Episode No. 9 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians'

American Top Team (top) and the Blackzilians

Episode No. 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians” opens with Hayder Hassan and Felipe Portela sharing a moment at the house after they fought on the last episode.

ATT’s Hassan and Blackzilians member Portela fought in a rematch of an October 2014 contest under the Titan FC banner. Hassan won the first matchup by knockout, and in the “TUF 21? rematch, “Hulk” emerged victorious by majority decision.

With Blackzilians holding a 200 to 100 points advantage over ATT, UFC President Dana White explains that the final four fights of the competition are absolutely critical to the end game. Each matchup will be worth 100 points and the Blackzilians needs just two wins to guarantee victory in the competition.

The Blackzilians take some time outside the gym to do some aquatics training. Jeremy Jackson said he’s never done that type of training but embraces any method that strays from the norm.

ATT’s coaching staff knows the team desperately needs a victory. They debate on which fighter would provide the best chance, and the coaches feel Steve Carl is the top candidate.

Carl suffered a second-round submission loss to Valdir Araujo on Episode No. 3. It was one of the most surprising results of the season and Carl wants to redeem himself with a 100-point win for his team.

Blackzilians owner and the coaching staff have little question which fighter will represent the team. Kamaru Usman, who scored a majority decision victory over Michael Graves on Episode No. 1, is approached to fight. Usman jokingly tells the coaches he’s not ready before announcing he’s happy for the opportunity.

The following day, the ATT fighters and coaches go out on a yacht to blow off some steam. Dan Lambert wants the athletes to take some time to relax and believes a day on the water will help the team refocus on the final stretch of the competition.

Glenn Robinson uses a similar, yet different tactic for his team. He brings the fighters to his house for a barbecue and surprises everyone with a visit from their families. Several of the athletes get emotional, but say the surprise provided newfound motivation to close tournament strong.

The official weigh-in follows, and Carl and Usman learn they’ll be fighting each other. Usman makes the welterweight limit, but Carl comes in a quarter pound over weight on his first attempt. Carl missed weight by three quarters of a pound on his first attempt earlier in the season, which eventually escalated into a confrontation between the two teams in regards to where he’d cut weight.

Carl drops his shorts and asks for the towel. He makes weight. The fighters have their staredown and the matchup is official.

The fighters finalize their preparation and game plan and the ninth tournament bout of the season is underway.

Kamaru Usman (5-1) vs. Steve Carl (21-4)

Round 1 – Usman lands the first blow with a stiff jab. Carl’s return fire falls short. Usman wings more big punches but Carl looks to keep him at bay with a push kicks. Usman controls the center of the cage, moves forward and throws Carl to the mat. Carl breaks free, but Usman gives him little space to work and closes the distance again. Usman works from the clinch against the cage but is unable to complete a takedown. Carl thinks about jumping for a guillotine, but uses the position to reverse Usman against the cage. There’s essentially no action from the clinch as Usman neutralizes Carl. Usman breaks free and throws big punches that force Carl into a sloppy takedown attempt. Usman easily stuffs it and moves into top position where he throws strikes to end the round.

Round 2 – Carl begins to let his hands go to start the round. He has Usman’s attention, but it doesn’t take long for him to initiate the clinch again and force Carl’s back to the fence. Carl looks to secure a standing guillotine again, but Usman defends well. Carl then attempts to sweep with a kimura. Usman reads it and uses the submission attempt to whip Carl to the ground and secure top position. Carl works hard to hip escape and scramble back to his feet, but Usman’s power and control from the top make it difficult. Carl finally gets up for a brief moment. He can’t stay there, though, because Usman takes him down again and begins to unleash vicious ground and pound. Usman tries to lock in an arm-triangle choke, but Carl rolls free. Usman dominates Carl with his wrestling and punches for the final seconds of the round.

Kamaru Usman def. Steve Carl via unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18)

Usman earns his second victory of the season and an absolutely huge win for the Blackzilians. The Blackzilians get 100 points for the win and take a commanding 300-100 lead in the competition.

The Blackzilians regain home gym advantage and can win the competition with a victory on the next episode. ATT must win all three remaining fights if it hopes to take the lead in points.

Also see:

• Episode No. 8 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’
• Episode No. 7 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’
• Episode No. 6 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’
• Episode No. 5 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’
• Episode No. 4 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’
• Episode No. 3 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’
• Episode No. 2 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’
• Episode No. 1 recap: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians’

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter 21: ATT vs. Blackzilians” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on FOX Sports 1. MMAjunkie recaps each episode of the reality series.

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