Episode No. 1 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 23: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia'

Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha

“The Ultimate Fighter 23: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia” opens with a video package previewing the season of the reality show, which for the first time will feature a mix of male light-heavyweights and women’s strawweights.

Coaching the teams will be UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 1 contender Claudia Gadelha, who have a bitter rivalry after their UFC on FOX 13 showdown in December 2014. Jedrzejczyk won the first matchup by split decision, but a rematch will take place at the live finale on July 8. This time the title will be on the line.

Before all that goes down, though, the 32 fighters vying for UFC contracts will be chopped down to just one winner from each weight class that will be awarded the traditional six-figure UFC deal.

Coaches Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha enter the “TUF Gym” in Las Vegas for the first time, where they are joined by UFC President Dana White to watch the elimination round of fights and scout potential members of their teams.

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

Strawweight: Mellony Geugjes (0-1) vs. Amanda Cooper (1-1)
Round 1 – Cooper opens with a lead jab and pressure. She throws a body kick but slips and falls to her back. Geugjes gets on top and attempts to advance position but Cooper keeps her in guard. She traps the wrist and throws her legs up for an armbar. Geugjes defends well to start, but eventually Cooper goes belly down then flips Geugjes back over, extending her limb for the submission.

Amanda Cooper def. Mellony Geugjes via submission (armbar) – Round 1

Light heavyweight: Eric Spicely (8-0) vs. Kenneth Bergh (3-0)
Round 1 – Spicely shoots for a single-leg takedown right off the bat and is successful. Bergh scrambles to get back to his feet but Spicely stays one step ahead and gets side control. Bergh gives up his back in a panic and Spicely wastes zero time sliding his arm under the neck and locking in a rear-naked choke that forces the tap.

Eric Spicely def. Kenneth Bergh via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1

Strawweight: Ashley Cummins (3-3) vs. Lanchana Green (2-1)
Round 1 – After a wild exchange of punches opens the fight Green clinches and moves Cummins’ back toward the fence. She changes levels, turns the corner and drags Cummins to the ground. Green advances to side control where she maintains positions while firing off short elbows. Cummins attempts to scramble free of the position but Green is dominating from side control, adding knees to the body along with punches and elbows. Cummins scrambles again but gives up her back. Green sinks in both hooks but Cummins turns over. Green eventually moves to mount and forces Cummins to give up her back again. Green locks in a tight rear-naked choke but Cummins somehow survives until the end of the round.

Round 2 – Green wastes no time attempting to get the action back to the floor. She clinches Cummins against the fence and works for a single-leg takedown. Cummins denies her this time, though, and breaks free. Cummins decides to initiate the clinch and gets the muay-thai plumb. She fires off a number of massive knees to Green’s face and body that put her on wobbly legs. She’s unable to protect herself from the damage and after numerous unanswered knees the referee jumps in.

Ashley Cummins def. Lanchana Green via TKO (knees) – Round 2

Light heavyweight: Khalil Rountree (4-0) vs. Muhammed DeReese (5-0)
Round 1 – Dereese fires a hard leg kick to open the fight. Rountree attempts to return fire but that exposes him to a Dereese takedown, which is successful. Rountree pops right back to his feet, though, and they fight in the clinch. Rountree breaks free but Dereese catches him with a big punch then completes a strong throw from the clinch. Dereese jumps on the back and goes for a choke, but Rountree stays composed and escapes the position. Dereese is holding a leg as he tries for a takedown from the clinch, but Rountree punishes him with hard elbows to end the round.

Round 2 – Both men are breathing very heavy to start the round. Rountree is pressing forward and throws a huge body kick that hurts Dereese badly. Dereese goes down and Rountree smashes him with a few punches before standing and throwing two massive soccer kicks to the body that cause Dereese to grimace in agony before the referee halts the action.

Khalil Rountree def. Muhammed Dereese via TKO (soccer kicks to body) – Round 2

Strawweight: Alyssa Krahn (3-1) vs. Jamie Moyle (3-1)
Round 1 – There’s no feeling-out process as Krahn and Moyle attack each other from the outside. Krahn scores a brief takedown but can’t keep Moyle down for more than a few seconds. Moyle looks to clinch and the fighters pummel back-and-forth for position. Krahn launches Moyle to the mat with a slick arm-drag takedown and lands in guard. Moyle is looking to create space to get up or lock up a submission from her back, but Krahn holds position. Moyle eventually uses the cage to scoot back to her feet and the fight returns to the standing clinch. Moyle breaks free and lands a hard left hand that causes Krahn to shoot for a desperate takedown. Moyle denies it but keeps heavy on the failed takedown and uses it to get on top. Krahn gives up her back and after some work Moyle locks in a rear-naked choke for the stoppage.

Jamie Moyle def. Alyssa Krahn via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1

Light heavyweight: Myron Dennis (12-4) vs. Jamelle Jones (6-2)
Round 1 – Dennis and Jones exchange jabs and leg kicks as they look to gauge range. Jones explodes for a double leg takedown but Dennis gets back up right away. The same sequence happens again seconds later. Then again seconds after that. Jones looks to tee off with punches but Dennis defends well and continues to move forward. Both sides are exchanges power shots but Jones is the more unpredictable fighter by mixing in takedowns. Both fighters are absorbing damaging blows but Jones appears to get the worst of it from inside the clinch. A series of clean punches connect and the referee jumps in to stop the fight in Dennis’ favor despite Jones never falling down or showing serious signs of being hurt.

Myron Dennis def. Jamelle Jones via TKO (punches) – Round 1

Strawweight: Ashley Yoder (4-1) vs. Jodie Esquibel (3-1)
Round 1 – Yoder lands a powerful leg kick to start the fight. Esquibel retreats but Yoder gives her no room and traps her agains the fence in the clinch. Despite having a smaller frame Esquibel reverses the position before being turned back around. Yoder lands a pair of knees to the body and Esquibel lands a big kick of her own off the break. Esquibel charges forward and is mixing her attacks between the body and head. Yoder it taking hard shots but it dishing it back. A slick scramble ensues after Esquibel is stumbled by a body kick and Yoder ends up on the back. She nearly locks in a fight-ending submission but Esquibel escapes and gets back on top to end the round.

Round 2 – Esquibel connects with a body kick and is showing much more movement on the feet. Yoder sees that and ducks under a punch for a takedown. Esquibel breaks free and it returns to a striking contest. Yoder uses her range to throw kicks and the jab but Esquibel refuses to give much room and is throwing her combinations to the head and body. Esquibel shows more aggression but Yoder does well at keeping her at bay before going for a takedown toward the end of the round. Esquibel defends and the round ends with big strikes coming from both sides.

Ashley Yoder def. Jodie Esquibel via split decision

Light heavyweight: Norman Paraisy (15-4-2) vs. Elias Urbina (3-0)
Performance highlights from the fight show both fighters exchanging huge punches before Paraisy scored a takedown and landed strikes from full mount. In the second, Urbina edges Paraisy with a higher work rate. Urbina, who nearly finishes with a choke, dominates the final round but it forced to go the distance.

Elias Urbina def. Norman Paraisy via unanimous decision.

Strawweight: J.J. Aldrich (2-1) vs. Kristi Lopez (2-0)
Performance highlights from the bout show Aldrich dominating both rounds of action from the striking to clinch to takedowns and ground work. She wins the fight in clear-cut fashion.

JJ Aldrich def. Kristi Lopez via unanimous decision

Light heavyweight: Abdel Medjedoub (3-0) vs. John Paul Elias (3-0)
Performance highlights from the bout show a lopsided performance from Medjedoub. Both rounds consist of him taking Elias to the ground and overwhelming with strong positioning and ground-and-pound.

Abdel Medjedoub def. John Paul Elias via unanimous decision

Strawweight: Tatiana Suarez (3-0) vs. Chelsea Bailey (2-0)
Round 1 – Bailey attacks from the opening bell. She’s looking to put hands on the chin of Suarez, but Suarez is using good foot movement and side kicks to keep her range. Bailey is absolutely relentless, though, and continues to charge forward. Suarez jumps for an ill-advised guillotine which allows Bailey to scramble on top. Suarez quickly breaks free and goes under for a double leg. She picks Bailey up above her head for a slam to the mat. Bailey gets up and they strike until the end of the round.

Round 2 – Suarez wants the fight back on the ground immediately and that’s what happens. She plants Bailey with a takedown but once again fails to ground her for long. Bailey escapes to the feet, but her takedown defense fails her once again and this time Suarez isn’t letting her back. She keeps control from top position, eventually moves to mount and hammers Bailey with strikes until time expires.

Tatiana Suarez def. Chelsea Bailey via unanimous decision

Light heavyweight: Phil Hawes (3-0) vs. Andrew Sanchez (7-2)
Performance highlights from the bout show Hawes, who is a highly touted prospect out of Jackson-Wink MMA and a main training partner of former UFC champ Jon Jones, having a competitive fight with Sanchez on the feet but struggling to get the action to the ground. Sanchez was able to capitalize and punish Hawes with elbows and other strikes that racked up more points over the course of two rounds.

Andrew Sanchez def. Phil Hawes via unanimous decision

Strawweight: Irene Rivera (6-2) vs. Kate Jackson (7-2-1)
Performance highlights from the bout show Jackson overwhelming Rivera with her grappling in the first round. In the second frame, she added a vicious striking output to his grappling arsenal and battered Rivera for long enough to force the referee to halt the contest.

Kate Jackson def. Irene Rivera via TKO (punches) – Round 2

Light heavyweight: Cory Hendricks (3-0) vs. Marcel Fortuna (8-1)
Performance highlights from the bout show Fortuna struggling badly to take the fight to the mat. That allowed Hendricks to pepper him with leg kicks and crisp punches. In the second round, Fortuna finally gets a takedown and is able to hold position and win the round, sending the action to a sudden-victory round. Both men had their moments with their fight on the line, and ultimately Hendricks edged it out.

Cory Hendricks def. Marcel Fortuna via unanimous decision

Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (7-2) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)
Round 1 – Both fighters are stunned by hard shots in the first exchange as they step into the pocket. Harper closes the distance and secures a body lock takedown. Montenegro gets up with ease, but Harper takes he back as she’s standing. Montenegro spins free and is attacking for her on takedown against the cage. Harper snaps her head down and quickly transitions to the back. She works for a choke, then an armbar, but Montenegro is privy to her early advances. Harper adjusts the armbar, holding on through a slam, and finishes with the submission.

Helen Harper def. Amy Montenegro via submission (armbar) – Round 1

Light heavyweight: JOSH STANSBURY (7-2) vs. Trevor Carlson (10-2)
Round 1 – Carlson holds the center of the cage to start. Stansbury is on his horse on the outside before stepping in with a huge haymaker. Stansbury avoids it and steps in with a huge head kick that clips Carlson and knocks him down. Stansbury jumps on top and is trying hard to finish the fight. Carlson survives the initial flurry but Stansbury moves to half guard and is working for an arm-triangle choke. He gives up on that submission in favor of a Americana. After a brief struggle, Carlson taps out.

Josh Stansbury def. Trevor Carlson via submission (Americana) – Round 1

With the fights over, it’s time for team selection. First, it’s a coin toss to see if the winning coach wants to pick the first fighter or the first fight. Team Claudia wins it and decides to go with the first fighter.

TEAM CLAUDIA

1. Tatiana Suarez (strawweight)
2. Andrew Sanchez (light heavyweight)
3. Kate Jackson (strawweight)
4. Eric Spicely (light heavyweight)
5. Amanda Cooper (strawweight)
6. Abdel Medjedoub (light heavyweight)
7. Lanchana Green (strawweight)
8. Cory Hendricks (light heavyweight)

TEAM JOANNA

1. JJ Aldrich (strawweight)
2. Josh Stansbury (light heavyweight)
3. Jamie Moyle (strawweight)
4. Khalil Rountree (light heavyweight)
5. Ashley Cummins (strawweight)
6. Myron Dennis (light heavyweight)
7. Helen Harper (strawweight)
8. Elias Urbina (light heavyweight)

With the selections in the book, Team Joanna gets to pick the first fight. The UFC strawweight champion picks Rountree to face her opponent’s final pick, Hendricks. It’s time to start season 23 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 23: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FOX Sports 1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.