The Ultimate Fighter season four middleweights put on a show of blood and guts in this week's elimination bout. It's a theme that wove itself throughout the entire show: the guts, in team work ethic; the blood, in fighter toughness.
Unlike other seasons, where the coaches decided the fighters' training schedules, in season four, the teams call the shots when it comes to training. And this week, Team No Love decided to have a day off. Now, these are veteran fighters who should know what it takes to get into fight shape, but you have to question their motivation.
Trainer Georges St. Pierre didn't hold any punches describing Team No Love's work ethic. "Some of these guys, they're very lazy," said Georges. "They think they can win a fight by using their skills. But sometimes it takes more than that."
I think the fighters who'll make it to the finale this season are the ones who'll take their training seriously and show a desire to win in the Octagon.
In the Octagon this week in the first middleweight elimination match, Team Mojo's Edwin DeWees definitely showed what it takes to fight tough. Although he dominated the first round and most of the second, his opponent Gideon Ray landed a sharp elbow to Edwin's forehead midway through the second round. The blow opened up a cut that gushed for the rest of the fight.
In fact, at one point Edwin was holding his cut with his hand to divert the blood flow as he was pounding down elbows on Gideon. Referee Herb Dean called in the ringside doctor several times, but each time the doctor cleared Edwin to continue fighting. At the end of two rounds, the judges called the fight a draw, and the fighters went to a third and deciding round. Edwin persisted, with the blood still flowing, and he won the third round. A tough win for a tough fighter.
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