Elias Theodorou of Mississauga, Ont., is one of eight Canadians competing on TUF Nations. He will be writing weekly blogs for sportsnet.ca to share an inside perspective about what went on inside the gym and house.
TUF Nations: Canada vs. Australia episode eight recap
Knowing The Score…
So, what’s the tally after seven episodes? Ah, yes. Your friendly Canucks five and the dastardly Aussies two. The Quebecois Kid, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, won his fight with dominating positional control to remain undefeated last week. Oliver (the best Pokémon master lookalike ever) celebrated this week with some hand dancing, cheesy poutine and fancy wine. C’est magnifique!
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Jake, his opponent, on the other hand, was in a much less jovial state. The young UFC hopeful had never tasted defeat before and to be served his first helping on such a large stage was unquestionably devastating. His team rallied behind him and attempted to cheer him up and put his loss into perspective. At the tender age of 19, the young gun needed to look to his bright future and become a “Belieber” again. We would later witness his smile return after Coach Noke pushed him to train immediately following his fight. All is well again.
The Waiting Game Sucks…
That left the last of the “big boys,” Luke and Vik (the nega-Spartan), to duke it out for the final spot in the middleweight tournament semifinals. Both were none too happy when the party supplies (i.e., food) arrived just before their weigh-ins. Cutting weight blows goats, especially if you’ve been watching your poundage the entire time, only to compete last. “The waiting game sucks! Let’s play Hungry, Hungry Hippos,” the wise Homer J. Simpson once said. They both agreed to get pizzas of their own after their bout.
Cool Hand Luke…
Luke is the biggest of our bunch. He’s a choking machine that normally walks around at a lean, mean 220 pounds. For those unfamiliar with Luke outside of TUF Nations, he’s been tearing up the Canadian circuit for years. With 13 pro fights prior to entering the house, including 10 first-round submission finishes, Luke is a Canadian MMA powerhouse.
Luke possesses a wealth of combat sports knowledge, beginning as a judo specialist and then later adding jiu-jitsu, after exploring Brazil and falling in love with the culture and its sport. “Jiu-jitsu is life” and Luke discovered a newfound passion for competition during his journey.
The final complement to his arsenal was learning the additional elements of MMA and, as mentioned earlier, he’s built a great record and career. Back home, he’s a coach and mentor to the students at his gym, the Hayabusa Training Centre. He talked a great deal about them and how proud he was to train them. At the TUF house, he put on the mentor hat many times, helping nearly all of us cut weight for our fights and then assisting with post-weigh-in rehydration. Luke is the man and I am thankful for his help and proud to call him a friend.
Luke vs Vik…
During the fight, Luke was unable to find his groove out the gate, which Vik had no problem taking advantage of. The nega-Spartan jabbed and used distance to control the reach of the much bigger Harris. In just a few short moments, Vik was able to stun the Canadian with a couple good shots before taking him to the ground. Once there, Vik wasted no time, dropping vicious elbows and putting our teammate out. This left all of Team Canada in shock. You could even see my stunned reaction.
Lessons Learned & Moving Forward…
Back in the locker room, as the Aussies celebrated another unexpected win, we came to our teammate and friend’s side. Luke was visibly shaken, but more disappointed than anything. It was the most important fight of his life and it definitely didn’t go the way he wanted. After getting his wounds looked at—before the bruises even had a chance to begin healing—Luke was already looking forward. He loves to train, teach his students and fight. Losing, as with any sport, is a part of the game. I am sure he is working to fix his mistake and will have his hand raised after his next fight.
The Next Round…
With all the quarterfinal bouts completed, it’s time for those with the oh-so-important Ws to get ready for the next step. For me, that meant no more eating! I was able to roughly count the number of cheat days, but really pushed the limit. I may have had one too many banana splits and cheesecakes, but, hell, I deserved it! It’s hard not to eat like this when you can order just about anything.
On a serious note, I was excited for the semis and knew exactly who I wanted to fight: Tyler Manawaroa. “The Wild Thing” pulled off the upset of the season when he edged Nordine Taleb by decision in their bout. Plus, he has an unblemished record even greater than mine: 10-0 compared to my 8-0. How could I possibly pass on the opportunity to face the brash brawler from Queensland? Of course, it’s up to the boss, Dana White, but I was happy to potentially put my undefeated record on the line against his. Only time will tell if I get my wish. Stay tuned and keep rocking in the free world. Spartan out!
Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasTheodorou