The Ultimate Fighter returned this Wednesday night and saw American Top Team looking to avenge their loss in the opening episode of this season.
Kamaru Usman utilized his wresting acumen to grind out a decision against Michael Graves to give the Blackzilians an early lead in the points standings. It was a rather uneventful fight that saw UFC President Dana White call for the next fighters to show a little something more.
Suffering his first loss as a professional, Graves talked with his teammates about concerns moving forward in his MMA career. Fans love to think as MMA fighters as the ultimate tough guys and Graves’ conversation about a drop in confidence was an excellent example of the mental strain fighters endure. While Graves struggled to maintain the same confidence level as before, his teammate Hayder Hassan was anxious to step in the cage. He attempted to play “mind games” with Usman but the Blackzilians member wasn’t having any of it.