TUF Times ep. 7 with Darrill Schoonover and Zak Jensen

Another episode of TUF is over and (SPOILER ALERT) Team Rashad has continued its sweep in the first round, being 7-0 now with Matt Mitrione’s victory over Scott Junk. The fight was an absolute brawl that seemed to elate Dana White, but other than that, this episode turned into the Matt Mitrione hour, as we saw “The Rat” in action, talking with voices in his head and picking fights with anyone within a three foot radius. All he needs is some face paint and tassles on his arms and we could have the Ultimate Warrior on our hands! To discuss the results of this weeks show, we have Darrill Schoonover from Team Rashad and Zak Jensen from Team Rampage! Normally Justin Wren would join us but he got hit with some bad snow in CO. but we will update the post when we hear from thim.

Q: After the fight picks, Rampage and Rashad got “froggy”. Who typically started these confrontations? Did any fighters help it escalate?

Darrill Schoonover: It depends. Sometimes Rampage would say something and it would escalate, sometimes Rashad would say something and it would escalate. Since Rampages team was losing so much he was eventually going to get to him with every little thing so Rashad would say he is a bad coach, etc. There are a few times when Rashad would go over there while his guys were sitting in the kitchen and tell them to train with us. I think that is why Rampage was starting to get heated but it was back and forth. I always thought James McSweeney was always around any time that happened, so he was involved in a majority of that.

Zak Jensen: Rampage usually started. Know on really helped escalate them they just got heated on there own. They really didn’t like each other this was just them going at each other and they only stopped when they were separated, you look at the first five minutes of the season they were at each others throats.

Q: Do you think the note Mitrione found was real or do you think he wrote it?

DS: That was something that Matt made up. It was a douchebag move. He was trying to get the fight switched, I don’t know, but basically he wrote a letter to Junk saying that Mike was scared to fight him and thats why he was going to fight him.

ZJ: Matt wrote it, he was a drama queen and he had a plan. I wasn’t in his head nor would I want to, it seemed like a very scary place. He was in his own world and didn’t care who he pissed off.

Q: Why was Meathead spending so much time trying to manipulate people and not focusing on his fight?

ZJ: I think he was and he was just trying to get people of there game and talking about his stupidity. He obviously new what he was doing because it worked and he won, but he pissed off a lot of people on the way. There was a reason he was called meathead.

DS: I don’t know, maybe he is just one of those guys that likes to cause drama. I am not like that at all, I like to sit back and think about the fight and just relax, but I guess he thinks different.

Q: James McSweeney seems to be whereever the drama is, did he just happen to always be at the right place at the right time or was he scouting for it?

DS: I think he was looking for it. I know it was maybe the first or second episode where he was like “I’m not that kind of guy, I try to avoid it, blah blah blah” but every episode I watch he is always there and involved in something happening.

ZJ: Well first off James loved to cause drama and he hated Matt ever since the fight pick drama. He told Rashad so Rashad would get on Matt. Also Rashad and James are like best friends in real life. They train together at Jackson’s and also I believe live together when they are in New Mexico.

Q: Furthermore, why was he telling about the note?

DS: I didn’t even know that, I haven’t seen the episode yet and I did not know he was the one who told Rashad about the note. (laughs) That’s just how James is. I remember in my episode he was always running around telling Rashad I drink too much. He is just like a little rat or a kid from high school who tells the teacher.

Q: Mitrione said he hears voices and demons in his head. Do you hear any voices other than your own?

DS: (Laughs) No, no voices! Matt actually said that?

Q: Yeah, it’s like half the episode he says that.

DS: (Still laughing) I did not know he said that. Are you being serious?

Q: Yeah, he says he hears demons and he talks with his wife before the fight in his head.

DS: (Laughing uncontrollably) Maybe he was just playing a role in his head to be a character. There are some weird guys out there, remember Diego Sanchez in season one, that dude was kinda weird too.

ZJ: Well when I am feeling down and out I try to think about what my late grand father would say or do. He was a great man and I valued his opinion in life and still look up to him to this day.

Q: Did Matt overreact to the slapping comment from Jon Madsen?

ZJ: Yes, your a damn pro MMA fighter you get punched and kicked in the face, who cares about a slap. It was ridiculous and he was acting like a damn baby.

DS: What it was was Jon was an all around nice guy but he was kind of an ass at the same time, he had a cocky attitude. He was getting under a few guys skin at the time and when he said he would slap Matt, Matt just took it to heart and said I am going to put him in place and that is what happened at practice. I think he went too far tho, it is one thing to kick someone’s ass in sparring but it is another to yell and rant like an asshole and yell at the coaches.

Q: What day did you vote for Mitrione to snap?

DS: I avoided any of that drama or little stuff. The thing that surprised me, and I even told Zak, he signed up for a few things and I was like, “Hey Zak, don’t you remember a week ago it was these same guys that you were trying to be friends with were talking shit with you.” And he was like “Matt signed my calendar too” but it’s the same thing. Obviously he did not like it when everyone was picking on him so why do that to someone else when you get a chance, just turn the other cheek and try to be the bigger man.

ZJ: I picked his fight day, I know I should not have because it made me no better then my tormentors. I did it because he picked a day on my calender. I would like to apologize because I know i was in the wrong and it was childish to have picked a date on his calender.

Q: Did Mitrione have a fighter mentality, a football mentality or a tough guy mentality?

ZJ: He had a man with voices in his head mentality.

DS: I think he had a football mentality. Everything he does in the gym is 100% full speed, and I think that is alot of the reasons his injuries came about.

Q: Lets talk Mitrione VS Junk, give us the fight analysis.

ZJ: They came right at each other. He knocked Junk down 3 or 4 times in the 90 seconds. Matt won the first round and at the end of it both fighters looked tired and Scott’s right eye was already almost swollen shut. The second round was all Scott with a take down and also some ground and pound. The fight slowed down a lot form the first round and Scott won the second round and it should have gone to a third but 2 judges thought Matt won both rounds and one judge had it as a draw.

DS: From what I remember, it was mainly a brawl. Matt was lightning fast in the beginning and getting good shots, moving alot, and Scott was getting hit. Matt dropped him a few times, Scott got back up, they were just throwing hay makers from hell. I think Matt won every round and it was a good fight.

Q: Dana White seemed very pleased by this fight, despite it being almost like a slo-mo instant replay of two rounds. Did you think this was an exciting fight?

DS: I could see how people would like this fight since it was two guys standing there and throwing everything they have into each others face. Technically speaking, it was not very sound but it was enjoyable.

ZJ: It was an exciting first 3 minutes and then it slowed down. It was a good fight but not the best fight there has been.

Q: So Matt won his fight, if you were not on his team would you have wanted to see him lose for his attitude?

DS: No, I got along with Matt alright and he did not try that dumb shit with me so I think for the most part I got along with him. At the same time, I really like Scott and that is one of the main reasons I was going for Matt since he was on my team, but I would have gone the same route.

Q: Unrelated to TUF, did you catch Machida VS Shogun? If so, what are your thoughts on the results and the fight itself?

ZJ: I did, it was a good fight and it was a close fight I thought Shogun won but I am not a judge. I am looking forward to the rematch. This fight showed that Machida is not invincible.

DS: When I was watching the fight, I got involved in all the hype of it. Shogun was looking so good, whenever he landed a shot I was like YEAH and I was shock when the judges scored it for Machida. But right now, I do think Shogun won but I want to watch the fight by myself and mute it and then i can judge it again. I think Shogun won but I want to see it a second time.

Zak would like to thank Gorilla Combat and Octagon MMA in Dallas, TX. Darrill would like to thank ATT, Three Legged Monkey, and Fighter Sports. See you hear next week as its time for Marcus Jones to take on Mike Wessel!