The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights

The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights
Genre	Reality, Sports
Created by	Craig Piligian, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White
Starring	Dana White, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	Spike
Release	September 16, 2009

The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights is the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. In a press conference following UFC 98, Dana White announced that filming for the season would begin on June 1, 2009. The season debuted on Spike TV on September 16, 2009, following UFC Fight Night 19.

The UFC and Spike TV held an open casting call at The Marriott Seattle Airport Hotel in Seattle, Washington on April 6, 2009. The casting called for mixed-martial artists in the middleweight, light-heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions. On the day of tryouts, 250 potential fighters appeared including UFC fighters, International Fight League fighters, and former National Football League football players. As with the previous season, all applicants at the tryouts were required to have a professional MMA record.

This season did not feature an elimination round as have the past few seasons. All competitors invited to Las Vegas for the show's taping participated in the entire season.

Cast

Coaches

• Team Rashad
  • Rashad Evans
  • Greg Jackson
  • Trevor Wittman
  • Mike Van Arsdale

• Team Rampage
  • Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
  • Tom Blackledge
  • Tiki Ghosn
  • Hector Ramirez

Fighters

(In order in which they were picked)

• Team Rashad
  • James McSweeney, Brendan Schaub, Justin Wren, Jon Madsen, Roy Nelson, Darrill Schoonover, Matt Mitrione, Mike Wessel

• Team Rampage
  • Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, Abe Wagner, Demico Rogers, Wes Sims, Scott Junk, Wes Shivers, Marcus Jones, Zak Jensen

Others

• Host: Dana White
• Narrator: Mike Rowe

Results

Episode 1: Size Does Matter

• Only 15 fighters are lined up until Dana White introduces Kimbo Slice.
• The fighters divide up and train separately with Evans and Jackson for evaluations.
• White flips a coin. The winner of the coin toss chooses to either pick the first fighter or decide the first 2 match ups. The winning fighter's team must win both fights to keep control of the fight match ups.
• Evans wins the coin toss and decides to pick the first fighter. The teams are then chosen.
• Quinton Jackson announces the first fight match up: Jon Madsen vs Abe Wagner
• Jon Madsen defeats Abe Wagner by unanimous decision after two rounds.
• At the end of the episode we see that the gash on Wagner's head is deep enough that the medic treating him can see his skull.

Episode 2: All About Survival

• Roy Nelson has a discussion with Rashad Evans and the Team Rashad coaches about his attitude and whether Nelson really wants to train with the team.
• Quinton Jackson announces the next match up: James McSweeney vs Wes Shivers
• Team Rashad goes past their allotted training time into Team Rampage's training time. Jackson approaches Evans and jokingly asks the team to leave.
• After two rounds James McSweeney defeats Wes Shivers by majority decision.
• Rashad Evans announces the next match up: Roy Nelson vs Kimbo Slice.

Episode 3: The Enemy

• Keith Jardine appears at Team Rashad's training session.
• Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson have an argument over the scheduling of the match against each other. James McSweeney joins the argument and Evans pulls him away.
• Marcus Jones again struggles in training, this time complaining of an apparent knee injury. Despite this, Marcus expresses his desire to compete in the next fight.
• Roy Nelson defeats Kimbo Slice in the second round by technical knockout due to strikes.

Episode 4: Snitch

• Marcus Jones is shown sweating profusely, prompting concerns that he will not be able to fight.
• Rashad Evans informs his team of the likely choices for the remaining fights.
• Justin Wren disagrees with Rashad's choice of fight in Wren vs. Junk, owing to their friendship.
• Matt Mitrione tells Team Rampage the planned match ups leading to him becoming a pariah to the rest of his team, who subsequently label him "a snitch."
• Rashad Evans announces the next match up: Brendan Schaub vs. Demico Rogers
• Brendan Schaub defeats Demico Rogers in the first round by anaconda choke submission.
• After the fight, Jackson does not meet with Rogers, his fighter; instead, Evans gives Rogers some words of encouragement.

Episode 5: Rude Awakening

• Matt Mitrione injures his shoulder in training, but wishes to fight soon, leading Team Rashad to question whether his shoulder is legitimately injured or merely sore.
• Rashad Evans, in discussion with his assistant coaches, worries about putting Mitrione in the fight and continuing their undefeated streak.
• Zak Jensen also becomes an outcast in the house after being accused of masturbating in the communal bathroom and passing out during practice.
• Rashad Evans announces the next match up: Justin Wren vs. Wes Sims
• Marcus Jones believes that Rashad Evans promised him the next fight and becomes very emotional when he is not picked
• Justin Wren defeats Wes Sims in the first round by submission with an arm triangle.
• Quinton Jackson walks away from the cage following the match without checking on his fighter. Later, in the locker room area, Evans approaches Jackson about this which leads to them having a verbal confrontation.

Episode 6: 16 Sharks

• Phil Nurse, stand up coach for Georges St-Pierre and Rashad Evans, comes to help at Team Rashad's training practice.
• Rashad Evans announces the next match up: Darrill Schoonover vs. Zak Jensen
• Quinton Jackson keeps calling Schoonover "Titties." During the fight announcement, Schoonover starts cursing at Jackson leading to a verbal confrontation between the two.
• Team Rampage give Zak the nickname Linderman and Wes Sims starts a poll of when Zak will have a break down.
• During a training session, Jensen gets a large cut over his eye. It gets stitched up but there is some concern whether he can fight or wants to fight.
• Tiki Ghosn hires an artist to draw a picture of Team Rashad. They hang it in the training center, but Rashad takes it down before anyone on his team can see. Team Rampage later present it to Team Rashad gift wrapped.
• Darrill Schoonover defeats Zak Jensen in the first round by submission with a triangle choke.

Episode 7: Voices In My Head

• Rashad Evans announces the final two preliminary fights: Matt Mitrione vs. Scott Junk and Mike Wessel vs. Marcus Jones.
• Rashad and Rampage continue their war of words with Rashad claiming that Rampage quit on his fighters, not the other way around.
• Wes Sims and James McSweeney create a bet as to when Matt Mitrione will break down or snap, much like the previous weeks' bet about Zak Jensen
• During a training session, Jon Madsen and Matt Mitrione nearly come to blows during sparring. Rashad then approaches Matt, questioning if he will have the same aggressive temper during the fight.
• Matt Mitrione defeats Scott Junk by majority decision after two rounds.
• Following the match, Quinton Jackson walks away from the cage and rips apart a door leading to the locker room area.

Episode 8: One Soldier Left

• Brendan Schaub draws an insulting caricature of Marcus Jones. Mike Wessel later adds "sucks balls" to the bottom of the picture which angers Jones.
• Darrill Schoonover again squares up to Rampage over his repeated "titties" jibes.
• Marcus Jones defeats Mike Wessel by submission (armbar) in the first round.
• Dana White and the two coaches meet with each quarter finalist to find out who their preferred opponent in the next round would be.
• The quarter final fights are announced as:
  • Roy Nelson vs. Justin Wren
  • Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen
  • James McSweeney vs. Matt Mitrione
  • Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
• Rashad offers Team Rampage members the chance to train with him and later, Rashad and Rampage clash once more.

Episode 9: Rattled

• Matt Mitrione complains of severe headaches and nausea as a result of his match with Scott Junk. There is the thought that he may have a concussion and may not be able to continue in the tournament. He is sent to the hospital to get a medical evaluation.
• As a practical joke, Quinton Jackson and his assistant coaches put chickens in the cars of the coaches of Team Rashad.
• Dana White visits the house and talks with Matt Mitrione. White has Mitrione claim that if the doctor clears him to fight, Mitrione will fight in his quarterfinal match.
• Roy Nelson defeats Justin Wren by majority decision after two rounds.

Episode 10: Gut Check

• Matt Mitrione says that the doctor who examined him says he had swelling of the brain as a result of his fight against Scott Junk. There is discussion among Team Rashad coaches as well as other fighters about whether Mitrione will be able to continue in the tournament.
• Kimbo Slice is having issues with his knee. He has an MRI done and an examination by a doctor. Slice is missing cartilage in his knee and may need an operation.
• The coaches challenge is 2 vs 2 beach volleyball. Team Rashad defeats Team Rampage earning Rashad Evans $10,000 and the Team Rashad fighers $1,500 each.
• Rashad Evans talks with Matt Mitrione and ask Mitrione if he wants to fight. Mitrione is unable to give him a straight answer. Evans calls Dana White about the situation.
• Dana White talks with all of the fighters in the training center. He tells them that fighters get hurt and fighters fight hurt, but none of them are being forced to fight. He tells Mitrione that they won't know if he is medically cleared to fight until the next day; if Mitrione is medically cleared he needs to decide whether he wants to fight.
• Brendan Schaub defeats Jon Madsen by knock out in the second round.

Finale

Main article: The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale

The finale will be held on December 5, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Heavyweight Bracket

Preliminary Round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Finale

Roy Nelson

TKO

Kimbo Slice

2

Justin Wren

SUB

Wes Sims

1

James McSweeney

MD

Wes Shivers

2

Matt Mitrione

MD

Scott Junk

2

Darrill Schoonover

SUB

Zak Jensen

1

Mike Wessel

1

Marcus Jones

SUB

Brendan Schaub

SUB

Demico Rogers

1

Jon Madsen

UD

Abe Wagner

2

Legend

		Team Rashad
		Team Rampage
UD		Unanimous Decision
MD		Majority Decision
SD		Split Decision
SUB		Submission
(T)KO		(Technical)Knockout

External links

• The Ultimate Fighter website
• Official UFC website
• The Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV