Return Of The Ultimate Fighter | Episode 8 Recap

Miles gets dropped off back at the house and tries to keep a poker face, doing his best to disguise the injury.

Three days before the fight, Gilbert is going through his fight prep at the UFC PI, shadowboxing in the ring.

“He deserves to be here,” says Alexander Volkanovski, disclosing that he just found out Gilbert is the third brother to take part in a season of The Ultimate Fighter. “He’s got a lot of talent, he deserves to be here, and he’s a good kid too.

“They’re twice the size of me, but they’re all good kids.”

Highlights from Urbina’s regional fights roll, including his LFA clash with Sean Brady, the unbeaten rising welterweight standout that remains the only fighter to get the better of him thus far.

As Gilbert does a pad session with Coach Volk, jiu jitsu coach Craig Jones and strength and conditioning coach Andrew Wood discuss the Team Volkanovski fighter’s physical style and how even if Gilbert loses, Miles likely won’t walk away unscathed.

SEE WHAT THE COACHES OF TUF 29 HAD TO SAY: Volkanovski | Ortega

Back at the UFC PI, Miles checks in with Dr. Jeff Davidson, the UFC Chief Physician, to get the results of his imaging and go through another examination. He’s given the opportunity to have one of the Team Ortega coaches come in and be present for the examination and discussion of the imaging results, but says he’d rather it only be he and Dr. Davidson in the room.

“The MRI shows what is called a Grade 2 strain of the medial collateral ligament,” explains Dr. Davidson, showing Miles where on his knee the injury has occurred. “You’ve torn this ligament that is kind of important right here — the medial collateral ligament or MCL. The other ligaments are all intact.

“If this was a more severe tear, I would probably would recommend not to fight completely, and if this was a lesser of an injury, like Grade 1, I would say, ‘I definitely think you can get through this.’ Unfortunately, you’re right in the middle.”

“What do you think are the chances of me making it worse,” Miles asks, with Dr. Davidson explaining that it is certainly possible to make the injury worse by stepping into the cage.

“You’ve got to go make a decision with your coach and decide if you can give it 100 percent, get in there, and win the fight,” Dr. Davidson tells him before they part ways, leaving the decision in Miles’ hands.

Understandably, Miles is split on what to do.

Dana then introduces Michael Gilmore to the two sides and he’s welcomed onto Team Ortega.

The fight between Michael and Gilbert is announced, with the two shaking hands and facing off.

“It feels surreal,” says Michael in an individual interview following the face-off with Gilbert. “I thought my chance at this was done and I was going to have to look for a different route to get to the UFC and realize a dream.”

In a confessional interview, Gilbert admits it was unexpected seeing Miles leave, but that he’s thankful to have an opponent.

Back at the house, Ryder Newman gives Gilbert and some of the other Team Volkanovski members the skinny on Michael, explaining that he’s 6-3 overall, and that he’s a little hesitant to throw his hands and maybe doesn’t like getting hit, pumping up Gilbert.

Back at the UFC PI, Team Ortega goes over the training plan in order to get Michael up to speed and ready to compete against Gilbert, mixing in as many sessions as they can before he has to make weight and step into the cage.

FIGHTER PROFILE: Gilbert Urbina

“My concern was him with his submissions,” says Ortega. “No one can teach better than Rener and myself. From back defense to takedowns to guillotines — literally anything you can download into his brain in this short amount of time, he got it.”

“Being an unknown is going to work to my advantage,” Michael says in a confessional interview as highlights from his last regional fight plays. “(Gilbert) hasn’t seen anything from me. My coaches were able to see him, observe him, so I’m coming in with a little more knowledge of him than he will have of me.”

Michael drills positional jiu jitsu situations with Rener, addressing some of the areas of concern stemming from his three submission losses heading into this fight with Gilbert.

Back at the UFC PI the day before the fight, Michael and Gilbert weigh in.

Gilbert is up first and makes 185.5. Michael follows him to the scale and comes in at the same number. They face off and the fight is official, with both middleweights expressing confidence in their abilities.

It’s Fight Day at the UFC APEX.

“The reason I made the choice to come here and leave my job is because I couldn’t stand the thought of being on my death bed and not have done this,” Michael says in a confessional interview as scenes of him walking into the facility roll. “I’d be watching UFC events for the rest of my life thinking, ‘I could have done that.’

“I wasn’t blessed with the height or the speed or the skill that a lot of people are blessed with,” he continues. “I’ve had to get here through working hard.”

Gilbert crosses himself before entering into the facility, looking ready to go.

“I went over almost everything and any position I can think of,” he says. “I’m getting ready and preparing myself for the worst situations.”

Marc Goddard is the third man in the Octagon.

Round 1: Gilbert catches a lazy low kick right out of the gate and knocks Michael off balance, scrambling to take his back and sink in his hooks instantly. Michael defends well, fighting the hands as Gilbert shifts his weight on his back and forces the fight to the canvas.

Michael continues to fight the hands, and Gilbert lands elbows from the back. On the ground with Gilbert on his back, Michael continues to defend and listen to his coaches, as Gilbert works patiently from the dominant position. Gilbert lands two elbows to the side of the head and is in no rush, slowly peppering Michael with punches.

As Michael starts punching and elbowing Gilbert’s shin and eating punches, he leaves his neck exposed and Gilbert quickly sinks in the choke, drawing out the tap.

Team Volkanovski explodes with excitement and Gilbert dedicates the victory to his brothers.

Official Result: Gilbert Urbina def. Michael Gilmore by submission (rear-naked choke)

And just like that, it’s even at four wins for each team.

Dana White meets Volkanovski and Ortega to set up the semifinal pairings, which really come down to figuring out which two fighters from each side will meet, as there are two bantamweights and two middleweights from each team still alive in the competition.

Ortega suggests Bryan Battle versus Andrei Petroski and Gilbert Urbina versus Tresean Gore for the middleweight pairings, and Volkanovski says he’s comfortable with both matchups, advocating for Bryan Battle as the best middleweight in the competition, while Ortega forecasts his two charges will meet in the finals.