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BENT: TUF 9 Episode 12: "Four Fights in Thirty-Four Days"
Jun 18, 2009 - 9:46:56 AM BENT: TUF 9 Episode 12: "Four Fights in Thirty-Four Days"

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We open up the program this week with Team U.S.A. doing their best to make a Father's Day commercial with a cookout complete with ribs and some excellent looking steaks. We see Frank Lester in the kitchen wondering if his ears will ever look like those of Coach Dan Henderson. Lester next takes bunches of asparagus stalks, puts one bunch up against each year and compares this to the ears of Hendo. Perhaps Frank Lester has his vegetables confused and assumed these were cauliflowers? Although it would appear to me as if the only use for a vegetable during this meal would be as a prop since it looked like they were feasting on meat, meat and more meat.

"Where's the porterhouse?" is shouted by Dan Henderson as he bursts through the door like the neighbor in a Kingsford charcoal ad, and he is here to eat some meat and hang out with his team one last time. Dan Henderson is one of the very best fighters in the world, and the fighters of Team U.S.A. have been supremely lucky to get him for a coach. Henderson gave a damn about each and every one of them and even gave Jason Pierce the benefit of the doubt when it was rumored he was giving helpful hints to Team U.K. behind everyone's backs.

Dan Henderson likes Frank Lester. It isn't as if Lester is the most talented guy, but he will get in there and mix it up with anyone at a moment's notice. Lester had his teeth knocked out and kept going where lesser men would have packed it in and called it a day. Hendo respects Lester's toughness and Lester, well, he respects Henderson's ears. He tells Henderson that he wouldn't "f**k with you, because of your ears," and this draws a good natured laugh from the coach before it is time to get back to work and prepare his fighter for one last bout.

Damarques Johnson is now shown talking with Frank Lester and he says that Frank's ability to take damage will give him the advantage in this fight. Now, Henderson praised Lester's toughness but he didn't go as far to tell him he was impressed with how much of a beating he could absorb. I get where Johnson was coming from as he was meaning well, but taking a beating by itself has never won a fight. A fighter has to be able to dole out a beating just the same, and so far this has not been Lester's forte. In a confessional, it is Damarques Johnson who when speaking about Lester's opponent James Wilks says, "James is just a pompous prick and I want Frank to hurt him badly."

Damarques Johnson, who has garnered a reputation for being a little pompous himself, is declaring someone else to be the same? This is when I get a bit annoyed, and it is when acting in a certain manner by one person is confidence but when it is someone else it suddenly becomes arrogance. Perhaps Wilks is really a pompous prick, but Johnson is not the one who should be pointing this out. This sort of comment from Johnson is akin to Kirstie Alley saying that Jessica Simpson has packed on a few pounds. Unless you have never exhibited such behavior, it is best to reserve making judgments, and in my opinion it was Johnson who looked ridiculous following this statement. In my opinion, the only reason he really wanted Lester to win this bout was because he knew that would be one hell of an easier bout at the 'TUF Finale' than Wilks. Which makes perfect sense. Damarques is smart. He is however, not coming across as the most humble of guys from what we have seen on this program.

We head to the gym and it is time for Team U.K. to hold their training session and put the final touches on James Wilks' preparations for his bout against Frank Lester. James Wilks obviously beat Frank Lester once, and is the favorite to do it once more, but by no means was he or Team U.K. acting as if this were a given thing. James Wilks praises Lester's chin and strength as he himself works hard in training for the fight. Now, here is Wilks who we have just been told is a "pompous prick" by Johnson and yet it is Wilks praising his opponent's chin and toughness. Wilks hardly looks like the prick here, and instead it is Johnson who comes off looking worse based on the clips we have been shown. I am of course lending some credence to the argument that the editing room can be responsible for many things, but at the same time I have simply not seen any examples shown of Wilks being anything less than respectful.

Now is the time to observe Team U.S.A. in their training session as they put Frank Lester through his paces and get him ready to try and make his second chance count against James Wilks. Frank Lester says, "after three fights in three weeks, this cage is starting to feel like home," which is proof positive of how much of a grind this program can really be. It takes a hell of a lot more than a little determination to make it through this process, and for the most part this is why a 'TUF' winner leaves being completely prepared for anything the UFC can throw at him. Many training camps are the equivalent of boot camps, but 'The Ultimate Fighter' is no joke at all and likely one of the most taxing things that any of these men will ever do. Physically it is a killer, but on top of this it is also mentally brutal as there are no outlets for these fighters in terms of recreation and they literally eat, sleep and breathe fighting.

Coach Dan Henderson is going over the previous fight with Wilks and telling Lester how he almost pulled off the victory. Henderson feels that if Lester can simply straighten his punches and get them off quicker that it will make all of the difference in this rematch. I firmly agree as Lester is very tough but equally unrefined and throws some of the ugliest punches I have ever seen. You can throw 100 miles per hour all you want, but you have got to be able to get it over the plate; and it matters not what is behind any of Lester's punches if he cannot make them find their target. Lester was then shown working the pads and it appeared as if he were at least exhibiting improved punching technique for now.

Back to the house and we see James Wilks and Frank Lester sharing a moment in Lester's room. Again, it is Wilks the "pompous prick" who has a pleasant conversation with his upcoming opponent. Wilks admires the photo of Lester's nineteen month old daughter and the two both let their competitive guard down for a moment with each other. Frank then says in a confessional that James has "grown on him" and is a "good guy." Frank admits that he didn't want to like James but can't help doing so now. Unless there is some of that "TV magic" taking place it would seem to me that Wilks really is a decent guy and anything said otherwise is completely off base to say the least, or perhaps more indicative of the man who utters such remarks.

It was now time for the weigh-ins in order to make this thing official, and both Frank Lester and James Wilks tipped the scales at 171 lbs. for their welterweight match up. Dana White then told us that he likes this rematch and adds that it is interesting to do right away. I agree, but what I find more interesting is how all of the fighters on this program are finally proving capable of making weight for their fights. No longer do we have to see footage of Jason Guida's taint as he lies naked on the floor, or see Gabe Ruediger enjoying a colonic or any of the Bobby Southworth sauna fun from season one. Yes, the pranks have crossed the line over the seasons, and sometimes the maturity level is not quite what it should be, but all fighters understand their job and make certain they actually make the damned weight.

Back to the house once more where we see Team U.K. getting ready to share their last meal together as a team. Dean Amasinger is the team's cook and I am glad to see he has a trade to fall back on since he really wasn't much of a fighter at all on the show. Although I do think Gordon Ramsay could kick his ass it appears he at least knows his way around a kitchen and is preparing a wonderful curry. It looked good for sure. Here is to hoping Amasinger gets on either 'Hell's Kitchen' or 'The Next Food Network Star' before he ever would sets foot in the UFC Octagon.

Coach Michael Bisping stops by to break bread with his troops and again shows how much of a team the British fighters really were this season compared to the lone wolves of the American team. Bisping tells them that he couldn't have asked for a better team and that he will always have respect for them. It is no surprise that Bisping has so many fighters in the finals. First, the talent pool was shallow on the American side, but aside from this it was because of the way he instilled a feeling of pride in his men and for the most part coached them well. Dean Amasinger got the shaft when Bisping missed his fight, but save for that one huge gaffe, it was Bisping who is the best coach on this program since Tito Ortiz of season three. Bisping learned well from his time on the show, and if anything it shows that maybe the best coaches for this program are those who earned their way into the UFC because of it.

James Wilks, the "pompous prick," begins to perform some parlor tricks for the amusement of the British team. His trick is to first stick a penny to his forehead and then slap the back of his head so that the penny drops from his forehead and into his hand. He then explains to us at home that what you do next is find an unlucky mark and press the penny into his forehead very hard so that it feels as if the penny is there, but in reality it does not remain. Michael Bisping is this unlucky mark and Wilks pushes the penny into his forehead before pulling it away and begins letting "The Count" slap himself on the back of his head before dropping the penny into his Coach's hand and letting him know he had been had. This wasn't exactly something Penn & Teller will perform during their show at the Rio in Las Vegas but it was just some good and silly fun that did no harm to others. Again, it must be the editors who are making Wilks appear to be so damned angelic since Johnson deemed him a prick. Sure, Wilks would make a bad street entertainer with his penny trick and maybe he isn't going to make it in the UFC but so far no sign of this pompous attitude or him being a prick.

Bisping heads off into the night and Andre Winner begins spitting out his food. Winner would then take a huge chunk of this curry and hit Dean Amasinger in the face with it. This is one thing you do not do to a chef. I mean, try this in a nice restaurant and the sous chef will order one of the station cooks to sodomize you in front of the dining room before he guts you with a knife out back by the dumpster. You do not insult the chef's food, ever. Well, until you are at least a safe distance away and are not at risk for him to either poison you or attack you. Winner runs out of the house and Amasinger gives chase as he looks to take more pride in his cooking because he is showing a hell of a lot more fire here than he did in his fight. Amasinger wrestles with Winner before throwing him into the pool. Dave Faulkner takes advantage of this opening and rushes out with a bag of flour which he uses to cover Winner as he tries to get out of the pool thus leaving him a complete mess. This, my friends, is as dirty as any of the pranks of season nine would get, and this is most refreshing considering all that happened last season. Winner takes this prank in stride and Team U.K. is more like a group of brothers than anything else.

We next see Frank Lester sitting on his bed and crying as he is feeling the pressure of his bout with James Wilks. Damarques Johnson gives him a pep talk which will not go down in the annals of history with the "win one for the Gipper" speech and pretty much tells him that win, lose or draw he has made it. Well, Johnson's exact words were that "win, lose or draw you will be a rock star" intimating that Lester's gritty performances and losing of his teeth will endear him to the fans once the program airs.

I don't get the whole "rock star" thing, and it isn't just Johnson but I am annoyed by the constant use of this phrase. From the douche bags who think drinking rail drinks and grabbing the asses of fat women at the local bar means they "partied like a rock star" to comments such as this from Johnson and what is clear to me is that everyone has lost sight of what a rock star really is. Frank Lester is a tough sonofagun and should be viewed as one of the few American fighters who gave it his all but by no means will he ever be anything on par with a "rock star." Although I believe this term has become so watered down that Adam Lambert from 'American Idol' has been called one so what the hell, if Lambert is one then Lester is too.

"It will be round one this time."-James Wilks on his fight with Frank Lester

"I feel like I have something to lose in this fight." Frank Lester on his fight with James Wilks

"Get this bastard back for knocking out your teeth!"-Dan Henderson to Frank Lester before the fight

Both of the respective coaches try to relax and motivate their fighters at the same time as they prepare to send them out of the locker room one last time. Now we would find out who will be taking on Damarques Johnson on Saturday for the chance to win the "six figure contract."

James Wilks vs. Frank Lester

The two touch gloves to start and it is Lester working his jab immediately. Lester throws a few right hands but they are again of the looping variety; but this was to be expected as there was not enough time for him to truly alter his style. The two trade jabs and an errant kick catches Lester in the groin causing the action to stop momentarily. This would not last long and the fight would resume as Wilks successfully peppered Lester with a series of jabs. Lester looked uncomfortable and unable to locate his range during this brief exchange. Wilks would continue to dole out the low leg kicks while sneaking his jab in between Lester's attempts to block. Lester would score with a kick to the leg of Wilks but the British fighter one-upped him with a left hook which landed with authority. Wilks would then attempt a takedown but Lester was able to successfully stuff this attempt. Finally the spark was lit inside of the American fighter and Frank Lester began to unload a bit on his foe. Several of his punches connect with some pop behind them but still they were wide and looping. Wilks clinched and landed a few short punches while Lester threw a few knees. Both men would disengage from their clinch and circle one another as the round came to an end.

-Bent's Score: 10-9 for James Wilks-

Again a touch of gloves as the two fighters start the second round of their scheduled three round bout. A low blow from Lester stops the fight momentarily, but just like what happened previously it would immediately pick back up. One to one now in the low blows department for those keeping score of such things at home. Wilks enjoyed a nice rhythm for once in working behind his jab while Lester kept looking to throw a counterpunch and never seemed to find the opportunity. A head kick attempt by Wilks misses but it at least throws off Lester once more. Frank Lester was then hit with a left hook from James Wilks and looked to be slightly stunned, but the American just kept trudging forward without an ounce of quit in him. Lester is not very skilled but every coach in America wishes they had fighters with the grit of this young man.

Frank Lester's punches were really looping now and Wilks could see them coming from a mile away with each attempt. Lester so far had been unable to land anything like that which he did in the opening round. Wilks was able to now pick his shots while Lester was simply too wild for his own good. Wilks would shoot in for the takedown and again it was Lester doing quite well to nullify this attempt. Coach Henderson was yelling for Lester to not look to counter but instead to be the first one throwing shots. Lester would not heed this advice at all and walked into a punch from Wilks which looked to have hurt him once more. The two clinched and Wilks landed a knee before the two separated. A low leg kick lands from Wilks before he closes the round with a peppering one-two combination to punctuate this one.

-Bent's Score: 10-9 for James Wilks-

Between rounds it was Henderson again telling Lester that he needed to get off first. Keeping in line with good sportsmanship, Wilks and Lester touch gloves once more for the final round. Wilks then touches Lester's leg with a low leg kick and then touches his face with a stiff jab. After this it was Lester eating a right hand and a knee from his British opponent who was walking away with the bout by this point but still unable to finish the tough American. The fighters would clinch momentarily and then separate to return to circling one another. Lester began throwing some windmills now that missed by a mile and Wilks was throwing his right up the middle and connecting. If Frank Lester's face were a clown's mouth at the carnival it would have meant James Wilks would have won a huge teddy bear for his beloved at this point.

The two men clinched once more and Wilks landed a knee which doubled Lester over before landing one more which dropped him to the ground and referee Herb Dean stepped in to wave this one off. Give Frank Lester a lot of credit for hanging in there, but it was inevitable that he would lose to James Wilks who is simply the better fighter. By no means is Wilks a star based on his having beaten Lester, but he is a solid fighter who took out one of the toughest 'TUF' fighters ever. Frank Lester is one hell of an overachiever.

Winner is James Wilks by way of TKO in the 3rd Round

Damarques Johnson had some choice comments about James Wilks following this fight. Johnson said that Wilks pisses him off and he dares the British fighter to taunt him like he did Lester. I am sorry but I didn't see any taunting in this bout. Johnson also declares that he will, "take that black belt in jiu-jitsu and shove it up his ass" before closing with his declaration of, "God, that guy pisses me off."

Johnson is the one who comes off as the surly and arrogant prick this season, and he sealed the deal with his comments on this final episode. Johnson is a good fighter but he is by no means a great fighter yet, and I think his having been the best out of a shallow pool of talent seems to have gone to his head. Again, Mac Danzig was an insufferable prick who was the best of his season. He hasn't exactly set the world on fire when not facing guys like Tommy Speer. Johnson to me seems more pissed off that he won't get to take on the much easier Frank Lester in the finals and will have to finally face one of the few who has shown an ability to fight. Is Johnson still the favorite? Yes. Do I think he will shove anything up Wilks' ass with ease? Not a chance. However, this is his chance to prove how good he is and to officially win the season which he won from the moment it all began. Just, for the life of me I cannot see where Wilks taunted Lester in this fight and I cannot remember a single instance in which the British fighter did anything on par with some of Johnson's antics or comments. Johnson is indeed the big fish in this small 'TUF' pond and if victorious on Saturday he will soon find himself in deep water.

Damarques Johnson was not alone in blasting James Wilks. Mark Miller, who was blasted out by Nick Osipczak had to offer his two cents and did so by calling Wilks an "a**hole" before adding that the British fighter does "flashy stuff." I watched James Wilks throw straight punches against Frank Lester and based on the performance of Miller who goes by the moniker of "The Meat Missile," I would guess that being somewhat technically sound equates to showboating. This blew me away. In fact a part of me would like to watch this season again in order to pick up Wilks' taunting and showboating.

Although, this has been such a relatively lackluster season in terms of talent that I don't think I could bear to watch all of these fights once more. This has been a painful season of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' and the overall level of talent from season one until now has been the equivalent of going from the first round of the NFL draft to the seventh. This doesn't mean no one will emerge as a future contender. Anything can happen, and who knows what a few of these guys could do with the right camp and the focus on fighting. I mean, Cameron Dollar is so young that he has not even begun to scratch the surface in terms of harnessing his abilities. So, there were some talented guys this season, and all of them save for Jason Pierce were legitimate tough guys, but from my point of view it is likely that none of these men will ever reach the levels of say Michael Bisping, but you cannot have a star from each season. This is why stars are special, and why not everyone can fight and not every fighter can even make it into the UFC. These guys have made it further than most in making it on this show and for that, I doff my cap to all of them regardless of my opinion of them as people or fighters.

"No doubt Wilks is the better fighter but Lester is one of the toughest S.O.B.'s I know"-Dana White

"Too many wars in a short period of time."-Dan Henderson to Frank Lester following this fight as the American fighter looked like he had been run through a meat grinder.

Four fights in thirty-four days. This is what Frank Lester has been through, and I have all of the respect in the world for both he and all of the others who have fought their asses off on this show. Lester apologized profusely to Henderson for losing the fight but Hendo tells him that he is proud of his efforts and fought his ass off in there.

Frank Lester would smile for the camera and looks like that kid in your 3rd grade class who would curiously tell concerned teachers that he is just clumsy and walks into doors. "This was the greatest experience of my life!" said Frank Lester, and we are likely to at least see him once inside of the Octagon. There is no way Lester ever makes it in the UFC with his current skill set, but based on his grit shown this season I could see Dana White giving him an opportunity at least. One that I wouldn't have said he deserved a few weeks ago, but I feel he does now.

Following the victory over Wilks, it was time for celebration, and all four of the finalists gathered inside of the Octagon. Michael Bisping asked Damarques Johnson if he was lonely in there since he is the only American finalist and Johnson responds that it isn't his first rodeo.

Johnson once again lets us know he hates Wilks and calls him arrogant one more time. Following this we get Dan Henderson who admits that "Bisping is OK most of the time but for lack of a better word is a douchebag," and coming from Dan this holds a lot of weight. Henderson has not once acted arrogant or come off like an ass in any of the footage shown here, and so his comment doesn't completely bury his opponent but stings just the same. Bisping would respond by saying that he "will destroy Henderson on July 11th," and that my friends is how to neatly hype their fight without titles on the line and no real reason for the two to be fighting other than the fact they were opposing coaches.

Dana White's take on three British fighters in the finals is that it is an example of how big this sport has gotten. I say it is proof that this program was meant to push the U.K. fighters and take advantage of Bisping's star across the pond, and that it is more indicative of how bad the U.S.A. fighters were in terms of talent. I mean, Frank Lester is tough but can anyone see him competing anywhere near GSP? Think about it and realize that he was this close to making it to the finals and then tell me the odds weren’t stacked in Team U.K.'s favor. Yes, the sport has grown exponentially but you cannot properly grow the sport in other countries if the Americans run roughshod at all times and as such, this one was more or less handed to them with a wink and a nod.

The finals are set for Saturday at the Palms in Las Vegas, and it shall be Ross Pearson taking on Andre Winner for the lightweight contract and Damarques Johnson taking on James Wilks for the welterweight equivalent. These are probably the best two match ups that we could ask for so in a sense this season has turned out as well as anyone could expect. I am not going to be jumping for the opportunity to watch it all over again, but compared to some truly unwatchable editions of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' I would say this one fared pretty well.

See you in September when Kimbo Slice joins Coaches Rashad Evans and "Rampage" Jackson for what may not be a better season in terms of fights but will damned sure be an entertaining one.