majority decision

USA: Julian Erosa (14-2) vs. Jason Soares (8-0)

Performance highlights from the matchup include Soares attacking relentlessly with wrestling and takedowns. That strategy doesn’t work out for him, though. Erosa uses effective takedown defense and an active guard to rack up points over the two-round contest to take a victory on the judges’ scorecards.

Julian Erosa def. Jason Soares via unanimous decision

Europe: Saul Rogers (10-1) vs. Paulo Boer (10-1-1)

Performance highlights from the matchup show a grappling-heavy affair. Both sides secure takedowns and land ground strikes. Rogers nearly finishes with a guillotine choke in the first round. Rogers dominates the second frame from top position and eventually finishes with a rear-naked choke.

Saul Rogers def. Paulo Boer via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2

USA: Brandon Ricetti (7-1) vs. Billy Quarantillo (6-1)

Performance highlights from the matchup include Ricetti engaging at the outset and taking Quarantillo’s back early in the opening round. He locks in a body triangle but drains most of his energy trying to finish the fight. Quarantillo flips the script in the second round. He advances into top position after a takedown and unleashes punches until the referee calls for a TKO.

Billy Quarantillo def. Brandon Ricetti via TKO (punches) – Round 2

Europe: Frantz Slioa (4-0) vs. Martin Delaney (10-1)

Round 1 – Delaney pressures Slioa’s back against the octagon. He cuts off the cage and throws a head kick before changes levels for a takedown. Slioa reverses Delaney against the cage and gets a takedown of his own. Delaney quickly gets back to his feet but Slioa has him trapped against the cage. Slioa goes for another takedown but Delaney defends and breaks free. Delaney reengages second later and works for takedown against the cage. He’s successful with a body lock and trip, but he can’t ground Slioa for long. Back to his feet, Slioa goes for yet another takedown. His hard work pays off because he gets Delaney down and takes the back. Slioa batters Delaney with punches and elbows before he locks in a fight-ending rear-naked choke.

Frantz Slioa def. Martin Delaney via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1

USA: Jason Gonzalez (9-2) vs. Tim Welch (12-5)

Round 1 – Wild exchanges occur in the opening seconds. Both men throw punches and kicks before Gonzalez shoots for the first takedown. Welch reverses position and lands in guard. Gonzalez throws up a triangle choke and locks it in. He throws elbows while tightening the choke, but Welch escapes and ends the round on top.

Round 2 – The second round starts much the same of the first. Strikes are thrown from both sides but nothing significant lands. That’s until Gonzalez lands a huge liver kicks that drops Welch to his back. Gonzalez follows his injured foe to the mat and hammers away with punches for the TKO.

Jason Gonzalez def. Tim Welch via TKO (punches) – Round 2

Europe: Abner Lloveras (19-7-1) vs. Vlado Sikic (10-0)

Round 1 – Sikic is active with his kicks early. Lloveras responds with a flying knee then a takedown. He slams Sikic to the ground and takes the back within seconds. Lloveras reverses position and Sikic seemingly suffers a shoulder injury in the transition. Sikic stops throwing any kind of arm strikes and goes for a takedown. Lloveras locks in a guillotine choke and Sikic uncorks a verbal scream that causes the referee to stop the bout.

Abner Lloveras def. Vlado Sikic via verbal submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1

USA: Mike Flach (7-1) vs. Tom Gallicchio (19-8)

Round 1 – Gallicchio attacks the legs for an early takedown. Flanch displays good defense on the entry, but Gallicchio is persistent and drags the action to the mat. He slides into back control and softens Flach with punches. He locks the arm under the chin and forces the submission due to a rear-naked choke.

Tom Gallicchio def. Mike Flach via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1

Europe: Martin Svensson (14-5) vs. Mohamed Gabinski (10-1)

Performance highlights from the matchup include Svensson dominating the grappling aspect of the fight. Both men exchange reversals and submission attempts on the mat but gains an advantage in the opening frame. It was more of the same in the second round. Svensson nearly finished the contest with an armbar, but couldn’t lock it in before time ran out. For the first time a fight spilled into a third sudden-victory round where Svensson used his grappling to control and wrestle his way to a decision

Martin Svensson def. Mohamed Gabinski via unanimous decision

Europe: Djamil Chan (9-2) vs. Marcin Wrzosek (10-2)

Performance highlights from the matchup include a swift and dominant performance by Wrzosek. He lands a takedown early in the fight, forces Chan to give up his back then finishes the contest with a rear-naked choke.

Marcin Wrzosek def. Djamil Chan via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1

Europe: Sascha Sharma (8-2) vs. Sean Carter (10-1)

Performance highlights from the matchup include very little action in an uneventful first round. The intensity picks up in the second when Sharma gets a dominant position on the floor and hammers away with ground strikes. Carter escapes late in the round and lands a flying knee. He then locks in a triangle choke from his back but can’t finish before the end of the round.

Sascha Sharma def. Sean Carter via unanimous decision

USA: Austin Springer (8-0) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1)

Round 1 – Springer opens with a jab then follows with combinations to the body and head. Gruetzemacher responds with a leg kick and looks to clinch and work from the inside. He lands a short elbow that cuts Springer. Gruetzemacher catches Springer with a punch on the inside that briefly drops Springer to the mat. Springer is hurt by the attacks but manages to escape the round.

Round 2 – Gruetzemacher continues his forward pressure. He gets back inside and lands hard knees to the head and body from the clinch. Springer attempts o fire back with punches from the inside but Gruetzemacher further batters him with massive knees to the body and head. Gruetzemacher doesn’t stop his offensive pressure until the referee mercifully waves off the action.

Chris Gruetzemacher def. Austin Springer via TKO (strikes) – Round 2

USA: Brennan Sevin (7-1) vs. James Jenkins (8-1)

Round 1 – Sevin throws a leg kick that’s caught by Jenkins. Jenkins turns the caught kick into a takedown and begins to work his offense from the guard. Sevin lands a upkick from the bottom but Jenkins avoids it and keep control of top position for the entirety of the first round.

Round 2 – They trade punches on the feet and Jenkins stuns Sevin right a right hook. Sevin doesn’t back down, though, and lands a clean hook of his own that backs Jenkins up. Both men exchange wild combinations and eat hard punches from each other. Sevin lands his right straight with frequency as Jenkins circles and kicks from the outside. Sevin throws another lazy kick that’s caught by Jenkins and turned into a takedown. The action eventually returns to the feet and both fighters continue to trade blows until time runs out.

James Jenkins def. Brennan Sevin via unanimous decision

With 16 contests in the books, the teams are set with eight fighters each.

TEAM FABER (USA)

1. Ryan Hall
2. Thanh Le
3. Julian Erosa
4. Billy Quarantillo
5. Jason Gonzalez
6. Tom Gallicchio
7. Chris Gruetzemacher
8. James  Jenkins

TEAM MCGREGOR (EUROPE)

1. David Teymur
2. Mehdi Baghdad
3. Saul Rogers
4. Frantz Slioa
5. Abner Lloveras
6. Martin Svensson
7. Marcin Wrzosek
8. Sascha Sharma

McGregor says he doesn’t feel an emotional connection to any of his athletes and is simply present to conduct business. Faber, on the other hand, is optimistic about the diverse group of competitors on his team.

White enters the “TUF” gym and congratulates all the winners and losers. The losing fighters are asked to the leave the gym and White follows with a classic motivational speech for those who remain.

White flips a coin to determine which team will pick the first fight. Team Faber wins the coin toss and will have control of fight selection on the next episode.

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.