TUF4 - Episode 2

Yeah, so I didn't do a write up for Episode 1. Take the pain.

Creepy, I typed Episode 1, and a chill ran down my spine. The pain of The Phantom Menace still lingers.

Anyway, on to The Ultimate Fighter.

The Good:

• Matt Serra is quickly becoming the star of this show. He is proving himself to be an excellent coach and corner man. Even if he loses his first match in 10 seconds, he has already proven his worth to the UFC, and they need to make sure they take advantage of that. What really impresses me about Serra is the fact that he seems so willing to help. He has really stepped up and taken charge of Team Mojo, but he did so in a way that doesn't seem like he is bossing people around. He is simply able to convince people of the validity of his argument through reason and logic.
  
• At the same time, Serra is also demonstrating a great personality. He enjoys what he does. The scene with him wrestling with Shonie Carter yelling "We've been here before Shonie!" is classic. He wasn't trying to humiliate Shonie, it was just Serra having fun.
  
• Shonie Carter is also impressing me. Given his over the top personality, I was expecting a lot of bravado and arrogance in his post-fight interviews. Instead, he gave credit to his team for helping him to win that fight. Yes Shonie won that fight, but it was a team effort.
  
• Shonie's announcement of the next fight was hilarious. It was made even better by Charlie McCarthy's utter cluelessness that he wasn't the one being called out. If Serra is the heart and soul of Team Mojo, and of TUF4, then Shonie Carter is it's sense of humour.
  
• Keeping the fighters in the house and training in the gym is a wise move. Watching both Kristian Rothaermel and Tait Fletcher turn down the chance to fight in TUF3 must have been very embarassing for Dana. This way, he doesn't have to worry about that, as he ensures that all 16 fighters stay in game mode. (Credit goes to my roommate for pointing this out.)
  
• Good call by the ring doctor in allowing Edwin Dewees to continue to fight. Yes that cut wasn't pretty, but it wasn't impeding Bam Bam's ability to fight intelligently.
  
• Dewees really impressed me. Dana pointing out Bam Bam/Babyface's composure with that cut was an excellent observation. Even without the cut, Dewees was fighting a great fight, listening to his corner, and fighting to his strengths. That pushup move when Gideon Ray was caught in full mount was particularly impressive.

The Bad:

• Where are Couture and GSP? We saw GSP for a few moments, but I don't think I saw Randy at all. I know that the format is different from past seasons, and they're just trainers for all the fighters, but still, I'd like to see them a bit.
  
• From the way Gideon Ray was talking after the fight, his strategy is to cut his opponent open with hard elbows, and then win by doctor stoppage. Personally, I find that to be a scummy strategy. While it may be legal, it doesn't make it ethical or classy.
  
• This is really a point from Episode 1, but I'll make it here. Team No Love? Thats lamer than FDR's legs. Although it is delightfully delicious that the guy with that tattoo loses in the first fight.

The Ugly:

• I swear it looked like somebody opened a faucet on Dewees' head. The blood was flowing like a grindhouse film. It was like that scene in Fight Club when a bloodied Tyler Durden was spitting his blood all over Lou.