UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey’s team evened the score with rival Miesha “Cupcake” Tate’s squad during tonight’s fifth episode of The Ultimate Fighter 18. Team Rousey fighter Davey Grant finished Team Tate’s Louis Fisette with a second-round rear-naked choke.
With tonight’s one-sided win for Team Rousey, each side has earned two victories apiece. Having retained control of the fight picks, Rousey chose to match up one of her top prospects, Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke, against talented Team Tate fighter Raquel “Rocky” Pennington for next week.
In tonight’s featured fight between friends and roommates Grant and Fisette, it was Grant who got off to a strong start on the feet. He landed a series of knees in the clinch and took Fisette down. Grant spent much of the opening round landing punches from top position. When Fisette rolled for a kneebar, Grant escaped and rained down elbows from the top. He cut Fisette badly above the right eye and nearly finished the fight before the bell.
Fisette immediately shot in for a takedown to open round two, but Grant stayed on his feet and scored with more strikes in the clinch. He slammed Fisette down to the mat and took his back soon after. Grant used punches to set up a rear-naked choke, which forced Fisette to tap out at the 1:02 mark of the second round.
A victorious coach Rousey then booked one of this season’s most compelling matchups thus far. During episode six next week, Invicta FC standouts Duke and Pennington will face off in a pivotal battle that will determine which team takes the lead and control of the fight picks.
The Ultimate Fighter 18 airs weekly leading up to the finale on November 30th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
So I guess the guy spoilering that the TUF final is Duke vs. Pennington was wrong.