The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights: Week 1

Written by Mike Wilkerson   |   Thursday, September 17 2009

Mike Wilkerson reviews and recaps the debut epsiode of season 10 of 'The Ultimate Fighter', this time with a whole heapin' helping of heavyweights including Kimbo Slice!

Viewing Date: 9-16-2009
Show Title: Ultimate Fighter: HEAVYWEIGHTS Week 1
Network: SpikeHD
Reviewed By: Mike Wilkerson

It's been way too long since the electrified pen of Mike Wilkerson took you on a magic MMA carpet review ride, but as we return back to the SPIKE-based realm of The Ultimate Fighter in its 10th season, the buzz of entertainment, education and fun engages! Two teams, led by two previous Ultimate Fighter contestants who have a true dislike of each other whet the whistle of all previous and new Mixed Martial Arts fighting fans tonight. It's time once again for a Savage Science review of the most recent season of SPIKE's The Ultimate Fighter! Strap in, knuckle up and prepare for a season of reviews like no other! One of this season's coaches standing in the final minutes of the finale in December about to get their belt back!

As with many of my online reviews, I'll be reviewing this episode in a "stream of consciousness" format, giving you essentially what I'm thinking as the show airs. I encourage everyone to send feedback in regard to any of the points below and let's use this opportunity sounding-off point to tell us what YOU think about this year's Ultimate Fighter season.

-- Starting with a pseudo-smack conversation: As this season starts, I've been purposefully avoiding commercials and hype of all kinds because I want a solid, clear catch of what's going on as I watch this season. While there are playful smiles now and again, it's clear that there is something in each of the craws of each of these fighters/coaches this season. If tradition follows, there will be more amped-up feelings as we continue on during the season.

-- In walk this year’s stars - and they are ALL HUGE: My reviews for SavageScience.Com have only included the last two seasons where there are fighters of all sizes. THIS season offers something literally monumental. THE FIGHTERS ARE ALL HUGE. Even the smallest guy is a mini wrestling giant, providing solid power and ground experience that promises not to disappoint. I'm not usually a fan of the heavier fighters, mostly because they're usually slower, less work ethic but plenty of punching power. That's not going to be the case this season I feel. The land has literally opened and released untold power and anticipation that is topped off with...

-- They are all characters: There aren't ANY "nobody's" on this season's scorecard. Each previous season has have fighters that have emotion, power - sure. But there have also been the people that were just there to be a contestant on a show. We don't have ANY of that as far as I can tell. Each of them have an outstanding zeal to be there to change a personal life "game" that will transform their current career path. Even those who are "fighters" have a lot to gain and truly LOSE depending on how they compete this season. What a great card...

-- In Walks Kimbo - It's time to walk the walk: He's a "surprise?" I nearly laughed out loud when Big Country Roy Nelson (a SavSci favorite, incidentally) said that he thought HE was the "surprise" to be offered this season. I can see his point. A reasonably-already-successful fighter coming back to help punch a hole in his potential hype - yeah, I can totally see that. What even HE didn't see, were the thunderous footprints of one Kimbo Slice. There is very little in the way of respect for Kimbo in the room as he enters and while they all don't say it, surely there are at least half a dozen people that want to knock Kimbo Slice's head off or throw him into any one of a number of submissions and think that their skill sets can do it.

-- Greg Jackson on Rashad's Team and Philosophy - take direction and skill set: Something that I think has always been missing that I'm really happy to see appear here, is the focus on PLANS. Direction and planning has done things as small as allow us to complete our laundry, to take us to the moon and the process to do - those things - in anything in live truly does fuel me and makes my mind engage. Being able to see that Rashad's goal is to take a "plan", some great fighters, and their skill sets and beat the other team is a great deal of fun to witness. There's more to fighting than putting on gloves, and throwing your arms and legs at people as Greg Jackson, fighter coach extraordinaire can help us deduce.

-- Rampage Sends Live Runs: I think this gives you a great sample of "the other camp." While I can't disagree that running "live" (where they actually get into the cage and "roll" ie fight and punch and take down at a bit slower rate than usual obviously) has it's benefit, but the risk of losing fighters at the beginning because of accidents in the first episode seems way too high to chance it.

-- "Roy Nelson is "Fat"": I've been involved with MMA long enough to know who Roy "Big Country" Nelson is, and I was kind of surprised that Rampage took note/exception to Roy's "stature". Please name for me the giant listing of other fighters that passionately stroke their bulbous tummies when celebrating a win in the ring? Thank you, you've just made my point.

-- Can you Say "Titties" on TV? Rampage pulls yet another creatively inappropriate card from his vest and claims that one of the fighters has "titties." Can you say "titties" on television? Can you say "titties" on SPIKE? Can you say "titties" on a nationally televised program at 9pm/central? Apparently you can because it's said no less than 15 times here by rampage and company. How - zealous. Perhaps a sign stating "those with titties need not apply" should have been festooned on the applications filled out to try to join this season of SPIKE's The Ultimate Fighter? (Ed Note:  'Titties' are always appropriate, indeed encouraged!)

-- Marcus Jones talks about demands on your body: For those that aren't year clear - this DUDE IS HUGE. He is a monster who will need custom gear acquired so that he may participate in this season of The Ultimate Fighter. I am also impressed by how articulate Marcus is and I'm eager to see where he takes us as the largest participant this season.

-- Is Taking Kimbo a Plan or a Device? Rashad instantly gravitates toward wanting to pick/take-on Kimbo from the instant he walks into the room. The question suddenly becomes: Is his taking of Kimbo a plan, or a device to make the other team wonder what he's doing? What are YOUR thoughts? Do you think that Kimbo has any chance against even the newest MMA fighter on staff here? He's always showcased fists of steel but what about agility? Ground game of any kind? While Kimbo is an undeniable beast when the "rules" go out the door, what can he do against two teams of giant men that specialize in the game he's still only thinly familiar with? We’ll find out won't we?

-- How Is It that Kimbo is Smaller Than Everyone? I can remember the first time I saw Kimbo on the Internet/YouTube. He looked literally like Godzilla with gold teeth. The man was enormous, built, and pummeling everything that got in his way within the frame of a jerky, hand-held camcorder. When held against these fleshy rear-view mirrors he looks INCREDIBLY SMALL, doesn't he?

-- Wes Sims is Still a Loser: I can't believe that - when seeing a rerun via HDNet's re-run submission special's episode this weekend, I saw Wes Simms again and realized just how much I didn't like his general demeanor, lack of ethics and WWF-laced overboard mentality - and now here he is on The Ultimate Fighter. I guess we can hope that he's fodder and entertaining for at least a couple of fights?

-- Marcus Has No Cardio: He actually told us himself in a prior segment. Marcus is used to going 120%, full bore balls out - for 30 seconds or so while on the line of the NFL. What we're talking about here in MMA is more than just a fundamental way of tormenting one's body - it's a mental and physical paradigm change for anyone coming from another sport to this one - and we just saw Marcus fail the test. While he's eager to be "in the game even if it kills him" and - because we haven't heard about his DEATH while they filmed it - I am very surprised and curious as to how they're going to handle him in this season of The Ultimate Fighter.

-- First Fight Selected: Big Abe Wagner Vs John Madsen: Other than what we hear about the fighters in this little threat-laced series of vignettes we know literally nothing about these fighters. It's a bit strange but I am truly eager to see what happens.

-- Planning to Vomit before a fight: This is something I hadn't ever anticipated hearing from any fighter inside the UFC. Wagner actually makes plans to vomit before a fight and plans to eat - accordingly. That's not something I've ever seen in practice during the ultimate fighter. Am I missing something? I know we've seen many a fighter vomit post-fight, but a PLAN - to vomit - BEFORE?

This fight will follow the same format as previous seasons, with 2 5-minute rounds, and should it be tied at the end of those 2 rounds, there's a "sudden victory" round that will decide the match.

FIGHT 1 BEGINS

== Abe Wagner Vs. John Madsen

== General Fight Prediction Vibe:
- Wagner has no ground game and vomits before fighting
- Madsen is a ground man looking to take down Wagner

A long staredown with no punches, kicks or air starts off the first of many fights here in season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter!

Silence is suddenly pierced by the thunderclap of shoulders hitting torso and Madsen takes Wagner down instantly! The ground and pound ensues and Wagner cannot get up and out. several hits land flush on Wagner’s jaw and he closes guard and hangs on for dear life! They're against the cage as the 4 minute mark arrives. Wagner's nose is a gusher as they grapple against the cage. Madsen lands another great chin shot on Wagner and engages a crushing elbow and Wagner looks stymied. Three more crushing crown blows arrive on Wagner's temple and two elbows follow. Wagner is bleeding profusely now as Madsen continues the onslaught. Clearly, Wagner is cut on his head now leaving a large pool of blood on the mat underneath the pair. Wagner is able to scoot three feet to his right and - nothing changes. Madsen is still laying waste to the temple area of Wagner and there is yet another giant puddle of blood on the mat in a second area under the two fighters. It looks like a gallon can of fresh strawberry sundae sauce has exploded on Wagner as the horn finally sounds to end the first crimson round of season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Round 2

Madsen Instantly takes "Let's Have a Gentlemanly-Handshake"  Wagner to the ground. It's time to go back to ground and pound land  and - oh yeah it's time for more blood! The referee Steve Mazzagatti stands them up and Madsen takes him back down instantly again! Wagner is clearly thinking about bleeding rather than fighting as he curls up against the fence.

Madsen postures up again and lays leather continually on a head that vaults out another several ounces of blood. Another stand up via the ref occurs and DOWN AGAIN they go. Madsen is on top wailing away as his team is screaming for him to "do something" and to "get up" and - I suppose "not bleed" would be in order too.

Wagner is trying to apparently work on a submission but - there's nothing there. A giant red Rorschach is being made on the mat of this episode of The Ultimate Fighter, as Madsen takes hands to the body. Wagner has no answer to anything imposed and another stand up - and down he goes again! 10 seconds remain and Wagner accepts another four straight headblows from Madsen as the final horn resonates.

Winner: John Madsen wins by unanimous and lopsided decision.

-- Rampage Walks Off the Floor: I'm not entirely sure what Rampage was thinking. Was it disgust? Was it utter disappointment? Both perhaps? we have to wonder what kind of a coach walks out of a room where one of his fighters is having his first fight. True, he wasn't much listening to what he was being told. True, he was getting his ass kicked and had no hope of winning, but what are all of the other new recruits to Rampage's team going to think when THEY too go into the Octagon?

- One of the LARGEST on-television gashes ever seen: There's a reason there was a gallon of blood coming out of Abe Wagner's head. There was a gash on his head that looked like someone had taken a cleaver to it. It was one of the most visceral things I've seen on television and would make most stomachs turn.

--The Savage Science Review Moral: There are a lot of items offered here in the first episode of this season but I'm going to focus on choices. We're being asked to watch a giant group of giant people make choices for the next 12 weeks. What kind of choices are we going to see them make? Will they be the ones that Wagner and Rampage made this episode? What do YOU think?

Quote of the Episode: "...I've got something other than fighting to get back to. Most of these guys don't." --Abe Wagner

It looks to us here at SavSci that Abe was lucky to "have something to go back to" in his real life. He can add that he can hold several cans of pudding in the gash in his forehead to his resume'.

Overall Show Rating: This episode we're incredibly satisfied with what we've seen, what we've been teased with, and what we know will come not just next week but during this season of The Ultimate Fighter. We're going to award this episode 8 of 10 Savage Skullies so as to leave room for future improvement. Will next week's offering provide us with some of the same great action? Who's up next?

I'm still wondering what YOU thought of this episode and hope that you'll take just a moment to fill out the comment section below to tell us what YOU think, or send me your details to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Look for more here as THE SAVAGE SCIENCE continues to review this season of The Ultimate Fighter: HEAVYWEIGHTS!

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