Matt Briton

The Ultimate Fighter Episode 6 Review – By Matt Briton

by admin on February 23, 2005

in Chris Leben, Josh Koscheck, Matt Briton, News, The Ultimate Fighter

Chris Leben Comment Of The Week:
“The only thing I can think of to make it feel better is to use it to punch Josh’s skull in.”- Chris Leben talking about his cut knuckle.

This week is the biggest fight so far, Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Leben. Koscheck was seeming bitter that he had to fight Leben. He even went as far as to say negative things about Randy Couture, who is one of the most stand up guys in this sport.

Leben was 194 lbs, so he had to cut 8 pounds down to 185, which he did with no problem.

The fight started with a few exchanges, Leben got the best with a good knee. Then Koscheck got the takedown and dragged him to the cage. I can’t remember him landing any power punches, it was pretty much a lay and pray for 3 minutes. With 1 minute left the ref stood them up. Josh got another takedown but the round was over.

The 2nd round started with a few exchanges. Koscheck then went and got the takedown. Leben almost got a keylock from the bottom but Josh was able to muscle out of it. Then it was just more lay and pray, lay and pray.

It was only a 2 round exhibition/amateur fight, and so it went to the judges. Unanimous Decision Koscheck. This was really a disappointing fight. It was just lay and pray for 2 rounds. Josh Koscheck never did any damage to Leben. The ref let them sit there doing nothing for 3 minutes a piece, and with only 2 5 minute rounds that was basically the whole fight, 2 takedowns. After the fight Leben had some words for Josh in the ring, but nothing happened, there will hopefully be a rematch sometime in the future.

NEXT WEEK: Someone on Chucks team was accused of losing the challenge on purpose. And there’s some dispute on the decision in the LHW fight

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Matt Britton
Matt@mma-fighter.com

Tagged as: LHW

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The Ultimate Fighter Episode 5 Review: Un-Caged – By Matt Briton

by admin on February 16, 2005

in Bobby Southworth, Chris Leben, Matt Briton, News, The Ultimate Fighter, TUF

Chris Leben Comment Of The Week:
“I’m going to get to crush his skull in and not go to jail for it.” Leben about Koscheck.

The Episode starts off with Dana White telling a few of the guys that he was going to take them out the next night. So once all the fighters came back from training Leben let them know then said “since were all training and competing together, and some might go out and try to be the good one and not drink, lets all drink the same amount.” Everyone agreed with him, and they all went out and got really drunk at the Hard Rock Casino.

Once they were back to the house it became apparent that all the fighters had too much to drink. Diego Sanchez was the most obvious since he needed help walking and at one point was even be dragged on the floor to his bed. Later after even more drinking, Bobby Southworth called Leben a “Fatherless bastard, and a worthless existence.” This really got to Chris because he grew up without a father. Chris had just met his father for the first time a week before the show and Bobby must have heard him talking about it. They were squared up with each other ready to go but Quarry broke it up. Chris ended up crying from this, Southworth apologized and the two of them made up. They cut to Koscheck talking crap numerous times behind Leben’s back throughout the night. It seems there’s some bad feeling Josh has for Leben, but he doesn’t seem to ever say it to Chris’s face.

Leben decided to sleep in the front yard so he didn’t have to see or deal with anyone. Meanwhile Koscheck and Southworth were messing around throwing things in the pool. Then they decided to mess with Chris. They turned the hose on and got him all wet. Chris got up, Koscheck disappeared. Chris flipped out, went inside the house, broke a window and a door. He got cut on his left hand from punching the window and had to go to the hospital.

The next day White, Liddell and Couture brought Leben and Quarry in the room and talked with them, then Southworth and Koscheck. Then White, Liddell and Couture watched what happened on tape. They then called in Lorenzo Fertitta to help them decide what should be done. He said they should pay for the damages done and no more alcohol for the fighters for the rest of the show.

They decided that Josh and Chris were in the same weight class, so they should fight to decide who goes home. That way no one gets kicked off without fighting. Leben said this was the best possible thing that Dana could have told him. I’m sure all of the fans out there are pretty excited about that decision. My money is on Chris, but with a cut left hand can he do it? Next episode will be the best match up so far, this should be good.

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Matt@mma-fighter.com

Tagged as: Fatherless bastard, Hard Rock Casino

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The Ultimate Fighter Episode 4: On the Ropes – Matt Britton

by admin on February 8, 2005

in Alex Karalexis, Dana White, Diego Sanchez, Matt Briton, News

Chris Leben Comment Of The Week:
“It’s a little bit of a headache, it’s a little bit of a hassle, all I know
is I want to get in the cage and smash some cats”- Leben on waiting to find
out who’s going to fight.

Liddell’s team had 4 Light Heavyweights and Coutures had 2, so the episode starts out by Chuck having to send a guy over to even out the teams. Chuck sent over Alex Schoenauer, the guy who he said was the least rounded fighter on his team.

Bobby Southworth was getting some criticism from Coutures team for picking their weakest guy to fight.

Since the Light Heavyweights fought last week, this week is the Middleweights turn. Team Couture decided they didn’t want to lose any more < fighters, so Leben was going to lose the challenge and challenge Josh Koscheck. But they switched the rules to the challenge, and now the winning team picks the two fighters that fight. So Liddell’s team ends up winning the challenge. Immediately Leben starts calling out Koscheck trying to provoke him into picking him for the fight saying “Gonna pick me Koscheck? Josh Koscheck when are we going to get in there and mix it up?” After thinking on it for a while Liddell’s team decides to put in Diego Sanchez against Alex Karalexis. That’s: Diego Sanchez {10-0}(Team Liddell) vs. Alex Karalexis {1-0}(Team Couture).

Some words are exchanged after the announcement between Alex and Diego, Diego says “I want to get Karalexis and his cursing mouth out of the house”, and Alex comes back saying “that’s the first complete sentence you’ve said all show”.

Later that night in the kitchen Leben and Koscheck were talking trash to each other, with Koscheck saying Leben was scared to fight him, and Leben saying he’s scared to fight no man. Leben said later in his personal interview that they would have to fight eventually, so why not get it over with at the next event.

The fight is hyped as Sanchez with the submissions and Karalexis as the striker. Dana White says “Karalexis has power and could KO Diego”. And remember the winner gets $5,000 for a Sub or KO victory.

Here’s how the fight goes down: Alex load up and tries to throw a bomb, and Diego goes right in and gets the TD Alex holds him in the half guard Diego gets full mount, so Alex rolled over and gave up his back Diego got the rnc (rear naked choke) after a little grappling

The experience showed in this one as Diego the highly skilled grappler just took him down and controlled completely. Diego has fought quite a few times in King of the Cage, and this is a fight that no person with 1 fight on their record should have been in. The fight was about 1:30. Diego showed just how skilled he really is, and I’m thinking that the four Middleweights Leben, Quarry, Koscheck and Sanchez are going to make this one heck of a finally. The winner will deserve to enter the UFC, which just happens to have the most competitive Middleweight division in the world. I’m still leaning towards a Team Quest fighter at this weight class, but after seeing Sanchez and knowing him from the past, I think it will be a tough win for Leben or Quarry. Koscheck I’ve heard is a really good wrestler, but you have to understand that these 3 other guys are top tier fighters.

Preview for next week: They all get a night out on the town, everyone gets really drunk, a fight might have broken out, blood on the floor and broken things. Leben and Southworth were squaring up after some words were exchanged. I’m thinking a brawl between these two for sure.

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Matt Britton
Matt@mma-fighter.com

Tagged as: $5000, Team Couture, Team Liddell

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