TUF 20 Episode 5 Recap: Felice Herrig Defeats Heather Clark AgainFelice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig kept Team Pettis’s perfect record intact with a clear-cut Unanimous Decision victory during tonight’s fifth episode of The Ultimate Fighter 20: “A Champion Will Be Crowned.” Herrig defeated rival “Hurricane” Heather Clark for a second time in a rematch from March 2013.

In addition to Clark’s defeat, the still-winless Team Melendez suffered an additional loss tonight. After a knee injury forced Justine Kish out of the competition, Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres was brought back into the elimination round and moved from Team Melendez over to Team Pettis.

Herrig (9-5-0 pro, ranked #6) opened the grudge rematch with leg kicks and one-twos, and she shot in for a takedown soon after. Clark (6-4-0 pro, ranked #11) countered with a tight standing guillotine choke, but Herrig remained on her feet and she eventually broke free. She tripped Clark to the mat and worked from the top in half-guard. Clark exploded out and took top position, but Herrig quickly transitioned from a triangle choke to an armbar. Clark defended well and escaped, but Herrig finished the round strong with punches from the scarf hold position.

The second round was all Herrig, who once again scored with early leg kicks and dragged Clark to the ground after taking her back. Herrig sunk in both hooks and worked for a rear-naked choke as Clark threw punches over her shoulder with her right hand. Clark eventually shook Herrig off and wound up in her guard, but Herrig tied her up and the fighters were brought back to their feet. Herrig took Clark back down and landed punches and hammerfists from mount, then took her back just before time expired.

After two rounds of action, the judges were united and all three scored the bout 20-18 in Herrig’s favour. The Unanimous Decision win improved Team Pettis’s record to 5-0 and kept them in control of the fight picks. Next week’s episode will feature a bout between Team Pettis’s Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly (ranked #5) and Team Melendez’s Angela Magana (ranked #12).

As a result of Kish’s injury, Torres was brought back into the competition due to the close nature of her loss in the elimination round and her #3 ranking. Torres joins Team Pettis and she will face off against “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings on a future episode. Torres’s team change was met by a lukewarm reaction from her new teammates, who were apprehensive about training with a perceived outsider.

The Ultimate Fighter 20: “A Champion Will Be Crowned” airs every Wednesday night on FOX Sports 1 and Sportsnet 360. The winner of the gruelling competition will become the inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion.

 

 

(Photo Credit: Esther Lin, AllElbows.com / InvictaFC.com)

  1. This ranking system made the teams too uneven, IMO… One got the top 8, and the other one the top 9-16.

  2. Well said Rafael. I think the seeding that the UFC came up with was quite accurate. Byt somehow Team Melendez did a poor scouting job and ended up only getting 1 of the top 5 seeds. And then losing Tecia Torres on top of everything else, it’s become very lopsided indeed.

  3. But…I really don’t understand the team concept for this particular TUF. All these girls are here to leave the show undefeated. I really don’t think the team thing bothers the competitors. They are here to beat each and every girl on both teams if they have to.

  4. Exactly Mike, precisely. Why were Team Melendez all out of sorts when Tecia Torres moved over to their team? The winner is going to have to beat all of the other winners in the end.

    I think the problem is — is that Tecia is really very good and all of the competitors (on both teams breathed a sigh of relief when she lost to Randa. Now she’s right back in the mix, which actually is quite unfair. I could have sworn the UFC had 2 alternates for this season — and if so, they should have called one of them in. But to bring Torres back is really unfair to the rest of the girls.

    Well, done is done. Let’s see how far Tecia can go. I think she’ll make a good run, if not make it to the finals. The season is finally heating up. Especially after that 3 week break they made us sit through!

  5. I really would have liked Bec to advance, at least, to the second round…but I don’t think Tecia will let another contest slip away.