TUF 15 Episode 9 Recap: Rio vs. Ogle
This weeks starts off with Dana sharing my exact thoughts from last episode. Saunders won the first round, Sicilia won the second round, and we were screwed out of a third. AhHhHhHhH!!! Ok, now that’s out of the way and we can get in to the show. The usual reactions come from both locker rooms. Urijah’s side is hyped, while Team Cruz is somber. Team Blue praises Saunders for his great performance, and Chris himself speaks on how men in pink can win big fights. Sicilia and the rest of the Red squad try to make sense of everything (mainly how one of their best guys lost to the last pick of the show). Only Cruz brings up the fact that it probably just should have been an even fight heading in to third. Chiesa from Faber’s side hangs with Sam for a little while after the fight was over in Cruz’s room to help console his buddy.
After a little jawing about this week’s fight being extra sexy from Andy Ogle, we get to this season’s challenge between both coaches. It’s possibly the best competition in this program’s rich history. Both teams are brought out to the desert, where they are greeted by Marine drill instructors. Urijah and Dominick will be going against one another in an obstacle course with the following activities involved: climbing a rope, shooting five targets at close distance with an M9 handgun, flipping a big tire over a space of about 20 feet, hitting two targets that are 12 inches in diameter at 50 and 75 yards with an M4 rifle (carbine), carrying a training dummy through a short course, hitting two jugs full of red liquid at 50 yards with an M249 (SAW) machine gun, carrying 10 ammo boxes that are 35 lbs over a short distance, and finally finishing off two targets with the M32 grenade launcher. Cruz takes the lead through most of the competition, but gets held up on the SAW (which Dana was supposedly told is the hardest one). Urijah catches, passes him, and never looks back. Dominick forces his way up to the very last target just in time to see Urijah finish him off. Urijah Faber is the season 15 coach’s challenge winner, and his team couldn’t be any happier. Each person on the Blue side gets $1500, while Urijah walks away with $20,000 (something that he quickly throws in “Dom’s” face). The extra 10 G’s offered to the winning coach this year was provided by Tapout.
Back to reality, and Andy Ogle’s beautiful face is the subject on screen. That is right after the hotness that is Brittney Palmer departs. Ogle explains that everybody is a fighter where he is from. It’s the only thing that has ever peaked his adrenaline, and he takes pride in saying “for 10, 15 minutes your entertainment is me and Mike Rio”. Urijah explains the game plan is mixing it up, and pretty much staying away from the wrestling. He’s sure that’s what Rio wants to accomplish as he’s had much success in his life where wrestling is concerned. Ogle then speaks of his heart, and how Mike will have to kill him to beat him. Hopefully that doesn’t happen, as it might ruin MMA for all of us.
“The Wolverine” Mike Rio is up next. In wrestling, Mike is a two-time state HS champion, and three-time national champion in college(JUCO/NAIA). Dominick makes no bones about changing anything up for his part, and just wants Mike to focus on wrestling then beating Andy up on the ground. Both Andy and Mike seem to know what each other wants to do. It will come down to who enforces his will more.
In a bit of a twist Dana and the coaches get together, and pick out some quarterfinal match-ups. They make their pics of who their favorites are, and after Ogle vs. Rio Dana will make his decision. Urijah of course takes the opportunity to get under Cruz’s skin. It’s pretty clear on who is getting the better of mind games at this point, and Cruz has little to say back to Faber’s needling.
Fight time:
Round 1 plays out with Andy basically landing on Rio while circling the cage repeatedly. Then at about the half-way mark Rio shoots in and gets a big slam. Ogle pops directly back up though. Ogle lands some good knees in the clinch, then circles out after an elbow. They go back to pawing at each other with Andy getting the better, but still nothing to significant. It appears Rio forgot his game plan of shooting for takedowns. After landing a few lefts of his own Rio gets the takedown as the round ends. 10-10 in this writers book so we could see it go either way.
Round 2 goes a bit faster as Mike puts more pressure on Andy. He backs him up with good shots until Andy lands some nice counters of his own. Rio gets a takedown at the 3:30 mark and finally is able to do a little bit of work on top. Rio takes the back, but ends up on bottom after Andy takes top position which can be attributed to another coaching error by Cruz who wanted his fighter to sink both hooks in. Ogle then shows great skills grappling as he passes and takes Mike’s back himself. Andy Ogle sinks in the choke, and it’s all she wrote. After he gets the tap he takes off, and hugs every person on team Faber (and Ross Pearson from Team Cruz) while Urijah screams at him to get back in the cage. In the interview with Jon Anik both guys are extremely respectful. Rio speaks about how he gassed a little bit, and it showed. When Ogle took top position from him the fight just took on a different speed.
Andy Ogle defeats Mike Rio by submission (RNC) in Round2 (4:20)
Dana then announces the fights for next week and in the first one its James Vick from Team Cruz against Joe Proctor for the Blue Team. Fight #2 is Team Faber’s Michael Chiesa vs. Dominick’s prized prospect Justin Lawrence.
