In the fifth episode of The Ultimate Fighter 33, a flyweight bout featured Team Cormier`s Alibi Idiris of Kazakhstan taking on Team Sonnen`s Furkatbek Yokubov of Uzbekistan. Despite encountering challenges during the fight, Idiris, an undefeated fighter, ultimately secured a decision victory to advance in the tournament.
Yokubov initially seemed to have an edge in striking, landing body kicks and counter punches. However, after a brief pause caused by an accidental low blow from Yokubov, Idiris closed the distance and focused on utilizing his strong wrestling base to bring the fight to the ground.
With referee Jason Herzog warning Yokubov for grabbing the fence, Idiris successfully powered through for a takedown and began delivering damaging ground-and-pound. Yokubov survived to the second round, which opened with a fast-paced striking exchange. During this, Idiris accidentally poked Yokubov in the eye, prompting Herzog to immediately deduct a point from Idiris.
Fortunately for Idiris, the point deduction did not affect the final outcome. He regained control through his dominant wrestling in the second round, which paved the way for him to win the two-round fight via decision.
Team Cormier now has two flyweights confirmed for the semifinals, with Alibi Idiris joining teammate Imanol Rodriguez. The only other flyweight semifinalist identified so far is Team Sonnen`s Joseph Morales. Overall, Team Cormier has extended their lead in the series to 4-1, thanks to welterweight victories from Daniil Donchenko and Jeff Creighton in previous episodes.
This week`s episode also featured special guest appearances. Daniel Cormier invited former TUF 24 participant and two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, along with Super Bowl winner and fellow ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, to speak with his team. Moreno emphasized the significance of the TUF experience, sharing how his initial loss on the show did not deter him from later achieving championship success. Ryan Clark offered words of encouragement and a pep talk to Idiris and Team Cormier before the fight.
Looking ahead to next week`s episode, the welterweight quarterfinal action continues as Team Cormier`s Alex Sanchez of Mexico is set to face Team Sonnen`s Matt Dixon of the USA.
The Ultimate Fighter 33 airs live every Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
It`s worth noting that, unlike many previous seasons of the show, coaches Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen are both long retired and will not compete in a fight against each other at the conclusion of this season.
The tournament finalists in both the welterweight and flyweight divisions will compete for a life-changing six-figure UFC contract in the show`s live finale fights. The specific date for these highly anticipated bouts has not yet been announced.
TUF 33 Team Rosters:
Team Cormier
Flyweights
Imanol Rodriguez, Alibi Idiris
Welterweights
Daniil Donchenko, Jeff Creighton, Alex Sanchez
Team Sonnen
Flyweights
Joseph Morales, Furkatbek Yokubov
Welterweights
Richard Martins, Andreeas Binder, Eduardo Henrique, Arshiyan Memon, Matt Dixon
Quarterfinal Results So Far:
Joseph Morales def. Eduardo Henrique via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Daniil Donchenko def. Richard Martins via decision
Imanol Rodriguez def. Arshiyan Memon via first-round TKO (strikes)
Jeff Creighton def. Andreeas Binder via decision
Alibi Idiris def. Furkatbek Yokubov via decision
