# We expected something Something better than before # We expected something more # Do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting # Lock it up and leave # Do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting # Lock it up and leave # Walk away now # And you're gonna start a war (RADIO) "Chapter 36, The Quarter-Deck." "Enter Ahab. Then, all." "It was not a great while after the affair of the pipe, "that one morning, shortly after breakfast, Ahab, as was his wont, "ascended the cabin-gangway to the deck." # Whatever went away I'll get it over now # I'll get money I'll get funny again # Whatever went away I'll get it over now # I'll get money I'll get funny again # Walk away now... # "'It's a white whale, I say,' resumed Ahab, "as he threw down the top-maul." "'A white whale. Skin your eyes for him, men.'" "'Look sharp for white water. If ye see but a bubble, sing out.'" Tommy? Jesus! What are you doing here? Well, I was just passing through, and I figured, why not have a belt with the old man? (CHUCKLES) Yeah. She looks good. Yeah, she's hanging in there. Well, you always did take good care of her. Paddy Conlon. Man of priorities. I got a little something for you. Mom always said, "Never go anywhere empty-handed." She did. That's not for me anymore, Tommy. What? You changed brands? (GRUNTS) Let's go inside, huh? Tommy! Come on, let's go inside. < I like what you've done with the place. Yeah, I appreciate that. There's not much of a woman's touch around here. Yeah, well... And no more women for me, Tommy. Yeah. It must be hard to find a girl who can take a punch nowadays. Here you go. Coffee? Uh-huh. You haven't seen a guy in 14 years, and you're not gonna drink with him? I told you, I'm off it, Tommy. I'm coming up on 1,000 days. Come on, it's just a drink. No. He's a school teacher down in Philly. Remember Tess? They had two beautiful little girls. So, you found God, huh? That's awesome. I think Mom kept calling out for him, but he wasn't around. I guess Jesus was down at the mill forgiving all the drunks, huh? Who knew? So, you gonna ask about her? Or you just gonna sit there all sober? I know. Oh, you know? What do you know? Huh? Do you know it wasn't enough to drive west to get away from you? That once we hit the water, we drove north too? When I got sober, I hired a man to find you. And is that one of the 12 steps? Or does a guy like you get 24? Just 12. Did your guy tell you what you needed to know? Just that your mother died in Tacoma. You were in the Marines. That was all. That was enough. Well, that's too bad. You could've gotten some good details. You could've heard about her coughing up blood on her knees in a shit box with no heat. Having me rub her down with holy water, because, well, she didn't have no insurance. All the time waiting for your pal Jesus to save her. Did your man tell you that? I'm sorry, Tommy. Well, it's good to know that you're sorry, Pop. It goes a long way. (CLICKS TONGUE) I think I liked you better when you were a drunk. (CHILDREN CHATTERING) (MAN) Alright, then. Alright, alright, alright. You say I can, but you say I can't. What about if we all get a unicorn? No. Don't you want a unicorn? No. (CHILDREN EXCLAIMING) What's going on up here? Oh my goodness. Well, I'm not sure, but I think Daddy is now a princess. Daddy, you look so handsome. Do I? "We're painting Daddy's face." (LAUGHS) Yeah, you are. Yeah. Em, you want to open your presents? Yeah? You want to do present time? OK. Alright, come on. Ready? Alright! It's time for presents! I have to put this down. You want to put it down? Presents! Everybody, come bring your presents! Let's start with this one. How about that, Emily? Alright. Happy birthday, Emily. What did you get? What did you get? Babe? It's an awfully big box. What did you get? It's her birthday. But that's why you call it a budget. You set it and you don't budge. This one's mine. Hey, open the big box! It's OK. I love you. (GIRLS) Bye, Mommy. Be good, OK? Daddy's gonna give you a bath. Hey, babe. I'm late. Mom's saying goodbye. She's got to go. They've been fed. They just need a bath. I'm on it. Can you get them to bed at a reasonable time? After the party... Where's the rest of that skirt? Babe. Listen, if any guys hassle you tonight, you give me a call, OK? Yeah, like you gave me a call when those boys decided to smash up your face. I told you, most nights I sit and grade papers, but every now and then I need some action. Alright. Well, wait up for me tonight. I'll see what I can do about that. Promises, promises. (LAUGHS) "We return here on MMA Live, Jon Anik, alongside the fight promoter, JJ Riley, "the Tapout crew is here, Punk and Skrape." "Now, JJ, what led to this project that is redefining mixed martial arts here?" "Well, mixed martial arts is a sport I'm passionate about, "and as far as where the idea for Sparta came from, "I've always really dug the Grand Prix format, so I got these guys." "When JJ came to us, he said he wanted the Super Bowl of MMA." "And he decided to put up the $5 million purse too." "Well, there you have it. It shall be done. Hedge fund king, JJ Riley, "going from the lions' den of Wall Street to the cage, "promoting the biggest winner-take-all tournament in MMA history. Sparta..." Fitzy still own this? I don't know no Fitzy. Colt Boyd owns this gym. Can I help you with something? How does it work? $35 a month with locker. We're open at 7:00am, lights out at 11:00pm. So, you want to join? Sure. Put your name and contact info on the card. Thank you. (BRENDAN) Whoa, whoa! Alright. There's a lesson in this, too, OK? Hold on, Tito. So, we have a body at rest, and you have the bat, which needs... Acceleration. Acceleration, OK. With enough acceleration, you have a chance of breaking the body at rest. OK. Alright. You ready? Everybody got the glasses on? OK, go! (STUDENTS CHEER) Come on, man! Come on, son! Alright! There we go. Well done, Tito. Well done. Remind me not to mess with you. Sit down, everybody. Dial it down. So, have we got it? Force equals mass times acceleration. We got it. Has everybody else got it? (ALL) Yeah. OK, good. Alright. The third law... Whoa, whoa. How many laws this dude got? The dude? Yes, the dude. The dude has three, alright? Newton, the dude, says that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For example, if KC does not stop the action of sending texts in class and tell her posse outside to beat it, my reaction might be to send her down to Principal Zito's office. Thus setting the world back in proper balance. Mr C, I put it away. (BELL RINGS) Alright, before you go, I have your tests from last week. Just work it out. Stop clowning. Pick up the hands. Tighten it up! Use your right. Seal his hands, come on. Seal his hands. Keep your hands up! Go light! I said, go light! God damn it! (FIGHTER WHOOPS) Oops! Where do you find these girls? (LAUGHS) We got a tournament coming up. You're gonna play every guy in the 'Burgh? Oh, jeez. Fenroy, get me some ice. And call that Puerto Rican kid. If he's here in 20 minutes, he gets $200. Yo, I'll fight him. Guy, go back to your bag. We don't need anybody else hurt. Let's go. Watch his neck. Yo, Rock, did you leave Mick and Paulie at home today? (FIGHTERS LAUGH) His phone's disconnected. Go through the list. Find me somebody. All I'm saying is that if you need somebody to help you, I'm happy to keep your boy warm for you. You ever fought before? Yeah. Hey, this guy signed a waiver? All good. What's your name? Tommy. You get tuned up in here, it's on you, Tom. Sure, no problem. Come on in. (BELL DINGS) Let's go. Alright, let's go. Hey. Watch that teeth. Are you gonna be a hero? Alright. Come on. Check that kick. Easy. There we go! Don't let him take your back! Cover up, cover up! Don't give him your back! (SPECTATORS EXCLAIM) Cover up, damn it! You owe me $200. This one here. See, this is the new appraisal figures that came in. Yeah. This is how it affects the monthly. The total value of the loan, over the life of the loan, is that. That's just the way it is. It puts you upside down. The county did this, not the bank. So, the numbers are what they are, Mr Conlon. Brendan. Brendan. You're a math teacher. You appreciate that. I'm a physics teacher. I teach physics. Physics, OK. But the bank has got to go by the new appraisal figures. You're upside down on your mortgage. God, you said that, like, three times. I'm sorry, but I get that. I'm asking you, is there something else you can do? Not the bank, you. Can you shift things around, restructure? You refinanced twice already. Cos you advised us to do that. You told me. I presented you with that option, but that was your choice. I'm also showing that you netted a substantial payout with the re-fi. We had that conversation. I was paying medical bills. Oh, right. Sorry. Your daughter's... kidney? Heart. Heart. Right, sorry. A lot of stories. Alright, so, if that's my option, I have no options. You're not even gonna try and help me. I'm trying. I can get you 90 days to get even. 90 days is not enough. My wife and I, we have three jobs between us. That doesn't cut it. So, what do you suggest? Let me ask you, have you thought about bankruptcy? It's a viable option. There's no shame in this these days. That's not how I do things. OK, well, then, you're looking at foreclosure. "Utter domination by Tommy Conlon, the undefeated freshman from Pittsburgh." "The prodigy has yet to yield a single point in the entire tournament." "Trained by his father since the age of five." "Paddy Conlon?" "The controversial Paddy Conlon." "Say what you will about his methods, but he's led his son to six straight Junior Olympic titles "and now moments from a High School State Championship." "And there it is! Wow!" (DOORBELL RINGS) "There's no limit to what the future holds for him." "Tommy said he's chasing the record of Theogenes, "a mythical Greek fighter said to be undefeated in over 1400 bouts." Hi. How are you doing, sir? I'm looking for Tommy Riordan. Who? Tommy Riordan. My name's Colt Boyd. What business you got with Tommy? Well, none yet. That's why I'm here. I manage fighters. Oh. So, Tommy's been working out at my gym, and he put a beating on the number one middleweight contender in the world today. So, I want to know a little bit more about the guy. Maybe help him out. I have a lot of contacts, Mr Riordan. Conlon. The name is Conlon. And, anything you want to know about Tommy, you got to ask him yourself. I'm just asking for general information. Like I said, anything you want to know about Tommy, you got to ask him yourself. I don't mean to interrupt you. He put this address when he signed up at the gym. He doesn't live here. Alright, then. OK. Goodnight. Alright, listen, kiddo. I need you to put Mommy back on, OK? I love you. Hey. Hey, listen, I'm just pulling in. I'm gonna have to go. Huh? No, they got an open mic night thing on. It's gonna be a quiet one. Alright, sleep well. You too. Alright, bye. It's about time for your next contest. Introducing first, in the red corner, he fights out of Ripley, West Virginia. Please welcome Mike "The Mutilator" Moore. Go, Mike. Go! (CROWD CHEERS) And his opponent in the blue corner, he fights out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Please welcome "Irish" Brendan Conlon. (CROWD BOOS) This bout is scheduled for three five-minute rounds, and when the action begins, your referee is Mr Rick Fike. Fighters to the centre. Come on, gentlemen. I want you to obey my commands at all times. Protect yourself at all times. If you have no questions, touch gloves, back up. And on my signal, let's come out fighting. (ALL CHEER) Fighter, are you ready? Are you ready? Do it! (CROWD SHOUTS AND CHEERS) You got to move with that one. Don't let him do that to you, Mike! (CROWD BOOS) First five minutes, out. Another 15? Great. Hey! Hey, kid! Nice fight. Two more wins, you'll take home the bacon. Hey, good job... Hey, babe. Hey. How was work? Oh my God! What happened? You said it was gonna be a slow night. I'm not bouncing at a club. What do you mean you're not bouncing? You've been lying to me? I went in to apply. They were paying $9 an hour. Then I saw a sign for this other thing. We're running out of options. Then they put us out of the house. I'd rather the old apartment than see you in the back of an ambulance again. I thought we agreed that we weren't gonna raise our children in... (WHISPERING) ..a family where their father gets beat up for a living. We're not giving up the house. It's our home. We're not going backwards. We'll figure it out. This is what we're not going back to. You wanted to talk? Yeah. I'm gonna start fighting. Is that right? Don't play with me. I know that guy from the gym came to see you. Colt Boyd. Mmm. Yeah. I didn't tell him anything, Tommy. I wouldn't be sitting here with you now if you did. Paddy, more coffee? No. Thank you. I'm fine. Hon, would you like a cup of coffee? Sure. Thank you. (CLEARS THROAT) Alright. There's this tournament. It's a big tournament. Top 16 middleweights in the world. Single elimination. Winner takes all. It's a lot of money. OK. I'm gonna do that. But if I'm doing it, then, er... ..then I'm gonna need a trainer. Now, that much you were good at. Mm-hmm. What? No, no, no. This doesn't mean anything, OK? I'm serious. We train. That's it. I don't want to hear about anything but training. You understand? You want to tell your war stories, you can take them down to the VFW. Or you can take it to a meeting, or to church, or whatever the hell it is that you do nowadays. What about Colt Boyd? What about him? I don't train with people I don't know. The devil you know. Excuse me? The devil you know is better than the devil you don't. Yeah. Yeah. There's your coffee, hon. Thank you. You're welcome. Chasing Theogenes. It'll be kind of like the old times. I just told you, this doesn't mean anything. Now, get that through your skull right now or I'm walking. Alright. Alright. But you get something through your skull, too. You called me, so don't go threatening to walk every five minutes. And, since this is about training, you dump whatever it is you need to dump as far as those pills are concerned. I don't want to see them. In fact, hand them over right now. I know they're on you, Tommy. You sounded like a goddamn maraca coming through the door. That's not gonna do. When you came through that door, it was... (MIMICS RATTLING) Three. That'a boy. And another thing. You don't eat crap like this. This is for losers and old men. And we're gonna have to bunk up. If we do this right, you stay at the house. I watch your diet. We follow the old regimen. You copy? Alright. Copy. K.C.: Your brother's a liar. In the middle of the night he went to a strip club, and he saw Mr C... No way. Like MMA type stuff. You weren't there, so you don't know. What's MMA? Mixed martial arts. Different fighting. He was just, like, dropped him on the floor... (BELL RINGS) Take your seats. Now, please. (ALL WHISPER INAUDIBLY) Hey, yo, Mr C. Uh-huh? My brother was at the titty bar last night, and he said you was choking brothers. I mean, what's up, is it true? Yeah, Mr C. I mean, like, is it true? Did you really work on some fools? You have to tell us. Yeah. Alright. I want examples of forms of energy. Come on. It's not as bad as it looks. Are you being literal or figurative? Because, literally, it looks bad. And figuratively, it looks even worse. The superintendent's coming by. Few minutes. Oh, man. So, come on, Brendan. Give me a little help here. I mean, could you explain to me what the hell you were doing? I need the money, Joe. Yeah, but this is... We can't have this. This isn't moonlighting at Applebee's, for Christ's sake. Shit, Brendan. Leaving everything else aside, which we can't, are you out of your mind? You're gonna get yourself killed. I mean, you're a goddamn teacher. You got no business in the ring with those animals. Actually, I used to be one of those animals. I fought for a living. Guess I forgot to put that on my application. Yeah, I guess you did. Look, I'm sorry, Joe. It's just... Look, look, the school district is not gonna tolerate teachers cockfighting in strip clubs. It was a parking lot of a strip club. Wherever it was, you can't be doing it. Alright? I mean, this is a serious... Shit, he's here. This is a serious problem. Guy hasn't been inside a school since 9/11. What are we gonna do? You say, "Yes, sir," and you say, "No, sir," and you say, "It will never happen again, sir." And then we just pray to God that he's in a good mood. UFC? Yeah. Son of a bitch. Superintendent Yorn. Good to see you, sir. (WHISPERING) What are you doing? Well... The girls have an important piano recital in the morning. We have an equipment malfunction. (GIGGLES) How'd it go? They're gonna review your case at the end of the semester. But until then you're suspended without pay. Joe gave me the number of his attorney. How the hell will we pay for an attorney? He talked to me for free as a favour to Joe. That's nice. He said there's no precedent for this. You'll be back by next semester. Next semester? Tess. They have these smoker fights all over. There's one in Lancaster next week, there's two in Dover the week after. Wilmington, Camden, Baltimore. That could keep us afloat. You're gonna put yourself through this over and over for $500 a pop? Some of them pay a lot more than that. I'd have to bounce for a month to make what I made in two hours last night. Yeah. And these guys, they're not real fighters. They're just guys that have seen too much UFC on TV. Now, if you have a better solution, I'm all ears, but... What are we gonna tell the girls? It'll be fine. I'll just leave the house as usual, except this time I'll be going to the gym. (PADDY) # Oh, the duck goes quack, quack, quack, quack # And the cow goes moo, moo, moo # But that rooster # Oh, that rooster He knew everything # Cock-a-doodle-doo # Cock-a-doodle-doo # Let's go, kiddo. Let's get moving. Look what I found in that disaster of a... ..basement. What do you say we sit down and update this? And you can fill me in on how close you got to that record. Did you continue wrestling after you left with your mother? Come on, Tommy. Tell me something. Yeah, I'll tell you something. You can take that back to where you found it. You can leave the coffee in the pot. I can pour that myself. And I can wake myself up too. Hurt my knees coming up and down those stairs. Yeah? I'll leave the coffee pot on until 0500, then I dump it. I give command dismiss. You'll wash your nasty bodies. You can square your gear away. Corporal Bradford, take this to CSC, let them know we're back. Roger, sir. Detail, a-ten-hut! What's up, Mark? Here, sir. William's Company's back in. Damn, dude! That's brutal. Did you see that? Oh my God. What's that? Dude, Mad Dog Grimes is getting tuned up by some dude at a gym in Pittsburgh. Who's Mad Dog Grimes? Shit, Bradford, the stuff you don't know amazes me. Dude. Oh my God, did you see that? Wow. Oh my God. Wait. Rewind that. OK. Right there, pause, pause, pause. What's up, man? Dude, what's his deal? You're not gonna get your 11. AV, I need to see the tape. What tape? What tape? The tape! Hoolihan, fill in for me? Get the camera. (SOLDIERS YELLING ON TAPE) That's him. That's him. (MUSIC PLAYS) Let the music sink into you. This is Beethoven. I want you to breathe, not boxing like this. No more stiff, right? You listen to the music. You relax, you breathe. One, two... Again. One, two. One, two. One, two. Good. Good, good, good. Yos. You're gonna get it. Alright? Two more rounds. Do I know you? (LAUGHS) Oh, man! Wow. Long time, brother. Too long. Too long. Look at your place. You like? Yeah. You see this beast? Marco Santos. He's training for Sparta. Oh, yeah, right. Not bad, right? It's amazing, man. Only the best. Move! Move! Move! Move or die! You look good, brother. Thanks. How are the girls? Good. Yeah. I had another little one, Rosie. I know. I know because Johnny C told me that she was in the hospital. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I... I was gonna call you, and then time went by and... I'm a piece of shit. I'm sorry. No. Come on. No. Brendan, I'm sorry. It's all good. She's good now. She's OK? So beautiful. It's good to see you, man. So everything's going great, huh? Mm. Yeah. Well, you know. I've got a little problem. The guys at the bank want to take my house away. What? Yeah. That's kind of why I came to see you, actually. I got most of my dough tied up in this joint, but how much do you need? I didn't come here for a loan, Frank. I mean, I was hoping that... ..you would train me. Train you for what? I want to get back in the cage. Are you serious? Come on, Brendan. I won an event the other night. Ah. You won an event. That's what this is. Let me guess. It was in a parking lot? DJ from a local radio station, ring card girls you wouldn't bang on a dare? Am I right? Ish. Ish. Oh, Brendan. I love you. Why am I gonna train you? On the right side of 30, you were barely a 500 fighter. You never listened to me. You don't listen to anyone. These guys are animals. You're a teacher, right? What are you gonna do? Come down a couple of days a week after detention? You're gonna skip out of the girls' volleyball game early? I've got loads of time. Time's not an issue. Parking lot thing kind of got me suspended. (SNORTS) I need to keep working the smokers. Tess know about this? Mm-hmm. Yeah? Cos the last time you fought, I got read the riot act, sitting in a hospital. You remember that? I was unconscious. (LAUGHS) You were more than unconscious. I was. She's not gonna come down here with the two puppies, screaming at Frank? It's not gonna happen. What do you say, Frank? What do I say? What am I gonna say to you? "No"? I mean, all my time is wrapped up with Marco. You come down, I throw you in a rotation, you spar with these guys. But I can't promise you much more than that, Brendan. That's all I need. Great. Alright. Yeah. I appreciate it. What, are you kidding me? You need anything, you call me. I will. Let me know when you come. Well, I'm just gonna get my stuff from the car. Now? (PADDY) Hey, Brendan. Brendan, it's me, Pop. What are you doing here? I have some news for you. Something wrong with your hands? No. If there's nothing wrong with your hands, you phone. That's the deal. Yeah. I forgot. The phone or mail, Pop. Non-negotiable. Hey, Brendan. You ever seen my hands so steady? Ever seen that? I'm going inside. I got 1,000 days, Brendan. 1,000 days sober, today. That's great, but it doesn't change anything. What do you mean? Have a heart, Brendan. You listen to me. You take your "have a heart" bullshit and you run it down the road. Run it out with someone that doesn't know you like I do. Alright, listen to me. I thought maybe we could break bread. You know, just open some lines of communication. You got two lines. You got the telephone and the post office. Just cos you decide it's a special day, it doesn't make it one. I've got a wife and kids waiting for me, so I don't have time for this. I know you got a wife and kid there. I've got a granddaughter in there I haven't seen in three years. And another one I haven't even ever met. Yeah. Why is that, Pop? Why is that? Do you remember having anything to do with that? Yeah. Yeah. That shit you pulled. Never again. And all that shit I saw growing up, that doesn't happen here. Look... Take care of yourself. Tommy's back. He's in the 'Burgh. You say Tommy's in Pittsburgh? Yeah, he came to see me. He came to see you? Yeah. He's over at the house. We're doing a little training, you know, at Fitzy's. You remember Fitzy's? It ain't Fitzy's anymore. You and Tommy are training together? Yeah. Tommy Conlon? Riordan. Your mother's maiden name. Yeah, I know what her name is. Well, I thought you'd want to know he's back. So that's why I drove all the way over here. I thought you came to break bread. No, I did, Brendan. That's most important. That, too. Alright. Did he say if he wants to see me? He doesn't say much, Brendan. He's just not that happy kid he was, you know? Wow. Look at you. What? Mr Inside Man. Inside? What? You and Tommy training together, like nothing ever happened. It's unbelievable. Now I know why you're really here. What's that? To gloat. Oh, I did not come to gloat. I came to get my son back. There you go. Yeah, you got your son back. No, I'm talking about you, Brendan. You got your son back. You know... Oh, forget it. Yeah, I'll tell you. Part of the reason... Part of the reason I stuck around, cos I thought I'd finally get you all to myself. But you didn't have any interest in training me. You thought Tommy was the one. Oh, Brendan, I was a drunk. I mean, you know, Brendan, I'm sorry. Forget it. You were always a front-runner. Never had any interest in underdogs. But I was your son. You are my son, Brendan. Am I? Yeah, you are. I'm just asking you if you can find... ..find a little bit of space in your heart to forgive me a little bit. Yeah? Alright, I forgive you. OK. But I do not trust you. Listen, tell Tommy, if he wants to see me, this is where I am. OK. But they're not different things. You got to trust to forgive. Night, Pop. Oh my God. Is that Emily? Jeez, she's grown, Brendan. Is that Rosie? Daddy, who is that? It's just a nice old man. Come on. Let's go. How about a cup of coffee? "Huge news just broken here at ESPN that Koba is coming to America and will fight at Sparta." "Considered the greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever, the mythical Russian "has never fought on US soil in his legendary career." Slow to half guard. Slow to half guard. Hammer fist. Now start on the other side. And slip back in, there you go. Tommy. I got some news for you. I got you into Sparta. It took some doing, but I made it happen. You know, thank you and 10% is customary. (PHONE RINGING) Bueno. "Pilar? Hey, it's Tommy." Tommy? (LAUGHS) (SPEAKS SPANISH) OK. Sorry. (SPEAKS SPANISH) "Good. I'm good. How are you doing?" OK. You know me, Tommy. I was getting really worried about you. How's things? How are the kids? The kids good? "Yeah, they're good." "Maria's getting so big." Yeah? She looks more and more like Manny every day. (LAUGHS) How's little man? "He's good. He's a good kid, Tommy." He's a real good boy. He takes care of his sister. He's a great kid. Everyone's good. "Good." "We're good." Good. You know... Pilar, I haven't... I haven't forgotten for one minute what we... ..what I promised you. "What I promised Manny. I got opportunities coming up, so..." Whatever you can do, Tommy. "Help you guys out. I'm gonna take care of you guys." I know. Manny would really appreciate it. "I want to help." You know what? You worry too much. You worry so much about us. It's OK. You know what? We're hanging in there. (RADIO) "Captain Pollard once more sailed for the Pacific, "but the gods shipwrecked him again upon unknown rocks and breakers." "For the second time, his ship was utterly lost, "and forthwith forswearing the sea, he has never tempted it since." (FRANK) Stop for a second. Listen to the music. This is Beethoven. Could you do another thing? Or are you gonna do the same thing? I need you to relax and listen. Forget about how to lose the fight. And two, and three. With eight weeks left to Sparta, JJ Riley and the Tapout crew take time out from their international tour to join us. JJ, we've never seen this kind of Grand Prix tournament in this country before. Tell us, why the unique format? Well, look, Jon, you know as well as anyone that in mixed martial arts, anyone can beat anyone on a given night. But with this type of format, it's gonna be tough to deny who the champion is. You got four fights in two nights, 16 fighters down to one, winner's gonna be the last man standing. (PADDY) 31. 32. (FRANK) Breathe, breathe. Keep your eyes open. You got to keep moving. Keep moving. Keep moving. Good! And listen to the music. You breathe. He's getting it. You see? You feel it? Feel the music. (MAN) Come on! Come on, baby! (ANIK) ..with Evans and Bonnar and just five weeks left until Sparta, as the hype continues for the war on the shore this 4 July weekend in Atlantic City. You know what that means. The great Koba bringing his act stateside. I got to ask you about the others. Why are they entering a winner-take-all tournament against a guy that can't be beaten? They're thinking $5 million seems a lot of money, but they got to remember they're going against Koba. Mission impossible, game over, go home. "The winner takes home $5 million." "Be sure this will dominate the sports landscape 4 July weekend in Atlantic City." "Koba making his presence felt in the United States." (PADDY) Two... Come on, Tommy. (FRANK) Hits you soft, right? Flow like water. Get on your arm, watch what happens. There it is. Look. He's going to sleep. You train with the best to be the best, Brendan. (CROWD CHEERS) Pittsburgh Beatdown became one of the most watched videos on YouTube this year. Joining us, via satellite, is the victim of the infamous incident, Mad Dog Grimes. Mad Dog, what is your response to all the hoopla surrounding the video and Tommy Riordan? This guy's a nobody. It's a sparring session. It is what it is, and he's gonna pay for it next month in Atlantic City. Good. Always moving. Always moving. I don't know, Marco. You're getting a good game from a physics teacher. Good! Good. You see? You see? Beautiful. Top of the food chain. He's the next champ, right here. (ANIK) With Sparta now just two short weeks away, JJ Riley and the Tapout crew return to the US after a world tour saw them visit ten fighters in ten different countries. They stopped in Philadelphia to check in on renowned trainer, Frank Campana, and top contender, Marco Santos. (FRANK) Relax and stay calm in there. The cage is your home. You set the pace. You set the rhythm. Feel the Beethoven. Be smarter than him, more patient. Wait for him to make a mistake. And when he does, that's your moment. I see it. I see it. I see it. (LAUGHS) No, he did not tap you! Physics teacher! That's the best in the business, son. (PADDY) Do this, son! Smoother. There's more in you! You got more in you! We're not done yet! (FRANK) He's beating you! He's beating you! You better push harder, Marco! Brendan's running away! And the winner, by tap out, "Irish" Brendan Conlon. (RADIO) "..but mirrors back his own mysterious self." "Great pains, small gains for those who ask the world to solve them. It cannot solve itself." (SIRENS WAIL) Are you gonna be OK? Yeah. You want to grab a bite? No. I'm gonna head home. I got to call the boys and break the news. I'll call you tomorrow. OK. Coach! Hey, I know this is not a really great time, and it's too bad about Marco. But how about me? (LAUGHS) Are you talking about Sparta? Yeah. You've got a better shot at starting a boy band. We'll talk tomorrow. (GROANS) It's a Grand Prix tournament. Anything could happen. You know that. Yeah. They'd have to kill me to get me out. That's what I'm afraid of. Frank, I need this. You're real tight with these guys. You could call them. You're the guy. They trust you. Brendan. You realise what you're asking? Yeah. Yeah. We go down to AC, you get tapped out in five seconds. How does that benefit us? It's not gonna happen. Not gonna happen? Wish I had a nickel for every time somebody told me that. It's not gonna happen. (LAUGHS) I'll make a call. Oh, I love my coach! Yeah, they're good. The girls are good. They're good. Yeah, he should. You're spending so much time with Brendan these days, it's like you're part of the family or something. Yeah, he's right here. It's your boyfriend. Frank. Hey, man. That's unbelievable. Wow! Wow, Frank, I can't thank you enough. I don't know what to say. Alright, listen, I got to call you back, OK? Alright. Bye. I'm in. I'm going. Really? That's your decision? You decided? Cos I really enjoyed the conversation we just had about making that decision together. You told me you were gonna fight guys that watched too much UFC. I saw the Koba dude on the television, and he's the guy they're watching. It's a lot of money, Tess. I don't give a shit about the money. I told you that. We're gonna end up cashing in your life insurance policy before we pick up that prize. You don't think I can do it, right? I think you could get killed. I'm not gonna get killed. You promise you're not gonna get hurt? You're not gonna end up in hospital or paralysed. You have no prize money, we have no house. We have payments for hospital bills. Listen, I promise you this. If I don't try in three weeks, they're gonna take the house. How's that for a promise? So I'm gonna go, OK? But I'd really love it if you'd be with me on this. I'm not gonna watch you fight again. I'm not. I'm gonna get the girls breakfast. . All right, so, this is Tim. 34-year-old male. RTC. Multi-vehicle... VOICES OVERLAP I think about the car crash a lot. I know he caused it and I reacted the best way possible. But it's hard to let it go. SOMBRE MUSIC When I asked what had happened to him, the doctors said he really wore the impact ` any more and things would've been much worse. They said he was lucky ` lucky I wasn't going any faster. Thank you. SOMBRE MUSIC CONTINUES It's OK. MUSIC CONTINUES It's OK. (REPORTER) 4 July weekend doesn't officially start until tomorrow, but fight fans are already descending for the Super Bowl of mixed martial arts, Sparta! We've got the dancing girls, we've got the paparazzi, we've got the red carpet! And here comes JJ Riley, the man who started it all. JJ, you've made a fortune with your hedge funds. You turned your back on Wall Street and dedicated your life to Sparta. Tell us why this tournament is so important to you. Growing up, we all wanted to know who the toughest kid was, right? I want to know who the toughest man on the planet is. That's why. That's what all these people are here to see, Saturday night. That's what we'll find out. Thank you, JJ. And here's something fans never thought they'd see. Koba is here. The legend arriving to fight on US soil for the very first time. Olympic gold medallist in wrestling, world Sambo champion, undefeated in his mixed martial arts career. Nobody's survived a round with the Russian in five years. He is the greatest fighter... I mean, you've seen our logos. Yeah, I've seen your stuff. It looks good. I mean, is he fighting after Sparta? We're trying to find some info on him. I'm not sure. Hey, where'd you go? Where'd you go? You can't leave me like that. They want to talk to you, not me. Frank Campana? Yeah. Hi. Julia, JJ Riley's assistant. Julia, how are you? Brendan Conlon? Hey. Julia, JJ Riley's assistant. Nice to meet you. A few things. Press conference will start in 20 minutes. OK. Brendan, you're gonna be sitting up on the stage. (PADDY) Tommy! Hey, Tommy! Where you going? (FRANK) Can we stand with JJ? (RADIO) "The whale wheeled round to present his blank forehead at bay." "But in that evolution, catching sight of the nearing black hull of the ship, "seemingly seeing in it the source of all his persecutions, "bethinking it, it may be a larger and nobler foe." "Of a sudden, he bore down upon its advancing prow, smiting his jaws amid fiery showers of foam." "Ahab staggered. His hand smote his forehead." "'I grow blind...'" "The only person missing was dark horse entry, Tommy Riordan." "Recent revelations that Riordan was not only a United States Marine, but a hero in the Iraq War, "has cast an even wider spotlight on a fighter who seems to have come out of nowhere." "Lance Corporal Mark Bradford's web testimony to Riordan, who saved his life earlier this year in Iraq, "is now spreading like wildfire throughout the media." Tommy! "And the bridge just crumbled." Come on. You got to see this. "The amtrac was upside down." "Water was coming in from everywhere." "And the water pressure was too much." "We couldn't get the back hatch open. We were all drowning, man." "It was a death trap." "I couldn't have had more than another minute." "Then suddenly the back ramp gets ripped off." "There he was." "Before I could get out and thank him, he was gone." "He just vanished like a ghost." Tommy? Tommy, did you...? Where you going? Taking a walk. Tommy! "I really just wanted to say thank you." "You saved my life, brother." "And anyone seeing this at Sparta, anybody out in Pittsburgh, "you reach out to Tommy Riordan and tell him Mark said, 'Thank you.'" "Footage taken from a helmet cam..." (PHONE RINGS) "..captured the heroic incident." Hello? Brendan? (BRENDAN) Been looking all over for you. How's it going? It's going. I was thinking we should go grab a coffee. I don't drink coffee, man. What do you want? You don't want to sit down? I'm good right here. OK. Shit, Tommy, how was I supposed to know I was never gonna see you guys again? Yeah, well, you were briefed. You had the information. You chose the old man and the girl. She wasn't just some girl. I married her. She's my wife. See? That's Tess. That's Emily and Rosie. They're your nieces, Tommy. I don't know them. I know you don't know them. Of course you don't know them. So why am I looking at pictures of people I don't know? Cos that's my family. And who are you, exactly? I'm your brother, man. You were in the Corps? What? I said I didn't know you were in the Corps. I wasn't in the Corps. Then you ain't no brother to me. My brother was in the Corps. Jesus, Tommy. Tommy. I was a 16-year-old kid. What the hell did I know? I don't know what you know. Why don't you ask your girlfriend? She's my wife, Tommy. So, that's it? I stay with Tess, I never get to see you guys again? Not a single phone call? Nothing? God, man, I don't understand this. What? You... So, you won't forgive me, but you forgave Pop? No, he's just some old vet that I train with, you know? He means nothing to me. And, what I hear, he means nothing to you, either. You got balls talking about forgiveness. That has nothing to do with forgiveness. I got children, man. I got a family to protect. Everything I do is for them. I forgave Pop. Just like I forgave you and Mom. You forgave us? Yeah. I'm not surprised you made the tournament. You got some stones, man. I fell in love. What the hell was I supposed to do? Stick to the plan. You were supposed to come with us. Mom needed you, I needed you. You're my big brother. You bailed on me. Hey, you know, I'm glad you stayed. Everything worked out for you. You leave, you get the opposite. OK? You leave, you get to bury people. You're not the only one that suffered, Tommy. I didn't even know she was sick. I never even got the chance to say goodbye to my own mother. You had no right to keep that from me. That was not your decision to make! You know what? You walk around with your pictures of your wife, and you're all, "I forgive you. I forgive Pop. I forgive everyone." Brendan, you know... You're full of shit. Are we done, Brendan? Are we finished? You realise you're supposed to seek my wise counsel while school's in session, right? Yes, Principal Z. We want to use the auditorium this weekend to watch Mr C in Sparta. What do you say? You want to use the auditorium to watch a suspended teacher engage in the activity he was suspended for? Am I hearing this correct? OK, we thought you would say that, so it could turn into a fundraiser. I think you need to talk to your parents, because you guys need summer school. Everybody wants this. We've been telling everybody. The gym's the only place big enough to fit everyone. It won't happen. If we get a petition? We'll get the whole school to sign. Democracy. What would they do? Look, guys. I appreciate that you love your teacher, I really do, but there is nothing I can do for you. (ANNOUNCER) The roof is about to blow clean off Boardwalk Hall Arena. It might be 4 July weekend, but this is Christmas Eve for fight fans. This is Atlantic City. This is the War on the Shore, and this is what everyone's been waiting for. 16 of the baddest men on the planet duking it out over a 24-hour period for the largest purse in mixed martial arts history. In the town everyone knows from the game of Monopoly, we got ourselves a winner-take-all affair. Buckle your seatbelts, roll the dice and take a ride on the Reading. Sparta is here! Welcome. I'm Bryan Callen, along with bestselling fight author Sam Sheridan. Sam, when JJ Riley conceived Sparta, he wanted to create, quite simply, the biggest mixed martial arts spectacle in history. $5 million, Bryan. $5 million. JJ Riley put his money where his mouth is and put up the biggest purse the sport has ever seen. It's unprecedented, Sam. As is the hoopla surrounding one Tommy Riordan, the war hero, who has become an overnight sensation and captured the attention... (TV) "..Jujitsu black belt Francisco Barbosa, who has a 90-4 record in his mixed martial arts' career." "Our rules of the cage are brought to you by Tapout." (KNOCKING) Five minutes, Paddy. OK. (CALLEN) "It looks as though the moment of truth has arrived, because here comes Tommy Riordan." "Tommy Riordan's captured the media's attention, but the question still remains." Who is this guy? And more importantly, can he compete in this talent pool? Can he win? I wish I knew. I wish I knew who he was. And I say the fact that I don't know is very strange. "In an Internet age where there are no secrets, this guy's a complete mystery." "I can't find out anything about him." "Tommy Riordan is officially Google-proof." Get your hands off me. OK, let's go. (CALLEN) "You got to love him." "No walk-out music, no sponsors, no interviews." "He skipped the press conference, wouldn't have his picture taken for the programme." "He's breaking every rule." "The only reason that Tommy Riordan is in this tournament "is an MMA video making the rounds of him beating up Mad Dog Grimes in the gym." "But the reason that a lot of his fans are in the stands is because of another video." "It's more stunning than the Mad Dog video." "This guy... Let me describe it to you, folks, for the few that haven't seen it." Tommy Riordan ripped the door off a tank in the heat of battle, saving lives in the process, and then walked away without a medal. He ripped the door off a tank. Tommy Riordan is a genuine war hero. I'm not taking anything away from the guy, he's a very tough guy, but the tank don't hit back, you know. "Sam..." "We've seen YouTube sensations fail before." "He ripped the door off a tank!" (CROWD CHEERS) "Riordan has definitely got his hands full in his first opponent, Francisco Barbosa." "Barbosa..." "Not to scoff at." "Yeah, he's the octopus. He's the real deal." "He's a very, very tough guy, a very high-calibre fighter." "Tommy Riordan came out of nowhere, and he's gonna disappear just as quickly." It's a great story, but I think your boy is gonna be exposed here as a YouTube sensation. A lot of fans here in Boardwalk Hall hope you're wrong, Sam. You've been given your instructions. I expect a clean fight. Obey my command at all times, defend yourselves at all times. Touch gloves, let's do this. Cut off the corners, feel this guy out, just like we know. "We're about to get the big answer to the big question." "Is Tommy Riordan for real?" "They are both game fighters." "And here we go." Let's go to war! Keep your focus, Tom. "Here we go. We'll see this. Barbosa's looking for a takedown." "Looking for a takedown here." (CROWD SHOUTS) Barbosa is down! Barbosa has been knocked out! "Tommy Riordan is most definitely for real." "And now he's walking out of the cage. He's leaving the cage." (PADDY) Hey, Tommy! "There goes another rule, out the window!" Where you going? "Francisco Barbosa is out cold and out of this tournament, Bryan." "A huge left hook..." (FRANK) Nice and easy. One, two. Good. One, two, three. Good. Two, three. Good. Good, good, good. Good. Come on. Good. One, two. Showtime. Alright. Come on, give me eight. Yes! That's my boy. # "Ode To Joy" - Beethoven Let's go, move your head around. You ready? Look at me. You can do this. I want to hear you say it. I can do this. Let's go do this. Yeah. Yeah. (SHERIDAN) JJ Riley only had 48 hours, less than 48 hours, to fill the spot. And basically, he had to go on the road to Frank Campana. Well, then he chose Brendan Conlon, which really I don't understand. I just... I'm shocked. Hey, Brendan. Brendan, go get him. (MUSIC SWELLS) You go get him, son! I can understand coming out to no music, but why would you choose classical music as your entrance? This is Beethoven. This is Ode to Joy, Bryan. My apologies, Mr Renaissance Man. Go get him, son. "If you want to talk about Renaissance men, Frank Campana." Very unorthodox trainer, but one of the best in the game, and he's well known for using classical music to teach his fighters to remain calm, to remain patient, and to remain composed under pressure. You know, classical music is about as fitting to this setting as Brendan Conlon is to this tournament. Let me show you something. Here. Let me tell you... You see that, there? That, right there. That, my friend, is Brendan Conlon. "OK? Brendan Conlon's about to be dropped into a shark tank." "He's a feeder fish." "Come on, give the guy a break." "You know, at least we've seen him fight." "He's fought real guys. He's been in the UFC." "We remember him." "I remember him." "I remember him being very unmemorable." (CROWD CHEERS) (SHERIDAN) "Midnight Le getting ready to go to work." (CALLEN) "He thought he'd be up against Marco Santos." "He's got to be thrilled to see Brendan Conlon across from him." You asked for it. "Brendan retired from fighting some years ago." "He's a high school physics teacher now, and Midnight had some fun with that at the press conference." "He said he'd give the teacher a serious lesson, and that getting killed was no way to spend a summer vacation." "Midnight is known for talking trash, he's also known for backing it up." No question. He's in a lot of trouble. Midnight Le is an agent of destruction. Go get him. You've been given your instruction. I expect a clean fight. Obey my commands at all times. Defend yourselves at all times. Touch gloves, go back, let's do this. Go have some fun, baby. Gentlemen, you ready? You ready? Let's go to war! (FRANK) Work your kicks! Work your kicks! Come on, Brendan, come on. Move! You got to move, you got to move. Let it out! Come on, move! Stay away from the legs! Circle! In and out! Get off the fence! Get off the fence! Get off the fence! (CALLEN) There he goes! Come on, Brendan. Get out of there! Come on! Get up! Come on! Come on! Watch the back of the head! Relax! (SHERIDAN) Midnight is all over him. (CALLEN) Well, this can't last much longer. It won't. The teacher just has no answers. Get out of there! Get out of there! "And now, he's got the hooks in." "The hooks are in." Brendan in very big trouble. The end is close. Can he make the end of the round? "He's got the choke. He's got 20 seconds left in the round, "and his face is turning purple. This looks like it's over." Get up! Find his legs! Hips! Hip down! Hip down! Get your weight down! Get your weight down! "Midnight is squeezing with all his might." Ten seconds! Don't you tap! "Ten seconds, Bryan." Don't tap! Brendan, don't you tap! Hold on, Brendan. "Conlon doing his best. His world's about to go from day to night." Don't you tap! Don't you tap, Brendan! (HONKING) "I cannot believe that, Sam!" "I thought for sure this guy was going to sleep." "Midnight can't believe it either." Oh, Jesus. What are you doing? What are you doing? You should've had him. You should've had him in the first round. Beautiful. Beautiful. He doesn't know what hit him. He doesn't know what hit him. Breathe. Deep breaths. Come on now. Small sip, small sip. Small sip. Deep breath, deep breath. I want you to do something. I want you to get him to pull, OK? When he pulls, hit him a bit and shoot on him. I'd love to be a fly on the wall, listening to Frank Campana and hear him. In and out. In and out. In and out. Trade punches with him, alright? You're doing beautiful. Let's go, seconds out! This round, knock him out. He doesn't deserve to be here. Beautiful. Breathe. Let's go! (SHERIDAN) "The teacher answering the bell for round two." Nice and easy! Set the pace! Set the pace, Brendan! Gentlemen! Let's go to war! (FRANK) Circle around! Circle around! Nice and easy! Good, good! Shoot! Shoot on him! Get out of there! Hitch him! Hitch him! Hitch him! Get out of there! Get out of there! Come on! Do something. Shoot! Shoot on him! Shoot on him! (CALLEN) "Conlon shoots on Midnight and gets him down." (SHERIDAN) "Midnight's trying to get to..." Scissors takedown. A beautiful takedown. Really nice. Conlon showing signs of life and not backing down. Knees, knees! Good! Take his arm! Good! He's got a kimura lock! A very good kimura. Turn your hips in! In! Up! Stay with him. Turn your hips in! Hips up! Turn your hips in! Turn your hips in! You got it, Brendan. Your round. You got it! Turn your hips up and in! Hips up! Very good! "He's in a lot of trouble." That's it! Come on! Come on! Midnight is in a very, very bad position. He's in big trouble. Slow down! Relax! You got it! You got it! "Brendan Conlon is going to finish it here!" A very dangerous position. Midnight doesn't have anywhere to go. You got it! You got it! Slow down! Relax! You got it! You got it! (CALLEN) "And this isn't... This isn't happening!" "This can't happen." "It just did." He tapped! Brendan Conlon tapped Midnight! I can't believe that. Oh my goodness! You got him! Way to go, Brendan! Yeah! Yeah! He tapped him out. Honey, he tapped him out! He did it! He did it! He did it! He did it! Way to go, Brendan! Way to go! Yeah! (SHERIDAN) "This is what's so great about MMA. There's so many ways to lose." "One tiny miscalculation, anyone can win at anytime." (CALLEN) "Which is why Campana's embracing his man." "I don't think either one can believe what just happened." "Great show of sportsmanship from the teacher." "That's a hallmark of Frank Campana's philosophy, something his fighters buy into, "obviously none more so than Brendan." "And Midnight Le is shocked." "He thought he'd get a free pass, but instead he's going home." "Dominated the fight the entire way, but he falls to a technical finish." A very technical finish, but that's a fluke. I don't care. I don't know. "Call it a fluke, but I call it a guy maintaining composure and waiting for his opportunity." "Conlon beats Midnight! Unbelievable!" "I hope you got a receipt for your fish." (PHONE BEEPS) Yes! OK. (CALLEN) "We're down to eight, and soon to be seven, "as Koba prepares to go to work for the second time tonight." Right hand. Huge right hand. Oh my goodness. Huge hand. "Oh my God! This is over." "Once again, Koba does not break a sweat." "I'm afraid he might have broken something else." "That's certainly possible. Koba moving on to tomorrow night." (CROWD CHANTS) Koba! Koba! "Mad Dog fighting like a man possessed." "A man with something to prove, reminding us why he is a serious contender to win this contest." "He wanted to send a message to Riordan, and there it is, there." "Here comes the underdog, Brendan Conlon." "The teacher passed his first test, but now he's got to face The Dane." Brendan! You can do it. "Round three, and the beating continues." "I honestly don't know how Brendan Conlon can take this punishment." "He has been battered without mercy in both of his fights today." "He's still standing, Bryan." Beethoven! No! No, no, no! Good, take him down! (SHERIDAN) "He's taking The Dane down!" Hold on to him. He's looking for the armbar. He's got an armbar. "He's looking to be boss of it once again." Tap, tap, tap! Come on, tap, tap! Palms flat! Palms flat! Thumbs up! (CALLEN) "He's got that arm!" (SHERIDAN) "Break, break!" Yes! "Are you kidding me?" "Do it once, it's a fluke. Do it twice, and it's something else." "Pull the bandwagon over, I think I am hopping on." I think I'm a believer. You did it! Way to go, Brendan! I'm doing this! OK. I'm doing it! OK. OK, son. (CALLEN) "The crowd catching fire for the hero Tommy Riordan." (CROWD CHANTS) Tommy! Tommy! (SHERIDAN) He doesn't want all this adulation. He's just here to fight. Gentlemen, you ready? Are you ready? Let's go to war! Right at him! Right at him! (CALLEN) "Well, here he comes again, like a buzz saw!" (SHERIDAN) "He is all over Diego Santana." "He's all over him, and he's beating on him without mercy! Oh my goodness!" (CROWD CHEERS) "There he goes again, storming out of the cage!" "Tommy Riordan marching off through the crowd and straight into the final four, ladies and gentlemen." (CROWD CHANTS) Tommy! Tommy! So, where is he? Yeah. Mr Conlon. Erm... Make a right at that white sign... Hey! Can't sleep, huh? I know that that... ..other thing is bothering the hell out of you. I'm proud of you, Tommy. What you did for that kid in the tank, that was really something. How about deserting my unit? Is that really something too? Yeah. I was on my way out of the country when I came across those guys. What was I supposed to do? Let them drown? No. What did you do? What did I do? I took off. That's why you go by Riordan. Why they can't find your service records. What the hell happened over there, Tommy? That is none of your business, man. Oh, come on, kiddo. You know, I've been there. I've done it. I've seen it. You can trust me. I understand. Will you spare me the compassionate father routine, Pop? The suit don't fit. Tommy. I'm really trying here. You're trying? Yeah, really. I'm trying. Now? Where were you when it mattered? I needed this guy back when I was a kid. I don't need you now. You know, it's too late now. Everything's already happened. You and Brendan don't seem to understand that. Let me explain something to you, OK? The only thing that I have in common with Brendan Conlon is that, the pair of us, we have absolutely no use for you. Look at you. Yeah, I was right. I liked you better when you were a drunk. You had some balls then. Not like now, tiptoeing around like some beggar with your cup out. Take it somewhere else. In fact, you know what? Here's a cup. Why don't you take this and go get yourself more shitty tapes... Don't do this. ..and go back to the room and listen to more... Don't do this. ..fish stories that no one gives a shit about. Now, get out of here. Get the fuck out of here! Go on. (PADDY) God pity them! All shall perish except me! Bastards. Bastards! You bastards. You bastards! Stop the ship, you bastards! Ishmael. God pity them. Stop the ship. Please, stop the ship. Stop the ship! Somebody. Ahab. You godless son of a bitch! You stop the ship! You godless son of a bitch! (TAPE) "'The whale! The ship!' cried the cringing oarsmen." "'Oars! Oars! Slope downward.'" Stop it. "'O sea, that ere it be for ever too late, Ahab may slide this last, last time upon his mark!'" Captain... Stop the... Oh, Captain, stop... Stop the ship, Ahab. For the love of God. They're lost. Stop it... The ship. A... A... Ahab... You stop the... Oh, no. Oh, no. (SOBS) Come on, give me the Walkman. No. No. No, no. Come on. Come here, come here, come here. Come on. Give me. No. Shh. (CRIES) Tommy. We're lost. We're lost, Tommy. It's over. We'll never make it back. Stay down. We'll never make it back. I'm here. Oh, Tommy. I always loved you. You know that, don't you, Tommy? I always loved you. Shh. You and your brother. My two boys. (UPBEAT MUSIC) WHISPERS: Magic. Magic. Be amazed at what you can get with BK's new Change Range. And now, for a limited time, 10 nuggets for just $3. Burgers the way they're meant to be. (CROWD CHANTS) Tommy! Tommy! (CALLEN) "Tommy Riordan coming down the tunnel without his trainer." (SHERIDAN) "Once again, no walk-out music." (ALL CHEER) "I'd hardly say no music, Sam." # "The Halls Of Montezuma" # We fight our country's battles... Bryan, it sounds like V-J day in Times Square. I've never seen anything like this. # ..fight for right and freedom # And to keep our honour clean # We are proud to claim the title # Of United States Marine (ALL) Ooh-rah! (CALLEN) "Tommy acknowledging his comrades for the first time and climbing into the cage." (ALL CHEER) "Mad Dog Grimes has been waiting for revenge ever since the day Tommy Riordan walked into his gym "and turned his life upside down." (SHERIDAN) "It's been a long and miserable few months for Mad Dog, to say the least." "Grimes mocking Riordan by having a camouflage motif for his mohawk tonight, "and the Marines are really letting Mad Dog have it." (ALL BOO) Alright, gentlemen. We've been over your instructions. I expect a clean fight. Obey my commands at all times, defend yourselves at all times. Touch gloves, go back. It's not gonna happen again. (CALLEN) "Mad Dog chomping at the bit." "He can't wait to get a piece of Tommy." "He predicted an early knockout. He'd take Tommy out with one punch." And he said, "They'll have to pull me off him." We'll see what Tommy has to say about that. Gentlemen, you ready? You ready? Let's go to war! (CALLEN) "And they are off!" "Tommy tackles him, and he's on top!" "He's raining bombs!" "Raining bombs." "Mad Dog is out." "Mad Dog's in trouble. Please stop this." Stop it! Stop the fight! Break! Break! Break! Fastest knockout ever! Mad Dog Grimes has been poleaxed. He is not moving. "Do that on the street, they lock you up and throw away the key." "Break out the yellow tape, Sam." "This guy's walking away like he's leaving a crime scene!" (CROWD CHANTS) Tommy! Tommy! Go through. Next one, move it out. (CHEERING) # "Ode to Joy" - Beethoven Yeah! Mr C! Mr C! I'm on your side. (CLAPPING / CHEERING) Go, Brendan. (SHERIDAN) "Brendan Conlon came into this as a 1000:1 underdog, and now here he is in the final four." "The crowd showing their appreciation. Quite the reception." He's got a huge reception. I mean, this guy shocked everybody. Come on, come on. You alright? You've got a visitor. Second row, ten o'clock. You alright with that? (CALLEN) "Here comes the great Russian, Koba." Koba is so intimidating, and his reputation is larger than life. (RUSSIAN SPEECH) Look right at him when he comes in here. Look right at him. Alright? Don't take your eyes off him. (CROWD CHEERS) I'm proud of you, brother. This is your cage. (REFEREE) Gentlemen. We've been over your instructions. I expect a clean fight. Obey me at all times, defend yourselves at all times. Touch gloves, go back, let's do this. Should I be nervous for Brendan? Cos I am. Well... "I want to stop it before it gets going." "Well, here we go." He's like a machine. Look at him. Gentlemen, you ready? You ready? Let's go to war! (FRANK) Hands up, Brendan. (CALLEN) "Now, the question is how long can Brendan Conlon stay alive?" Angle out of it! Keep moving! Get out of there! Get out of there! Keep moving! Keep moving! Get away from him! Hit him, babe! Get in there! (CALLEN) "Crushing body shots." Relax, you're OK. "Conlon's down, and Koba pounces and starts pounding!" "He's just pounding on him like a side of beef." Go, go, go. Get up! He's getting his ass whooped. "And now he's got him in the air!" "Oh, God." (FRANK) Relax, tie up his arm! Tie him up! (AIR HORN HONKS) (SHERIDAN) I think Campana has to think seriously about... How much abuse can one man take? Go to war! Just relax! Relax! Relax! Off the fence! "Brendan's going for a ride! Oh!" "That one shook the entire building!" "He just threw him against the fence like a rag doll." Get up! Get up! Come on! Hold on! Turn it in! Turn in! "And now Koba's on top, and he's finishing him here." Look. On the edge of blowing it. Get off the fence, Brendan! "You wonder how he can take this kind of beating on his arms." "His forearms and his hands." (AIR HORN HONKS) Break! Break! Break! (SHERIDAN) "Everybody has got to be concerned about Conlon's bravery getting him in trouble here." "His bravery could get him killed. He's got nothing more to prove." He's lasted two rounds with Koba. True. And you wonder what's keeping this guy up. Sit down. Sit down. Breathe. Breathe! Look at me. Look at me! Head down. Small sips. Hold it. Hold it, small sips. Why are we here? Why are we here, Brendan? Are we here to win this fight? Are we here to win? You tell me. If we're not, I will throw in the towel. We will get Tess, and we will go home. We'll go home, OK? You don't knock him out, you lose the fight. Do you understand me? You don't knock him out, you don't have a home. Let's go! Seconds out! Seconds out! Gentlemen! Let's go to war! (CROWD CHEERS) (CALLEN) "Conlon somehow answering the call to round three." "And Koba's all over him once again." "Brendan's giving back." "There's signs of life in Brendan Conlon." "He's starting to mix it up." Pummel, pummel, pummel. "He's taken Koba down, but the Russian is back up." "Brendan shoots him again, pressing him against the cage." "He's fallen into a guillotine." "Conlon trapped in an iron vice here, and Koba squeezing his neck, trying to choke the teacher out." (FRANK) Hips! Breathe! Breathe! Ride it out! Ride it out! "Conlon looking for a way out." "What is this?" "Tossed Koba. Can you believe it?" "He just shook off a guillotine and tossed Koba." "Conlon's looking for an armbar, trying to submit the Russian bear." Hips, hips, hips! Yeah, you got him! You got him! "Koba slips right out." "Conlon's staying after him. He's squeezing the bear." "The tables have turned and the boy scout is messing with the bear." "The teacher going for a mountain, but Koba's on his feet." "He does not want to be with Brendan and his endless submissions." "Koba trying to re-establish his dominance with shots to the face." "But Conlon's showing no fear. This is a fight!" "We have got ourselves a fight!" "Wow, that's a huge elbow to the head." Conlon goes for a knee bar. He's got it deep! "He's got it very, very deep!" "He's deep on that." "He's got Koba in a lot of pain." "We saw this with Midnight, The Dane, and here! Brendan Conlon..." Break it! Break it! Break it! "Conlon wrenching that knee for all it's worth." "Putting everything he has into it." (SHOUTS) "And Koba is screaming in pain." Koba taps. Koba has tapped! Brendan Conlon has tapped Koba! I can't believe it! Brendan Conlon has tapped Koba! "He's tapped Koba! And Frank Campana can't believe it." "This whole place can't believe it. I can't." "Brendan Conlon has tapped the great Koba." You got it! You did it! "..the world Sambo champ with a knee bar!" "Brendan Conlon!" "It's amazing!" "I don't know what I just saw." "I don't know how to put this into context." "That's got to be the biggest upset in MMA history." "I've never seen anything like it. He tapped a world Sambo champion in a knee bar!" (ALL SCREAM ECSTATICALLY) Brendan Conlon, the teacher! Brendan Conlon, the civilian! "He's done the impossible." "He has done the impossible. He's pulled off a miracle." "This place is going crazy, because they've just seen a miracle." (CROWD CHEERS) (ANNOUNCER) "This is CNN Breaking News." "A surprising turn in the story of Iraq War hero, Tommy Riordan." "CNN has learned that Riordan's true identity is that of Marine Staff Sergeant Thomas Conlon." "He went AWOL from his unit earlier this year, "following the friendly-fire death of his brother-in-arms, Sergeant Manny Fernandez." "Fernandez's wife, Pilar Fernandez, spoke with me in an exclusive interview, moments ago." "The bombs started dropping." "They were coming from US planes." "Tommy and Manny were waving their flags to let them know they were Americans, but they didn't stop." "Everyone died." "Everyone except Tommy." I know my Manny used to say that... ..Tommy was the brother he never had. "Conlon, who is fighting in the mixed martial arts mega-tournament Sparta, "is expected to be taken into custody by military police following tonight's finale in Atlantic City." "If victorious, he has pledged his $5 million purse to the widow of his fallen comrade." (CALLEN) "We've just got some news that I'm having trouble putting into context." "The two men fighting for the championship tonight, for the $5 million prize, "for the middleweight championship of the world, are brothers." Alright, let's get this off. What are you gonna do? I'm gonna fight him. (BELL DINGING) (MUFFLED CROWD CHEERS) (ALL CHANT) Mr C! Mr C! Mr C! (SILENCE) (CROWD ROARS) (CHEERING, CHANTING) Gentlemen. Gentlemen, this is the final. I expect a clean fight. Obey me at all times, defend yourselves at all times. Touch gloves, go back, do this. Where's Pop? Gentlemen, are you ready? Are you ready? Let's go to war! Relax, Brendan, relax! Get out! Get out of there! Throw your hands! Throw your hands! Don't lose it. No, no, no! Move! Move! Tie him up! Tie him up! Control his moves. Control his moves. Control the arms! Keep control in the arms! Breathe! You're OK! Relax! Breathe! Get up! Get up! Get up! (FRANK) Relax! Breathe! Tie him up! Get up! Tie him up, Brendan! Tie him up! Come on. Get him! Get him! (AIR HORN HONKS) Break! What was that? Hey, come on, Josh! What's up with that? Hey, step back! Watch that late blow! Come on! Come on, Josh! I mean, what is that? Come on, come on. Sit down. Sit, sit. Sit... Brendan, sit down. Look at me. Sit down. Brendan, look at me. Look at me. Look at me, Brendan. Let it go. Let it go, OK? Breathe. Beethoven. OK. He's coming right at you, right? Exactly like we planned. I want you to angle out, hit and move every time. Alright? Angle out and move. Good. Breathe. Breathe. Come on, relax. OK. He's not your brother, right? Look at me. He's not your brother. Alright. He's in the way. Seconds out. Wrap it up. Taking a little more time for the cheap shot. Do your job, Josh. Come on, babe. Come on. Let's go to war. Breathe! Pace, pace! Control the pace! Oh! Cover up! Come on, get off the fence! Get off the fence! Hands up! Hands up! Head up! You're alright! Relax! Breathe! Get him! Huge throw. Huge. Look at that. Turn in! Don't give him your back! Turn in! Go! Good! Good! Come on, get out of it! Go! Get up! Control the arms! Cover up, cover up. Push it! (AIR HORN HONKING) Break free! Break! Break! Good, good, good! Clean break! Stop! Hey, stop! Come on. (CALLEN) "Here we go, Mom." Time to lock up your china, the boys are at it again! Let's go to war! Now! Get up! Get up! Come on, babe! Get up! Get up! Control it with the arms. Switch! Switch! Hips! Down, down. Hips down. Oh my God. That's a deep omoplata there. He's got the seats up. (MAN) Come on, Tommy! (SCREAMS) You've got him, babe! Come on, tap him out! (SHOULDER CRACKS) (SCREAMS) Break! Break! Break! Tommy, you OK? You OK? (INDISTINCT YELLING) Tommy! Go! Let's go! Go! Tommy! It's the championship. Keep it together. Sit down. Sit down! (CROWD CHEERS) (ALL CHANT) Tommy! Tommy! (BRENDAN) I popped his shoulder. Shh. Relax. Breathe. Breathe. I heard it. You popped his shoulder? Good. OK. Pop his other shoulder. Let's go. Josh! Hey, hey, no Josh. Josh. Hey! Look at me. What? Look at me. Alright, you got two rounds. Two rounds. We need both rounds. (ALL CHANT) Tommy! Tommy! What? Go in there, kick him in the head, take him down and finish him! Tommy, what are you doing? Shut up. Come on. Come on. What? Have you gone crazy? Let's go to war! Brendan, pick your hands up! It's over. What are you doing? What are you doing? It's over, Tommy. You'd better fight! It's over, Tommy. Come on. Tommy, we don't have to do this. I'm not gonna watch you do this, Tommy. Not gonna watch you do this. You alright there? Quick, finish him! You finish him! Come on. (AIR HORN HONKS) Break, break, break! Back up, back up! # "About Today" - The National # Today # You were far away # And I # Didn't ask you why # What could I say # I was far away # Slip away # How close am I # To losing you (CROWD CHEERS) # Hey # Are you awake # Yeah, I'm right here I'm sorry, Tommy. I'm sorry. Tap, Tommy. It's OK. It's OK. # How close am I I love you. I love you, Tommy. # To losing you # (SCREAMS) (CROWD CHEERS) (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYS) IMS Subtitles www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Able 2014