TUF 17 Contestant Clint Hester's TUF Blog: Episode 3

Hester's TUF Profile

Heading into the third episode of the 17^th season of The Ultimate Fighter, there was an incredible amount of hype. The hype was surrounding a supposed “one of the worst knockouts not just in TUF history, but in all of the fight business”. Many were skeptical due to Dana’s love of hyping fights.

Well, it was one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history. It was not only hard to watch, but it made you grimace and cringe. It was both beautiful, and terrifying.

But before I write out a whole article about it, let’s welcome Clint Hester back for his point of view:

So this episode starts out showing Bubba calling out Kevin "King" Casey, and King expressing his feelings about being called out, still having a cut from elimination fights. Which is interesting for me, because I don't feel one should have a tough guy attitude when it comes to The Ultimate Fighter. Especially when you have a house full of this much talent!

Next thing we see is how Uriah's past affects him today in his adult life. I can see how it would be hard to go from being degraded and ridiculed as a young child to where a simple joke would trigger so much anger in the blink of an eye. But when you are around a group of new people, sometimes customs are just very different. Then we all get to see how Adam has come along in his fight career, which impresses me because he has a “plan B” making this is a no pressure situation. So we know that he can still enjoy the fun in the sport that we all love. 

We all know that we are in a sport that is 90% mental when you really give it an in-depth look. If you're not in it mentally, no matter how much talent or athleticism you have, all the talents in the world won't help anything! 

So now we go to the fight. I loved how Adam went out and let his hands go. He came to fight. He threw combos, controlled the ring, and was the aggressor. But there were times when Uriah's strength and speed helped to not completely give Adam the edge. Then we see a very nasty KO. It was all due to Adam making a very small mistake that very few fighters would actually be able to capitalize on. Because the window of opportunity that Adam gave Uriah was so small, it just goes to show Uriah's striking level. Now Team Jones is down 0-2. We have to wait and see what happens with Collin Hart vs. "King" Kevin Casey!! 

TUF 17 Contestant Clint Hester's TUF Blog: Episode 2

Clint Hester's TUF profile.

With the first official fight of the season in the books, the controversy has already begun. When Jones picked the shortest competitor, Gilbert Smith, against the tallest competitor in Luke Barnatt, many were skeptical as to why Jones would have set up such a bizarre matchup.

Now that episode 2 is in the books, let’s welcome back TUF 17 favorite Clint Hester for his second entry:

So tonight’s episode was pretty awesome! I don't know if I'm excited because I have lived with the other thirteen guys for six weeks and I know how everything went down, but this show has been great!!

So this episode was named ambush and it seemed more of ambush the way it happened. Team Jones was trying to change the fight pick right before we went out to announce it, and we did it that way because we weren’t really sure how to break our feelings to [Gilbert] Jamal.

From my point of view, I thought Jamal had it in the bag except from times when he would speak about not having positive reinforcement like he usually does back home. So I'm thinking to myself, “He will not be able to focus for this fight or it will be too much pressure on him just from the way he is acting.” Then we had him trying to defend himself about his cardio and going in trying to prove a point to us, which was not needed in my opinion. He got the fight and now you have nothing to prove in my eyes. All we had to do as fighters was do whatever it took to get to the next round.

So, with all that being said, I feel Jamal went into the cage and did what was planned. It just sucks that there wasn't a plan B.

What I remember from being there was his arms got tired from exerting so much energy going for the takedowns. He should have stepped back and blasted Luke with combos because when he would throw he would land! But we all live and we all learn with each fight and I feel that was a great fight and he went out there to win it. It's just that my man Luke Barnatt wasn't giving anything away and he capitalized on a bad shot and clipped Jamal with a knee that put him out.

But keep watching because two people who loose will get selected for the wild card. Will it be Gilbert Jamal Smith? Or will it be another contestant that dreams of being the Ultimate Fighter who got cut short in this first round? Stay tuned for a great, exciting season!

CR Exclusive Interview with Stephen Regman

Mr. Regman and his daily apparel.

There is one name flying up the amateur MMA welterweight ranks: Stephen Regman.

Stephen Regman sports a 7-2 record and is the current DSMMA welterweight champion. He trains out of Team Tiger Schulmann with Bellator and UFC vets like Nick Pace, Uriah Hall, Lyman Good, Louis Gaudinot, and Munah Holland. Nothing can really go wrong training with those guys!

In his upcoming fight, which is also his 3^rd title defense for DSMMA, against Roland Barringer, Regman looks to utilize his excellent kickboxing for an early KO.

He sat down with us before his upcoming title fight. Check it out:

Championship Rounds: So I heard your next fight is on the 21st and it's going to be your 3rd title defense! Talk about your next title challenger.

Stephen Regman: He has pretty good stand up and Mauy Thai! I’ll be alert because he does have good punching power. I back down from no one, though, and as champ I will have to once again show why I am the champion!

CR: What's the plan for training camp?

SR: No specific gameplan for the fight. I’ll just go out there and fight the way I know how to fight best. My teammates and I have been working our cardio even more just so that we are ready for anything.

CR: When are you planning on making your pro MMA debut?

SR: Hopefully, I can make my Pro MMA debut soon! I’ve been working a lot on improving my skill sets between kickboxing, jui jitsu, and my cardio. By doing all of that, I know that it would be a smooth transition for me when the time comes!

CR: Who are your typical training partners at Team Tiger Schulmann?

SR: Well, there’s the former Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman Good who is extremely strong, well rounded and an excellent person to train with. He is also getting ready for his Bellator fight September 28th in Atlantic City. Uriah Hall, current ROC Middleweight Champion, who is lighting fast with both his hands and legs. Carlos Brooks, one of the quickest light heavyweights I know! Last but not least, Nissim Levy. When fighting Nissim, always keep your hands up! He has a freight train for a punch; always have to be focused! You know, all of these men are great individuals and are also part of the reasons why I have gotten better and am successful throughout my fight career.

CR: What made you want to become a kickboxer and MMA fighter?

SR: I was a huge power ranger and ninja turtle fan has a kid! After I started training with Tiger Schulmann’s MMA, I decided to pay more attention to mixed martial arts fights on the television. Ever since then, I also begun having interest in trying it out myself and here we are now!

Great interview with a very promising fighter! Make sure you guys follow him on Twitter @Stephen_Regman and support him in his career as it unfolds!