TUF 10 contestant and North Carolina native Marcus Jones (4-1)

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MMA For Real recently caught up with Marcus Jones to get his thoughts on what transpired on last week's episode of The Ultimate Fighter:

Rich Wyatt: How great did it feel to finally get in the cage and compete? 

Marcus Jones: It was one of the most unreal feelings i had in a long time. It was so long in the making. I was the last person to fight and our team had no wins. I was literally the last hope.
 
Rich Wyatt: Most guys your size don't tend to have such fluid motion while fighting on the ground. Do you think that you surprised Mike Wessel?   

Marcus Jones: Yes.  I feel that once he turned in my guard he thought he had a chance to do some serious ground and pound.  Unlike the majority of heavyweight fighters, my first love is jui-jitsu.  I have been training off my back for a long time.
 
Rich Wyatt: I think that everyone was impressed by how quickly you slapped on that armbar and it seemed like something that came second nature to you. It seems obvious that your team at Gracie Tampa really had you prepared for this experience. How great is it having a team and coaches like that to return home to?   

Marcus Jones: Rob Kahn at Gracie Tampa is probably one of the best jui-jitsu instructors around.  He's able to teach jui-jitsu one step at a time. It makes it easy for anyone to learn.
 
Rich Wyatt: You've defended Rampage's performance as a coach. Do you think that the editing has been done in such a way as to exclude some of the footage that showed him in a more positive light or showed him working to help the team?   

Marcus Jones: All I know is that Rampage helped me get better as a fighter.  The coaches and assistants that he brought with him coached us every day.  They always made us feel like they wanted to be there.
 
Rich Wyatt: What were your thoughts on the second round matchups?  

Marcus Jones: I thought it was odd that they asked us who would be your easiest opponent to make it to the next round.  Why didn't they just tell us who to fight?