Episode No. 4 of "The Ultimate Fighter 11," opens with a brief recap of the previous week's three-round battle between and Team Liddell fighter Brad Tavares and Team Ortiz's James Hammortree. Only this time, we get to hear from the other fighters as the fight is unfolding, and something doesn't sit right with a few of the observers.
Team Ortiz's Jamie Yager is openly cheering for Tavares in the fight. Yager's teammates immediately call him out and let him know how should be cheering for his colleagues regardless of his friendship with Tavares. Yager is asked what team he's on, and he jokingly answers, "I'm on Team Yager."
Yager explains he was cheering for his teammate and his friend simultaneously and was basically just hoping for a good fight. Nevertheless, Nick Ring pulls Yager aside and tries to talk some sense into him.
It's an odd pairing considering the tension that began with the two in episode 3. Yager professes to be on the same page as Ring, though the smug look on his face suggests otherwise.
Back at the house, Yager explains what happened to Tavares, Kris McCray and Kyle Noke – "The Minority Report." Yager's a bit less apologetic now.
"If anybody don't like that, that we stick together, that we keep 'The Minority Report' together, that's just too fucking bad," Yager says.
In another part of the house, Ring continues to express his frustration regarding Yager. Team Ortiz's Kyacey Uscola joins in and expresses obvious distaste for Yager.
"I hate that motherfucker," Uscola says. "He's a piece offucking dog shit."
Not exactly team unity.
Shortly after, it's time for the fight announcement – the first of two on episode No. 4. Coach Chuck Liddell is still in charge of the matchups, and he takes Rich Attonito to face Uscola.
Hammortree is familiar with Uscola's lengthy MMA record, and he predicts his teammate will win by "Hulk smash."
But Team Liddell's Joe Henle says you'd better not count Attonito out; he's like a pitbull.
After a commercial break, Uscola discusses his family situation back home, and shares that he'll be missing the birth of his first child in order to compete on the show.
Meanwhile, coach Tito Ortiz is confident that Uscola should dominate in all phases of the fight. Ortiz coaches Uscola to be prepared for an inevitable Attonito takedown and to work back to the feet when it comes. Uscola is confident for the bout, and he cites his punching power, his wrestling pedigree, and his overall hunger for the reasons he'll likely wind up victorious.
At a Team Liddell training session, Attonito has a brief romantic moment with a punching bag before running off a list of nicknames he's earned over time. Coach John Hackleman believes Attonito is one of the best fighters on the show. Fighting out of American Top Team, Attonito is also praised for his great ground game by Liddell.
Additionally, Liddell says he's heard that Uscola has trouble getting off his back, so he believes Attonito is a perfect matchup. Attonito knows that Uscola is one of Team Ortiz's best, and he's ready for the challenge.
Back at the house, Uscola is missing a sweatshirt. He finds it quickly: the sweatshirt is in Yager's closet, and a verbal altercation ensues.
Yager is upset that Uscola went through his shit, though he does nothing to explain why the sweatshirt, labeled with Uscola's name, was in the closet. It turns out the Kris McCray was the one that put it there, but Uscola remains angered with Yager, instead.
On the way to the gym, Uscola continues to brand Yager a thief. Uscola cites some missing Punishment Athletics gear, but Yager insists he was told he could take the clothing.
At the gym, Ortiz gets a taste of the controversy brewing in his team. Uscola labels Yager the "bad apple" of the team, and Clayton McKinney chimes in that "no one sees eye to eye" with Yager. Ortiz defends Yager and tries to diffuse the situation. Meanwhile, Uscola writes Yager off as "a clown box."
Later, back at the house, Yager strikes up a conversation with Attonito. The Team Liddell fighter shares pictures of his wife, and the two fins a mutual accord as family men.
Finally, after the house drama, it's fight time.
(Team Jon's) Rich Attonito vs. (Team Adam's) Kyacey UscolaRound 1 - Referee Josh Rosenthal starts the action, and Uscola takes the center of the cage early. Uscola lands a nice overhand right, but he eats a straight right hand in return. Attonito lands a few more right hands a Uscola works his jabs, and the shorter fighter gets the best of the early exchanges.
One minute in, Attonito lands a 1-2, and Uscola hits the floor. Attonito pounces, and he delivers a barrage of punches and elbows as Uscola tries to scramble on the mat. Attonito keeps the pressure on, but Uscola does a good job of remaining active on the bottom, and he eventually works back to his feet.
Uscola grabs a kimura from the front, but Attonito simply grabs a single-leg and inverts Uscola before slamming him to the floor. Uscola's head is nearly driven through the floor with the powerful slam, and Attonito return to his ground-and-pound attack.
Uscola tries to catch Attonito with an upkick, then he thinks about a leglock. Attonito moves to the floor, and Uscola locks in a nice kimura and cranks it. Attonito rolls through the hold and defends with Uscola now in side control.
Uscola releases the hold, somehow surviving the initial onslaught and now in a dominant position. Attonito rolls, and Uscola stands and delivers two powerful knees. The second appears to have landed illegally, and Rosenthal halts the action.
A bloodied Uscola is livid.
Attonito is tended to by the doctors, and they quickly determine he can't continue. Uscola is inconsolable, and he yells for Attonito to get up. Ortiz also can't believe the turn of events, but the verdict has been issued. It's a disqualification win for Attonito.
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(Team Jon's) Rich Attonito def (Team Adam's) Kyacey Uscola via disqualification (illegal knee) in Round 1 for
10pts.
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Team Adam, Team Roxanne, Team Roy, and
Team Tammy each earn
1pt for having
Chuck Liddell as their coach.
Replays show that the knee did not connect firmly to Attonito's head, but he looks woozy, nonetheless.
Neither fighter looks pleased at the result, but Uscola is especially angry. He thinks Attonito may have laid down a little faster than he should have, and says while he like the man, he no longer has respect for him as a fighter.
Ortiz rips a door off on the way to the locker room, and it nearly falls on him as he passes.
Back in the Team Liddell dressing room, Attonito has ice on his head, but he also is nursing an injured right hand. He stops off at the hospital before heading home, and he learns that his hand is broken and will probably require surgery. Attonito is out, and Uscola hopes maybe, just maybe, he'll get a chance to re-enter the competition because of the result.
The next day, it's time for another fight announcement. Liddell's team is 3-0, and they get to pick the matchup yet again. Liddell picks Charley Blanchard to match up with Team Ortiz's Yager. Liddell says he likes the matchup, though Blanchard is facing a massive size differential.
Ortiz says he things Yager slipping on a banana peel is about the only way he'll lose, though he also says if he loses again, he'll shoot himself.
Liddell explains that he believes Blanchard's strengths match up well with Yager, and the two discuss keeping the pressure on Yager and not allowing him room to set up the powerful kicks that let him move into the house.
Yager explains that despite all the controversy he's been involved in already, he's simply misunderstood. Ortiz seems to understand his psyche, saying Yager came from nothing, therefore he's always defensive. As far as the fight, Ortiz thinks Yager simply has to stay quick on his feet and he'll earn victory.
Despite a big difference in height, both fighters weigh in at 186 pounds, and the fight is official. Uscola sneaks in one more dig at his teammate, and he openly admits he's cheering for both a Yager loss and an injury that forces him to go home.
(Team Tammy's) Charles Blanchard VS. (Team CJ's) Jamie YagerRound 1 - Rosenthal oversees the episode's second fight as well, and a touch of gloves gets the action started. Both fighters try to feel the distance out early, and Yager over-extends on an early jab. Blanchard avoids a few combinations, but he's moving straight back, much to his coaches' dismay. Blanchard shoots in for a takedown, but Yager wiggles free and back to his feet. Blanchard persists with the attempt, but he's only successful in bringing Yager to his knees before he's back on his feet.
The fighters reset, and a powerful right hand Superman punch drops Blanchard. He covers up against the cage, and Yager brings seven powerful punches crashing down. The punches don't connect cleanly, but Blanchard is in a fetal position, and the fight is waved off just 70 seconds after it begins.
Finally a win for Team Ortiz. Yager breakdances a little in the center, and UFC president Dana White says the middleweight simply "sucked the desire" out of Blanchard.
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(Team CJ's) Jamie Yager def.
(Team Tammy's) Charles Blanchard via TKO (punches) in Round 1 for
10pts.
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Team CJ, Team Jen, and
Team Jon each earn
1pt for having
Tito Ortiz as their coach.
Blanchard is disappointed, but Ortiz is ecstatic to finally get a win. Yager believes he's bringing some good energy to the team, though that remains to be seen.
Uscola, for instance, says he still hopes to smash his face someday.
