Sherdog’s Guide to ‘The Ultimate Fighter’

There have been plenty of characters that have come through the TUF doors over the years, and most of them shared the same volatile traits. This season, a new hero has emerged. I meant to touch on Nick Ring last week, but I wasn’t sure what to make of the guy. To be honest, I couldn’t tell and still can’t tell if he’s putting us all on.

Either way, he’s making my season as we pick up this week at the end of last week’s fight. At some point, Jamie Yager had begun to cheer for Brad Tavares, who isn’t on his team. Naturally Yager’s teammates weren’t too pleased, and Ring pulled Yager aside to talk about it.

Last week Ring and Yager had almost come to blows because Ring took umbrage at Yager calling his teammates “names.” During this week’s argument, voices aren’t raised. Ring asks Yager if all of his concerns are just going in one ear and out the other, and Yager calmly assures him that he hears and respects what Ring is saying. The two shake hands and head back home.

Shortly after the heart to heart, both men are back at the house gossiping about each other. Yager still has his Latin-blooded crew that he calls the “Minority Report.” Don’t think that the M.R. is exclusive, though, since they’ve added Aussie Kyle Noke into the mix now too, figuring that he’s just as much an outsider as they are.

Yager vows to keep the Minority Report together while Ring discusses the same situation among his people.

“For him, it’s fun to push borders and to break social contracts,” says Ring.

Let me repeat that: He breaks “social contracts.” Ring is using a language that is almost completely foreign. The Brits from season nine were easier to understand than this guy.

Kyacey Uscola isn’t interested in Yager’s motivation or his social contracts, calling him a piece of s--t.

Things come to a head later between those two when Uscola finds a missing sweatshirt in Kris McCray’s and Yager’s closet. Uscola is quick to blame Yager, and of course all hell breaks loose. Eventually McCray explains that he snatched the sweatshirt in question by mistake, but that doesn’t cool off this mixture of human glacier and volcano.

“After you, f--- face,” says Uscola, gesturing for Yager to pass him on the stairs. This remark sets off an argument that wastes five, six, make that seven more precious television minutes with these two bickering like children and using loads of swears.

Once they get to the training center, Tito Ortiz has to listen to them bicker while attempting to referee while the rest of the team suffers in silence.

Isn’t it ironic that men who physically grind against other half-naked men all day would have their most awkward moments manifest themselves through emotions and broken social contracts? After you, f--- face.

So many seem to take issue with Yager, but only Ring’s soft approach can keep him in check. Truly, twas beauty that tamed the beast.

Fight time for Uscola and Rich Attonito, or as he calls himself, “Richie Boombatz,” “Richie the Bull,” “Richie the Raging Bull,” “Richie No Nose,” “Richie Two Times,” “Richie the Guido Attonito.”

Dana White calls this one right by pointing out that Ortiz’s group expected the multi-named Attonito would be looking to wrestle early but instead Attonito rocks Uscola on their feet. Attonito doesn’t let up, wailing away on Uscola for what seems like an eternity. Uscola holds on for dear life, but Attonito picks up the former D-1 wrestler and powerslams him viciously onto the back of his neck.

This little move is awarded the rare holy trinity from Dana White, in which White says “holy s--t” three times in a row.

Uscola’s toughness can’t be questioned, as he stays alive long enough to grab an arm that turns into a kimura. He rolls Attonito off of him. Uscola ends up in side mount, where he starts his own barrage. Attonito doesn’t like the position, but when he starts to stand up, Uscola catches him with what looks like two knees to the head.

The ref jumps in to check on Attonito, who doesn’t get up and is too fuzzy to continue. Attonito wins via disqualification. Uscola is adamant that he never hit Attonito in the head, and the video lends his point some credibility.

Since Attonito had owned the fight up until the knee, Dana feels it is the right decision, but the phantom second knee video has the red team seeing red. TUF doesn’t get to enjoy the new door at the training facility for very long, as Tito takes it out ala Rampage Jackson last season.

Afterward, Uscola vents on camera. He is very upset with the decision, seeing his hopes dashed and losing all respect for Attonito as a fighter.

After things calm down, Uscola and the rest of the fighters learn that Attonito broke his hand during the fight and won’t be able to continue. It’s not the way he wanted to win and not the way he wanted to celebrate either.

We aren’t finished with fights tonight, though, as Tito finally has control of the matchups. He chooses Uscola’s original nemesis, Yager, the tallest guy on the show, to face the shortest, Charles Blanchard.

Ortiz explains the one way he could see Yager losing: “If he slips on a banana peel on the way to the ring.”

These two begin their battle by circling and feinting for a minute or so until Blanchard shoots in for a leg, briefly picking Yager up and getting behind him. Yager fends him off and scrambles back to his feet.

This time Yager doesn’t feint and knows right where Blanchard’s head will be as he walks in. Yager leaps forward with a superman punch that lands perfectly on the chin, dropping Blanchard. Blanchard folds up as Yager descends on him, and the ref calls a halt to the action.

Tito’s team explodes in celebration, taking home its first win. Yager hopes that his win can help his standing with his teammates and turn their luck around.

One teammate isn’t letting anything go, however, as Uscola still wants to kill Yager. With Attonito being forced out by injury, who knows?

Sounds to me like it’s time for everyone to have a little sit down with Nick Ring, the fight whisperer.