Episode No. 9 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 20: Team Pettis vs. Team Melendez'

Episode No. 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter 20: Team Pettis vs. Team Melendez” opens with the fighters returning home from the gym after the quarterfinal-round announcements.

Team Melendez is excited about the number of fighters it’s advanced into the next round and decide to celebrate with a night of drinking. Tecia Torres becomes frustrated with the rowdiness of her roommates and decides to move into a different room.

At the next Team Pettis training session, head coach Anthony Pettis in conflicted with how to divide his attention between his team’s seven quarterfinalists. He opts to remove himself from the situation and spreads the assistant coaching staff between the fighters.

Pettis’ decision doesn’t sit well with the team, and the whole group meets to work out a solution. The team decides to split into two groups. One group will train in the morning while the other group plans to train at night.

It’s then time for the yearly coaches challenges. Head coaches Pettis and Gilbert Melendez face off in a game of UFC trivia. The coaches typically face off in a physical challenge, but Pettis’ lingering knee injury prevents him from doing so.

The trivia categories are divided into “’The Ultimate Fighter’ History,” “UFC History” and “Famous Finishes.” It’s a tie after two rounds, but Melendez wins the third. A surprise sudden-victory round gives Pettis a final opportunity to take the lead, but he answers wrong, and Melendez wins. He receives $10,000 as a prize as well as $1,500 for each member of his team.

Focus shifts to Team Pettis’ Randa Markos, who faces teammate Felice Herrig in the first quarterfinal matchup of the season. Markos was the lowest seed to advance past the first round; she upset No. 3 Torres in the first contest of the season.

Markos’ wrestling led her to the victory over Torres, and she believes the same asset will be key in defeating Herrig.

Controversy ignites again within Team Pettis because several fighters now want to train two sessions per day, not just one as preciously agreed upon. The next morning, Markos decides to attend the morning session, much to the chagrin of Carla Esparza. A confrontation takes place in the van on the way to the gym, but Markos refuses to leave.

Once the van arrives at the “TUF” gym, Esparza and Herrig bring the situation to coach Pettis’ attention. While he would like to stick to the original agreement of split training sessions, he says MMA is an individual, not team sport, and he can’t make any decisions on Markos’ behalf.

At the official weigh-ins, both fighters come in under the 116-pound strawweight limit. An intense stare down takes place. Herrig is chewing gum and blows a bubble in Markos’ face. An intense Markos slaps the bubble away.

Fight day arrives, and the first quarterfinal-round contest of the “TUF 20” tournament is underway.

No. 7 Felice Herrig vs. No. 14 Randa Markos

Round 1 – Markos connects first with a straight left. She clinches with Herrig, who lands short elbows from inside. Herrig pushes Markos against the fence, and they reverse each other as they jockey for position. Each fighter takes control against the cage until Markos attempts a failed leg sweep. Herrig lands on top in half guard, but it doesn’t take long for Markos to return to her feet. Markos engages in the clinch again, but this time it’s Herrig who goes for the leg trip. She also fails on it, though, and Markos lands on top in side control. She moves into a crucifix and twists Herrig’s arm with her legs. Herrig’s arm is bent in a modified armbar, and Markos wins with the unique finish.

Randa Markos def. Felice Herrig via submission (modified armbar) – Round 1

Markos, the lone Canadian contestant, scores another upset and becomes the first fighter to advance to the semifinal round. She will face the winner of No. 2 Joanna Calderwood vs. No. 7 Rose Namajunas.

The next episode will see the second quarterfinal matchup take place, between No. 4 Jessica Penne and No. 5 Aisling Daly, who both represent Team Pettis.

Also see:

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 20: Team Pettis vs. Team Melendez” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FOX Sports 1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.