The Ultimate Fighter 16 Episode 8 Recap: Coaches’ Challenge and Snake Bites

The eighth episode of The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson featured the coaches’ challenge, a visit to the fighter house by Dana White, and one more fighter advanced out of the preliminary round of match ups.

Following last week’s controversial decision between Michael Hill and Matt Secor, UFC president Dana White was not happy with judges or the fighters and he let it be known to anyone within earshot.

“It’s to the point where this season is an embarrassment,” said White.  “We’re giving away $5,000 for finishes and $25,000 for the best knockout, submission and fight of the season.  It looks like I’m going to save a lot of (expletive) money this year.”

“The way that the judging has been this season, you should be doing everything you can possibly do to win every second of every (expletive) round,” continued White.  “It’s only two rounds. This isn’t some (expletive) five-round title fight.  It’s not even a three-round fight.”

Michael Hill disagreed with White as did Coach Roy Nelson.  They feel the fighters are there to win $100,000 and a UFC contract and winning is what matters most.

“It sucked to hear Dana saying all that (expletive).  I mean you’ve got to give the fans what they want, the boss what he wants, but at the same time, I’m not here for five grand, a broken hand, or broken foot and be out of the tournament,” said Hill.  “I’m here to get to the finals.”

“The difference between mine and Dana’s opinion is Dana is trying to make more money for the UFC.  And how do you do that?  By having better fights, more entertaining, whatever it is, that’s his goal,” said Coach Nelson.  “For these guys, their ultimate goal is to be The Ultimate Fighter… There’s a bigger picture.  Do you want to win a hundred grand or five?”

White paid a visit to the fighter house to voice his displeasure with this season’s fights and urge the contestants to put on a better show.

“The fights this season have been less than what we expected,” White told the fighters gathered in the living room.  “There’s been one finish.  Guys were getting knocked (expletive) dead left and right getting into the house.

“I know that Roy (Nelson) has this belief that lets just do enough to win and that will be good enough, but I can tell you this, one (expletive) guy is going to win.  Your coaches are  here to guide you, mentor you, teach you new things, but I’m here to (expletive) tell you what you need to do to get into the UFC, and you need to be exciting.  You guys have got to start fighting,” said White.  “I’m telling you right now, from what I’ve seen so far, you guys won’t make the finale.  From here on out, it’s up to you.”

“These guys thought that they were going to fight in the finale no matter what, but everybody better wake the(expletive) up and start acting like you want to win some fights and be here or you won’t be,” he said.

It was time for the official fight announcement.  Coach Nelson announced that Jon Manley would take on Team Carwin’s James Chaney.

Stylistically Chaney and Manley are similar.  They both like to use their jiu-jitsu after getting the fight to the ground.  Coach Carwin refers to Chaney as “Snake” because of his ability to slip into position on the ground.

Before the fight came the coaches’ challenge.  The coaches and teams were brought to Bishop Gorman Victor’s Park where to coaches would compete in track and field events.  The challenge would consist of five events: shot put, javelin, discus, long jump and 400 meter run.  Winning any of the first four events would result in gaining a three meter head start in the 400 meter run.  The winner of the challenge takes home $20,000.

The first event Carwin and Nelson competed in was the shot put.  Carwin threw the furthest.  Next up was the javelin and Carwin, again, threw furthest.  The same thing played out in the discus.  Coach Carwin made it a clean sweep of the first four events by jumping further than Nelson.  Carwin enjoyed a 12 meter head start in the final event, the 400 meter run.

Carwin added to his lead by pulling away from Nelson and crossing the finish line first.  Nelson didn’t complete the run.  He finished by walking.

Jon Manley vs. James Chaney:

The two ground fighters came out slugging it out.  Manley landed a right hand and Chaney closed the distance and pulled guard.  He immediately applied a triangle choke and it look as if Manley was in trouble.  Manely elevated Chaney and walked him to the cage.  He eventually couldn’t hold Chaney’s weight and they were back on the ground.

Manley fought his way out of the submission and mounted Chaney.  He slapped on a guillotine choke that forced Chaney to tap out, but not before biting Manley in a desperate attempt to get out of the choke.

“I figured, fine, bite me but I’m going to (expletive) choke you out,” said Manley after the fight.  “We gave James the nickname “Snake,” and snakes bite.”

“I bit him.  I bit him on purpose,” admitted Chaney.  “I wanted to find a way out of there.  I thought maybe he’d loosen it up.  Maybe I’m kind of a piece of (expletive) but I did not want to lose that fight.

“It was a last resort.  It didn’t work.  You live and you learn I guess.”

The final preliminary match is set by default.  Next week, Team Carwin’s Mike Ricci faces off with Team Nelson’s Dom Waters.