Episode 5 Recap | The Ultimate Fighter Season 33

Yokubov speaks with Morales about waking up in the morning to pray with the other Muslim athletes in the house, detailing the five times they all pray. He calls Idiris a good guy, who says in an interstitial that he’d rather not fight Yokubov, who offers a familiar “when the cage closes, he’s not my friend, he’s my opponent” explanation for how he feels about the pairing before Idiris says essentially the same thing.

TRAINING SESSION | TEAM CORMIER

Michael Chiesa calls the team over to meet a special guest that is going to train with them. He explains the mystery man was the final seed on Season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter, didn’t win the show, and still became one of the best flyweight champions of all time. 

Brandon Moreno comes in, while UFC CEO Dana White recaps Moreno’s journey on TUF and in the UFC in a cut-in segment, explaining he lost to current flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja in the house before he was called into the UFC on short-notice, where he submitted Louis Smolka in his debut. He was released, came back to the UFC, went on a tear, and won both the interim flyweight title and undisputed flyweight title.

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“He’s the only fighter from TUF to go on to become a UFC world champion without winning a single fight on The Ultimate Fighter,” White says before it cuts to Moreno speaking with Team Cormier. He tells the athletes that if they lose, don’t lose focus and let yourself go, suggesting they instead remain active and use the time as a training camp in order to get better.

Moreno works with Rodriguez, who calls the former flyweight champ a huge inspiration. Idiris talks about working with Moreno and what they learned, while Tumelo Manyamala is hyper-focused on what “The Assassin Baby” is showing them. 

TUF HOUSE

Idiris looks at photos with Donchenko, who asks to know about his kids. Idiris says in an interstitial that having kids changed his life, gave him new direction, introducing himself before his home video from Aktobe, Kazakhstan begins with Idiris and hundreds of others gathered for prayer.

He explains that he lives with his entire family — his parents, his brother, his wife and theirchildren. He says his children help him forget about hard training sessions and problems he’s struggling with before he visits his mother at work, calling his family his entire motivation. 

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Idiris goes out on his horse with his friends, explaining he enjoys riding when he’s not training, trying to get out once or twice a month on the plains, and that he used to fight often as a child. He found an MMA gym, loved it, and has been a pro for the last five years. Idiris trains at Erkin Kush, which has previously produced UFC vets Sergey Morozov and Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and says that he wishes to be an inspiration for the youth of Kazakhstan – to show them someone from a small village can go on to have great success, competing on and winning The Ultimate Fighter

FIGHT PREP | FURKATBEK YOKUBOV

The 30-year-old from Uzbekistan introduces himself in an interstitial, noting that he’s 15-4 and fights out of Dubai. Highlights from his previous fights run as he explains that he likes to land heavy shots and finish fights, with his knockout of Flavio de Queiroz at LFA 196 showing his ferocity and power.

Yokubov goes through some drills and light work in the gym, hitting bags and flowing with teammates, while Sonnen explains that Yokubov broke down the matchup for him, detailing why and how he believes he can beat Idiris, which was enough to convince Sonnen to be on board with his approach. Yokubov believes Idiris makes a lot of mistakes when throwing kicks and being a little flashy, and wants to make him pay in those situations. 

TUF HOUSE 

Yobubov looks at photos with Andreeas Binder, explaining that he, like everyone else in the house, is missing his family before his home video from Dubai, UAE begins. He lives there with his father, his wife, and his daughter, praising the safety of the city.

He’s shown doing strength and conditioning while explaining that he was the 2013 world champion in amateur kickboxing, and started fighting in MMA in 2016. He trains at TKMMA Fit, and is shown sparring with others in the gym. 

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Yokubov shows Binder a picture of his mother, explaining that she died 10 years ago. He shares that his daughter, Karima, was named after his late mother, tearing up when he speaks about it in the interstitial. He shares that his mother told him to continue on the night before she passed in the hospital, with Yokubov saying he's going to win this fight for his family.

FIGHT PREP | ALIBI IDIRIS

Idiris rolls into the UFC PI for training and presents Daniel Cormier with a beautiful robe from Kazakhstan, telling him, “DC, you are an official Kazakh gangster,” which draws a massive smile from the former two-division world champion. 

The Kazakh hopeful explains he’s 10-0 and a striker as highlights from his previous fights run. He’s ended six of his 10 fights by knockout, and is shown winning and defending the Naiza FC flyweight title.

Cormier speaks with Idiris about how to win this fight, telling him to lean on his cardio. He calls him the "hardest working kid” he’s ever coached in his two times coaching on TUF, as he’s shown pushing and working hard throughout training. Idiris says there is nothing he will let stand in the way of his dream. 

FLYWEIGHT WEIGH-INS

Yokubov is up first, stepping behind the privacy screen to make 126 pounds. White calls him an aggressive fighter with a ton of experience, before Idiris steps on the scale. The UFC CEO says the undefeated hopeful from Kazakhstan has great striking, great wrestling, and is a dangerous, well-rounded fighter.

Idiris makes 126 pounds as well before the two face off. The next flyweight bout is official, and all that is left to do is step into the cage. 

FIGHT DAY

Both athletes roll into the UFC APEX to get prepped, with Idiris hanging the Kazakh flag in his locker room, alongside the flags of the other members of the team. Cormier explains that he has a friend in town that is going to come talk to the crew before the fight, and brings in Ryan Clark, his former podcast partner at ESPN and former Super Bowl-winning NFL defensive back.

“RC” gives the team a pre-game speech, focusing on how the guy standing across from you has the same goals and dreams as you, and is there to prevent you from achieving them yourself. 

Idiris gets loose, as does Yokubov in his locker room.

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“I don’t care who I fight, where I fight; it doesn’t matter,” Yokubov says. “I like this. When I step into the Octagon, I feel at home. The hard part is done. Now it's time to show my skill and hard work; that’s it.” 

Idiris prays as he walks to the cage, Cormier giving last-minute directions and motivation as he enters the APEX.

“I respect Furkatbek as a fighter, as a brother,” says Idiris. “I wish him all the best, and I want him to meet me in his peak form. The time for words is over.”

Alibi Idiris vs. Furkatbek Yokubov

Alibi Idiris punched his ticket to the flyweight semifinals with a dominant effort against Team Sonnen’s Furkatbek Yokubov.

The fight shifted on a pause in the action in the first round when Yokubov connected with an accidental low blow. Idiris scored a takedown straight off the re-start, controlling the remainder of the round while doing damage, and eventually went back to the grappling well in the second, as well. Idiris was docked a point in the second for an accidental eye poke, but it didn’t matter, as he thoroughly controlled the action and smothered Yokubov. 

Before the decision was even announced, Idiris yelled to Dana White, “Remember my name!” 

Official Result: Alibi Idiris defeats Furkatbek Yokubov by unanimous decision

In recapping the fight, Cormier notes that Yokubov was having success early, frustrating Idiris with his striking, which prompted the Team Cormier fighter to shift to grappling. Sonnen notes there was a moment in the grappling exchanges that drained his charge’s battery, while White calls the victorious Kazakh fighter “someone to definitely watch for in the semis.”

A jubilant Idiris celebrates with Team Cormier in the locker room, and says they fought the best opponent. He’s eager to win for Kazakhstan, and is understandably excited. Conversely, Yokubov is disappointed, but says he will not offer any excuses, opting instead to “wait for the next chance.”

WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT