Thoughts on The Ultimate Fighter 6 Episode 12

Before I got into the Ultimate Fighter 6 this season, I briefly caught some spoilers of who was going to be in the finals. Happily, they turned out to be wrong, so I was mildly surprised when I watched episode 12 last night.

In the spoiler I heard, it didn't mention Mac Danzig as being in the finals, which quite frankly shocked me. Every season there is one or two participants who probably deserve a shot in the UFC without the benefit of the reality show, and this season it was definitely Mac Danzig, who with over 30 fights and a Pride appearance could arguably have stepped in and had an immediate impact on the welterweight division.

Rib injuries are a tricky thing and only Matt Arroyo really knows how much he was hurting. From experience I can tell you that rib injuries suck and they will sap the will out of you really quickly. Furthermore they take a long time to heal, and if you even think about coming back too soon or before you're 100%, one wrong move and you're back to square one as far as recovery go. They're not a typical gut it out and you can continue type injury either. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and these are like stop the world I want to get off type pains when your ribs are hurt. As a matter of fact, I've popped my ribs so many times I have to sleep clutching a pillow to be comfortable.

Props to John Kolosci for being the one willing to step up and take on Danzig (especially after enduring a rough loss to him in the second round). Kolosci came back much more calm and determined, but Danzig ran a clinic on him yet again, ending the fight with a rear naked choke. Danzig winds up in the finals after having finished all three of his matches, and is the likely favorite in the finals.

His opponent was determined between the other semi-final bout between George Sotiropoulos and Tommy Speer. This match is billed as battle of technique vs power. Usually this means that power is going down in some way when a match is billed like this. Tommy Speer, in addition to being a powerful guy, simply has no quit in him, and as he's shown in the first two bouts he's going to give you a beating one way or the other in the fight.

It's finally occurred to me that I have seen George Sotiropoulos in person before, at ADCC 2007. Couldn't really get a gauge on his abilities then, as he had the misfortune of drawing Marcelo Garcia in the first round (and if you don't know who that is, you are on the wrong site). Against Garcia, George moved a bit like he was resigned to his fate, after all, against Marcelo freaking Garcia to not a question of if against most opponents, it's a question of when.

George didn't come out with the same confidence he had in his last two bouts against Speers, while the farmboy came out like he always does looking to hurt his opponent. I think Hughes was correct that the bout wasn't going George's way even before the eye gouge, but it certainly sealed his fate as Speers knocks George out cold on the ground. AS Speers celebrates George comes too not having any idea what happened to him as he attempts to fight medical and corner alike.

So it will be Mac Danzig vs Tommy Speers in the finals. I would consider Mac a heavy favorite in the bout as I have the entire season, but it's scary to think how much a raw talent like Tommy is likely to have improved in the time between the taping of the reality show and the finale, so this should be a war.

Speaking of wars, Matt Hughes may have lost some early battles but he certainly won the war, putting both of his guys into the finals. I think Serra is probably the best coach ever on the show as he was able to bring out the maximum potential of everyone on his side. It will be unfortunate that we will have to wait sometime (if ever) for the grudge match between the two.