411’s Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Report 9.23.15 – Episode Three

WELCOME: Welcome back to 411 and our coverage of the Ultimate Fighter 22: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber. Last week, the show settled into the regular team format and Conor and Faber continued to talk shit like they are going to fight but they aren’t. In the first fight of the regular season, Team Faber’s Ryan Hall (4-1) ended Team McGregor’s Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0) in the first round with a heel hook. Hall pretty much owned him and took no damage, so he is in good shape as he moves on. The show featured the basic in house banter, with a focus on the coaching strategies of Faber and McGregor. Team Faber looks to keep the advantage as Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) will face Team McGregor’s Sascha Sharma (8-2). Also, Dana was impressed by the fights to get into the house, so he allowed each coach to bring back one loser. Conor chose his boy Artem Lobov, and Faber chose his boy Johnny Nunez.

* We’re looking to focus on the coaching again this episode, as we discover that Team McGregor has two practiced a day. A morning practice where the coaches take the team through a light workout, McGregor does not attend this practice and allows his team of coaches to run it. They then have an evening session, where McGregor attends and is hands on. McGregor’s team seems to like how he is doing things so far. Sascha Sharma speaks about his fight on today’s show against Chris Gruetzemacher. McGregor feels that the fight will take place along the cage, and feels Sharma has good size and will not be bullied like Gruetzemacher opponent in the fight in bout. Sharma praises the spirit of his team, feeling that they have a good vibe. Sharma plans to utilize his boxing In his fight. Dana feels that McGregor is a good coach, and while he acts like he doesn’t care, he says he does because of his competitive spirit.

* Chris Gruetzemacher tells us about his life as we get b roll of his workouts. His father was murdered when he was only five, which is simply a horrific thing to have to go through. He’s been a fighter all of his life, it felt natural to him. Faber praises Gruetzemacher’s conditioning, and has a ton of confidence in him. The one thing he doesn’t like is that Gruetzemacher likes to take punishment too much in order to advance.

* Sharma now discusses his life, his father immigrated to the US 37-years ago. He had an infection when he was younger, and lost the use of his legs and was told he wouldn’t walk again. He chose to work out to walk again, and turned to the martial arts which really helped him. We then see Team Faber come to the house to watch Dillashaw’s last title defense. Faber was proud of Dillashaw and had fun watching the fight.

* At weigh-ins, Faber and McGregor had some back and forth and discussed the Dillashaw victory. McGregor says that Faber should fight Dillashaw, because Ludwig took him from him and it’s Faber’s only fight. McGregor keeps pressing the idea of the fight, and says Faber is a pussy. He also says that Faber needs to recognize that Dillashaw is the enemy now. Sharma weighs on at 155, while Gruetzemacher was 154.5.

* We see the fighters arriving and preparing for the fight.

FIGHT ONE: Team Faber’s Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) vs. Team McGregor’s Sascha Sharma (8-2) – ROUND ONE: And here we go. Sharma engages first with jabs, Gruetzemacher chases and Sharma slips. They clinch and battle for position, and then go to the cage. Knees by Sharma, works for a takedown but Gruetzemacher fights that off. Gruetzemacher then gets a trip and takes Sharma down. Sharma immediately locks in a triangle, Gruetzemacher postures up and slips out. Back to the feet they go and then back to the cage. Conor is very vocal here and Sharma gets a takedown, but Gruetzemacher is up as they work along the cage. Sharma pulls Gruetzemacher back down, but it doesn’t last long as Gruetzemacher is back up. More knees by Sharma, but Gruetzemacher lands some body shots. Sharma pulls guard and fishes for the triangle, Gruetzemacher escapes that and then eats an up kick. Gruetzemacher into half guard, tries to avid the up kicks and then gets side control. Sharma scrambles, Gruetzemacher keeps position and starts to land elbows. Sharma again looks for a triangle, rolls for an omoplata and then gets warned for a kick to the head as the round ends. Close round. SCORECARD: Sharma 10-9

ROUND TWO: Second round begins as Sharma lands a right, he shoots but Gruetzemacher stuffs him and works into guard. Sharma got busted open in the exchange and Gruetzemacher works from half guard. He lands short elbows and is controlling from the top. Gruetzemacher takes his back for a moment, but Sharma scrambles. Gruetzemacher lands good rights as Sharma gets to his feet. Conor blows a gasket as Sharma keeps trying to take it to the ground, and that allows Gruetzemacher to control. Gruetzemacher in half guard, gets mount and then grabs an arm bar and transitions into a belly down arm bar. Sharma is fighting this, escapes and gets into guard. Conor keeps yelling for him to get to the feet, but Gruetzemacher take side control. Conor is not pleased as Gruetzemacher keeps landing strikes and works for a better position. Short elbows from the half guard by Gruetzemacher, the good news for Sharma is that his bleeding has seemingly stopped. He eats more strikes from Gruetzemacher as the round ends. A clear round two victory for Gruetzemacher. SCORECARD: 19-19

ROUND THREE: And we go to sudden victory. Conor told Sharma to stay on the feet, so of course Sharma shot in and got stuffed, allowing Gruetzemacher to get into half guard and dominate. Gruetzemacher looks to take the back and keeps landing good shots on Sharma. Gruetzemacher is a blanket with fists here, easily controlling Sharma and doing damage. Conor keeps yelling for Sharma to stand up, but we’re half way through the round and Gruetzemacher is all over him. Faber yells that Sharma is broken and tells Gruetzemacher to take his time and take the finish if it comes. Gruetzemacher keeps moving from position to position and punishing Sharma. Gruetzemacher gets back control, and Sharma gets to guard but doesn’t do anything with it. Sharma then gets north south and fishes for a guillotine, which fails and Gruetzemacher presses him to the cage. Gruetzemacher lands some knees to the body as the round ends. SCORECARD: Gruetzemacher 29-28

OFFICIAL RESULT: Chris Gruetzemacher via unanimous decision

* McGregor discusses Sharma not listening and falling in love with going to the ground. Faber has a laugh at McGregor losing his shit, as Dana says Sharma just did not listen. Faber says Conor hates to lose, and then suggests he attend morning practices. This leads to more shit talk between the two.

* Team Faber maintains control. Next week it will be Team Faber’s Tom Gallicchio (19-8) vs. Team McGregor’s Marcin Wrzosek (10-2).

* Conor tells Sharma lost because of his own mistakes, not because of the other man being better than him.

* We get highlights from next week, where Conor lashes out at Sharma, and Faber calls out Conor for not really helping his guys.

Team Faber (United States)
–Ryan Hall (4-1 MMA, 1-0 TUF)
–Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1, 1-0 TUF)
-Johnny Nunez (5-1)
-Billy Quarantillo (6-1)
-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)
-Saul Rogers (10-1)
–Sascha Sharma (8-2, 0-1 TUF)
–Frantz Frank Slioa (4-0 MMA, 0-1 TUF)

* End scene.

* Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”