Episode 1 Recap | The Ultimate Fighter Season 33

Sonnen explains what they’re looking for during this process while going through the activities with the hopefuls, while Cormier watches the wrestling rounds, disappointed with what he sees, only to be immediately impressed by Eduardo Henrique when they switch over to working in the boxing ring.

TEAM SELECTIONS

Griffin runs the draft, explaining how the process works — first pick in the draft or first fight.

Cormier wins the coin flip and opts to draft first, selecting Henrique as his first pick from the flyweights. Sonnen selects UFC veteran Joseph Morales with his first pick. Shifting to welterweight, Cormier picks Rodrigo Sezinando, while Sonnen grabs Diego Bianchini, who says his alter ego is “The Brazilian Bad Boy.”

The two continue filling out their ranks, alternating selections and weight classes, until the final two welterweights are left standing. Cormier begins explaining that Brandon Moreno was the final pick when he appeared on the series before going on to become a world champion, and as he does, Sonnen groans loudly and begins fake snoring, asking Cormier to wrap it up.

Andreeas Binder of Ireland ends up as the last fighter to join Team Sonnen.

Griffin urges the competitors to make the most of their opportunity, telling them “I won The Ultimate Fighter 20 years ago; I have not worked a job since,” rhetorically asking if that’s what they want.

Welcome to The Ultimate Fighter!

TUF HOUSE

The teams unload into the house, grabbing beds and rooms, hanging flags, praying, and beginning to get to know one another.

Sezinando tells the group, “Last barbecue friendly, and then we smash one another,” with various members of the cast acknowledging him as the loudest, most talkative of the bunch. Bianchini says he doesn’t want to be friends with anyone in his weight class, noting “we’ll see what’s gonna happen” in regard to his time in the house.

TRAINING SESSION: TEAM CORMIER

DC gives his team a pep talk as they get ready to train, putting them through their first session, urging them to embrace the grind and push through the toughest part of their day, every day.

Season 15 winner Michael Chiesa is part of Cormier’s coaching staff and works with the hopefuls, explaining that coaching on the show has been a goal of his for some time and that coming back brings a swell of emotions.

TRAINING SESSION: TEAM SONNEN

Sonnen starts putting his team through the paces of a session, suggesting that coaches aren’t likely to help individuals all that much during their time on the show, but that they can absolutely negatively impact them through over-training and tearing down their confidence.

Team Sonnen has control of the first matchup, but Sonnen isn’t sure yet who to select, noting that because of the limited evaluation time and general lack of familiarity with the athletes, top picks get knocked off early all the time.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT: FLYWEIGHT

Sonnen announces that Joseph Morales will square off with Eduardo Henrique, creating a matchup of the top selections from each team.

Sonnen says that Morales asked for the opportunity to face Henrique, the reigning LFA flyweight champion, and Morales explains in an interstitial that he’s motivated to make a statement and take him out.

EDUARDO HENRIQUE FIGHT PREP

Cormier analyzes the matchup, noting that Morales is a good kid, and a good wrestler hailing from Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. While he likes Henrique against anyone, Cormier notes that he’s not a wrestler, and that avoiding getting taken down repeatedly will be crucial.

The path to victory is to force Morales to strike with him, and to lean on his championship experience and pedigree.

Henrique explains that his nickname, “Chapolin,” is based on a Mexican TV show character who is a clumsy superhero, and that is popular in Brazil. His highlight reel rolls, showing clips from his win over Leonardo Soares, his title fight victory over Cody Davis, and his successful defense against Igor Siqueira.

In his career, the 29-year-old Brazilian is 13-2 overall with 10 victories inside the distance.

TUF HOUSE

Henrique explains to several others in the house that his mom used to own a bar, but trafficked drugs from the bar and was arrested, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother and grandfather. He says that without them, his fate would be different.

Morales looks at pictures of his family with members of Team Sonnen, explaining that his wife has been through all the ups and downs of his fighting career with him, and that he’s deeply missing his two sons, Danilo and Diego. He details his previous experience in the UFC as the highlights run, noting that he had three fights in 2017, earning a first-round submission win over Roberto Sanchez, before losing to future champ Deiveson Figueiredo and former TUF contestant Eric Shelton, resulting in him being released.

JOSEPH MORALES FIGHT PREP

Sonnen talks to Morales about the game plan, with the fighter explaining he wants to crowd Henrique, force him to over-commit before taking him down. He details that it’s been nearly two years since his last fight and he’s champing at the bit to get back in there.

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They talk about having a sense of urgency if Henrique happens to end up in top position, with both sharing a laugh over the fact that staying on bottom is part of the reason why Morales is no longer in the UFC.

Morales explains that he’s familiar with Henrique and what he brings to the table, calling him a good striker, while suggesting that he believes he can expose his grappling shortfalls.

Former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, who is serving as an assistant coach on Team Sonnen, talks to Morales about the game plan on the ground, discussing the need to stay in strong positions and be effective there.

FLYWEIGHT WEIGH-IN

The fighters hit the scale, with Team Cormier chanting “Uh Vai Morrer!” as a means to try and get in Morales’ head before the fight because Henrique isn’t one to do those things. Cormier urges his charge to watch Morales while he’s on the scale, and the Brazilian flyweight obliges.

Henrique makes weight at 125.5 pounds. Morales follows and comes in at 126.5 pounds, half-a-pound over the limit, with Cormier immediately asking Team Sonnen why they’re clapping. Sezinando and Bianchini start jawing with each other, and it’s clear there is going to be some tension between the two all season long.

The commission brings out the enclosure, Morales strips down, and makes 126 pounds even.

The first fight is set.

“It’s not always the best fighter that wins; it’s whoever fights the best that wins, and I think they put a lot on Eduardo,” says Sonnen, adding that he didn’t appreciate the antics and the chanting in Portuguese. “You’ve gotta answer for those things, sooner or later.”

FIGHT DAY

Morales prays with teammate Matt Dixon before heading to the UFC APEX.

“I’m itching to be in there,” he says, heading into his dressing room to get wrapped and loosen up with the Team Sonnen crew.

Henrique follows suit, arriving to daps and hugs in his dressing room.

All that’s left to do now is get out there and get after it.

Eduardo “Chapolin” Henrique vs Joseph “Bopo” Morales

Joseph Morales is moving on to the flyweight semifinals after collecting a first-round submission win over first-overall pick Eduardo Henrique.

The duo came out looking to trade on the feet in the early stages, with Henrique landing the more significant blows, prompting Morales to look for the takedown. He put the Brazilian on the deck with ease and quickly transitioned to the back, locking in a body triangle. From there, the finish was almost academic, as he worked to secure the rear-naked choke, got in deep, and drew out the tap.

Cormier suggests that Henrique may have gotten too confident in the striking exchanges, while Sonnen explains that they were advising Morales that a well-timed level change would be useful, which is exactly how the Team Sonnen fighter got the fight to the ground, where he quickly dominated.

White recaps the relatively short fight, noting that Morales was smart, patient, and too much for Henrique once they went to the canvas, calling the finish “impressive.”