Episode two of The Ultimate Fighter 3 suffered its largest week-to-week ratings drop in the series’ history. Episode three sought to prove that the blip was not a downward trend by having a great lead-in show, UFC unleashed. UFC unleashed showcased five classic fights of the legendary, Royce Gracie.
Ken Shamrock gave his team a break after losing the last battle to enjoy venting their frustration at golf balls on the driving range. There were no lessons to be learnt here; just a show played out for the camera in my opinion. Tito Ortiz played the contrary style by drilling his fighters through a hard cardio workout running the stairs, and doing fireman-carry relays.
Tito Ortiz vs. Ed Herman
Ed Herman’s story was further developed this episode because Tito realized his mistake of not picking the red-headed fighter. Ed was an experienced fighter who wanted to be on Tito’s team but felt slighted being a late pick of Team Shamrock. In a drunken stupor, Ed boasted that he was the best fighter this season. What ever happened to the saying “action speaks louder than words"? Ed Herman obviously never heard of that quote before.
But Ed was not a fighter who could not back up his words. Tito knew this and upped the gamesmanship on Ed Herman. Tito knew that Ed was itching to fight and prove himself. During the fighter selection, Tito deliberately stared down Ed before revealing his choice for Ross Pointon to go up against his middleweight, Kendall Grove. The anguished-look on Ed’s reaction was priceless!
A Well-Conceived Alliance
Alliances had been attempted in previous seasons, and I had been skeptical that any alliance would work in this reality series. Team Dagger, comprised of Kendall Grove and Solomon Hutcherson, certainly proved me wrong. What an ingenious idea to plant a “mole” in the opposing team, while helping each other to advance in the competition. This alliance worked because the members were from opposing teams!
In a competition where you faced off against your opponent, it made sense to have an “inside man” giving you tips on who you should face, and how you should approach the fight. You can be sure that Solomon perceived Ross as a weak target and influenced Kendall to pick Ross this week. Solomon also gave Kendall insights on how Ross liked to fight and what were his weaknesses. It was enjoyable to have my assumptions decimated this episode.
Your Ground Game Sucks
While Kendall was getting lots of help, Ross was basically left on his own to prepare for the fight. It was not that his team wanted him to fail. Ross was not receptive to his teammates’ input. He had decided to not deviate from his original game plan. Ken Shamrock warned him bluntly that his “ground game sucks.” Ross was a brawler through and through but being one-dimensional could land you in heaps of trouble in the octagon.
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Article comments
1 - Hart704
You’re right to point out that Ed Herman hasn’t learned of “actions speak louder than words.” However, I also don’t think he’s going to learn an important unwritten Ultimate Fighter rule. That is those who talk about being the best usually lose in their first fight. A good example is Melvin Guillard of season two.
I found it really ridiculous that Ken Shamrock would be telling someone that their ground game sucks. Yes, Ross Pointon did show a lack of a ground game in the fight, but Shamrock isn’t one to talk. Especially since he didn’t even bring a ground coach with him.
The only thing that this episode had to do with a dagger was that the excitement was cut out of it.
2 - Marooned
Ratings are down because none of the fighters have any real skill. It's as if Dana White just went bar-hopping and grabbed any scrub with a big mouth. Every last one of them talks as though they are something special, but when you see them actually fight you can see for yourself that they are all ego and no talent.
Who cares who wins? When you beat a scrub all that proves is that you're not the worst scrub.
3 - nugget
I thought a "scrub" was a guy who "thinks he's fine."
?