The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights - Episode Six Recap

By Thomas Gerbasi

CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – With Team Rashad up 5-0 on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights with three first round fights remaining, all Team Rampage can do is try to save face and get one of their three fighters into the quarterfinals. Is this the week?

Team Rashad’s Darrill Schoonover is getting a reputation in the house for his drinking, but he won’t get any reprieves in practice, especially with Kru Phil Nurse coming in as a special guest Muay Thai coach. Nurse is known for his soul-sapping workouts, and this session is no different as he puts the fighters through their paces. Schoonover especially is having trouble keeping up, especially in sparring with Brendan Schaub.

“I’m thinking, ‘what’s wrong with this dude,’” said Evans. James McSweeney fills his coach in, and Schoonover responds, “Everybody’s real interested in what I’m doing instead of worrying about themselves. They think less of me, but I’m ready to kick some ass.”

Evans confronts the fighter. “You can’t forget why you’re here. You don’t want to come all this way just to get on TV.”

Schoonover agrees to tone things down to help his team continue to win.

“Schoonover is a diamond in the rough,” says Evans. “He gets no respect from Team Rampage and there’s something about him they just don’t know.”

What they don’t know about is his fighting spirit, and after a confrontation with coach ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Schoonover tells him that he’ll cut down to 205 and beat the former UFC light heavyweight champion as well.

“You’d make my day if you’d come to 205,” replies Jackson. “That would be an easy payday.”

“Why don’t we have a sparring session?” said Schoonover, and you can tell that both fighters are starting to get agitated.

After cooler heads prevail, it’s time for this week’s fight announcement, and Evans picks Schoonover to fight Team Rampage’s Zak Jensen. As the two square off, Jackson keeps talking smack and Schoonover moves towards ‘Rampage’. Schoonover gets pulled back, with Jackson saying “Walk up on me again, and you’ll be in trouble.” After a few tense moments, Evans intervenes and gets into it with Jackson himself.

“A joke is joke until it’s not a joke anymore,” said Evans afterwards. “If you don’t want a confrontation, then don’t call him the name.”

Schoonover’s opponent, Jensen, isn’t getting an easy run in the competition either, but what makes it worse is that he’s getting abuse from his own teammates.

“If Shrek had a little brother,” said Kimbo Slice, “it would be him, and his name would be Linderman. It’s just a matter of time before this cat loses his mind and tries to kill everybody in the house because he gets caught with a lot.”

“I just try to mind my own business, and maybe they think that’s a weakness, but I just think that’s being a good person,” said Jensen.

Wes Sims is even running a pool to pick which day Jensen loses it in the house.

In the gym, Evans sees a positive change in Schoonover, and he’s all business as he gets ready for the fight. Over with Team Rampage, the mood is a little lighter when assistant coach Tiki Ghosn brings in a caricature of Evans and his team, called “Team Cocky”. When things get more serious, Jackson focuses on Jensen, but while training with Wes Shivers, Jensen gets cut over the right eye. Kimbo immediately raises his hands in the hopes of getting back into the competition – “I get to bang again.”

Jensen still wants to fight and will fight – “it’s just blood,” he says, drawing the praise of Jackson and assistant coach Hector Ramirez, and he’s a new fighter in the gym in the ensuing practice time.

Before the next session for Team Rashad, Evans and his coaches get a laugh out of the caricature that’s hanging on the wall of the gym.

“It’s funny,” said Evans. “They’ve definitely got some jokes.”

At the same time though, Evans doesn’t want Schoonover getting distracted by the picture, so he has it taken down.

Schoonover (10-0) weighs in at 251 for the fight; Jensen (7-2) checks in at 263. Of course before the fight, Jackson and Tiki have to get in one more joke before the fight, as they write an insulting message on the name plate of his locker room.

Schoonover gets the last laugh though, as he follows the gameplan perfectly, getting in close and unleashing a barrage of hard strikes. Jensen survives the initial storm and gets a takedown, but Schoonover locks in a triangle choke that eventually puts the game Jensen to sleep, bringing in referee Steve Mazzagatti to halt the bout.

With the win, Team Rashad’s winning streak is extended to six. Here’s how the teams stand after episode five:

TEAM RASHAD (6-0)

James McSweeney 1-0

Brendan Schaub 1-0

Justin Wren 1-0

Jon Madsen 1-0

Roy Nelson 1-0

Darrill Schoonover 1-0

Matt Mitrione

Mike Wessel

TEAM RAMPAGE (0-6)

Kimbo Slice – Eliminated on episode three by Roy Nelson

Abe Wagner – Eliminated on episode one by Jon Madsen

Demico Rogers – Eliminated on episode four by Brendan Schaub

Wes Sims – Eliminated on episode five by Justin Wren

Scott Junk

Wes Shivers – Eliminated on episode two by James McSweeney

Marcus Jones

Zak Jensen – Eliminated on episode six by Darrill Schoonover

For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.