Team Rampage has not been having the best of luck this season on The Ultimate Fighter. Which is a nice way of saying they’ve lost every damn fight so far against Rashad Evans’ crew. Hell, in the last episode Rampage himself even lost a fight against a door. At first we all thought he’d kicked the door’s ass to end his team’s winless streak, but check that door out now — it’s already reconstructed!

Team Rampage’s last hope lies in Marcus Jones, a former football player who decided to get into mixed martial arts simply for the love of the sport. Jones considers himself “no one special” and just “another regular Joe.” So far as skills or fighting instinct goes, Jones is probably right. But although he may be lagging behind the rest of the pack in fighting acumen, what he does have is drive. And size: gargantuan, mountain-intimidating size. (OK, he’s only six foot six, 265 pounds — but that’s somewhat larger than many popular Japanese cars.)

You also have to hand it to the guy for how much he likes to learn. In the most recent promo, for example, Rampage comments about how Jones always goes into happy laughing fits every time he acquires a new skill. Jones, perhaps more than anyone else on the show, is simply happy to be there. He may not have the killer instinct other fighters have — in fact, his emotional nature has earned him the cream-puff nickname “Big Baby” on The Ultimate Fighter — but he definitely pushes himself.

The question is, will drive and his impressive frame be enough to carry Jones to a victory? His opponent, Mike Wessel, is the antithesis of Jones, at least in terms of experience. He is a UFC vet with lots of training under his belt. Also, I’ve never seen a dumb smile or happy laugh come across Mike Wessel’s face. In terms of skill, Wessel appears to have Jones seriously outclassed. Hell, in terms of instinct, Wessel also has Jones seriously outclassed. So will this episode be a fairytale ending, with the man who wants it more winning regardless of lack of skill, or will harsh reality send Wessel to the top and cause Team Rampage to suffer a clean sweep?

I don’t know, honestly, but I do know that fans are torn. There is a serious desire to root for the underdog on this one. If Jones wins, it would be an amazing come-from-behind, feel-good success story. All the goofy laughter he shared with his teammates will be worth it, and Team Rampage will finally get a win. On the other hand, if Jones gets his butt handed to him, we might see Rampage fight another door again, or maybe other, even more defenseless inanimate objects. Maybe Rampage versus a microwave oven? Or Rampage versus a set of wind chimes? How about Rampage versus a gazebo, a tiki torch, and two meatloaf TV dinners? Now, that would be one hell of a fight.

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