Joe Stevenson

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTERS25, E1

Redemption

14 welterweights from past seasons of The Ultimate Fighter return to the UFC training center for a second chance in the competition. Some have heartbreaking stories of defeat, others underachieved in the UFC, but all are in search of redemption. After the fighters arrive, Dana White brings in the coaches, UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, and former bantamweight champion and TUF alum, TJ Dillashaw. Former training partners turned bitter rivals, the coaches start the competition by picking their teams and announcing the first two fights, which will happen on the same day.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTERS25, E2

Eat Some Souls

Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw's war of words continues at the second preliminary fight announcement. As they walk back towards their respective locker rooms, the banter escalates and TJ ends up confronting his old Team Alpha Male mentor, Urijah Faber. The two argue over what really happened when TJ quit the team and all the assistant coaches join in on the fray. TJ takes the entire blue team out to celebrate one of the fighter's birthdays. His upcoming welterweight participates in the festivities but only has the upcoming bout on his mind. Back at the gym, the two coaches are hard at work preparing the next two veterans for what promises to be a classic striker versus grappler matchup. Each of the two fighters talk about their different redemption stories and, through their home videos, reveal what their life has been like since the last time they competed on The Ultimate Fighter. TJ visits the house on the day of the fight to prepare his warrior for battle. After a hard-fought combat, the second quarterfinalist is revealed, moving one step closer to the $250,000 grand prize. Then, at the fight announcement for the third preliminary fight, the coaches continue to exchange harsh words.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTERS25, E4

Piece of Us

After being selected to fight next, one of the fighters recalls his past experiences from the last time he was on the show. The next morning, the blue team decides they are going to honor TJ on his birthday by creating a very unique greeting card. They present it to their coach, who is both moved by sentiment and utterly grossed out. As training resumes, the blue coaches train a fighter who considers himself to be a heavy favorite in the upcoming matchup. The fighters get a night off to watch UFC Fight Night and Cody decides to join the party. He visits the house alongside Team Alpha Male and two very special guests - Miesha Tate and Clay Guida. But it's all business for Cody's upcoming fighter, who feels this could be his last opportunity to make it in the UFC. He works hard in training, expecting a tough challenge but also seeming quite confident in his abilities. A fighter shares his complicated family story with his housemates and through home video footage, we get a glimpse of his life back home. Finally, the action-packed fourth preliminary fight determines who moves on to the quarterfinals.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTERS25, E3

Iron Sharpens Iron

One of the teams tries to rebound from its early struggles in the competition. In preparation for their upcoming fight, two fighters with a personal history discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having trained together at the same camp. Through home video footage, we learn about one fighter's home life balancing time with his sons and his busy fight career. In another video, a different fighter shares his story of leaving his home country to live on his own and pursue his fighting career. Then, it's the third preliminary fight, as Team Garbrandt takes on Team Dillashaw with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTERS25, E7

Dark Horse

In a touching moment at the house, one fighter tells the others about a tragic family story that changed his life forever. The next day, we learn about how another fighter juggles training with a unique career back home. Team Garbrandt and Team Dillashaw's last remaining welterweights face off in the final preliminary fight. Then, after Dana calls the coaches into his office to discuss potential picks for the wildcard fight, the matchup is announced.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTERS25, E8

Kryptonite

There's only one quarterfinal spot left to be filled and the two fighters selected for the wildcard matchup waste no time getting back to training. The coaches put all their energy and attention into helping the two welterweights correct their weaknesses in order to avoid another loss. One fighter prepares to throw high volume while the other works on movement in order to setup his takedowns. At the weigh-in, things take an unusual turn as a competitor makes a special request to both teams. The wildcard bout delivers a stunning result and everyone comes together during an emotional moment after the fight. The coaches and teams get together to announce the quarterfinals and the fighters face off to kick off the next phase of the tournament. At practice, a losing fighter takes on a coaching role and helps prepare a teammate who is up next. Meanwhile, his opponent seems quite confident that this is his fight to lose. The time comes for Dana's favorite part of the season and the coaches are set to face off in an epic tetherball game for the coaches challenge. Cody and TJ are forced to put their balancing skills to the test as they play the game atop two balancing beams setup over a swimming pool. Finally, the first two quarterfinalists enter the octagon and the first semifinalist emerges victorious.

Joe Stevenson

Guest Appearances