The Ultimate Fighter 17 Episode One: Elimination Round Results

If tonight’s Ultimate Fighter 17 premiere is any indication of how this season is going to be, hold on tight. The elimination round episode is typically a fun episode but this season the UFC introduced a new twist, the families.

Throughout the two-hour Ultimate Fighter 17 premiere was a nearly perfect blend of story lines  emotions and fighting. Within that time frame the beginning of a journey was told for 28 middleweights, journeys that will now play out over the next 12 weeks. We learned a little bit of who they are and what they were fighting for as the fighter’s family was allowed to watch the elimination fighter.

Along with the new found heart, Dana White announced that the wild card was coming back for this season. Meaning two fighters that fall short in the opening round will get one more chance at their goal of winning The Ultimate Fighter 17.

Elimination Fights (2 Five minute rounds):

Jake Heun (3-2), 25 vs. Adam Cella (4-0), 27 – Cella by 1^st rd. Submission (armbar)

• Heun comes out throwing wildly, looking for the highlight reel one-punch knockout. Cella did his best to avoid the hay makers but did get hit a few times. Heun took the fight to the ground and Cella used his over aggression against him and began working for an armbar. After Heun fails to escape the submission with a slam he is forced to tap.

Zak Cummings (15-3), 28 vs. Nik Fehete (5-1), 32 – Cummings by 1^st rd. TKO

• Fight starts with Fehete coming forward, getting dropped with a right hand from Cummings and seconds into the fight getting finished by two lefts.

Eldon Sproat (3-1), 27 vs. Kevin Casey (5-2), 31 – Casey by 1^st rd Submission (rear-naked choke)

Scott Rosa (4-1), 27 vs. Tor Troeng (15-4-1), 29 – Troeng by 1^st rd. Submission (rear-naked choke)

Clint Hester (7-3), 24 vs. Frasier Opie (10-5), 25 – Hester by Decision

• One-sided fight as Hester cut up and dominated Opie for the full five minutes.

Ryan Lee Q. Bigler (9-3), 28 vs. Bubba McDaniel (20-6), 29 – McDaniel by 2^nd rd. TKO

• Back and forth opening round but all McDaniel’s in the second round. After getting Bigler to the ground McDaniel began dropped ground and pound that forced his opponent to flatten out and check out.

Josh Samman (9-2), 24 vs. Leo Bercier (7-2), 31 – Samman by 1^st rd. TKO

• Another lopsided fight as Samman took Bercier to the ground right away again started hitting him with both hands. After finally going away from the cute punches he finally started putting his weight behind the strikes and finished the fight.

Kito Andrews (9-2), 34 vs. Kelvin Gastelum (5-0), 20 –Gastelum by Decision

• Andrews looked good early but his cardio failed him and the much younger Gastelum pulled away at the end.

Jimmy Quinlan (3-0), 26 vs. Mike Persons (3-0), 28 – Quinlan by 1^st rd. TKO

• The wrestling of Quinlan was the key to the fight as Person had no answer to the pressure.

Uriah Hall (7-2), 28 vs. Andy Enz, (6-1), 21 – Hall by Decision

• This was quite possibly the fight of the night and just an all-round great fight to watch. Hall looked impressive with his striking as well as his wrestling but Enz was very game and might have made it into the house if he had fought anyone else besides Hall.

Gilbert Smith (5-1), 30 vs. Eric Wahlin (5-1), 29 – Smith by 1^st rd. Submission (arm-triangle)

• Wahlin looked defeated before the fight even started and when Smith took him down with a big slam it was the beginning of the end. The fight with remain on its feet until Smith forced Wahlin to tap / punch out due to arm-triangle choke.

Nicholas Hohring (3-0), 22 vs. Luke Barnatt (5-0), 24 – Barnatt by Decision

• Hohring is a tough dude but Barnett used his considerable reach advantage to dominate the fight.

Dylan Andrews (16-4-1), 32 vs.  Timothy Williams (7-1), 26, – Andrews by Decision

• Close fight that went back and forth for the two rounds. Andrews would get the edge and the spot in the house but Williams impressed Dana White and the coaches.

Collin Hart (4-1-1), 23 vs. Mike Jaspar (6-0), 29 – Hart by 1^st rd. Submission (rear-naked choke)

Like past seasons fighters will get 5k per finish, plus at the end of the season the best knockout, submission and fight of season will be awarded 25k.

Team Selection: Team Sonnen won the toss and elected to pick the first fighter, Team Jones will get to select the first fight.

Team Sonnen – Luke Barnatt (1), Uriah Hall (3), Zak Cummings (5), Tor Troeng (7), Jimmy Quinlan (9), Kevin Casey (11), Kelvin Gastelum (13)

Team Jones – Clint Hester (2), Josh Samman (4), Bubba McDaniel (6), Gilbert Smith (8), Colin Hart (10), Adam Cella (12), Dylan Andrews (14)

Fight Announcement: Gilbert Smith of Team Jones will take on Team Sonnen’s number one pick Luke Barnatt on next week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter 17.

Tags: Bubba McDaniel, Clint Hester, Colin Hart, Dylan Andrews, Elimination Round, Gilbert Smith, Jimmy Quinlan, Josh Samman, Kelvin Gastelum, Kevin Casey, Luke Barnatt, MMA, Results, Team Jones, Team Sonnen, The Ultimate Fighter, The Ultimate Fighter 17, Tor Troeng, TUF 17, UFC, Uriah Hall, Zak Cummings

Category: Featured, MMA, Results, UFC, Ultimate Fighter