Valentina Shevchenko evens the score with Alexa Grasso.
The Ultimate Fighter 32 coaching matchup is now tied at three wins apiece after Team Bullet’s Ryan Loder (6-1) defeats Team Grasso’s Tom Theocharis (9-5) in this week’s middleweight matchup. Loder’s dominant performance saw him secure a victory with an arm-triangle choke in just over a minute.
The clash between Loder and Theocharis showcased a classic wrestler vs. striker showdown, with Division-1 All-American Loder emerging victorious. Loder wasted no time in taking Theocharis down, transitioning to mount, and securing the fight-ending submission.
With this win, Loder joins Team Bullet featherweights Roedie Roets and Zygimantas Ramaska in the semifinals, becoming Shevchenko’s first middleweight to advance in the competition.
Aside from his impressive performance in the octagon, Loder also found himself embroiled in drama outside of it after a training session altercation with teammate Edwin Cooper Jr. Coach Shevchenko had to intervene to maintain team harmony.
The episode also shed light on Cooper’s behavior in the house, with his housemates expressing concerns about his demeanor. Cooper’s drinking habits also came under scrutiny, prompting teammate Bekhzod Usmonov to have a heart-to-heart with him.
The upcoming episode will feature Cooper facing off against Mairon Santos in the final featherweight matchup of the quarterfinals.
The Ultimate Fighter 32 airs live every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Following the season finale, a flyweight championship trilogy bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko is on the horizon, with a date yet to be determined.
The finalists of the TUF 32 middleweight and featherweight tournaments will vie for a six-figure UFC contract at the show’s live finale, with the event date also pending announcement.
Here is the breakdown of the TUF 32 rosters by team:
Team Grasso
Featherweights
- Guillermo Torres (Mexico) (7-1)
- Kaan Ofli (Australia) (10-2-1)
- Bekhzod Usmonov (Tajikistan) (11-4)
- Mairon Santos (Brazil) (13-1)
Middleweights
- Robert Valentin (Switzerland) (10-3)
- Paddy McCorry (Ireland) (4-1)
- Omran Chaaban (Finland) (6-1)
- Tom Theocharis (Canada) (9-5)
Team Shevchenko
Featherweights
- Roedie Roets (South Africa) (7-1)
- Zygimantas Ramaska (Lithuania) (9-2)
- Nathan Fletcher (England) (8-1)
- Edwin Cooper Jr. (USA) (6-1)
Middleweights
- Shamidkhan Magomedov (Russia) (7-1)
- Mark Hulme (South Africa) (12-3)
- Ryan Loder (USA) (6-1)
- Giannis Bachar (Greece) (9-2)
Quarterfinal results recap:
Roedie Roets defeats Guillermo Torres via decision
Robert Valentin defeats Giannis Bachar via KO (strikes) (R1)
Kaan Ofli defeats Nathan Fletcher via decision
Omran Chaaban defeats Shamidkhan Magomedov via technical submission (anaconda choke) (R2)
Zygimantas Ramaska defeats Bekhzod Usmonov
Ryan Loder defeats Tom Theocharis via submission (arm-triangle choke)
Advancing to the semifinals: Roets, Valentin, Ofli, Chaaban, Ramaska, Loder
Eliminated: Torres, Bachar, Fletcher, Magomedov, Usmonov, Theocharis