TUF Nations Episode One: Johnson Puts Canada Up; Laprise Keeps it Real
The Ultimate Fighter: Nations cast – Photo from TUF Facebook
From the opening speech, Canadian coach veteran Patrick Cote led with good karma by giving the Australians the flip of the coin for the first fight pick and control to lead off the competition. The coin flipped a Canadian Moose and Cote chose Tristar veteran and ultra experienced Kajan Johnson to take on Brendan O’Reilly in the first fight.
Johnson is a flamboyant personality who has fought the who’s who in Canadian MMA since the early 2000’s. Johnson was on the fast track to the big leagues before a serious eye injury derailed his young career.
Back at the house, the Canadian team spoke quietly and confidently about the fact that Johnson is on another level than his opponent O’Reilly. It was a feeling that rang through all the Canadians, who seemed to feel that the Australians were not quite at their level of technical training. Canuck veteran Luke Harris even went so far as to predict a sweep of all the fights on the season.
Conflict arose right away as the Australians could hear all the disparaging words through the wood walls of the posh, cabin style fighter house, and confronted the Canadians on it. Good on them for standing up, and they basically told the Canadians that they could hear them, and that they should just say it to their faces. Cooler heads prevailed, and no matter how bad the Aussies feelings may have been hurt, in my opinion, what the Canadians say has some merit and it played itself out quickly in the first fight of the season.
O’Reilly came out fast, hard and aggressive and secured the first significant move of the fight with a solid take down. Johnson was able to quickly maneuver to a leg and ankle lock before getting the fight back to the feet.
That early clash appeared to show O’Reilly the heavier and stronger fighter, but in a typical show of inexperience, he went too big and heavy early, and blew his gas tank in the process.
Johnson quickly turned the tide on the “stronger” fighter and used his cardio and jiu jitsu experience to gain control of the fight through the course of the next minutes. Johnson was able to use the clinch and knees to get O’Reilly to fall willingly, he then took control of a tired O’Reilly and eventually took his back for the rear naked choke submission victory. Johnson pockets $5000 for the finish and Canada leads 1-0.
The next fight is announced at 185 pounds as Elias Theodorou vs. Zein Saliba. Theodorou is an undefeated Score Fighting Series and Bellator veteran, and Saliba is a judo black belt who has not had an MMA fight in a year.
Laprise Watch
Chatham’s own Team Canada participant Chad Laprise was not involved in the first fight of the season but he did get some decent face time in the opening episode of the season, and he quickly displayed his true and humble, “good guy” personality.
He opened with some positive thoughts on Tristar teammate and Canada’s first fighter Kajan Johnson. Laprise told the camera that Kajan is a big personality with a very well rounded game.
The next time on camera was during Dana White’s opening speech and Laprise commented on how real things get when you see “the man who controls your whole fate in terms of fighting.” It is amazing to see Chad in this moment. A small town boy going after big dreams.
When Canada’s team members were doubting the Aussies’ level of mixed martial arts experience, the camera went to Laprise who said “Yeah well they may not be as technically good as we are, they are all tough guys right, they are all bangers who are going to bring it.” Chad knows that there is more to fighting than kicking and punching.
The highlight of the first episode for Laprise is that he basically called the fight to happen exactly how it would in saying that Johnson is very good everywhere, but that in the end, he would submit his opponent.