The “Wildcard” match up goes down tonight between Marc Stevens and Aaron Wilkinson, but first Team GSP gets to work at the training center, and the team believes that Dane Sayers should have been the choice over Marc Stevens to face off against Aaron Wilkinson.
The logic behind the selection of Stevens has to do with his experience and his talent, despite his poor showing against Cody McKenzie where he was choked unconscious in just 18 seconds.
As Michael Johnson stays busy training in the cage, Alex Caceres is busy with massages and stretches with a trainer. Johnson believes that Caceres is taking the competition lightly and would rather lay around then seriously train.
The trash talk between Team GSP medic Brad Tate and Coach Koscheck is in full effect outside of the locker rooms. It starts in a good natured manner, but if you have watched any of the previous episodes of TUF 12 this season, you would know that tonight will be the night that the joking and trash talking turns physical between the two.
The talking between Johnson and Caceres continues at the house, as Caceres promises Johnson that he will train hard if they happen to face off in the near future. Johnson seems ready for the challenge, and it seems that the editing is setting this fight up as a match up later in the competition.
With both wildcard guys on the same team, it is unavoidable that the two will continue to train together. There is no animosity between Marc Stevens and Aaron Wilkinson, as both guys actually make plans to train at each other’s gyms teaching their specialties.
At the weigh ins, Coach Koscheck seizes the opportunity to escalate tensions between himself and Brad Tate by pulling Tate’s pants off.
Tate thought the prank was pretty humorous, implying that he would get more dates because his pants were pulled down on national TV. As the teams take their seats next to each other, the trash talk escalates, and Coach Koscheck pulls out his “male nurse” joke for the hundredth time.
Tate fires off some personal jabs at Koscheck relating to his loss to GSP, even touching on the “knee” incident, prompting Koscheck to bring up vaseline, implying greasing by GSP.
Koscheck gives Tate “two minutes” and then commences to putting his hand around the throat of Tate, starting a melee.
The two have to be physically separated, with Dane Sayers stepping in the middle. Sayers gets pushed in the face for his troubles, and is n
After the altercation is under control, Koscheck actually accuses GSP of setting up the entire conflict.
“George is trying to make me look bad by bringing this guy in and yapping in my ear and trying to get at me,” said Koscheck. “I don’t know if George hired this guy to be around, I don’t know who he is, but apparently George likes this guy, and he associates with those type of people.”
“Not me, I don’t associate with guys like that.”
Dane Sayers gets up and walks out, visibly upset over what happened.
“I was just trying to help him and he put his hands on me,” said Sayers. “Just stiff armed my face… who wouldn’t get pissed off.”
Both coaches get up and follow Sayers into the locker room, and Koscheck apologizes for putting his hands on him. Koscheck firmly believes that there is a conspiracy to get under his skin, and that GSP is the mastermind behind it all.
“It’s definitely Georges St. Pierre’s fault,” said Koscheck. “I believe that Georges didn’t want the pressure of talking [expletive], so he hired this guy Brad Tate to come in, run his mouth, and pretty much get under my skin.”
“Smart move Georges, because it worked.”
After all of that, the weigh ins actually take place, and both fighters easily make weight for their bout.
After the formalities, Koscheck asks Tate to hold hands walking out of the training center, before GSP calls Tate to walk away.
“I told Tate three times to not trash talking, I told all my guys to not trash talking” said GSP. “I felt like I was in kindergarten you know?”
In the locker room, GSP explains that there are 3 fighters advancing from Team Koscheck and 5 from Team GSP. The coach then goes on to ask each fighter to write down on a piece of paper who they would want to fight from their own team.
Michael Johnson immediately explains that Alex Caceres would be his choice, and it seems that this one just may go down.
At the house, Aaron Wilkinson receives some bad news from his mother. His grandmother has passed away, but his mother is quick to iterate that she would “kick your ass good-style,” if he decided to come home. Wilkinson is visibly upset over the passing, but explains that he has to keep going in the competition.
Fight time has arrived, and Coach Koscheck will not be cornering either of his guys, but will instead be in the stands for the bout.
Round 1 – Marc fakes a shot early, then throws an inside leg kick. Marc follows up with a leg kick to the lead leg of Aaron. Aaron is now looking to establish his jab, but Marc throws another kick, then shoots in and gets a quick, easy take down.
Marc advances from side mount to full mount, forcing Aaron to roll giving up his back. Marc looks for a sub from the back, but Aaron rolls again. Marc is on the back again, and has one hook in looking for the rear naked.
Aaron is fighting the wrist, two on one, but is still in trouble, but is staying patient. Marc secures the second hook, then scrambles and goes for an arm, giving up position.
Aaron is now on top, but his arm is still secured. He works the arm free, but Marc goes for the triangle after losing the arm bar. The corner is calling for Aaron to posture. Aaron is still fighting with 30 seconds to go, but Marc is still trying to secure the triangle, but can only manage to cross his ankles, not getting the submission truly secured. Aaron survives to the bell, but it’s a clear round for Marc Stevens.
Round 2 – Aaron with a jab to start, as Marc fakes a shot. To the body by Aaron, then an inside leg kick. Aaron is loosening up now. Marc misses with a right hand.
Aaron lands a right hand, then a knee to the body that Marc uses to take the fight to the ground. Aaron is on his back but is working a guillotine on Stevens. Within seconds, Marc taps, and loses his second fight of the season by guillotine.
Aaron Wilkinson moves on in the competition.
After the fight, the coaches once again meet with UFC president Dana White to discuss the next match ups. Everybody seems to know that Johnson wants Caceres.
Caceres is called in, rocking the Bruce Lee Gi, and he agrees that Michael Johnson would be his choice to fight next.
Johnson is called in and calls out Caceres, but he isn’t the last guy that wants Caceres. Multiple fighters come into the room wanting “Bruce Lee Roy.”
Coach Koscheck believes that GSP is pushing the Johnson/Caceres fight as a strategy, and Koscheck keeps asking questions to get the lowdown on Team GSP’s weaknesses. Dana White will have the final say, and at this moment, he’s not telling the coaches.
As the teams line up outside the room, White comes out for the announcements, and here is what they look like:
Jonathan Brookins vs. Sako Chivitchian
Cody McKenzie vs. Nam Phan
Kyle Watson vs. Aaron Wilkinson
Michael Johnson vs. Alex Caceres
So it is now official. Michael Johnson will be facing off against “Bruce Lee Roy.” Next week’s episode will feature two fights, the first being Brookins/Chivitchian, followed by McKenzie/Phan.