The Ultimate Fighter
Episode 7 Recap | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
Who Will Earn The Final Spot In The Featherweight Semifinals?
Previously on The Ultimate Fighter…
Team Shevchenko featherweights Roedie Roets and Zygimantas Ramaska punched their tickets to the semifinals with hard-fought decision wins, while Team Grasso’s Kaan Ofli joined them in the next round of the 145-pound competition.
Now, only one fight remains in the featherweight quarterfinals, with American Edwin Cooper Jr. set to take on Brazilian prospect Mairon Santos.
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Who will advance?
TUF HOUSE
Cooper Jr. speaks with Giannis Bachar about his matchup with Santos before several cast members talk about his drinking in interstitial interviews before UFC CEO Dana White recounts how Bekhzod Usmonov, who trains with Cooper Jr. at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, pulled him aside to speak to his teammate about what others are saying and their concerns around his consumption.
EDWIN COOPER JR. FIGHT PREP
Cooper Jr. speaks with Valentina Shevchenko about the game plan for his fight with Santos, focusing on pressure and wrestling, playing to his strengths. She believes her charge has more power and more experience, and wants him to utilize those advantages in concert with his pressure to dictate how they fight plays out and ultimately finish Santos.
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Cooper Jr. praises Shevchenko for her coaching and reiterates his confidence heading into the fight. He believes his speed will surprise Santos and that the complexity and totality of his skill set will be too much for the Brazilian.
TUF HOUSE
Tommy Theocharis talks to Santos about how he ended up in Las Vegas, with Santos explaining that he came out to help ranked bantamweight Karol Rosa, got his work visa, and has just stayed, recognizing the opportunity being in the United States presented.
His home video from Rio de Janeiro rolls, with his mother showing everyone around the humble home and area where he grew up. All of his belts and medals are on display in the house, His mother gets emotional talking about him chasing his dreams, and Santos praises her for her unwavering support.
The video jumps to Las Vegas, where Santos lives with a couple roommates and his wife, showing off the small gym they’ve set up in the garage and detailing that he works multiple odd jobs in order to support himself as he chases his MMA dreams. He and his wife have been together since they were teenagers.
Santos heads into training at Xtreme Couture, where he’s shown sparring with Nikolas Motta.
“I’m ready and I can’t wait to be the champion,” he says.
MAIRON SANTOS FIGHT PREP
Grasso speaks about starting to learn Portuguese several years ago as Santos goes through grappling and mitts sessions, getting instruction from surging featherweight Diego Lopes. She believes the first round will be the most difficult.
Santos states that he’s 13-1 as his highlight reel begins with his fight at LFA 155 against Rafael Barbosa, which he won by unanimous decision. He speaks about being calm and unpredictable, and his highlights illustrate that, as he’s shown mixing things up, including finishing an opponent with a nasty body shot.
TUF 32 RECAPS: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6
“I think my advantage in this matchup will be my cardio and my striking game, for sure,” he says. “He’s not prepared for the striking.
“My prediction for this fight? First round demolition.”
TUF HOUSE
Cooper Jr. shows off some of the pictures he has in the house of his grandfather and his girlfriend, speaking about the security that support brings him.
His home video from Albuquerque rolls with Cooper Jr. heading into the Jackson-Wink MMA Academy. He explains that he started wrestling as a kid, continuing with the sport through college, and then transitioning into MMA.
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His highlight reel shows him wrestling an opponent to the canvas and working them over on the mat, as Cooper Jr. explains he’s 6-1, but believes he should be 7-0 based on a bad stoppage early in his career.
“I’m here to be in the UFC,” says the 31-year-old. “My goal is to win the whole show… I’m definitely going there to dominate my opponents.”
FEATHERWEIGHT WEIGH-IN
The athletes head to the scales, with Cooper Jr. coming in at 146 pounds, while Santos hits the same number after stripping down to nothing.
The fight is official and it’s time to figure out who the final featherweight semifinalist will be.
White raves about Santos’ upside and Cooper Jr.’s wrestling pedigree, setting the stage for this final 145-pound matchup.
FIGHT DAY
Both fighters turn up at the UFC APEX, walking with purpose into their locker rooms, eager to make a statement and show out in this quarterfinal battle.
Wrapped and ready, it’s time for the final spot in the semifinals to be decided.
Mairon Santos vs. Edwin Cooper Jr.
The final fight in the featherweight quarterfinals went all three rounds, with Mairon Santos and Edwin Cooper Jr. battling for 15 minutes for the opportunity to advance in the competition.
Cooper Jr. controlled the opening stanza with his wrestling, dragging the Brazilian to the canvas and working from a waist lock position for the majority of the frame, never doing much damage or getting close to securing a dominant position, but neutralizing Santos throughout. The Team Grasso fighter snatched the momentum in the second, keeping the fight standing and at range, showcasing his striking as he chipped away at Cooper Jr., who was unable to get inside or offer many meaningful counter attacks.
Mairon Santos Talks Win Over Cooper | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Mairon Santos Talks Win Over Cooper | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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In the third, Santos continues to press forward, dictating the terms of engagement, while Cooper Jr. circles and struggles to find opportunities to let loose with his hands or change levels. When he does get a hold of Santos, the Brazilian defends well, circling off, and immediately returning to the offensive. Santos continues to sprawl well and land a few more shots on Cooper Jr., who is desperate for the takedown, finally toppling Santos in the final 45 seconds of the fight, finishing the fight locked onto a back waist lock.
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The coaches and Dana White recap the fight, reviewing the action, with each coach understandably siding with their charge, while the UFC CEO addressed the energy in the room and the closeness of the final five minutes.
When the scores were tallied, Santos emerged with a split decision win, falling to his knees, overcome with emotion.
Official Result: Mairon Santos def. Edwin Cooper Jr. by split decision
An excited Santos celebrates with his coaches and teammates, while a dejected Cooper Jr. gets a bit of a chewing out from Shevchenko, who addresses his poor second round before she says she believes he won the fight. Cooper Jr. is still motivated to press forward, and recognizes the need to have done more to make it clear that he was the better man in the cage.
Alexa Grasso Reacts To Mairon Santos Win | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Alexa Grasso Reacts To Mairon Santos Win | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT
The final fight of the quarterfinals is announced, with Paddy McCorry of Team Grasso taking on Team Shevchenko’s Mark Hulme.
It’s “Striker vs. Grappler” and Ireland versus South African in the final bout of the opening round.
On the Next Episode of The Ultimate Fighter…
Shevchenko treats her team to an aerial tour of Las Vegas before McCorry and Hulme battle for the final spot in the 185-pound semifinals.
From there, the semifinal matchups are selected an announced, bringing us one step closer to determining who will be the next two athletes to be crowned The Ultimate Fighter.
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