The Ultimate Fighter
Episode 2 Recap | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
Catch Up On Everything That Happened On The Ultimate Fighter: Team Grasso vs Team Shevchenko
Previously on The Ultimate Fighter…
Hopefuls from 14 different countries arrived in Las Vegas to compete on the most international season of The Ultimate Fighter ever.
Coaches Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko put them through training sessions and then selected their teams before Shevchenko put together the first fight of the season, pairing Team Grasso’s first-overall selection Guillermo Torres against Team Shevchenko’s first pick, Roedie Roets. After three hard-fought rounds, Roets earned a decision win, giving Team Shevchenko the first victory of the season.
With the opportunity to select the first middleweight matchup, Shevchenko opted to pit Shamidkhan Magomedov against Team Grasso’s Omran Chaaban.
TUF HOUSE
Muslim fighters Omran Chaaban and Shamidkhan Magomedov pray together in the house, with Chaaban stating in a solo interview that their shared religious bond is not going to matter when they step into the cage.
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Magomedov says that he didn’t want to fight against Chaaban, suggesting that the Team Grasso fighter would have preferred not to face him either before acknowledging the difficulty that being matched up against one another has created between them.
FIGHT DAY
Both Chaaban and Magomedov arrive at the UFC APEX, giving their thoughts on how the fight will play out as they venture to their respective locker rooms.
NSAC director Jeff Mullen steps into the Team Grasso locker room and asks to speak with Chaaban and the flyweight champion. UFC CEO Dana White explains that every fighter has to go through a medical exam on the day of the fight as Mullen leads Grasso and Chaaban to a different room to discuss the concerns that arose from Chaaban’s test.
Turns out, Chaaban has a cold sore that hasn’t healed and will not be cleared to fight. The bout will be pushed back until he’s cleared.
Grasso shares her frustrations and notes the biggest question is getting the fight rescheduled before Mullen explains to Shevchenko and Magomedov that Chaaban has not been cleared to fight and the bout will have to be rescheduled for next week, pending another medical exam.
Magomedov laments the cancellation given that he was feeling great. Grasso and Shevchenko discuss the cancellation amicably, both fully understanding the situation, trying to find a resolution.
MORE TUF 32: Get To Know Valentin | Get To Know Bachar
White explains that almost the exact same situation happened last season, with a flashback showing when Team McGregor’s Trevor Wells’ fight with Timur Valiev was postponed because Wells had a similar issue. He explains the plan is to delay this fight, and that the first matchup Grasso put together in the middleweight division — Switzerland’s Robert Valentin against Greece’s Giannis Bachar — is up next.
TEAM SHEVCHENKO TRAINING
Shevchenko offers some coaching insights to Bachar as he prepares for his bout with Valentin before the Greek middleweight explains why he prefers the approach offered by Team Shevchenko. Roets applauds the former champion for training with the team and going hard every session, noting that just watching her is adding to his game.
Bachar and Shevchenko have a conversation following a hard workout, discussing how to reset their bodies after every session because the training rhythm is greater than anything the competitors are used to going through. Shevchenko outlines why the push is a little harder this week in particular, explaining the purpose is to get her charges acclimated to Las Vegas, the weather, and that upped tempo out of the gates before tapering off as the competition progresses.
TUF HOUSE
A bunch of the competitors from both teams talk about training under Shevchenko, with Roets and Bachar acknowledging they’re difficult sessions. The South African explains that Shevchenko dragged him back to the mat by the ankle during one round when he wanted to go take a water break.
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He and Edwin Cooper Jr. admit they’re exhausted in training, but stress the importance of those sessions and Shevchenko’s overall approach.
ROBERT VALENTIN FIGHT PREP
Grasso checks in with Valentin as he loosens up before a training session, with the Swiss fighter noting his weight is going down according to schedule. The flyweight champ explains that she wants Valentin to approach things how he normally would and that he’s been instructed to let the coaching staff know how they can help as needed.
The 29-year-old fighting out of Zurich goes through some grappling prep, explaining in a solo interview that he believes that will be an area where he carries a strong advantage into this fight with Bachar.
Valentin’s highlight reel rolls, showing clips from his fights on the regional circuit, where he’s amassed a 10-3 record with one no contest, including a bloodbath in his Ares FC win over Pietro Penini.
He explains his strategy for the fight — dictate the pace, make it as violent as possible — while going through a pad session with Fernando “Pancho” Grasso. The Nordic hopeful wants to deliver a sacrifice for the gods in this one.
GIANNIS BACHAR FIGHT PREP
The Team Shevchenko middleweight gets work in during training while Shevchenko explains that while Valentin is one of the biggest fighters in the competition and likely cuts a lot of weight, Bachar doesn’t cut much at all.
Shevchenko focuses on angles and waiting for opportunities while Bachar goes through his training session, noting that Valentin will be aggressive, and that will create chances for the Team Shevchenko fighter to let loose with his striking.
Bachar’s highlight reel runs, with the Cage Warriors alum explaining that he’s 9-2 overall and riding an eight-fight winning streak. He notes that he started as a kickboxer and tends to use wrestling defensively, adding that when he became a fighter, his family was worried about him getting hurt, shifting into a position of support as he started to have success inside the cage.
The Team Shevchenko training session continues with “Bullet” giving Bachar more instructions. She suggests that while Bachar was the final pick, that’s not a reflection on his talent and potential.
Bachar outlines his approach to his fight with Valentin — close the distance, be defensively responsible, keep it standing as much as possible, and find his chin.
TUF HOUSE
Valentin moves his mattress outside, suggesting that fresh air is the best recovery, while Thomas Theocharis notes that it’s not warm, calling the Swiss competitor this season’s “crazy guy” and “most interesting guy.”
The Team Grasso fighter explains why he likes sleeping outside, while others in the house suggest it’s not something they would pursue. Valentin notes that his faith — Nordic paganism — is deeply important to him, and that the gods are not spiritual figures that are infallible, pointing out that some of his tattoos are runes to remind him of his faith and where he comes from.
“It is a little bit of dark magic,” he says, “but I like the dark.”
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Bachar looks at photos in his room, detailing that he and his wife have two children, a son and a daughter, who are three-and-a-half and two, respectively.
“They don’t understand what I do,” he says with a huge smile on his face, “but sometimes when they see my posters, they say, ‘Wow!’ or something like this. I believe when they grow up, they will think I am a really cool dad.”
His home video from Athens rolls, with Bachar explaining that he moved there when he was four years old after being born in Tunisia. He’s shown at home with his family and in the gym, where he also works with members of the national wrestling team from Greece.
“Most of my life is training,” he adds. “Train. Sleep. Eat. Repeat.”
TEAM SHEVCHENKO TRAINING
Shevchenko loads her team in a small bus and takes them to Adrenaline Mountain Extreme Entertainment Complex in the desert outside Vegas, leading a run while explaining the value she sees in outdoor training.
Everyone on the team seemed to enjoy themselves, appreciating the switch-up from being in the gym, so count this as a win for Coach Shevchenko and her crew.
TUF HOUSE
Valentin speaks with one of his teammates about some of the injuries he’s endured and a point where his fighting future was in question. He acknowledges dealing with depression at the moment where he was injured and grappling (pardon the pun) with the prospect of a life without fighting, mentioning that he doesn’t have a family or much beyond fighting.
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He talks about reaching a point where he didn’t want to be here any more, explaining the meaning behind the tattoo around his naval, which comes from Naruto, and how he’s now in a better place.
His home video rolls with Valentin explaining that he grew up on the heart of Switzerland and now lives in Phuket, Thailand, moving there two years earlier to train at Tiger Muay Thai, a camp Shevchenko has long been affiliated with.
“I like to embrace violence,” he says, detailing his approach.
WEIGH-INS
Bachar is first to the scale, coming in at 184 pounds. Valentin follows, weighing in at 186 pounds.
White calls Valentin “one of the middleweights to watch this season,” and says that Bachar’s key is to stay off the ground.
The two men shake hands and head back to the house for one final sleep before doing battle. They chat a little in the kitchen, and Bachar’s being the last one picked is discussed by each on individual interviews — Valentin noting that he’s high quality, Bachar stating that he shouldn’t have been the final selection.
FIGHT DAY
Each man arrives at the UFC APEX and heads to their respective locker room, getting wrapped and warmed up before making the walk to the Octagon.
Giannis Bachar vs Robert Valentin
Goodnight Irene!
Just 15 seconds into the fight, Bachar presses forward looking to close the distance and Valentin hits him with a right elbow on the temple that stiffens him up instantly. Bachar crashes to the canvas, Valentin follows, and referee Chris Tognoni rushes in right away to halt the action.
What a performance from “Robzilla” to open the middleweight competition.
Robert Valentin Talks Win Over Bachar | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Robert Valentin Talks Win Over Bachar | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Official Result: Robert Valentin defeats Giannis Bachar by KO (right hand)
In reflecting on the fight, Grasso explains Valentin was working on that strike in the back before the fight, and the black-and-white footage of the Swiss finisher landing that sequence with “Pancho” Grasso in the back runs.
White is blown away by the performance and is pumped to see Valentin compete again.
Alexa Grasso Reacts To Robert Valentin Win | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Alexa Grasso Reacts To Robert Valentin Win | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Valentin is understandably proud of his efforts, while Bachar is heartbroken to have not been able to show any of his skills. He explains that he wasn’t expecting an elbow as a counter, though Shevchenko mentioned it to him in the back. It’s the first time he got knocked out in his career, and he expresses uncertainty about his fighting future.
White calls Valentin’s victory “one of the fastest and most impressive finishes we’ve ever had on The Ultimate Fighter,” setting up the next featherweight fight.
Valentina Shevchenko Reacts To Giannis Bachar Loss | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Valentina Shevchenko Reacts To Giannis Bachar Loss | The Ultimate Fighter Season 32
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Grasso has the selection and chooses Kaan Ofli to face Team Shevchenko’s Nathan Fletcher.
It’s 1-1 after two fights and things are just heating up!
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