Episode No. 2 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 26: A New World Champion'

Episode No. 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter 26: A New World Champion” opens with the Team Gaethje coaching staff arriving in the TUF house to celebrate Roxanne Modafferi’s victory in the opening tournament bout.

Coach Justin Gaethje begins to discuss the next fight with No. 13 seed Karine Gevorgyan, who is the only fighter in the house unable to speak English. They attempt to communicate through Google text, as well as a translator, but Gevorgyan explains she has difficulty understanding the messages.

At the next Team Alvarez training session, the fighters are already beginning to think about what could happen in future rounds of the tournament in terms of facing off against their teammates. Some of the athletes are reluctant to showcase some aspects of their skills in training, but coach Eddie Alvarez does his best to relieve any tension.

The Team Alvarez coaching staff begins to work more closely with No. 4 seed DeAnna Bennett, who faces Team Gaethje’s Gevorgyan later in the episode. Bennett says her priority is to win as quickly as possible in order to preserve herself for future rounds of the tournament.

At the next Team Gaethje training session, Gevorgyan begins to focus on her fight preparation. During team practice, No. 8 Emily Whitmire suffers a rib injury while grappling. She’s in a lot of pain and decides to go to the hospital to discover the extent of the damage.

After being diagnosed at the hospital, Whitmire learns there’s no serious damage to her rib or lung area. She does not have to withdraw from the competition immediately, but doctors will continue to monitor her progress.

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, who is a longtime friend of Whitmire, visits the ‘TUF’ house to provide some emotional support and encouragement. Whitmire expresses doubt in her ability to compete under the likely time frame but is attempting to stay optimistic.

The official weigh-ins for the fight takes place, and both fighters come in under the 126-pound women’s flyweight limit. A respectful staredown follows.

Fight day arrives, and the second tournament bout is nearly underway. Bennett and Gevorgyan finalize preparation with their coaches, and the athletes walk to the cage for the debut contest of the season.

#4 DeAnna Bennett (8-3) vs. #13 Karine Gevorgyan (32)

Round 1 – Bennett opens with an inside leg kick. Gevorgyan is stalking her and fires off a combination. Bennett goes low with another kick to the legs then one of the body. Gevorgyan is pumping the jab but yet to commit to anything significant. They trade punches, and Gevorgyan tags Bennett with a hard right hand. Bennett causes Gevorgyan to retreat with a stiff jab. Bennett continues to kick the legs of her opponent then come high with hard punches. Gevorgyan throws a wild overhand, but Bennett changes levels and scores a takedown. Bennett postures up from inside the guard and has Gevorgyan pinned near the cage. Bennett throws heavy shots from on top as Gevorgyan attempts to get free. Bennett’s position is too dominant, though, and the referee waves off the contest.

DeAnna Bennett def. Karine Gevorgyan via TKO (punches) – Round 1

There’s a large contrast in emotions between the two sides. Bennett is thrilled with her performance, while Gevorgyan is crying and absolutely crushed.

Team Alvarez ties the competition 1-1. Team Gaethje takes control of fight selection, and with his choice, coach Gaethje selects No. 6 Montana Stewart to go up against No. 11 Ariel Beck of Team Gaethje next.

Also see:

• Episode No. 1 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 26: A New World Champion’

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 26: A New World Champion” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FS1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.