Ultimate Fighter Season 33 Episode 5: Undefeated Flyweight Shines

Brandon Moreno Mentors Daniel Cormier’s Team on The Ultimate Fighter

Continuing to bring in top-level names to inspire his pupils, Cormier enlisted the assistance of two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who at one point himself competed on The Ultimate Fighter nearly a decade ago. Losing in the first round of said season to future pound-for-pound title-holder Alexandre Pantoja, Moreno would go on to capture UFC gold twice, becoming one of the best 125-lb athletes in the promotion’s history.

Idiris Pulls Off Thorough Beating Over Yokubov on The Ultimate Fighter

Pushing the action from the get-go, Yokubov advanced on Idiris. Landing at will early on, such as several hard knees to the body, the Uzbekistani seemed on track to secure the first round. That was until Idiris found his way onto his foe’s back and began delivering some strong punches of his own. Controlling his fellow Central Asia resident for almost two minutes, Idiris pummeled Yokubov, draining his gas tank before the horn sounded to end the round. 

Things didn’t go nearly as well for “Iron Man” in the second either, with Idiris pressing the pace against the quickly tiring Yokubov, though the Kazakh fighter did suffer a point deduction for an unintentional eye poke, which had the potential to derail his onslaught. This didn’t end up being the case, however, as Idiris got the better of his adversary on the feet this time before he again took the Uzbekistani to the canvas, battering him with more severe ground-and-pound.

By the time it was over, Yokubov was left exhausted and beaten on the mat, leading to Idiris being proclaimed the winner by unanimous decision. Team Cormier now leads the season 4-1, putting Team Sonnen in a very precarious position as the quarterfinals of The Ultimate Fighter start to wrap up.