Chael Sonnen’s top pick Luke Barnatt knocked out Team Jones’ Gilbert Smith with a vicious flying knee in the first preliminary fight on The Ultimate Fighter 17.
The matchup featured one of the biggest height discrepancies in TUF history as 6-foot-6 Barnatt towered over the 5-foot-9 Gilbert Smith.
In the first round, Barnatt hit Smith with a low blow with the first kick he landed. Smith was no worse for wear, however, and after a brief breather the action resumed.
As Smith, 30, attempted a single-leg takedown, Barnatt pulled guard then quickly got back to his feet and took Smith down with a slick trip. Smith used his powerful frame to force his way back to his feet where he ate some knees but also landed a couple punches of his own.
Barnatt, 24, took Smith to the ground again with the same trip and the two scrambled. The later part of the round saw the two switch positions several times with the lanky Brit shrugging off several takedown attempts from the stocky American.
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In the second round, Smith came out aggressive with his wrestling attack, but Barnatt defended more single-leg attempts while landing short elbows and attempting kimuras to keep Smith defending even he was the one pressing Barnatt his against the fence.
Then, after the two separated from along the cage, Barnatt landed a huge flying knee that knocked Smith unconscious.
OUCH!!!!! #TUF
— TUF on FX (@TUFonFX) January 30, 2013
Well THAT came out of nowhere!!! #TUF
— TUF on FX (@TUFonFX) January 30, 2013
Heading into the fight, Smith’s teammates questioned his cardio and mental strength since he fatigued in training sessions and broke down emotionally in the house early on.
When all was said and done, Jones, who picked the matchup, ultimately agreed with his team’s assessment of Smith.
“Gilbert lost the fight before he got here,” said Jones, who pointed to confidence and cardio as the reasons Smith lost.
Barnatt moves onto the quarterfinals and even though Smith lost he is still eligible for a wild card spot following all seven preliminary fights.
On the next episode, Team Sonnen’s Uriah Hall will fight Team Jones’ Adam Cella in a fight that ends in what UFC president Dana White describes as, “one of the nastiest knockouts I’ve ever seen in the fight business, let alone on The Ultimate Fighter.”