The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights

The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights^[1] 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.^[2]

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 & International Fight League fighters and former National Football League football players. Notable applicants included NFL veterans Herbert Goodman & Rex Richards, UFC veteran Rob Yundt, and IFL veteran Aaron Stark.^[3][4] As with the previous season, all applicants at the tryouts were required to have a professional MMA record.^[5]

This season did not feature an elimination round as the past three seasons had. All competitors invited to Las Vegas for the show's taping participated in the entire season.^[6]

Cast

Coaches

•      Team Rashad

  • Rashad Evans
  • Greg Jackson
  • Trevor Wittman
  • Mike Van Arsdale
  • Rolles Gracie

•      Team Rampage

  • Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
  • Tom Blackledge
  • Tiki Ghosn
  • Hector Ramirez
  • Mike Dolce

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

Episodes

Episode 1: Size Does Matter

• Only 15 fighters are lined up until Dana White introduced Kimbo Slice.
• The fighters divided up and trained separately with Evans and Jackson for evaluations.
• White flipped a coin. The winner of the coin toss chose to either pick the first fighter or decide the first 2 match ups. The winning fighter's team had to win both fights to keep control of the fight match ups.
• Evans won the coin toss and decided 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 defeated Abe Wagner via 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 had a discussion with Rashad Evans and the Team Rashad coaches about his attitude and whether Nelson really wanted to train with the team.
• Quinton Jackson announced the next match up: James McSweeney vs. Wes Shivers
• Team Rashad went past their allotted training time, into Team Rampage's training time. Jackson approached Evans and jokingly asked the team to leave.
• After two rounds James McSweeney defeated Wes Shivers via majority decision.
• Rashad Evans announceed the next match up: Roy Nelson vs. Kimbo Slice.

Episode 3: The Enemy

• Keith Jardine appeared at Team Rashad's training session.
• Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson had an argument over the scheduling of the match against each other. James McSweeney joined the argument and Evans pulled him away.
• Marcus Jones again struggled in training, this time complaining of an apparent knee injury. Despite this, Marcus expressed his desire to compete in the next fight.
• Roy Nelson defeated Kimbo Slice in the second round via TKO (strikes).

Episode 4: Snitch

• Marcus Jones was shown sweating profusely, prompting concerns that he would not be able to fight.
• Rashad Evans informed his team of the likely choices for the remaining fights.
• Justin Wren disagreed with Rashad's choice of fight in Wren vs. Junk, owing to their friendship.
• Matt Mitrione told Team Rampage the planned match-ups leading to him becoming a pariah to the rest of his team, who subsequently labelled him "a snitch."
• Rashad Evans announced the next match up: Brendan Schaub vs. Demico Rogers
• Brendan Schaub defeated Demico Rogers in the first round by submission (anaconda choke).
• After the fight, Jackson did not meet with Rogers, his fighter; instead, Evans gave Rogers some words of encouragement.

Episode 5: Rude Awakening

• Matt Mitrione injured his shoulder in training, but wished to fight soon, leading Team Rashad to question whether his shoulder was legitimately injured or merely sore.
• Rashad Evans, in discussion with his assistant coaches, worried about putting Mitrione in the fight and continuing their undefeated streak.
• Zak Jensen also became an outcast in the house after being accused of masturbating in the communal bathroom and passed out during practice.
• Rashad Evans announced the next match up: Justin Wren vs. Wes Sims
• Marcus Jones believed that Rashad Evans promised him the next fight and becomes very emotional when he is not picked.
• Justin Wren defeated Wes Sims in the first round by submission (arm triangle choke).
• Quinton Jackson walked away from the cage following the match without checking on his fighter. Later, in the locker room area, Evans approached Jackson about this, lead to them having another verbal confrontation.

Episode 6: 16 Sharks

• Phil Nurse, stand up coach for Georges St-Pierre and Rashad Evans, came 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 started cursing at Jackson leading to a verbal confrontation between the two.
• Team Rampage gave Zak the nickname "Linderman" and Wes Sims started a poll of when Zak would have a breakdown.
• During a training session, Jensen suffered a large cut over his eye. It gets stitched up but there was some concern whether he can fight or wants to fight.
• Tiki Ghosn hired an artist to draw a picture of Team Rashad. They hang it in the training center, but Rashad took it down before anyone on his team could see. Team Rampage later presented it to Team Rashad gift wrapped.
• Darrill Schoonover defeats Zak Jensen in the first round by submission (triangle choke).

Episode 7: Voices In My Head

• Rashad Evans announced the final two preliminary fights: Matt Mitrione vs. Scott Junk and Mike Wessel vs. Marcus Jones.
• Rashad and Rampage continued their war of words with Rashad claiming that Rampage quit on his fighters, not the other way around.
• Wes Sims and James McSweeney created 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 came to blows during sparring. Rashad then approached Matt, questioning if he would have the same aggressive temper during the fight.
• Matt Mitrione defeats Scott Junk by majority decision after two rounds.
• Following the match, Quinton Jackson walked away from the cage and ripped apart a door leading to the locker room area.

Episode 8: One Soldier Left

• Brendan Schaub drew an insulting caricature of Marcus Jones. Mike Wessel later adds "sucks balls" to the bottom of the picture which angered Jones.
• Darrill Schoonover again squared 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 met with each quarter finalist to find out who their preferred opponent in the next round was.
• The quarter final fights were announced as:
  • Roy Nelson vs. Justin Wren
  • Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen
  • James McSweeney vs. Matt Mitrione
  • Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
• Rashad offered 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. Some believed that he may have had a concussion and may not be able to continue in the tournament. He was 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 visited the house and talked 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 said that the doctor who examined him said 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 had issues with his knee. He had an MRI done and an examination by a doctor. Slice was missing cartilage in his knee and faced the possibility of needing an operation.
• The coaches challenge is 2 vs. 2 beach volleyball. Team Rashad defeated Team Rampage, earning Rashad Evans $10,000 and the Team Rashad fighers $1,500 each.
• Rashad Evans talked with Matt Mitrione and asked Mitrione if he wanted to fight. Mitrione was unable to give him a straight answer. Evans called Dana White about the situation.
• Dana White talked with all of the fighters in the training center. He told them that fighters get hurt and fighters fight hurt, but none of them are being forced to fight. He told Mitrione that they won't know if he is medically cleared to fight until the next day; if Mitrione is medically cleared he needed to decide whether he wanted to fight.
• Brendan Schaub defeats Jon Madsen by knockout (punch) in the second round.

Episode 11: Road to the Finale

Note: This episode aired in the United States as a two hour episode.

• Dana White wanted to talk with fighters for a possible replacement for Matt Mitrione.
• White first talked to Kimbo Slice. Slice complained of knee problems and didn't think he could fight to his fullest. Options were given to Slice, such as cortisone shots and other treatments, to improve the arthritis in his knee. However he turned down the treatment and the possible fight.
• Matt Mitrione talked on the phone with his doctor. Mitrione says he wanted to fight. The doctor cleared him to fight.
• Scott Junk was having problems seeing following his fight. The doctor told him there were two small tears in his retina and that he must have surgery or he may go blind. There were questions about whether or not he'll be able to fight again.
• Marcus Jones took the news about Scott Junk personally. He told Matt Mitrione to give a reason to hit him and claimed that Mitrione killed Junk's career.
• Scott Junk got an update that the eye surgery was a success and he could start training again in two months time.
• At the weigh-in, Mitrione and McSweeney got in each other's faces and McSweeney shoved Mitrione away.
• James McSweeney defeated Matt Mitrione in the first round by submission (guillotine choke)
• Marcus Jones defeated Darrill Schoonover by knockout in the first round.
• The semifinal matches consisted of three, five minute rounds. The semifinal matches were announced as:
  • Roy Nelson vs. James McSweeney
  • Marcus Jones vs. Brendan Schaub
• James McSweeney locked a claustrophobic Zak Jensen in the bathroom. After being let out, Jensen attacked McSweeney. McSweeney puts Jensen in a standing guillotine choke until Jensen calmed down.
• Roy Nelson defeated James McSweeney by technical knockout in the first round.
• Brendan Schaub defeated Marcus Jones by knockout in the first round.

TV Ratings

• episode No. 1: 4.1 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 2: 2.9 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 3: 5.3 million viewers (peak: 7.25 million with DVR viewing)
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 4: 2.8 million viewers (peak: 4.89 million with DVR viewing)
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 5: 2.8 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 6: 2.8 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 7: 2.5 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 8: 2.7 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 9: 2.5 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 10: 2.4 million viewers
• •"TUF 10" episode No. 11/12: 2.6 million viewers

Source: [1]

Finale

The finale was held on December 5, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[1]

• Heavyweight Bout: Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub

Nelson defeated Schaub via KO (Punch) at 3:45 of round 1 to become the Season 10 Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter.

Heavyweight bracket

References

External links

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