This week’s show opened with the weigh-in for the Matt Serra-Shonie Carter welterweight semi-final. 

Matt Hughes said Shonie would be a hard guy to win a decision from.

Dana White put over the importance of the Serra-Shonie match.  It was one that had been six years in the making.

At the training center, Marc Laimon was rubbing the guys the wrong way.  He was there to coach, but felt they should ask for his help if they wanted it.  Even when they did, he blew them off.

Hughes was trying to stir the pot by getting Serra and Laimon into an argument, since he knew Laimon had no use for anything Gracie and Serra is a proponent of Gracie jiu jitsu.

Serra overheard Laimon talking about Royce Gracie getting his ass kicked by Hughes.  He felt Laimon was being very disrespectful and told him so.  An amused Matt Hughes was chuckling as he watched the two throw verbal jabs.

Serra compared Laimon, who does not fight, to “an expert swimmer who never got in a pool.”

Laimon said it was a free country and he could express his opinion about Royce Gracie if he wanted to.

Din Thomas said it made Laimon look like a bitch and Din’s respect for Serra had increased a thousand fold.

Serra said he stood by everything he said and did not regret it.

Back at the house, Shonie had the spray paint out and he was painting the bunkbeds blue. There were complaints about the smell of the paint in the sleeping quarters, but Shonie didn’t care. 

The others had had enough of Shonie and mocked him by going to the training center and putting on the “Phonie Carter Show.”  Jorge Rivera played the role of Phonie in a multi-colored clown wig and a thong.  He said he hoped Shonie wouldn’t find out about Phonie Carter until he was home watching the show with friends and saw that the others regarded him as a fool.

Shonie asked Rich Clementi to corner him for his fight with Matt.  Shonie had knocked Serra out with a spinning back fist six years ago and he said he had perfected the move since then.

At Team Mojo’s training session, Serra said he was twice the fighter he’d been six years ago.  He was expecting the spinning back fist and was prepared for anything. 

At the TUF house, Shonie joined Serra in the backyard.  They even enjoyed some ice cream.  But once fight day rolled around, they each felt confident they could put the other away.

Round one started with Serra getting Shonie down and unloading with a barrage of punches.  Back and forth it went, then Shonie finally threw the swinging back fist and it rocked Serra momentarily.  The round ended and Shonie was said to have stolen it.

Just as Serra had coached his team members in their matches, his team returned the favor by coaching him enthusiastically from the corner.

Round two was Serra’s and ended with Clementi telling Shonie he was a little behind.

Round three would tell the tale. 

Almost as soon as it started, referee Big John McCarthy stopped the match to get Shonie to tuck his “underwear” back in.  It was back out moments later and it looked like he was about to lose his britches.  Shonie and his fashion statements!

The fight went the entire three rounds and both felt confident about it.

The third round had been a battle, said Serra, but one is remembered for his wars.

Dana White announced the unanimous decision had been in favor of Matt Serra.

Serra will face Chris Lytle in the welterweight final on November 11 on Spike TV.  Serra said he was thrilled to be one step away from the title shot.

Next week’s fight will be Travis Lutter vs. Pete Sell in the first of the middleweight semi-finals.

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