5 things we learned from episode 12 of TUF 29: Team Volkanvoski vs Team Ortega

The 12th episode of the reality competition show, The Ultimate Fighter season 29 (TUF 29): Team Volkanovski vs. Team Ortega, dropped on ESPN+ Tuesday night.

This week's installment featured the last fight of the season between middleweights Tresean Gore and Gilbert Urbina. The winner will take on Bryan Battle, who booked his ticket to the finals by scoring a massive upset against top pick Andre Petroski.

In last week's episode, Team Volkanovski secured another spot in the finale when Brady Hiestand made quick work of Team Ortega's Vincent Murdock. The tides have turned since Volkanovski's squad dominated the semis, leaving Team Ortega with one final opportunity to earn a spot in the finale.

Who was able to make it into the finale? Find out as we discuss five things we learned from episode 12 of TUF 29.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for TUF 29 episode 12.

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#5. TUF 29 coaches give their fighters a break

TUF 29 episode 12 kicked off with coach Alexander Volkanovski cooking breakfast for the fighters. The champion invited his boys over to have an Aussie-style "brekkie." According to Volkanovski:

"This is the last fight of the semis so we wanna surprise the guys. Again, they're stuck in the house. They've probably seen the same faces, the same room, the same cameramen. So, you know, we wanted them to get away from that. So we told the boys to come to our place and we'll have a big breakfast."

Meanwhile, coach Brian Ortega gave his fighters a reminder of what home feels like. The UFC featherweight title challenger brought his father, brother and son over to bond with the rest of the team. 'T-City' also cooked steaks for the TUF 29 contestants.

"If these guys were to come over to my house, this is what it would feel like – the comfort of family," Ortega said. "There's nothing like breaking bread with somebody and bonding with them, you know."

Both Gore and Urbina said they appreciated their coaches' gestures and efforts to motivate them. The two would later face off in the last semi-final bout of the TUF 29.

#4. TUF 29 fighter bio: Gilbert Urbina (Team Volkanovski) and Tresean Gore (Team Ortega)

TUF 29 middleweight Gilbert Urbina is fighting for his family's legacy. He is the third brother in his family to participate in the competition. His older brother, Hector Urbina, competed in TUF season 19 and fought in the UFC. Meanwhile, Elias Urbina was a contestant on TUF 23 and Dana White's Contender Series.

Coach Volkanovski is confident that Urbina's skills will take him to the TUF 29 finale. The Australian fighter reiterated that Urbina is deserving of a spot on the show in his own right. Urbina defeated Michael Gilmore to advance to the semis.

Meanwhile, Team Ortega's Gore grew up in South Carolina. The middleweight prospect was described by his fellow TUF 29 contestants as one of the kindest people on the show.

Gore is married with a newborn son. He began training at the tender age of 17 at a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu School, where he worked in exchange for free training. While BJJ is Gore's entry to combat sports, he's primarily a striker who favors the stand-up game.

Now living in Georgia, Gore trains at the American Top Team – Team Lima, alongside UFC welterweight Dhiego Lima and former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima. Gore bested Ryder Newman to book a spot in the TUF 29 semis.

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#3. Tresean Gore and Gilbert Urbina hang out

Before the TUF 29 semis fight, Gore and Urbina decided to hang out and have dinner. The competitors expressed mutual respect, with Gore saying that disliking your opponent is unnecessary in the fight game. According to Gore:

"I won't look at him and his intention to hurt me. But I look at him as a competitor. But at the same time, I've been chasing this dream for 20 years. This is my time and I'm gonna do what I have to do to be the champion of this show."

Urbina said he holds Gore in high regard because he believes their life stories are very similar. The Team Volkanovski middleweight said:

"This guy is driven and this guy is a professional. He's gonna do everything in his power to win for himself and his family. It's like we have the same motives."

#2. Who won in this week's episode of TUF 29?

With a TUF 29 finals spot up for grabs, Gilbert Urbina and Tresean Gore kicked their fight off by feeling each other out. Urbina turned the pressure up as he closed the distance, but Gore proved to be a talented counter puncher.

The first big moment for Gore came when he successfully landed a hard left hook that landed on Urbina's jaw. Gore's power advantage became evident as his opponent dropped to the canvas but quickly got back up.

Once he was able to recover, Urbina continued to move forward and throw combinations. Gore wanted to press forward, but Urbina was able to push him back with a push kick to the midsection. Taking on the role of aggressor, Urbina unleashed a combination of punches to the head and body and mixed them up with some leg kicks.

Meanwhile, Gore continued to be patient, utilizing his jab as he waited for an opening. Moments before the first round ended, Gore scored another knockdown with a powerful punch.

Knowing that he's trailing on the scorecards, Urbina started round two by increasing his activity. He connected with a leg kick and a few punches. Urbina went for his opponent's head with a high kick but missed. Gore capitalized by returning fire and connected with a massive uppercut.

Shortly thereafter, Gore's counter-left hook found an address on Urbina's face and sent his opponent crashing to the ground once again. The referee stepped in and stopped the fight, giving Gore the TKO victory.

"What a way to cap off the season with an incredible knockout and a very well-deserved win for Tresean Gore," UFC president Dana White said. "This kid has a ton of heart and he's determined to become the next Ultimate Fighter."

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#1. TUF 29 finale is set

Team Ortega is finally on the board after Gore's impressive win over Urbina. He's scheduled to face Team Volkanovski's Bryan Battle for a highly-coveted UFC contract in the TUF 29 finale. In the bantamweight division, teammates Ricky Turcios and Brady Hiestand will square off in the finale.

The TUF 29 finale will take place on the undercard of UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Chikadze. The event will take place on August 28, 2021, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Meanwhile, TUF 29 coaches Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega will meet each other in the cage in the main event of UFC 266. The pay-per-view will take place on September 25 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.