Schoonover landed heavy knees from the clinch and lit up Jensen with a series of punches before pulling guard and working gradually into a triangle choke. Jensen, considered the weakest fighter in the house, threw short punches until he slipped out of consciousness.
The episode focused on developing Schoonover, 24, as a character, recasting his quiet demeanor into a silence that masks ill will. His coach, Rashad Evans, said Schoonover reminds him of a serial killer. Quinton Jackson’s incessant ribbing, calling the pudgy Schoonover “Titties” ad naseum, led to a shouting match and a faceoff between contestant and rival coach. Schoonover’s drinking routine was also probed.
There was a memorable scene in which Jensen suffered a cut over his eye in training, leading his teammate, Kimbo Slice, to raise his arms in celebration, thinking the injury could be his ticket back into the competition.
Two first-round fights remain in this season’s heavyweight tournament, with Marcus Jones, Scott Junk, Mike Wessel and Matt Mitrione yet to see action.
The latest TUF episode drew a 2.1 share rating for an average of 2.8 million viewers on Spike TV, the level at which the season seems to be settling after the aberration of Slice’s first fight. The average level is still above any TUF season in history, and the numbers in the 18-34 demographic are trumping major sports events.