411’s Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Report 9.16.15 – Episode Two

WELCOME: Welcome back to 411 and our coverage of the Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber. Last week, the Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber started with 32 men battling to get into the house. Once the two hour premiere was over, 16 lightweights were left to battle for the season’s crown (that includes the old six figure UFC contract and a custom Harley). Urijah Faber is coaching Team USA and Conor McGregor is coaching Team Europe; they will not fight at the end of the season, but will talk a lot of shit like they might. McGregor thinks Faber looks like a 50-year old retired skateboarder with an ass chin, while Faber mocks Conor’s ginger-itis and his cantaloupe sized head. Team Faber won the toss last week and gets to choose the fight this week…

Team Faber (United States)
-Billy Quarantillo (6-1)
-Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1)
-James Jenkins (8-1)
-Jason Gonzalez (9-2)
-Julian Erosa (14-1)
-Ryan Hall (4-1)
-Thanh Le (4-1)
-Tom Gallicchio (19-8)

Team McGregor (Europe)
-Abner Lloveras (19-7-1)
-David Teymur (3-1)
-Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0)
-Marcin Wrzosek (10-2)
-Martin Svensson (14-5)
-Mehdi Baghdad (11-3)
-Sascha Sharma (8-2)
-Saul Rogers (10-1)

* Following the elimination fights, Conor has a meeting with his fighters. Conor is bringing in his coaches to do the coaching, as he will not be coaching anyone. He will do some work with them, but this isn’t a team competition and they should have done all of their hard training prior to this competition. He says that this is a personal journey and they need to keep that in mind. The US will bunch up because they are a group of scared individuals and this European team will dominate because they have had a tougher road. Take it easy on each other, because when they wipe out the US team, they will have to beat on each other. There was also a lot of talk that Conor didn’t want to work with the guys because he viewed them as possible opponents. Not sure how legit that is, but it’s been making the rounds.

*A few of the US Team members praise the Europeans, and how they performed in the elimination fights. Some of the US fighters feel that the team is underestimating the Europeans. The rest of the guys arrive, and the European Team takes time to defend themselves and claim that they have evolved and can’t be defeated just by being taken down. They also claim that the US fighters lack a chin and can’t take good punches well.

* Faber comes off as the opposite of McGregor; he feels he is a people person that can relate to the fighters on the US team and give them what they need individually. When it comes to the practice, Faber is ready to drill them with groundwork on the first day. The one thing I like is that he isn’t trying to change anyone, he wants to add to the ground game of guys that do that well, and teach guys that like to stand how to counter and stay on the feet if that is what they want.

* When we get to Conor’s first practice, he wants MMA gloves, no shirts and no pads; he wants a light back and forth where they focus on targeting. He feels that this increases accuracy, because pads cover up in bad ways at times. So far his fighters like how he is working the practices, because they aren’t taking damage. Conor says it was perfect, and he feels he has a team of skilled fighters.

* Dana’s here to SHAKE THINGS UP! He loved the fights to get into the house, and felt some decisions were questionable so he wants to give the coaches a chance to bring back one fighter. Conor brings back Artem Lobov (11-10-1-1) while Faber brings back Johnny Nunez (5-1). Lobov lost a decision just about everyone thought should have went to a third round, while Nunez tapped in under a minute with a heel hook. The guys will fight, and then Dana will eliminate one of the nine winners, based on their performance. He wants world champions and FUCKIN FIGHTERS! He praised them and hopes that they appreciate the chance they have. Lobov is happy to be back, and doesn’t care who he fights because no one impressed him. Nunez discusses his loss, saying he failed to train leg locks and got caught. He’s also grateful to be back.

* Time to pick the first official fight of the season, as Team Faber has the pick. Faber and Conor talk shit to each other. Faber picks Ryan Hall (4-1) from his team to face Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0) from team Europe. Faber feels that Slioa is a strong willed fighter, and wants to get rid of him early. Conor feels that Hall will want to take it to the ground, and will be very predictable. He also feels that Slioa has the advantage pretty much everywhere. Hall is a jiu jitsu guy, who also has low-level turrets, which gives him a facial tick. We get the highlights of his training as he discusses his accolades in jiu jitsu. He has also been helping train some of Faber’s guys. Hall discusses the advantage of the 50-50 position, and working leg locks. It’s a neutral position that he can get into a lot, which can lead to his end game. He says if he gets the position, no one has a chance.

* Slioa is very happy to get the first fight; he really wanted it and feels Faber made a big mistake. We see Slioa work out, he just wants to get the finish and win the fight. He gets some one on one time with Conor, who feels that team Faber picked him because they think it is an easy fight, but Slioa will break Hall down with his striking, which will not only break down Hall, but his whole team. Conor works the 50-50 with his guys, showing them how to kill it so that Hall cannot use it.

* Weigh-in time, Slioa weighs in right at 155, while Hall weighs in at 155 as well. Team USA feels that Hall will dominate, due to his overall experience (12-years) in jiu jitsu. We get the pre-fight banter as the guys warm up prior to the fight. Both fighters are confident, as are their teams.

FIGHT ONE: Team Faber’s Ryan Hall (4-1) vs. Team McGregor’s Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0) – ROUND ONE: Slioa has a 5.5 inch reach advantage in the fight. Slioa works the leg kicks to begin, they circle and both look to land as Slioa goes back to the leg kicks. They get close as Hall looks to get inside, a bit sloppy but then they separate. Hall flashes a kick to back off Slioa, looks for some body kicks and then rolls into a leg lock attempt. Slioa looks to block the much talked about 50-50 position, Hall rolls and continues to work for the submission. Slioa scrambled for a bit but had to tap as Hall was relentless working for the leg lock.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Ryan Hall via RD1 submission (heel hook)

* Conor is not pleased that Slioa couldn’t get out of something they specifically drilled, but also said that there was no shame losing to another man’s specialty. Conor also says he was not beat, he was caught.

* We then get more shit talk between Conor and Faber.

* Team Faber maintains control over the fight choice. Next week’s fight will be Team Faber’s Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) vs. Team McGregor’s Sascha Sharma (8-2). Faber feels that Gruetzemacher has the experience advantage and is also very well rounded, which should give him the overall advantage.

* We get highlights for next week, which features Conor trying to cause issues between Faber and Dillashaw.

Team Faber (United States)
–Ryan Hall (4-1 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
-Johnny Nunez (5-1)
-Billy Quarantillo (6-1)
-Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1)
-James Jenkins (8-1)
-Jason Gonzalez (9-2)
-Julian Erosa (14-1)
-Thanh Le (4-1)
-Tom Gallicchio (19-8)

Team McGregor (Europe)
-Artem Lobov (11-10-1-1)
-Abner Lloveras (19-7-1)
-David Teymur (3-1)
-Marcin Wrzosek (10-2)
-Martin Svensson (14-5)
-Mehdi Baghdad (11-3)
-Sascha Sharma (8-2)
-Saul Rogers (10-1)
–Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0 MMA, 0-1 TUF)

* End scene.

* Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”