CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – Despite his loss to Roy Nelson on episode three of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, Team Rampage’s Kimbo Slice impressed his fellow competitors and his coaches with his potential and performance. And as far as Kimbo’s concerned, he’s ready to come back if needed.
By Thomas Gerbasi
CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – Despite his loss to Roy Nelson on episode three of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, Team Rampage’s Kimbo Slice impressed his fellow competitors and his coaches with his potential and performance. And as far as Kimbo’s concerned, he’s ready to come back if needed.
“If somebody gets hurt in this competition, I’m here,” he said. “I’m here to rock the world. In two, three weeks, they’re not gonna be able to touch me because I’m gonna have answers.”
Someone without answers at the moment is Marcus Jones, who broke out in a sweat in the house and couldn’t explain it.
“I got a little light headed and it was scary,” said Jones.
“You might not be able to fight buddy,” jokes Kimbo. Jones insists he’ll be ready though.
Meanwhile, back in the gym, coach Rashad Evans is happy with his 3-0 lead.
“I’ve definitely got Rampage on the run,” said Evans. “It’s a beautiful thing. We’re definitely looking to sweep.”
To get there, Team Rashad is strategizing about upcoming matchups, with the only issue being Justin Wren fighting his good friend on Team Rampage, Scott Junk. Evans, who feels the same way in his own career about fighting Keith Jardine, respects Wren’s feelings.
After Team Rashad’s training session, it’s time for Team Rampage, and coach Jackson isn’t happy about being winless in the competition.
“To be down three fights is like season seven all over again,” said Jackson. “I need a win like fish need water. But I still feel like we’ve got enough soldiers on our team to change it around.
One of those soldiers is Jones, who has been doing damage on his own teammates in sparring, drawing warnings from the coaching staff to dial it back a bit in the gym.
Back in the house, Wren hears from his buddy Junk that Team Rashad’s Matt Mitrione has told him that they’re going to be fighting, as well as the other matchups Evans and company are looking at, basically evening up the strategic edge between the teams in terms of preparation. Mitrione apologizes, while McSweeney thinks he planned it to get out of fighting Marcus Jones.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” said Mitrione. “I just screwed it up.”
“That’s like going to war and telling the enemy exactly where you’re gonna attack them,” said Evans, who isn’t happy about the whole situation, but he accepts his fighter’s apology.
For this week’s fight, it’s going to be Team Rashad’s Brendan Schaub (4-0) vs Team Rampage’s Demico Rogers (4-0).
“That’s a winnable fight for us,” said a happy Jackson. “Let’s do this.”
On fight day, the Team Rampage coaching staff is late, but Rogers looks ready for battle nonetheless.
Once the fight starts, Rogers scores with a leg kick and then shoots for a sloppy takedown. After a brief scramble, the two get back to their feet, and Schaub starts getting his offense going. Rogers responds with a better takedown attempt this time, and he tries to work his ground and pound while pushing Schaub to the fence. At the midway point of the round, Rogers gets into side control and begins upping his workrate in an attempt to finish. Schaub is finally able to escape though, and he begins his own attack, eventually locking in a slick anaconda choke that forces referee Josh Rosenthal to halt the bout and give Team Rashad its fourth consecutive victory. The coaches of Team Rampage are nowhere to be found in the Octagon immediately after the fight, with Rogers left to be consoled by Evans and his assistant coach Trevor Wittman.
“I can’t deal with this, it’s too much for me,” said Jackson.
The victory ups Team Rashad’s record to 4-0. Here’s how the teams stand after episode four:
TEAM RASHAD (4-0)
James McSweeney 1-0
Brendan Schaub 1-0
Justin Wren
Jon Madsen 1-0
Roy Nelson 1-0
Darrill Schoonover
Matt Mitrione
Mike Wessel
TEAM RAMPAGE (0-4)
Kimbo Slice – Eliminated on episode three by Roy Nelson
Abe Wagner – Eliminated on episode one by Jon Madsen
Demico Rogers – Eliminated on episode four by Brendan Schaub
Wes Sims
Scott Junk
Wes Shivers – Eliminated on episode two by James McSweeney
Marcus Jones
Zak Jensen
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