The Return Of The Ultimate Fighter | Episode 3 Recap

Tresean’s home video rolls, with the 26-year-old South Carolina native introducing his wife Julie and their baby son, Junior. He speaks about his wife’s support and the inspiration that comes from his infant son.

The middleweight hopeful traces his upbringing, where his father was absent, bouncing in and out of jail, leaving his mother to shoulder the parenting load. She fell into addiction issues when Tresean was 10, prompting the angry youngster to act out and land in juvenile detention.

Released at age 17, Tresean found a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu gym and from there, “I lived in the gym,” he says, explaining that without the finances to pay for classes, he did work around the facility — sweeping floors and cleaning toilets — before recommending he find a “bigger pond” to swim in, which resulted in him landing at American Top Team: Team Lima with two-time TUF finalist Dhiego Lima and his brother, standout welterweight Douglas Lima.

Unbeaten in three professional bouts, Tresean has no desire to lose his unbeaten record and says he “wants to be champ within a year” — an extremely lofty goal for the Georgia-based hopeful — who promises he’ll be the hungrier man whenever he’s in the Octagon.

Three days before the fight, Team Ortega congregates to formulate their plan of attack for Tresean, asking him what he knows about Ryder.

“I didn’t look at anything on him, but he just looks like the type that tries to throw hooks and overhand rights and brawl and then run into a double,” Tresean says.

“He’s the guy at the bar that says he fights MMA,” adds Ortega, dismissively. “I do UFC.”

Assistant coach Tiki Ghosn advises Tresean that he needs to be patient. “You want to run in and throw everything and the kitchen sink at this guy, but what you need to do with him is you need to be patient. You’ve got to expose him. You’ve got to be patient. Take your time,” he tells Tresean.

Ortega explains that the game plan is to avoid the big punches and work behind the jab, taking a stick-and-move approach, and if it goes anywhere else, it’s Tresean that needs to be the one initiating those sequences, regardless of whether it’s a takedown or clinch situation along the fence.

Check out every contestant's profile on The Return of The Ultimate Fighter.

After a light sparring session, Tresean tells Miles that he’s “gonna shoot first” because Ryder and Team Volkanovski won’t be expecting it. “They’re preparing for a standup guy; they’re not preparing for a wrestler. If you put a wrestler on their back, they don’t like that.”

Miles explains that he and Ryder have been friends and teammates dating back to Ryder’s amateur days and that while Tresean wants to get the inside scoop on his opponent, he doesn’t feel comfortable divulging information about his roommate, reiterating the information Tresean already knows, like that Ryder is a wrestler.

Tresean goes through a pad session with Ghosn, wrapping up by forecasting that his hand will get raised.

It’s weigh-in Day at the UFC APEX with Tresean up first, hitting the scale at 186 pounds, with Ryder coming in half-a-pound lighter.

“Stylistically, it’s a fun fight,” says UFC President Dana White. “It’s grappler versus striker, and if Ryder is able to take this fight to the ground, it’s probably his best shot to get Team Volkanovski their first win.”

The middleweights get nose-to-nose as they face off, yapping with one another, upping one another’s intensity as they ready to throw down.

FIGHTER PROFILES: Tresean Gore | Ryder Newman

In the house the night before the fight, Tresean and Ryder continue to chirp at one another, Tresean saying he knows everything Ryder is going to do, while the Team Volkanovski representative says he’s going to open with a “flying spinning heel kick,” laughing throughout the exchange.

“I’m not looking for a war,” Tresean says in the confessional. “I’m looking for it to be one-sided.”

It’s Fight Day at the UFC APEX, where Mark Smith serves as the third man in the cage.

Round 1: Tresean takes the center of the Octagon, pawing with jabs as he walks Ryder down, connecting with a low outside leg kick. Ryder counters a low kick with an overhand right that is blocked. Tresean continues pressing forward, offering kicks to different levels, chopping at the outside of Ryder’s lead leg.

The coaches offer their thoughts on the fight, with Ortega explaining the strategy behind attacking the legs, while Volkanovski tries to come up with reasons for Ryder’s hesitancy, explaining that they expected him to work for takedowns off the combinations and punches that he landed, praising Tresean for utilizing a strong game plan and delivering a good performance.

Ryder explains that he over-estimated what Tresean brought to the table, saying that he “made him out to be better than he was, and I paid the price for that,” promising to stay ready and grow from this setback.

Team Volkanovski selects the next bantamweight matchup, tabbing Dustin Lampros to take on Team Ortega’s Vincent Murdock, which draws an “Of course” from Lampros as the two square off.