Episode No. 9 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions’

Episode No. 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions” opens with some drama, because some of the fighters from the house decide to indulge in some alcoholic beverages, which has historically been a primer for conflict.

Eric Sheldon and Tim Elliott are among the fighters sitting by the hot tub and discussing their careers after consuming some drinks. Elliott, who has several UFC fights to his name, tells his fellow athletes that a UFC contract isn’t going to fix their problems in life, and shouldn’t invest all their hopes into winning the show.

Sheldon in particularly is unhappy with Elliott’s comments, and their argument continues to escalate. Elliott admits he was simply trying to mess with Sheldon’s head by getting him riled up. Fortunately it doesn’t get too serious before the fighters go to bed and the next day of the competition arrives.

UFC President Dana White then previews the next fight, which pits No. 5 Hiromasa Ogikubo of Team Benavidez against No. 13 Adam Antolin of Team Cejudo. The bout marks the second tournament quarterfinal, with No. 1 Alexandre Pantoja having advanced on the previous episode.

As Antolin ramps up his preparation for his fight he is becoming increasingly frustrated by a lingering back injury. He says, “I’m having a hard time flowing,” and coach Cejudo encourages him to focus on recovery as fight time approaches.

Back at the “TUF” house, the fighters from both teams come together for a game of charades. It’s some welcomed bonding time after the tension from the previous night, but once it’s over, Ogikubo and Antolin return focus to the task at hand.

At the official weigh-in, Ogikubo and Antolin come in under the 126-pound flyweight limit, and the second tournament quarterfinal matchup of the season is official. A tense staredown between follows.

Fight day arrives and the fighters head to the training center to finalize preparations before they step in the octagon for competition.

No. 5 Hiromasa Ogikubo (15-3-2)
vs. No. 13 Adam Antolin (11-3)

Round 1 – Ogikubo immediately takes the center of the octagon, throwing a kick but slipping to the canvas. Ogikubo is pressing his opponent to his back foot and throwing kicks to the legs and body. Antolin comes forward but is somewhat hesitant to throw. Ogikubo comes in for an uppercut but he overextends and Antolin briefly clinches. Ogikubo controls it, though, and throws his opponent to the mat en route to taking top position. Ogikubo works from inside the half guard, throwing short punches at his opponent. He works hard to pass but Antolin resists before eventually giving up side control. Ogikubo passes to mount but Antolin scoots back to half guard. Ogikubo steps into mount again and almost takes the back before being forced back into the half guard. Antolin gives up his back again and Ogikubo works for the rear-naked choke. He can’t get it though, and Antolin reverses into top position. There’s no time for him to work before the round comes to an end.

Round 2 – Antolin comes out much more desperate with his strikes but Ogikubo is cautious of the attacks. He finds a way to get inside one of Antolin’s punches and drags the fight to the floor. He tries to control from on top, but Antolin refuses to stay grounded and uses the fence to stand back up. Antolin lands a sharp right hand which stumbles Ogikubo. He follows with an ill-advised leg kick which allows Ogikubo to change levels and score with a takedown. Antolin gives up his back again but uses it to scramble back to his feet. Ogikubo is relentless with his pursuit, though, landing another successful takedown. Antolin stands up and shoots for a takedown of his own, planting Ogikubo on his back. He works for a choke from an awkward position but overcommits and allows Ogikubo to take back a dominant position. Ogikubo has Antolin on the ground agains the fence and is holding on as time runs down. Antolin makes a final desperation attempt to break free and land some hard shots, but Ogikubo isn’t having it and lands one final takedown to end the round.

Hiromasa Ogikubo def. Adam Antolin via unanimous decision

“I was trying to finish it right away, but Adam has a strong heart, and his defense is better than I expected,” Ogikubo says after his win. “After the second round, I was running out of energy and I wasn’t able to finish him. It’s great that I won and am moving on to the third round. I have no serious injuries and the next fight is one week away. I’m excited and ready.”

Ogikubo becomes the second fighter to advance to the tournament semifinal and will next face No. 1 Pantoja of Team Cejudo in the next round.

On the next episode, Team Cejudo teammates No. 7 Ronaldo Candido and No. 15 Eric Shelton will fight while No. 3 Tim Elliott of Team Benavidez fights No. 6 Matt Schnell to determine the second half of the semifinal bracket.

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Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FS1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.