The competitive tension inside The Ultimate Fighter 33 house continues to escalate, and for coach Daniel Cormier, patience is proving to be a scarce commodity. For the second consecutive week, Cormier watched one of his fighters fall short, a pattern that visibly tested the former two-division champion`s composure.
This week`s featured bout pitted Team Cormier`s Tumelo Manyamala against Team Sonnen`s Roybert Echeverria in a flyweight quarterfinal clash. While Manyamala initiated the action with promising speed and sharp striking, even briefly dropping Echeverria with a well-timed right hand in the first round, the momentum proved difficult to sustain.
Entering the second round likely trailing on the scorecards, Echeverria received clear, strategic guidance from his corner, led by Chael Sonnen and featuring insights from guest coach, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. The directive was direct: abandon striking exchanges and prioritize closing the distance for takedowns.
Echeverria diligently followed the plan. Despite Manyamala successfully defending the initial attempts, Echeverria`s persistence paid off. On his third significant effort, he secured a crucial takedown, transitioning the fight to the ground – precisely where his advantage lay. Once the fight hit the canvas, Echeverria wasted no time, expertly securing a rear-naked choke that forced Manyamala to tap out, earning Team Sonnen a vital victory.
Following the fight, Daniel Cormier`s disappointment was evident. He confronted Manyamala, highlighting the missed opportunity and the perceived lack of aggression in the second round, drawing parallels to previous cautious performances from his team. “It`s frustrating, because you should have won that fight,” Cormier told Manyamala, adding a rather blunt observation about the value of losing: “Don’t waste this opportunity, you’re going to learn a lot now.”
The win brings Team Sonnen closer, though Team Cormier still holds a narrow 4-3 lead in the season tally. With this result, the flyweight semifinalists are now determined for both teams, while the welterweight bracket awaits the outcome of next week`s final quarterfinal bout between Team Sonnen`s Diego Bianchini and Team Cormier`s Rodrigo Sezinando.
As The Ultimate Fighter 33 progresses, the stakes remain high for the fighters vying for a life-changing six-figure UFC contract, ensuring that the tension, both in the cage and the coaches` corners, will only continue to build.
