In the first few weeks of the show, the events at the TUF house were just as notable as the elimination matches themselves.  Week four of the reality show was a change of pace because very little of note occurred in the house.

Instead, all the intrigue in episode four was provided by the matchup between Andy Wang (Team Penn) and Brandon Melendez (Team Pulver).  With Team Penn down 3-0 going into this match, coach BJ Penn was clearly looking for answers to right the ship.  I think he felt this matchup was one that could bring Team Penn its first victory -- but only if Wang stuck to their game plan.

Wang was at a decided size disadvantage against Melendez.  Melendez was four inches taller, much heavier, and had an 11-inch reach advantage.  Melendez was therefore looking to keep the fight standing up where he would have the edge with his striking.  Wang, on the other hand, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.  Given his physical shortcomings and his ground expertise, it appeared a no-brainer that Wang would try to take the fight to the ground.  And that's what Penn and long-time friend Gabe Ruediger implored Wang to do before and during the match.

Instead, the stubborn Wang fell into what is apparently a familiar trap for him and got caught in a brawl.  Wang rarely attempted a takedown against Melendez and lost a unanimous decision.  It was a close fight because Melendez didn't do very much himself.  But, based on Dana White's and BJ Penn's reactions after the fight, I don't think there were too many people sad to see Wang go.

Why?  The answer lies in the responses both White and Penn gave after the bout.  From their perspective, Wang -- despite all his talents -- appeared to be uncoachable.  He knew what he needed to do to win the fight and yet he didn't do it. 

Wang's performance should serve as a lesson to any up-and-coming athlete or MMA fighter.  Ability and physical tools are only part of the recipe for success.  In order to rise to the top of any profession, intelligence and strategy play very key roles.  As MMA gets bigger and bigger, the disparity in athleticism between fighters will continue to narrow.  What will separate fighters is their ability to design effective game plans and their ability to execute those game plans. 

Wang had a good game plan -- take Melendez to the ground.  But, he didn't ever try to execute it.  If TUF is a job interview for future UFC fighters, Wang failed miserably.

And so, Team Pulver is now 4-0.

----

Here are some other tidbits from episode four.  Matt Hughes made a surprise visit to help coach Team Pulver.  Hughes helped his image with his appearance in the episode -- he was self-effacing and he looked at ease around the other fighters.

Also, we found out that Team Pulver's weakest fighter might be Wayne Weems, who apparently doesn't have a strong background in MMA.  Team Penn's Ruediger tried to sell Penn on the idea of fighting Weems for his elimination bout.  Of course, Team Penn needs to win first before they can dictate the matchups.  Predictably, Ruediger's attempts to pick up an easy fight caused tension among the other teammates.

And finally, Team Pulver's Marlon Sims made a hilarious reputation for himself as an exaggerator.  Sims reminisced to his housemates about his exploits as a "Steven Segal"-like streetfighter.  And the other guys weren't buying it.

----

Is anyone else annoyed with the Burger King "Spongebob No Pants" commercial?  It was cute the first dozen times I saw it.  But now, I have to turn down the volume and look away every time it comes on.  It's just not working for me.