The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 | Episode 12 Recap

As the competition winds to a close, UFC President Dana White gets the two teams together outside of the house. Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen tell them how much they appreciate the effort these athletes have given throughout the season, as an image for Season 33 is projected onto one of the massive hotel buildings for them to see.

The two teams head into the hotel and have a huge meal together and hang out together. Everybody digs in, except, really, for Eduardo Henrique, who Cormier teases about not trying much of the food. He won’t eat any duck, but tells the coaches that he eats capybara, while Tumelo Manyamala downs a shot.

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Cormier jokes that there is a clear, visible difference between the teams, citing Team Sonnen’s business-like approach and etiquette versus the silliness of Team Cormier. Several of the competitors speak about the experience and how meaningful it was to them, vowing to stay in touch and only get better from their time in the house. 

TUF HOUSE 

Several members of Team Sonnen sit around a fire in the backyard, and it’s all athletes that came out on the wrong side of things in the competition. Andreeas Binder jokes that it’s the “loser’s circle’ and that he’s going to get more beatings when he gets back to Ireland.

TRAINING SESSION | TEAM SONNEN

With Sonnen unable to attend training, assistant coach Jamie Huey introduces the guest coach for the day, TUF Season 2 heavyweight winner, former light heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee Rashad Evans.

White recaps Evans’ road to the finals, where he beat Brad Imes before dropping to light heavyweight, knocking out Chuck Liddell at UFC 88, and winning the title by stopping Forrest Griffin. He was a coach on Season 10, opposite rival Rampage Jackson, in one of the most entertaining seasons in the show’s history. Evans beat Jackson by decision at UFC 114 and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019.

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Evans gives the competitors on Team Sonnen a frank talk about tapping into their savagery when they’re competing, and it really seems to resonate with Dixon, who calls the experience of learning from him and training with him “absolutely amazing.” The former champ turned analyst really tries to drill home that you have to practice being violent, put in all the work in the gym, giving full effort, expressing his gratitude for the career winning on Season 2 made available to him. 

TUF HOUSE

Dixon sits down to speak with his family, visiting with his wife, his daughter, and his mother. He gives them an update of where he’s at in the competition, and calls the experience of seeing them so motivating. 

“This has been the best part of my trip out here so far,” he tells them as they say goodbye, adding that it’s a “perfect reminder of why I’m here, why I’m fighting” in an interstitial interview. 

DANIIL DONCHENKO SEMIFINAL FIGHT PREP

The Team Cormier welterweight prepares for his bout with Dixon, with Cormier trying to make sure he knows to be creative and let go with all his weapons in this one as the Ukrainian prospect works with coach John Wood and the rest of the crew.

Cormier believes Dixon will come forward and bring the fight, which will allow Donchenko opportunities to get off with some of his weapons. He’s forecasting a war and cannot wait for the fight, while Donchenko promises to bring a lot of violence.

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“This fight, I can finish him — striking, on the floor, in the grappling; everywhere,” he says. “It’s game over for him.” 

Towards the end of training, Michael Chiesa gathers the group and presents Donchenko with a fighting fish. He explains that he grew up loving fish, that his late father owned a pet store, and that he misses his fish back in Thailand.

TUF HOUSE

Donchenko returns home with his fish, explaining his connection to his father and how his father became a drug addict and died of an overdose. He emotionally reflects on the impact of his passing in an interstitial while bringing his pet fish into the living room for everyone to see.

MATT DIXON FIGHT PREP

Sonnen breaks down the bout between Dixon and Donchenko, calling his charge both the strongest athletes on the team and the most well-conditioned, citing that combination as a rarity in the sport. He believes Dixon will have to “walk through some fire” because Donchenkois dangerous, but questions whether the Team Cormier fighter has the power to put Dixon out.

He’s certain the fight is gonna be “brutal” and asks Dixon for his strategy heading into the contest. The welterweight lays out his approach, acknowledging that he’s ready for it to get ugly and do whatever is necessary in order to get a victory. He’s curious to find out if Donchenko has the ability to take his best shot, while Sonnen suggests that Dixon won’t get submitted or held down.

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He believes he’s going to knock Donchenko out and promises this will be the fight of the season 

TUF HOUSE

Donchenko has his call home, sitting down to speak with his girlfriend, Ulzhan, calling it strange because he didn’t see her for such a long time. He explains that he won his first fight and that he’s now fighting the other person considered to be the strongest on the other team.

His girlfriend tells him she’s in touch with his mother every day and that she’s praying for him. He promises her to “make good” in the competition as they express their affection for one another and part ways.

SEMIFINAL WEIGH-IN WELTERWEIGHT

It’s time to make the fight official by making weight.

Dixon is up first, coming in at 171 pounds, looking solid and not drawn out at all. Donchenkofollows, tipping the scale at 171 pounds a well, shredded and smiling. 

They face off and share a few smiles and little words as White explains he expects it to be the best fight of the season. They seemingly agree that they’re going to gun for the Fight of the Year bonus before shaking hands and parting ways.

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FIGHT DAY

It’s time for the final fight of the season!

Both Dixon and Donchenko arrive at the UFC APEX, load into their respective dressing rooms and get ready to make the walk. Each is locked in and looking to make a statement while earning their place opposite Sezinando in the finale.

Daniil Donchenko vs. Matt Dixon

Daniil Donchencko is going to the finals after battering Matt Dixon, but it wasn’t without some controversy.

As promised, the welterweights got after it, quickly entering the pocket and trading in close quarters, throwing everything with vicious intent. Donchenko shifted to throwing elbows in tight and cut Dixon before landing a couple blows to the back of the head when the Team Sonnen fighter close the distance along the fence.

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The fight was paused, Dixon got time to recover and elected to continue, with Donchenkoclipping him in the midst of a back-and-forth exchange, causing him to retreat to the fence. From there, the Ukrainian picked his spots, pounding the body before putting him on the deck and swarming for the finish. 

Official Result: Daniil Donchenko def. Matt Dixon by TKO (strikes) in Round 1 

Cormier begins the recap of the fight, saying the two men did exactly as expected, with White acknowledging that Dixon was game out of the gates against a fighter that was clearly trying to knock him out with every shot he threw. Sonnen joins into the recap, noting that Dixon landing was getting Donchenko fired up, while Cormier points out that his charge was initially missing by a hair with his elbow strikes.

The slicing blow that landed is shown in slow motion, as are the illegal blows to the back of the head. Sonnen explains that if Dixon opted not to continue as a result of the illegal blows, traditionally speaking, that fighter that was fouled ends up winning. Cormier echoes those sentiments, wondering, “What if Matt doesn’t get up?”

Dixon continued, but White says he felt he looked a little out of it coming out of the brief stoppage, and Donchenko took full advantage. 

“The fight was over at that moment,” says Sonnen, noting that the cut and blood was clearly bothering Dixon, while Cormier adds, “We expected a war, (and) it was a war for as long as it lasted; we just had the better guy.”

White praises Dixon for continuing on and Donchenko for his performance. Dixon says he wanted a fight like that and gives his opponent props for his effort, while the young Ukrainian finisher is understandably elated to have advanced to the finals against Sezinando.

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The coaches enter the Octagon and the finalists face off. Joseph Morales and Alibi Idiris go face-to-face ahead of their bout in the flyweight finale, while Team Cormier fighters Rodrigo Sezinando and Daniil Donchenko step into the cage and square off after shaking hands. Both are outstanding fights, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they play out. 

And with that, Season 33 of The Ultimate Fighter is in the books… see you at UFC 319 to find out who will emerge victorious in the final two bouts!