The Ultimate Fighter 5 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Ultimate Fighter 5 was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

produced reality television

Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

series The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...

. As with the show's usual format, sixteen prospective mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

fighters were secluded in a house near Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

and trained together while participating in a single-elimination tournament, with the winner being awarded a six-figure UFC contract. This season featured only one weight class, lightweights

Lightweight (MMA)

The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...

(146-155 lb) and the fighters were divided into two teams; one coached by former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver

Jens Pulver

Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...

and the other by former UFC Welterweight Champion

Welterweight (MMA)

The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...

and former lightweight champion B.J. Penn.

The two coaches, along with the finalists of the tournament, fought at The Ultimate Finale, a televised MMA fight card that aired live at the completion of the series.

The series premiered on April 5, 2007 on Spike TV

Spike TV

Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...

in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and concluded on June 23. Filming began in mid-January 2007.

Coaches

Team Penn

BJ Penn, head coach
Rudolph Valentino, kickboxing instructor
Tony DeSouza, wrestling instructor
Reagan Penn, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor
Randy Couture
Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

, guest trainer

Team Pulver

Jens Pulver
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...

, head coach
Matt Pena, boxing instructor
Taisei Kikuchi, submissions instructor
Kirk White, wrestling instructor
Jeremy Horn
Jeremy Horn
Jeremy Graham Horn is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the most experienced fighters in the sport with a professional record of 88–21–5...

, guest trainer
Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...

, guest trainer
Karo Parisyan
Karo Parisyan
Karapet Parisyan is an Armenian-American mixed martial artist. From his days as a UFC mainstay Karo holds notable wins over Ryo Chonan, Shonie Carter, Drew Fickett, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Chris Lytle, Nick Diaz and Antonio McKee.- Early life:...

, guest trainer

Fighters

Listed as initially picked.

Team Penn

Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

, Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

, Gabe Ruediger
Gabe Ruediger
Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...

, Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

, Rob Emerson
Rob Emerson
Robert Michael Emerson is an American mixed martial artist. Emerson is a former Pancrase and King of the Cage fighter. He was a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter 5.-The Ultimate Fighter:...

, Andy Wang
Andy Wang
Andrew P. Wang is a Taiwanese-American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division. Wang received his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt from Egan Inoue and is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor at the Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Taipei...

, Allen Berube, Noah Thomas

Team Pulver

Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

, Nate Diaz, Brandon Melendez
Brandon Melendez
Brandon Melendez is an American Mixed Martial Artist. Melendez was a castmember on The Ultimate Fighter 5.-The Ultimate Fighter:...

, Marlon Sims, Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

, Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....

, Brian Geraghty, Wayne Weems

Episodes

Episode 1: It's Like Anarchy Here

The team selection process nearly goes awry when Penn asks the fighters to raise their hands if they want to join his team and want nothing to do with Team Pulver. Ten of the sixteen fighters do. Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

insists the coaches still pick the teams one-by-one.
Gabe Ruediger
Gabe Ruediger
Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...

(Team Penn) enters the series around 20 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...

overweight and frets over his inability to lose weight.
In the first fight of the season, Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....

(Team Pulver) defeated Allen Berube (Team Penn) by a submission (triangle choke
Triangle choke
A triangle choke, or sankaku-jime in Judo, is a type of figure-four chokehold which strangles the opponent by encircling the opponent's neck and one arm with the legs in a configuration similar to the shape of a triangle...

) at 2:33 of the first round.

Episode 2: Not in this House

Allen Berube returns to the house and announces he will stay in the house and continue to train so he can act as a substitute should someone become injured. (All subsequent eliminated fighters also remain at the house.)
Team Penn members Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

and Gabe Ruediger
Gabe Ruediger
Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...

repeatedly butt heads after Ruediger taunts Wiman because of an unexplained personal dislike of him. Their verbal sparring impacts the team as time from training was dedicated to quelling the feud.
Penn tries to influence Pulver's fight selection by having Rob Emerson goad Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

into fighting him, a matchup he prefers. Pulver picks Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

(Team Pulver) to fight Noah Thomas (Team Penn) instead.
Members of Team Penn write a number of benign messages on the house wall ("Team Penn supports our troops") with a marker. Emerson then writes the words "Suck it Team Pulver" on the game room wall, ostensibly as a joke, but Team Pulver members Nate Diaz and Gamburyan take offense and confront Team Penn about the markings. Gamburyan was looking to fight about it, then threatens to leave the house before his teammate Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

calms him down.
Gamburyan defeats Thomas by a submission (kimura lock) at 2:09 of the first round. Gamburyan was the main aggressor, with Thomas often defending against his opponent's attempts to drop him to the ground.

Episode 3: This is My Zone

Penn calls Ruediger out in front of the entire team, saying that he does not think Ruediger is taking the training as seriously as he should.
Jeremy Horn
Jeremy Horn
Jeremy Graham Horn is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the most experienced fighters in the sport with a professional record of 88–21–5...

is brought in as Team Pulver's special guest coach. Horn is especially impressed with Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

, who admitted he did not train regularly at a gym.
Gabe Ruediger
Gabe Ruediger
Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...

undergoes a "colonic" in an effort to make weight. His teammate however were unimpressed; calling it an easy way out of his problem and accusing him of caring more about the procedure than training.
Noah Thomas and Rob Emerson (both Team Penn) run around the house in thongs
G-string
A G-string is a type of thong underwear or swimsuit, a narrow piece of cloth, leather, or plastic, that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as swimwear or underwear by women and men...

, upsetting Nate Diaz (Team Pulver). Diaz decides that he now wants to fight Emerson. At the fight announcement, Pulver picks Diaz and Diaz then selects Emerson.
Diaz (Team Pulver) defeats Emerson (Team Penn) by submission (rear naked choke
Rear naked choke
The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...

) at 4:45 of round two. The first round was mainly an aggressive striking game by both sides and the second round was characterized by Diaz's aggression and successful ground game. Dana White tells both fighters that the fight was one of the best in the history of the series.

Episode 4: Waah, Waah!

Wayne Weems is shown to be lagging behind the rest of Team Pulver.
During training, Gabe Ruediger
Gabe Ruediger
Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...

lobbies Penn about fighting Weems because Weems is the obvious weak link. However, this irritates some other members of Team Penn, especially Emerson, who confronts Ruediger about it.
Pulver brings in Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...

as a special guest coach for Team Pulver.
At the fight announcement, Brandon Melendez (Team Pulver) selects Andy Wang
Andy Wang
Andrew P. Wang is a Taiwanese-American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division. Wang received his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt from Egan Inoue and is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor at the Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Taipei...

(Team Penn). Melendez defeats Wang via unanimous decision. Despite the pregame plan for Wang to use his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills to his advantage and to take down his opponent, Wang stays on his feet to strike and is dominated. Wang cries after the match for letting down his teammates, but Penn shows no sympathy for Wang, who ignored his instructions during the match.

Episode 5: Put me Back In

Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

(Team Pulver) picks Gabe Ruediger
Gabe Ruediger
Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...

for the next fight.
Ruediger, who was now at 173.5 lb, continues to take weight cutting lightly and shows little effort, despite the urgings of his coaches and teammates. When Ruediger is sent to the sauna by his coaches, he passes out at 159.4 lb (three pounds over the limit of 156 lb); the cut drained him so much that he was sent to a hospital to get fluids via an IV
Intravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...

. The match was called and when Ruediger returns to the house, he becomes a pariah.
Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

, on hearing word of the cancelled bout, makes known his displeasure for fighters that cannot make weight and promptly expels Ruediger from the house. White also reinstates Emerson to replace Ruediger and grants Team Pulver the chance to pick the next two fights to penalize Team Penn for not taking charge of Ruediger's weight.
Team Pulver's next two matches will be Brian Geraghty (Team Pulver) vs. Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

(Team Penn) and Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

(Team Pulver) vs. Rob Emerson (Team Penn).

Episode 6: All Your Might

At the Team Pulver session, Lauzon's experience is emphasized - especially his knockout of Team Coach Jens Pulver
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...

at UFC 63
UFC 63
UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 23, 2006. The event took place at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada....

. Pulver and Geraghty however brushed it off and "forgot" it ever happened.
In the first fight of the episode, Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

defeats Brian Geraghty by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:13 of the first round.
In the second fight, Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

defeats Rob Emerson by unanimous decision. The bout was scored a draw after two rounds. In the third "sudden victory" round, neither fighter dominates. Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

says that while neither fighter was impressive during the round, he believes Emerson won. The judges disagreed and give a unanimous decision to Hill.
After the fight, Hill reveals to his team that this was his first professional fight; he only had two amateur fights before.

Episode 7: Be the General

White cautions Penn, saying he is losing control of his team. Penn decides to bring control back to the team, Penn decides to kick Andy Wang
Andy Wang
Andrew P. Wang is a Taiwanese-American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division. Wang received his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt from Egan Inoue and is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor at the Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Taipei...

off his team, whom he said was insubordinate and constantly ignoring instructions.
Wang resists the expulsion, but his protests to the coaches are ignored. White is summoned, he decides no fighter can be teamless and approaches Pulver to see if Wang can join his team. Pulver consults with his team and they approved of Wang joining them. Wang however, remains resistant, citing loyalty to Team Penn. When White makes it clear there he had no option, Wang reluctantly joins.
With Hill's win, Team Pulver picks the next fight of the preliminary round - Wayne Weems (Team Pulver) vs. Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

(Team Penn). This leaves Marlon Sims (Team Pulver) vs. Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

(Team Penn) as the final preliminary round pairing.
In the first match, Maynard defeats Weems by TKO (punches) at 2:47 of the first round.
In the second match, Wiman defeats Sims by technical submission (rear naked choke) at 0:52 of the first round.

Episode 8: Not on the Concrete

Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

, B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...

meet to decide quarterfinal matchups to find the most interesting matchups and to advance the best fighters to the next round. The meeting however was not without problems as Penn and Pulver could not agree on pairings and nearly come to blows. White wants to match the best four fighters against the worst four, and picks Nate Diaz, Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

, Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

and Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

as the best four fighters. White and Penn coincidentally draw up the same fights, but Pulver disagrees and says that Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

should also be considered and suggests Penn and White are colluding. White however denies it and implements his plan. The quarterfinal matchups are Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

vs. Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....

, Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

vs. Brandon Melendez, Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

vs. Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

, and Nate Diaz vs. Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

.
After a night of heavy drinking, Marlon Sims and Noah Thomas get into an argument and a fight in the backyard of the house, which ended with Sims slamming Thomas on his head on concrete. After the fight, the two call a truce and promise to settle the matter at the Finale. When White gets wind of the confrontation, he makes a personal visit to the house and lectures the cast about how he tried to change the image of the UFC from mindless brawling to legitimate athletic competition, and how this fight damages his efforts. He immediately expels both Sims and Thomas from the house, as well as Allen Berube, who instigated the match and told them they would not get kicked out for fighting.
With Noah Thomas, Allen Berube kicked out of the house because of the fight and Gabe Ruediger
Gabe Ruediger
Gabriel G. "Gabe" Ruediger is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...

kicked out because of missing weight and Andy Wang
Andy Wang
Andrew P. Wang is a Taiwanese-American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division. Wang received his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt from Egan Inoue and is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor at the Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Taipei...

kicked off the team and sent to Team Pulver, This leaves Team Penn with only 4 fighters (Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

, Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

, Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

and Rob Emerson
Rob Emerson
Robert Michael Emerson is an American mixed martial artist. Emerson is a former Pancrase and King of the Cage fighter. He was a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter 5.-The Ultimate Fighter:...

.
Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

defeats Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....

in the first quarterfinal match by TKO (strikes) at 3:58 in the second round. Lauzon, when he had pinned Miller down early in the second round, strikes Miller on the back of the head
Rabbit punch
A rabbit punch is a blow to the neck or to the base of the skull. It is considered especially dangerous because it can damage the cervical vertebrae and subsequently the spinal cord, which may lead to serious spinal cord injury or even death.-Boxing:...

with an elbow and was assessed a point deduction. Miller is noticeably impaired after the strike, but continues the fight, eventually losing. White is convinced after talking with Lauzon that the strike was inadvertent, and Lauzon regrets it. White also praises Miller's dedication but strongly advises him against ever competing when dazed again, for his own safety.

Episode 9: It Was A Brawl

Brandon Melendez feels that Jens Pulver is over-training him, and confronts Pulver about the issue. Melendez feels so strongly that he later approaches Pulver about training with Team Penn instead. After talking it over with Pulver, they resolve their issues and Melendez remains with Team Pulver.
Randy Couture
Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

is a guest coach for Team Penn, focusing on wrestling skills.
Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....

and Nate Diaz play pranks on one another while each sleeps. The pranks culminate in each fighter throwing the other's mattress into the pool and Miller getting "antiqued" (getting covered in baby powder after being drenched in water).
Andy Wang
Andy Wang
Andrew P. Wang is a Taiwanese-American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division. Wang received his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt from Egan Inoue and is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor at the Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Taipei...

becomes personally involved in helping Melendez make weight. Melendez does (barely) and expresses his gratitude for his help.
Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

defeats Brandon Melendez in the second quarterfinal match by submission (guillotine choke
Guillotine choke
The guillotine choke is a chokehold in martial arts and wrestling applied from in front of the opponent. The choke involves using the arms to encircle the opponent's neck in a fashion similar to a guillotine. The technique is either a type of tracheal compression restraint that prevents air flow...

) at 4:07 in the second round.

Episode 10: Traitor

Nate Diaz decides to train with Team Penn because he feels like he needs to distance himself from Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

in order to prepare himself better for the fight. Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

and other members of Team Penn are not happy with the idea, calling Diaz a "spy." Members of Team Pulver, especially Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

, who flips Diaz off, and Brandon Melendez who then calls him a "traitor." Jens Pulver
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...

is somewhat upset that Diaz went to Team Penn's practice, but says later that he does not care, and "if he wants to put on a blue jersey, thats his prerogative."
In the third quarterfinal match, Nate Diaz defeats Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...

at 3:02 in the first round with a submission (triangle choke
Triangle choke
A triangle choke, or sankaku-jime in Judo, is a type of figure-four chokehold which strangles the opponent by encircling the opponent's neck and one arm with the legs in a configuration similar to the shape of a triangle...

).
Karo Parisyan
Karo Parisyan
Karapet Parisyan is an Armenian-American mixed martial artist. From his days as a UFC mainstay Karo holds notable wins over Ryo Chonan, Shonie Carter, Drew Fickett, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Chris Lytle, Nick Diaz and Antonio McKee.- Early life:...

arrives at the training center during a Team Pulver training session to practice with his cousin Manvel Gamburyan. Nate Diaz claims he has no problem with Parisyan, even though Parisyan defeated his older brother, Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...

, at UFC 49
UFC 49
UFC 49: Unfinished Business was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 21, 2004, at the MGM Grand Arena in Paradise, Nevada...

in a close and controversial split decision after three rounds.
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

defeats Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

in the fourth and final quarterfinal match by unanimous decision after two rounds.

Episode 11: I Humbly Apologize

After Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

's fight, his cousin Karo Parisyan
Karo Parisyan
Karapet Parisyan is an Armenian-American mixed martial artist. From his days as a UFC mainstay Karo holds notable wins over Ryo Chonan, Shonie Carter, Drew Fickett, Matt Serra, Nick Thompson, Chris Lytle, Nick Diaz and Antonio McKee.- Early life:...

jokes around with Nate Diaz by playfully slapping him, talking down to him, and grabbing him by the back of the neck. The two get into a verbal disagreement and almost come to blows before Jens Pulver
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...

and the rest of the team break up the confrontation.
Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

has to decide the semifinal matchups via phone conversation from England with Penn and Pulver. White then proceeds to prank Pulver by telling him it will be teammate vs. teammate in the semifinals, only to later tell them the real matchups will be Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

vs. Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

and Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

.
After White gets back from England, he surprises the fighters by having a fancy dinner at the house with both teams together. White then proceeds to announce to all the fighters that whichever two fighters make it to the finals will receive free DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...

Service.
In the first semifinal bout, Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

defeats Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...

by unanimous decision after three rounds.
After the fight, Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

states that alongside with Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...

from The Ultimate Fighter 2
The Ultimate Fighter 2
The Ultimate Fighter 2 was the second season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The season featured a heavyweight and a welterweight division, with 9 fighters initially in each division. The UFC coaches for this season were welterweight and middleweight...

, he has underestimated Gamburyan the most out of every fighter from all 5 seasons.He then goes on to say, "he's 10 times the fighter I thought he was, and I humbly apologize to Manny for underestimating him."

Episode 12: Gave A Hundred

The remaining fighters play a series of pranks on each other, engaging in a fruit war and shaving an inebriated Cole Miller's head when he fell asleep in the bathroom.
Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

pits the two team captains against each other in a ping-pong match with a ten-thousand dollar cash prize. Jens Pulver wins the best-of-three series, the cash and a thousand dollar bonus for each member of his team.
In the second semifinal bout, Nate Diaz defeats Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...

by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:17 in the second round.

Finale

Lightweight bout: United States Nate Diaz vs. Armenia Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel Gamburyan
Manvel "Manny" Gamburyan is an Armenian American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 5. Besides The Ultimate Fighter, Gamburyan has fought for notable promotions such as King of the Cage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Gamburyan is fighting in the...

Diaz wins by injury (dislocated shoulder) at :20 of round two and becomes the Season 5 TUF Lightweight Champion.

Lightweight Bracket

Team Pulver in Yellow
Team Penn in Blue

External links

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