The Ultimate Fighter
Episode 9 Recap | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
The Semifinals Begin With Omran Chaaban Taking On Ryan Loder To See Who Will Advance To The Middleweight Finals
Previously on The Ultimate Fighter…
Team Grasso’s Omran Chaaban of Finland submitted Team Shevchenko’s Shamidkhan Magomedov in an impressive come-from-behind victory, while Team Shevchenko’s All-American wrestler Ryan Loder ran through Canadian Tom Theocharis.
With the quarterfinals wrapped up, UFC CEO Dana White set up the semifinal pairings, and now Chaaban and Loder step into the Octagon to see who will advance to the Ultimate Fighter Finale.
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The final four in each weight class are set, and now it’s time to get down to action; this is Episode 9 of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs. Team Shevchenko.
UFC APEX
The UFC CEO kicks off the episode singing the praises of the international talent that came to Las Vegas for this season, lauding the competitors and the matchups that have come together for the semifinal rounds in both weight classes.
TUF HOUSE
Giannis Bachar prepares a traditional Greek meal for everyone in the house, including lamb, Greek salad, bread and tzatziki.
Everyone joined together around the table, praising Bachar’s cooking and really appreciating the opportunity for all of them to sit down together and share the experience. It’s a really cool moment that we haven’t seen on TUF in the past, and it was clearly something all the athletes truly appreciated.
OMRAN CHAABAN FIGHT PREP
Chaaban, who found a D’arce choke finish in the opening round, is working to be able to do the same thing to Loder in their semifinal matchup, prioritizing using his distance, straight shots, and movement in order to deal with the shots that are going to come from the All-American wrestler.
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He works a great deal with Theocharis, who has a similar size to Loder, listening intently to the instruction he receives and working to be as sharp as possible heading into the bout. He believes that while Loder has a ton of pressure in the first, he often tires himself out, which Chaaban believes is something he can exploit.
“I honestly think I beat him everywhere,” the Dublin-based middleweight offers.
TUF HOUSE
Loder gets a chance to call home and it seems like his entire family has gathered for the call, which is awesome to see. The American middleweight instantly starts tearing up as they chat, and his father gives him thoughts on his matchup with Omran, which is funny to see.
He breaks down as they offer their support and encouragement.
RYAN LODER FIGHT PREP
Loder goes through his prep, chain wrestling with Magomedov and working on the mitts.
Shevchenko speaks about how he has to be ready to go all three rounds, and Loder, gassed after some grappling, is prompted to push by coach Pavel Fedotov and the former flyweight champion.
Loder offers his assessment of Chaaban and speaks about working to stay on top and avoid the anaconda choke. Magomedov believes his mistakes against Chaaban will help Loder in their semifinal matchup, while Shevchenko highlights a heavy elbow off a striking combination that she believes will be beneficial in the contest.
“You know what the game plan is,” Loder says with a smile. “I’m gonna take him down and beat him up.”
TUF HOUSE
Chaaban connects with his brother Ali for his call home, sharing what happened in his first fight, that he got to speak with Dana White, and his semifinal matchup. His brother is overjoyed to hear what his brother is doing in the competition, and Chaaban speaks in an interstitial interview about the sacrifices his big brother made for the family and for him in order to be able to pursue this dream.
In the evening, Chaaban prays with Edwin Cooper Jr., who approached him, asking to pray with him.
Loder discusses the “safe space” they have created in the house for everyone to come together, practice their respective faiths, and discuss those things without worry of judgment or issues arising. It’s another outstanding moment to see between the different competitors.
MIDDLEWEIGHT SEMIFINAL WEIGH-IN
Loder is the first to the scale, coming in at the middleweight limit, 186 pounds. Chaaban steps on the scale next, registering a little over with his boxers on before getting behind the shadow box and hitting 186 pounds.
The first middleweight semifinal matchup is official.
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White explains that all semifinal fights will be three rounds instead of two, noting that could have an impact on the approaches taken by the different competitors.
FIGHT DAY
Loder and Chaaban load into the UFC APEX, entering their respective locker rooms to cheers and daps before getting wrapped up and warmed up, receiving last minute reminders and encouragement from their coaches.
Now it’s time to see who will advance to the middleweight finale.
Omran Chaaban vs Ryan Loder
The first middleweight semifinal pairing went the distance, with Team Shevchenko’s Loder getting out to an early lead and holding off Team Grasso’s Chaaban to earn a spot in the live finale later this year.
In each of the first two rounds, Loder was able to lean on his jab and superior grappling to neutralize Chaaban’s long-range weapons and grind time off the clock, landing sporadic shots that marked up the Finnish middleweight and cemented his success in the rounds. While he slowed in the third and Chaaban was able to have more success as the two battled at range, he was not able to find anything that could fully shift the momentum in his favor.
When the scores were tallied, it was Loder that came away with a unanimous decision win to punch his ticket to the finals.
Official Result: Ryan Loder defeats Omraan Chaaban by unanimous decision
Ryan Loder Talks Win Over Chaaban | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Ryan Loder Talks Win Over Chaaban | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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The coaches and White recap the action, with Loder’s ability to wrestle Chaaban in the first two rounds being the clear difference-maker in the fight. All three acknowledge that Loder was up two rounds heading into the third, with White noting that Loder was tactical and conservative in the final five minutes while Chaaban tried to chase down a finish.
The American is understandably pumped to advance to the finals and get the opportunity to continue inspiring kids that struggled the way he did growing up.
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Chaaban gets love from his teammates in the locker room, expressing his disappointment in being unable to win the fight and secure a finish against Loder.
With the first middleweight semifinal in the books, it’s on to the featherweights next, as Team Grasso’s Kaan Ofli from Australia takes on Team Shevchenko South African Roedie Roets.
Valentina Shevchenko Reacts To Ryan Loder's Semifinal Win | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Valentina Shevchenko Reacts To Ryan Loder's Semifinal Win | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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On the Next Episode of The Ultimate Fighter…
Kelsey Plum of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces hosts the Coach’s Challenge before Ofli and Roets go toe-to-toe to see who will be the first featherweight to advance to the finals.
