On last week’s episode, Randa Markos became the season’s first semifinalist with an upset submission of Felice Herrig. Tonight, two more Team Pettis fighters -- No. 4 seed Jessica Penne and No. 5 Aisling Daly -- square off to see who advances on the other side of the bracket.
“Ais and I have an odd relationship,” Kish explains. “I’m pretty sure she hates me.”
Penne says she has tried to steer clear of “all of the little tiffs and drama” in the house. A self-described loner, the former Invicta FC atomweight titleholder admits that she can’t help but open up and be friendly with Kish.
Coach Anthony Pettis acknowledges that, with five of his charges remaining in the tournament and a UFC belt on the line, the usual “TUF” team allegiances are now out the window.
“These girls are fighting for a UFC title. They’re not here to be a part of Team Pettis anymore. They’re fighting for themselves,” says Pettis, whose divided squad has taken to training in two separate shifts. “I can’t be biased. My involvement as a coach is going to be to step back and let them decide how they’re gonna take their fights.”
Training with Kish seemingly exclusively, Penne admits that it’s been difficult to emulate Daly’s unorthodox style.
Pettis and Gilbert Melendez join the fighters at a Las Vegas Harley-Davidson dealership for what Melendez describes as “motorcycle boot camp.” A four-minute advertisement for the UFC sponsor ensues as the women learn about the “Harley-Davidson lifestyle.”
In a confessional, Daly explains that a draining week has left Team Pettis splintered and her own “emotional energy bank” running on low. Right on cue, SBG Ireland teammate Conor McGregor pops into the gym; “The Notorious” is in Vegas to do some pre-fight promoting for his UFC 178 bout with Dustin Poirier, and he thought he’d stop by to show Daly some support. McGregor can’t help but lift the UFC strawweight belt off its display and drape it across his shoulder, but he quickly tells Daly that the title is hers to take.
“To have an Irish female athlete competing in ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ it’s phenomenal,” McGregor says. “Now that the 115-pound division is being put in, it’s phenomenal. The whole country’s gonna get behind her, and I have no doubt she’s gonna get that belt back to Ireland.”
McGregor gets a slightly frostier reception from the rest of Team Pettis, only a few of whom bother to get up and greet the featherweight contender. Rejuvenated from the visit, Daly bids farewell to her friend.
“They can’t break us,” McGregor tells her as he leaves. “They cannot break us.”
“No, they can’t,” agrees Daly. “A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter, and I’m a happy little Irish girl right now.”
It’s fight time, and Penne comes to the cage with Kish and striking coach Scott Cushman. Daly, wrapped in an Irish flag, is flanked by Sergio Pettis and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Daniel Wanderley. Veteran official Herb Dean will referee the bout.
Daly switches stances a few times before walking into the pocket and getting cracked by a stiff, right-handed counter. On her next combination, Daly leaves her right hand outstretched and sticks a finger in Penne’s left eye. Penne takes about 20 seconds to recover, then gets back to business by sticking a long jab in Daly’s grill. Penne changes levels for a takedown, then comes back up with a body lock and pushes Daly against the fence. Daly defends with her back to the cage but eats some hard right hands in the process.
Penne goes back to working for the takedown and gets reversed, and now it’s Daly’s turn to thump her opponent’s body with short shots. The strawweights jockey for position in the clinch, and Daly smothers Penne’s mouth before landing a couple punches that have Penne circling out. Still finding her target with quick right hands, Penne tries to mix in some front kicks but pulls up short. When she tries to clinch again, Daly digs an underhook and tosses Penne to the ground. Penne gets back to her feet and finishes the round tagging Daly with punches near the fence.
After the first round ends, Daly complains that Penne poked her in the eye with the final combination. Referee Dean acknowledges that he saw the foul, and he instructs Penne to “watch [her] fingers.” Penne’s corner tells her to commit to her punches and close the distance, while Daly’s advises her to go for a takedown or take Penne’s back.
Instead, Daly comes out swinging and hits Penne with a couple early punches before snuffing out a takedown attempt. The fighters engage in another clinch battle on the fence before Daly takes Penne’s back standing and spins her to the ground. Daly allows her to stand, and they get back to striking with three minutes on the clock. Penne begins scoring with long punches again, using her range to keep Daly out of the pocket. Daly is tenacious and eventually closes the gap to clinch on the fence, where Penne tosses her to the mat and mounts the Irish fighter. Daly stands and tries to slip out the back door, but Penne’s long legs keep her in place, dropping punches for the final 20 seconds.
The judges declare the bout a draw, so Daly and Penne will fight a decisive third round.
“This is where you go the smart way,” Wanderley tells Daly. “Don’t make this a brawl.”
Daly gets in Penne’s face with a couple left hands and follows with a kick to the body, but when she moves in to clinch, Penne again tosses her to the ground. Daly threatens with a heel hook and avoids a back-mount by escaping out the back door. This leaves Penne on her back, fishing for a triangle choke which she can’t secure. With Daly clung to her left leg, Penne sits up and drops right hands on her kneeling opponent, then turns the corner to jump on Daly’s back. Daly rolls over, giving Penne full mount before forcing her back to guard halfway through the round.
Penne pushes back to half guard and puts short left hands on Daly’s ribs as referee Dean threatens to bring the fighters to their feet. Before he’s able to do that, Daly kicks off the fence and stands to march forward on Penne, who lands a hard counter left off her back foot. Daly shoots for a takedown with 30 seconds remaining, but by the time she’s able to pull Penne to the ground at the 10-second clapper, it’s too late.
Penne takes the judges’ decision in what coach Pettis hails as one of the best fights of the season. The Californian is proud of her performance despite not scoring the submission win for which she’d hoped. A despondent Daly says she felt “sluggish” in the fight and was never able to get going.
The two remaining quarterfinals will be contested next week, as Carla Esparza and Tecia Torres square off for the chance to meet Penne, while Joanne Calderwood and Rose Namajunas meet to decide Markos’ semifinal opponent.