The Ultimate Fighter: First Sweep?
Photo credit: UFC / Zuffa LLC / The Ultimate Fighter
TAMPA – In Episode 6 of The Ultimate Fighter, we saw the rise of an underdog and the crushing defeat of not just a favorite, but an entire team.
Conor McGregor’s pupil, Lee Hammond, looked to do battle with the challenge of Kurt Holobaugh for Team Chandler.
In the first round, Hammond looked as though he would give Team McGregor its first win. He capitalized on Holobaugh’s weaknesses, one of them being grappling, as Hammond was able to land more takedowns and solid ground-and-pound.
After he took Round 1, Hammond looked to finish what he started in Round 2, landing some heavy shots to Holobaugh, stunning him and taking him to the ground. But his greatest strength would be his own Achilles heel.
While on the ground, Holobaugh attempted to fight out, but Hammond wouldn’t let go so easily. As he was losing his grip, he picked the ankle of Holobaugh, attempting to use a knee-bar.
With Team McGregor on the verge of their first victory, Holobaugh slipped out and cinched in a devastating guillotine choke on Lee Hammond. Coach Michael Chandler screamed at Holobaugh to not lose his grip: “SQUEEZE!” Hammond tapped out, as McGregor collapsed to the floor. After the fight, Michael Chandler taunted Team McGregor: “Stacking em’ up, stacking em’ up,” he said. McGregor looked back and responded: “Not against me, not against me.”
Michael Chandler got in McGregor’s face, telling him that he should be there for his fighters and that he showed up for his fighters. But Conor tapped into the Conor of old, taunting and instigating with Chandler: “I’ll break your nose, you little fool,” he said, as they were nose to nose.
McGregor shoved Chandler, putting his hands on his face and shoving him away. McGregor was seen taking off his jacket, but the boss would not let this fight happen now, as Dana ran to the octagon. “Oh. Oh. Oh. Get out of my way,” he said.
Episode 6 ended with Dana White telling Chandler and his team to leave the octagon. Down 0-6 in the competition, it was looking like The Ultimate Fighter would have its first ever sweep of the competition.
In Episode 7, Team McGregor’s Landon Quinones looked to turn the tide as he went to war with Team Chandler’s Jason Knight. Episode 7 begins Tuesday, July 11, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.