The Ultimate Fighter 16 Episode 5 Recap: Fighting for the Family

Team Carwin was understandably happy to regain control of the matchmaking with Bristol Marunde’s week four victory over Julian

While Shane Carwin’s team was basking in victory to start off Episode 5, coach Roy Nelson was telling his team that when they draw straws and pick a fight, “You better know you’re gonna kick his ass.”

The divergence between Carwin’s and Nelson’s coaching styles has only grown with each episode.

Carwin’s team takes a more systematic, analytical approach to everything from training to picking match-ups, while Nelson’s team has started to complain heavily about disorganization, lack of training time, and drawing straws in order to pick fight match-ups.

After a night of reflection with his assistant coaches, Carwin announces this week’s match-up, pitting his fighter, Igor Araujo, up against Team Nelson’s Nic Heron-Webb.

Much is made of Araujo’s Brazilian background and The Ultimate Fighter being his shot to provide for his family.

“I’m not fighting for me,” said a teary eyed Araujo. “I have family, my wife, my kids. If I get UFC, things will change for them.”

“Igor is truly here to fight for bread and milk,” added Carwin. “When somebody is fighting like that, they can definitely go a long ways.”

Igor Araujo vs. Nic Heron-Webb

Araujo immediately took command of the fight in round one, scoring a double-leg takedown. He maintained top position throughout the round, softening Heron-Webb up with ground and pound, trying to find an opening to sink in a rear naked choke. Try as he might, however, Araujo was unable to get past Heron-Webb’s defenses and amass much damage or secure a submission.

Round two went completely the opposite direction. As Araujo appeared to tire as the fight wore on, it was Heron-Webb that took control.

Although he spent a portion of the round on his back, Heron-Webb was the aggressor throughout the round, even opening a small cut around Araujo’s eye and attempting several submissions that he just couldn’t lock down.

Following round two, every, including UFC president Dana White, expected that the fight would be going to a third sudden-victory round, but it wasn’t to be.

White took to the Octagon to announce the judges had scored the fight a majority decision for Araujo, with two of the judges giving him 10-8 scores in round one to Heron-Webb’s 10-9 in round two.

“I thought he did enough, Dana thought he did enough,” commented Nelson, Heron-Webb’s coach. “It’s just one of those things. Don’t leave it in the hands of the judges.”

White concurred, declaring, “It should have went to a third round. Nic was robbed out of a third round. That one was as bad as it gets.”

Heron-Webb took it in stride, declaring that he would use the experience as motivation to work harder and remove the judges from the equation in the future.

Araujo was obviously pleased with the result, but kept it in perspective.

“It feels so great,” he stated. “But I still have two fights to make. I’ll make this way through to the final.”