The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen
Genre	Reality, Sports
Created by	Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White
Starring	Dana White, Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	FX
Release	January 22, 2013

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen (also known as The Ultimate Fighter 17) is the current installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter.

The series was officially announced by the UFC in October 2012 with current Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones coaching opposite Chael Sonnen. The two coaches are then scheduled to meet in a title fight on April 27, 2013 at UFC 159. This move drew criticism from MMA critics and fans, as many felt that Sonnen, who had previously lost his last match and not competed in the UFC Light Heavyweight division in years, had not done enough to earn a title shot.

This season will be the first to air on Tuesdays, after The Ultimate Fighter: Live and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson's failure to generate the desired ratings for FX on Friday evenings.

Cast

Coaches

      Team Jones

• Jon Jones, Head Coach
• Stonehorse Goeman, Muay Thai Coach
• Frank Mir, Jiu Jitsu Coach
• Bubba Jenkins, Wrestling Coach
• John Woods, Coach

    Team Sonnen

• Chael Sonnen, Head Coach
• Vinny Magalhães, Jiu Jitsu Coach
• Clayton Hires, Boxing Coach
• Scott McQuary
• Jamie Huey
• Mike Dolce
• Ronda Rousey, Guest Coach

Fighters

• Team Jones
  • Clint Hester, Josh Samman, Robert "Bubba" McDaniel, Gilbert Smith, Jr.,Collin Hart, Adam Cella, Dylan Andrews

• Team Sonnen
  • Luke Barnatt, Uriah Hall, Zak Cummings, Tor Troeng, Jimmy Quinlan, Kevin Casey, Kelvin Gastelum

Fighters eliminated during the entry round

• Kito Andrews, Lou Bercier, Ryan Bigler, Andy Enz, Nik Fekete, Jake Heun, Mike Jasper, Nicholas Kohring, Fraser Opie, Mike Persons, Scott Rosa, Eldon Sproat, Eric Wahlin, Tim Williams

Episodes

Episode 1: "Enter the Octagon" (January 22, 2013)

• Dana White greeted the head coaches, Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen, in the Ultimate Fighter training center.
• Unlike previous seasons, the 28 middleweights were allowed to bring family and friends to watch their preliminary fights held in order to see who gets into the house.
• The preliminary fights began:

Adam Cella defeated Jake Heun via submission (armbar) in round 1.

Zak Cummings defeated Nik Fekete by KO (punches) in round 1.

Kevin Casey defeated Eldon Sproat via submission (rear-naked choke).

Tor Troeng defeated Scott Rosa via submission (rear-naked choke).

Clint Hester defeated Fraser Opie by decision.

Robert "Bubba" McDaniel defeated Ryan Bigler via TKO (punches) in round 2.

Josh Samman defeated Lou Bercier via TKO (punches) in round 1.

Kelvin Gastelum defeated Kito Andrews by decision.

Jimmy Quinlan defeated Mike Persons via TKO (punches) in round 1.

Uriah Hall defeated Andy Enz by decision.

Gilbert Smith, Jr. defeated Eric Wahlin via submission (arm-triangle choke)

Luke Barnatt defeated Nicholas Kohring by decision.

Dylan Andrews defeated Tim Williams by decision.

Collin Hart defeated Mike Jasper via submission (rear-naked choke) in round 1.

• White announced that there would be a $5,000 bonus per finish during the tournament; additionally, fighters could receive $25,000 for Knockout of the Season, Submission of the Season and Fight of the Season.
• Team Jones and Team Sonnen then picked teams and White flipped a coin (red for Jones, black for Sonnen). Sonnen won the coin toss and opted to choose the first fighter. The fighters were picked in the following order:

Coach	1st Pick	2nd Pick	3rd Pick	4th Pick	5th Pick	6th Pick	7th Pick
Sonnen	Luke Barnatt	Uriah Hall	Zak Cummings	Tor Troeng	Jimmy Quinlan	Kevin Casey	Kelvin Gastelum
Jones	Clint Hester	Josh Samman	Bubba McDaniel	Gilbert Smith, Jr.	Collin Hart	Adam Cella	Dylan Andrews

• Jones then announced the first fight: Gilbert Smith, Jr. vs. Luke Barnatt, feeling that the 5'9" Smith taking out Sonnen's number 1 pick would boost a lot of morale for his team.

Episode 2: "Ambush" (January 29, 2013)

• The red team voiced their displeasure with Jones' choice to match the much shorter Smith against the 6'6" Luke Barnatt.
• On the ride back to the house, Smith talked about the lack of positive feedback he received during training. After they reached the house, Smith proceeded to cry when thinking about his family.
• Team Jones called out Smith in the locker room about his emotional condition which left him upset. Jones then entered and reaffirmed his faith in Smith.
• Sonnen visited his team at the house. He took Uriah Hall aside and told him he would rather that he get an easy fight for his preliminary bout. However, Hall disagreed and stated he rather fight the top picks from the opposing team.
• Luke Barnatt defeated Gilbert Smith, Jr. via KO (flying knee) in round 2.
• Immediately after the fight, Bubba McDaniel called out Kevin Casey who felt disrespected by the sudden call out.
• With the black team now in control, Sonnen selects Hall to fight Team Jones' Adam Cella.

Episode 3: "Embrace the Suffering" (February 5, 2013)

• On the ride back to the house, Kevin Casey continued to voice his displeasure with Bubba McDaniel's call out of him. He explained to his team that he still had a cut healing on his forehead.
• Back at the house, Hall mentioned to the other members of the house that he had heard that Tor Troeng was a "professional cooker," in which Josh Samman then corrected him by saying that the term is "chef." Hall was then angered about the tone in which Samman corrected him with which left him claiming that he would call out Samman next. He then proceeded to talk about the times he was bullied as a teen.
• After a training session, Hall met Sonnen one-on-one to talk about his inner demons. Sonnen proceeded to explain to Hall about his own similar situation and on how he dealt with his demons.
• On the ride to the gym, Casey told his team that he rather fight McDaniel at a later time. His teammate Jimmy Quinlan then proceeded to tease him for being scared.
• Before the second preliminary match, Casey's picture was already hung on the tournament bracket signaling that he would fight next. McDaniel proceeded to hang his own picture on the bracket to bait Team Sonnen into matching them up.
• Jones visited his team at the house, bringing along food to grill. Each member of the team then talked about what being in the UFC would mean to them.
• Uriah Hall defeated Adam Cella via KO (hook kick) in round 1.
• After the knockout, Cella remained unconscious on the canvas for quite some time. He eventually regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital.
• In the locker room, Team Sonnen remarked on how Hall pretty much sealed the deal for getting the "Knockout of the Season" bonus. White entered shortly after and remarked the same thing.
• With Sonnen's team still in control, Casey was matched up against Team Jones' Collin Hart, much to the dismay of McDaniel.

Episode 4: "Sign of Disrespect" (February 12, 2013)

• Gilbert Smith, Jr., Kevin Casey and Clint Hester had a freestyle rap battle in the house.
• During a power outage in the house, Team Sonnen decided to prank the red team by wrapping them up in toilet paper while they were sleeping. However, the joke was unsuccessful when they just threw the rolls of paper into Team Jones' rooms and ran.
• During the weigh-ins, Hart flipped off Casey which led to an intense staredown between the two.
• Taken by surprise by Hart's actions, Uriah Hall confronted him at the house and asked why he was disrespectful towards Casey and Team Sonnen. Hart replies that he was in the moment of TV and was upset that Casey "messed with his sleep."
• Collin Hart defeated Kevin Casey via unanimous decision.
• Now with Jones' team back in control, he announced the next fight: Bubba McDaniel vs. Kelvin Gastelum. At 21 years old, Gastelum is the youngest fighter in the history of the show.

Episode 5: "The Reflection of Perfection" (February 19, 2013)

• Sonnen visited the house and they played a game of charades. However, McDaniel, who is focused on his fight, decides not to join the game.
• Josh Samman informed the coaches that he preferred to fight later since he had some injuries. Jones was receptive but the other coaches felt Samman was taking to much control over the team.
• Actor Mickey Rourke visits the Team Sonnen fighters at the house to share insights from his days when he was a boxer.
• Sonnen receives a call from UFC women's champ Ronda Rousey who wishes Gastelum good luck on his fight and if he wins, she will come down to the TUF gym and teach a session.
• Kelvin Gastelum defeated Bubba McDaniel via submission (rear naked choke) in round 2.
• Now with Sonnen's team back in control, he matches Tor Troeng against Samman.

Episode 6: "Path to Greatness" (February 26, 2013)

• During practice, Uriah Hall's hard punching while sparring with Luke Barnatt rubs him the wrong way which leads to him and the rest of the team thinking that Hall is not a team player.
• Hall's attitude later ignites a blowup at the house when he is asked by Gilbert Smith, Jr. who he wants to fight next and he answers Barnatt, his own teammate. This causes Team Jones to confront the Jamaican, asking him to join their team. But Hall's remark towards Adam Cella's girlfriend causes a rift between both teams.
• The coaches take their teams bowling at Red Rock Casino. Sonnen then challenges Jones to a bowling match, betting who ever bowls the lowest score after three-frames has to coach a session for the other team while wearing that team's jersey. Jones loses and agrees to the terms.
• As Troeng and Samman prephare for their fight, Troeng wants to win to have all Swedish mixed martial artists noticed in the U.S. while Samman tells the coaches about almost losing his left leg to a blood clot.
• Josh Samman defeated Tor Troeng via KO (punches) in round 1.
• Now with the red team in control, Jones matches his number one pick Clint Hester against Jimmy Quinlan. Sonnen liked it, for he thinks it is a bad matchup style-wise for Hester.

Episode 7: "His Fist on My Face" (March 5, 2013)

• After winning his fight, Josh Samman's recurring leg pain lands him in the hospital emergency room.
• The guys get a night out when their coaches take them to Hooters to lift their spirits. However, not wanting outside distraction, Uriah Hall alienates himself from the group because he would rather concentrate on fighting.
• Jimmy Quinlan defeated Clint Hester via submission (rear naked choke) in round 2.
• After the fight, Sonnen enters the red team's locker room to uphold the bet he and Jones made during bowling three frames. Much to Jones' dislike, he gives him a black jersey to wear while coaching Team Sonnen.
• The final match-up of the opening round by default is Dylan Andrews vs. Zak Cummings.

Episode 8: "Bag of Tools" (March 12, 2013)

• Bubba McDaniel is stressed over being picked for the wildcard matchup and vents to Adam Cella.
• This season's "Coaches Challenge" will pit Sonnen and Jones against each other in three different "dig it" competitions while driving excavators. Sonnen wins the competition earning $10,000 for his team ($1,500 per fighter).
• Dylan Andrews defeated Zak Cummings via majority decision.
• After the fight, White forces the coaches to decide on a wildcard matchup.
• Jones is left to make a difficult decision when he has to pick between his training partner McDaniel and Clint Hester, who he calls a cool guy.
• In the end, Jones picks McDaniel because of all the years of hard work and he will face Kevin Casey in the wildcard match.

Episode 9: "The Wild Card" (March 19, 2013)

• McDaniel becomes emotional while talking about his family.
• During a training session, the coaches spent time building up McDaniel's confidence.
• Josh Samman called out Jimmy Quinlan after they realize McDaniel was the only fighter to call out another fighter in the house so far.
• Both Team Jones and Team Sonnen celebrated Thanksgiving by having a huge feast at the house. However, only McDaniel and Casey were the ones unable to eat due to having to make weight.
• Bubba McDaniel defeated Kevin Casey via TKO (retirement) in round 2
• McDaniel celebrated his win while Casey explained that a kidney failure during the fight was the reason that he could not answer the bell.
• The quarter final matchups were announced as:

• Collin Hart vs. Kelvin Gastelum
• Dylan Andrews vs. Luke Barnatt
• Josh Samman vs. Jimmy Quinlan
• Bubba McDaniel vs. Uriah Hall

Episode 10: "The Quarterfinals Begin" (March 26, 2013)

• Both teams are surprised with the match up between Bubba McDaniel and Uriah Hall, causing McDaniel to stress out over his tough opponent.
• Gastelum gets a surprise visit from women's bantamweight world champion Ronda Rousey who guest coaches Team Sonnen in judo techniques.
• The first two match-ups face off with four fighters trying to secure a spot in the final four.
• Kelvin Gastelum defeated Collin Hart via KO (punches) in round 1.
• Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson makes a guest appearance and gives both teams motivation as he sits cageside during the quarterfinal match-ups.
• Dylan Andrews defeated Luke Barnatt via KO (punches) in round 3.
• The latter fight was notable in which the last overall pick (Andrews) defeated the first overall pick (Barnatt).

Episode 11: "Vicious" (April 4, 2013)

• McDaniel did not participate in team practice due to him feeling sore. This led Jones to tell Clint Hester to stay ready.
• McDaniel told Jones that he still wanted to fight but felt frustrated because he believed White was putting him on the most difficult route.
• McDaniel went to get his blood tested at the doctor due to back pain.
• Josh Samman defeated Jimmy Quinlan via submission (punches) in round 1
• The doctor visited the gym and told McDaniel that his back pain was most likely a pulled muscle. Feeling motivated with the news, McDaniel got back to practice.
• Hall told his team in the locker room that he had heard that McDaniel was scared to fight him. Sonnen then remarked on how that type of attention on Hall was well deserved, calling Hall the most talented and hard working fighter on his team.
• During the weigh-ins, Jones was not happy with McDaniel's submissive body language during the stare-off with Hall.
• Uriah Hall defeated Bubba McDaniel via KO (punch) in round 1
• After the fight, McDaniel remained on the canvas due to a pain in his eye. He then admitted to not remembering what he was hit with. White then stated that Hall was the "nastiest fighter in TUF history."
• The semi-final match-ups were announced as:

• Josh Samman vs. Kelvin Gastelum
• Dylan Andrews vs. Uriah Hall

Tournament Bracket

Elimination Round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Finale

Collin Hart

UD

Kevin Casey

2

Collin Hart

KO

Kelvin Gastelum

1

Bubba McDaniel

SUB

Kelvin Gastelum

2

Kelvin Gastelum

Josh Samman

Josh Samman

KO

Tor Troeng

1

Josh Samman

TKO

Jimmy Quinlan

1

Clint Hester

SUB

Jimmy Quinlan

2

Dylan Andrews

UD

Zak Cummings

2

Dylan Andrews

KO

Luke Barnatt

3

Gilbert Smith, Jr.

KO

Luke Barnatt

2

Dylan Andrews

Uriah Hall

Bubba McDaniel

SUB

Kevin Casey

2

Bubba McDaniel

KO

Uriah Hall

1

Adam Cella

KO

Uriah Hall

1

The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale
The poster for The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale
Information
Promotion	Ultimate Fighting Championship
Date	April 13, 2013
Venue	Mandalay Bay Events Center
City	Las Vegas, Nevada
Event chronology
UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale (also known as The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It is scheduled to take place on April 13, 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Background

The event was expected to feature a Flyweight Championship bout between the current champion Demetrious Johnson, and challenger John Moraga, as well as the middleweight tournament finals. However, Johnson was forced out of the bout with an injury and Moraga is expected to be pulled from the event as well. The main event will now feature a bout between the former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber and long time bantamweight contender Scott Jorgensen.

The winner of Miesha Tate vs Cat Zingano will coach against Ronda Rousey for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter

Official fight card

Main card
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Bantamweight	Urijah Faber	vs.	Scott Jorgensen
Women's Bantamweight	Miesha Tate	vs.	Cat Zingano
Heavyweight	Travis Browne	vs.	Gabriel Gonzaga
Preliminary card (Fuel TV)
Featherweight	Cole Miller	vs.	Bart Palaszewski
Featherweight	Justin Lawrence	vs.	Daniel Pineda
Preliminary card (Facebook)
Featherweight	Sam Sicilia	vs.	Maximo Blanco