Drama outside the ring, more love
By Scott Junk
Special to The Advertiser
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Hawai'i's Scott Junk is one of 16 heavyweight contestants in the Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights, a mixed martial arts reality TV series on Spike (ch. 76, 559 digital). The show airs Wednesdays. Here is his account of the previous night's events.
Team Rampage 0-4 but still in the fight!
Tonight's episode starts off with Marcus Jones having a physical breakdown. By the looks of it, it looks like he might be out! He's not looking too healthy. Any time you're relaxing and doing nothing and sweat starts pouring out of your body, something is wrong. It's funny how Kimbo (Slice) told Marcus, "I don't think you're gonna be able to fight." That was showing you the lighter side of Kimbo tonight.
Team Rashad had a fight strategy going on and thought they had a great plan, but Matt Mitrione went and told me that I was fighting Justin Wren and he was fighting Marcus Jones. I felt that there was an agenda in him telling me, that way he wouldn't have to fight Marcus Jones.
Prior to even going on the show I was at Windward Mall eating lunch with my wife when my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar area code and come to find out it was Matt Mitrione. He had gotten my number through an agent and said, "Hey Scott, my name is Matt and I'm gonna be on the show with you and maybe we could set up an alliance before we even get there."
I replied, I don't know how you got my number and don't know how you know I got on the show, but I don't know you and don't feel comfortable in talking to you about anything, and he said all right I understand, end of conversation.
Me and Justin Wren were friends already — we met at one of the interviews and it was me, Brad Tavares and a couple of other friends that hung out. We clicked right away. Justin is a cool kid! I felt the same way. I wouldn't want to fight him in the first round.
The day of the fight, no one knows that Demico Rogers had an asthma attack before the fight. He had to hit his inhaler before the fight even started. It sucks because Demico is such a great athlete and a better fighter than what he showed.
After Demico loses and he's lying there and Rampage and the rest of the coaches don't come to help him to get up or anything was kind of disheartening. I don't know if it was frustration on the part of the coaching staff, but I felt bad for Demico. Tonight's episode basically showed that Team Rampage's coaching staff is a staff of fighters and Team Rashad is a staff of coaches, but we knew that from the beginning. Rampage told us he is not a coach, he is a fighter.
As you noticed, I finally got some love on this episode. They showed a little of me sparring, hitting the bag and also talking, and Rampage talked a little bit about me. I didn't think I was ever gonna get air time, because if you notice it is all about Kimbo.
I was honored that a lot of guys didn't want to face me in the first round. Stay tuned for next week's episode, it is supposed to be hilarious!
Once again, I want to thank Giovanni Pastrami, Cazadores, Udown, Skrap Magazine, MMA Hawaii and last but not least Da Hui for all the support. Come check it out next Wednesday at Giovanni Pastrami in Waikiki for the next episode.