Tommy Speer

Speer moves to semis
11/29/2007

Unanimous decision in quarterfinal for Elgin MMA fighter

By Ben Pherson
bpherson@postbulletin.com

If it wasn't already apparent, Tommy Speer's "farmboy" strength is setting him apart from other contestants on season six of the hit TV show "The Ultimate Fighter."

Speer's strength was on display again Wednesday night when he met Ben Saunders during the quarterfinals of the mixed martial arts reality show on the Spike Network.

Saunders nearly submitted Speer three times in the first round, but Speer refused to tap out and ended up winning a unanimous decision.

The win moves Speer into the show's semifinals, which will be broadcast on Spike on Wednesday.

Speer will meet George Sotiropoulos, whom many consider the favorite to win the show, in the semifinals. A win next Wednesday would earn Speer a spot in the show's live finale, which will be Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. That fight will be live on Spike at 8 p.m.

The winner receives a six-figure contract in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Speer said Saunders' arm bar midway through the first round nearly forced him to submit.

"That arm bar was close. He had me flattened out, and my arm was really hyperextended," Speer said. "But I was in my corner, and I didn't want to tap out and disappoint my coaches. I just kind of clenched my teeth and pulled out of it."

Saunders also had Speer in triangle chokes twice in the first round. The second choke attempt was tight, Speer said. But when he finally slipped out, Speer said, he could feel that Saunders' spirits were broken.

"I kind of dominated the round after that," he said. "I was working my ground-and-pound, and I landed some really good elbows. I still wasn't sure how the judges would score the round because he was close on those submissions."

Speer dominated the final round, using his strength to take down Saunders several times.

"I think he used a lot of his energy on those submission attempts," Speer said of Saunders. "Ben's a good fighter. I think if I didn't beat him, he would have made it to the finals."

Not bad for a guy who nearly wasn't allowed to fight - Speer suffered a cut in his preliminary fight, which happened just eight days before Wednesday's fight.

He had stitches in his forehead for five days and was unable to spar at all before the quarterfinals. But the Nevada State Athletic Commission gave Speer the go-ahead a day before the fight.

Now Speer will face Sotiropoulos for a shot at that big-time UFC contract.

"You know, I'm bigger and stronger than George, so we'll see what happens. I'm definitely the underdog, but I've been there before," Speer said.