'The Ultimate Fighter 8' Blog : CBSSports.com Blogs

Tom is back....tell a friend...squared

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 2:51:37 EST

Phew. First I'd like to apologize for the lack of an update for the past few episodes. If I had the opportunity to be at a computer for an elongated period of time, I would have been more than happy to develop such an update. Who would have thought that the life of a "D minus reality show celebrity" could be so taxing? I've spent the past few weeks sitting in a newly leased building in downtown Orlando, ripping out ceilings, painting walls, and inhaling dust. Coupled with traveling to corner fighters this past week and getting back in the groove with training; Thomas has been a busy boy. But my exploits lately have been less than noteworthy, but the exploits of the past few weeks of TUF 8 have garnered some attention! Let's get down to some business...

Halfway Through?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:54:06 EST

So we are now at the midway point for TUF 8. And to think, there is sooooooo much more fun to be had in the coming weeks.

But the issue at hand right now is the incidence that everyone seems to have been waiting for; Junie Browning to step up and fight someone in the cage!

Junie has so far been involved in altercations in the house, in the gym, in the bathroom, in the hot tub, in the conservatory with a knife with Colonel Mustard, etc. Has it all been for show? Can he back it up? This is the week that we all find out.

Last week Eliot Marshall beat Shane Primm. That gives Team Mir control for the first time. At this point, we all knew that Junie was going to self-destruct had he not just gone ahead and fought next. The other lightweights all agreed to let Junie pick the next opponent, and Junie made it quite clear that he wanted to fight Rolando.

I got 5 on it....

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:28:28 EDT

Boy, after this episode I've really gone ahead and reevaluated my life and decided that no matter what has happened in my life, I'm pretty fortunate.

What made me go ahead and have this quarter life moment of clarity?

“I didn't have any friends in high school. Maybe one”- Eliot Marshall

Heck, I am in an airport in Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati right now, awaiting a connection to Milwaukee, and I'm pretty sure I have more friends in here than one. Eliot is a good guy, so I feel kind of blessed at the way my life has turned out.....

Ep E Sode 4

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:47:46 EDT

First I'd like to apologize for being late with this entry. Traditionally I've tried to complete them for the Thursday after the show airs, but due to a myriad of factors I have not been able to up to this point.

My life has been a whirlwind since Saturday night! Those of you MMA fans who watched the EliteXC show on Saturday night may have noticed me in the corner of Seth "The Silverback" Petruzelli, for what has become one of the biggest MMA stories of the year so far! I'll talk more about the Kimbo fight when I get a chance and details regarding the situation have calmed down, but let me just say that it has been a crazy turn of events! Also for those of you in the Orlando area: Seth, BJJ blackbelt Mike Lee, and myself are in the process of opening a new training facility in the Universal Studios area called The Jungle MMA. I have been swamped with business stuff all week, so hopefully next week things return to normalcy and I'll have the blog updated promptly.

Here one day, gone tomorrow...or still here!

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:10:57 EDT

Vegas! Street lights, hotels, airplanes,…and a Ginger Bread House?

That is what we are treated to as Episode 3 of the Ultimate Fighter season 8 begins!

We get an opening montage of why some are here to fight. Ryan Bader is here because he wants to advance his career. Junie Browning is here because he was raised poor, and apparently being poor leads to being tough. My thought is that this was his one chance to drink something besides bourbon, and Junie knew there would be a full liquor cabinet. Kryzstzof is here to offer everyone steak.

After the first few fights, many people were banged up. Brian McLaughlin and Karn “The Count” Gregorian were the two most notable. Keeping up with the tradition that Karn set on Sesame Street years ago, he was sporting TWO black eyes after his THREE round fight, giving him ONE fracture in his nose. I understand that Karn spends most of his time studying mathematics, but apparently he also is a student of anatomy as well. Karn informs us at the dinner table that his nose isn’t broken….it just has a crack in it. Brian “Mr. Potato Head” McLaughlin and Karn are called to the forefront of the UFC training center by Dana White, only to be informed that they were indeed going home. Well actually they were going to McCarran Airport first I assume.

The time has come...

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:30:31 EDT

After last week's edition of The Ultimate Fighter we have 8 fighters who have punched their ticket to free food, free training, and lots of women clamoring for their attention simply because they are a fighter.

And we are off and running on Episode 2! Again this episode focuses almost solely on the fights so let us get right down to it.

John Polakowski vs. Wesley Murch

Wesley is from Britain. I lived there for a summer and let me say that if I was from there, I would be fighting 100% for a vacation. Their food is all fried and none of their women liked me. They did drink a lot which is up my alley, but whatever. John Polakowski quickly introduces himself as a hippie. Wesley hits a nice judo throw (it has to be judo because England has like 0 wrestling) and gets the takedown on our Polish friend. The best coaching I have heard so far comes from Frank Mir when Murch stands up in John's guard. "No don't do that, well O.K." As Wesley goes for a failed leglock that lands him on bottom. The fight is good back and forth action until Murch brings a low kick all the way from the chunnel and gets it blocked, leaving him in pain. In what can only be described as the best possible gameplan when having a hurt leg, Murch leaps in the air to throw a knee and lands hard on said leg. Fight over. Polakowski then celebrates like a rabies infested bird and hugs everyone.

1 In the Hole

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 9:34:00 EDT

Alright everyone let me try to piece together what I can about the first few days of the whole Ultimate Fighter 8 experience. Unfortunately as I write this I am recovering from what all 32 men who had a shot at the contract should have: a hangover!

In the days/weeks leading up to leaving for Las Vegas, my mind was filled with questions. Will I have to fight to make it to the final 16 and a spot in the TUF house? If I have to fight, who will I be matched up against? How do we get food? How many free Tapout shirts will I receive? Will there be any hot women on the airplane with me? Ya know, only the real pertinent stuff.

Upon landing in Vegas I, and I assume every other fighter, was quickly whisked off to the UFC training center to weigh-in. Both the Light-Heavies and Lightweights were instructed to come in within a few pounds of their respective weight-classes. Making weight was no problem for me, even though I had stuffed my face the day before with chicken wings, nachos, jalapeno poppers, and anything else that I could find in the Orlando metropolitan area. Heck, I even went to a beer festival the day before I left and had a few non-alcoholic beers!

Welcome!

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:50:35 EDT

Welcome everyone to my The Ultimate Fighter 8 blog! As some of you may know I have been chosen as one of the final 32 men fighting for 2 contracts on SpikeTV. I feel that it is my civic duty to provide all of you readers at home with some insight as the show unfolds. Episode 1 airs Wednesday night September 17 at 10 pm sharp right after an edition of UFC's Ultimate Fight Night! Check back after the episode has aired for an update on the blog, providing some more information about how, why, and exactly what went down on this season of TUF 8!