Team Sonnen’s Jimmy Quinlan submitted Clint Hester of Team Jones with a rear-naked choke on The Ultimate Fighter 17.
As expected, Quinlan — an accomplished wrestler and grappler — pressed forward quickly, wrapped his arms around the athletic Hester and slammed him to the ground. However, after a minute of being controlled on the ground, Hester secured an underhook and used it to get back to his feet. He then looked to secure a guillotine choke and as Quinlan defended it Hester began throwing knees.
Hester, who has some experience as a boxer, landed a big combination with his hands that had Quinlan briefly stunned before Quinlan shot in for yet another takedown. Quinlan took Hester down to the mat with one minute left in the round, but Hester continued to land little shots as Quinlan maintained top position.
To start the second round, in an uncharacteristic move, Hester immediately shot in for a takedown, but this time Quinlan used a guillotine attempt to defend. When Quinlan fought off Hester’s attack he landed a takedown of his own and quickly moved into mount. From mount he took Hester’s back and from back-mount Quinlan locked in a rear-naked choke that forced the tap from Hester.
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Quinlan joins his teammates Luke Barnatt, Kelvin Gastelum and Uriah Hall, as well as Team Jones’ Collin Hart and Josh Samman in the quarterfinals.
Since there are only two competitors remaining that have yet to fight in the preliminary round, next week’s matchup was an easy one to decide: Team Jones’ Dylan Andrews will face Team Sonnen’s Zak Cummings in the final preliminary bout.
Also during Tuesday’s episode, Samman, who knocked out Team Sonnen’s Tor Troeng on last week’s episode, was taken to the hospital after waking up with severe leg pain. Samman revealed he has a history of blood clots and was checked by doctors to make sure his pain was nothing serious.
Luckily for Samman, clotting was not an issue and other than some soreness in his left quadriceps he will be able to stay in the competition.
Hall once again stirred the pot with his fellow housemates, as he continued to distance himself from the group with his standoffish attitude as the fighters enjoyed a night out of the house at a Hooters restaurant.
On the next episode of TUF 17, Andrews and Cummings meet in the cage, coaches Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen take part in a coaches challenge operating some heavy machinery, and UFC president Dana White chooses which fighter that lost their first bout in the TUF House will get a second chance in the tournament as this season’s wild card selection.
