TUF 20 Episode 1 Results and Recap: Season Opens with New Format and Major Upset

The Ultimate Fighter returned for its 20th season on Wednesday evening, and it may be the most anticipated season since the show first aired. After 19 seasons, a new division will be implemented through the show, and a champion will be crowned at its finale.

The UFC brought in eight of Invicta FC’s strawweight division fighters for the show—including champion Carla Esparza—and did open workouts to select the other eight cast members.

The season began with a bang, as a new format was announced for this particular season and one of the biggest upsets in TUF history went down.

Randa Markos upended rising prospect Tecia Torres by unanimous decision. It was a close fight, but Markos won the second frame to push it to a sudden-death third round. In the final round, Markos did enough to get the nod on the scorecards and advance to the quarterfinals.

Team Pettis	Team Melendez	Result
No.1 Carla Esparza	No.16 Angela Hill
No.9 Justine Kish	No.8 Bec Rawlings
No.5 Aisling Daly	No.12 Angela Magana
No.4 Jessica Penne	No.13 Lisa Ellis
No.2 Joanne Calderwood	No.15 Emily Kagan
No.10 Alex Chambers	No.7 Rose Namajunas
No.6 Felice Herrig	No.11 Heather Clark
No.14 Randa Markos	No.3 Tecia Torres	Markos d. Torres by Decision

Note: The highlighted matchup is the fight that will air next week.

• The opening to the show was fantastic. The show did a great job of explaining how this season came about and showing love to Invicta FC. The partnership between Invicta FC and the UFC has already proved fruitful and only looks to be a positive for both organizations.
• The best things about the premiere episode were the fighter profiles. In seasons past, we have gotten short quips from the fighters at the hotel as they attempt to win a fight to get in the house. However, this season, with fighters already signed to the organization, TUF went to their training camps to film pieces on the fighters. It was some of the best work the show has done in recent memory, and it did a fantastic job of promoting these athletes to a wider audience.
• The UFC showed it is focused on the future of the division with the eight women who were selected from the tryout shows. The promotion picked a mixture of veterans and young fighters. Other veterans could have been chosen, but prospects such as Angela Hill were picked instead. It is obvious the UFC wanted some young talent on the roster to help build a potential future star.
• The new format for this season is simple. It is a seeded tournament. The coaches do not have to pick a matchup. The tournament is already set, and they just have to decide when that fight will happen. It is a great way to do this season, as a title is on the line and several members of the cast are ranked.
• We typically see a difference in coaching styles during evaluations, but the contrast between Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez is stark. Melendez was very laid-back in his evaluations, while Pettis took a more authoritative approach. It will be interesting to see how each team’s fighters progress throughout the season under their respective coaches.
• As an aside, the team colors this season are very similar. I am not sure if that was deliberate, but it may make it difficult for the viewer to know which fighter is on what team just by glancing at the jerseys.
• Entering the show, everyone knew of one rivalry—Heather Jo Clark vs. Felice Herrig. And as luck would have it, they are going to fight in the first round. There is no wondering if this fight will happen—only when. I, for one, am glad of that. It makes their episode, whenever that may be, a very interesting one to watch.
• The first fight of the season pitted No. 14 seed Randa Markos against No. 3 seed Tecia Torres. Torres moved up the ranks quickly with her impressive wins in Invicta FC, but Markos showed that the youngster still has a ways to go in her development. Markos did a fantastic job of outgrappling her en route to a decision win. It was a big upset and one that very few could see coming. It was a heck of a way to kick off the highly anticipated season.
• Next week’s matchup is between No. 2 seed Joanne Calderwood and No. 15 seed Emily Kagan.