Nick Ring forces to step down on 'The Ultimate Fighter' because of knee

Canadian Nick (The Promise) Ring has called it quits on "The Ultimate Fighter," unwilling to risk a knee in need of another anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

The 30-year-old mixed martial arts middleweight from Calgary announces the decision on the episode that aired Wednesday. Ring, the first of the 14 fighters picked by the coaches when the final teams were selected for Season 11, had been slated to meet Court McGee in the quarter-finals of the reality TV show.

After an MRI, a doctor tells Ring that the best-case scenario is he keep competing, putting up with the ache and swelling, and then have the knee operated on later. The downside of that is he could tear the meniscus and damage the surface of the bone.

"It's really hard to just keep having to pick yourself up and dust yourself off," a distraught Ring, who has already had three knee surgeries, says on the show.

The diagnosis prompts a visit from UFC president Dana White, who asks the Canadian if he wants to continue fighting on the show.

"Are you thinking about quitting?" says White.

"Quitting?" replies Ring, clearly surprised at White's choice of verb. "I can't do this. I just can't."

"I don't think it's smart," he added. "I don't think I can win a fight right now."

Later, an emotional Ring says he knows he is giving up a really huge opportunity. "But your body says when you have to stop."

White breaks the news to the fighters and then leaves the house. Joe Henle thinks he is the natural replacement but James Hammortree follows White and makes his case outside. Impressed at the gesture, White promptly grants Hammortree his wish.

"Closed mouth don't get fed," says fighter Jamie Yager, delivering the line that becomes the title of the episode.

Hammortree's run is cut short, however, when McGee catches him in a standing guillotine in the first of the quarter-finals.

Earlier in the show, Kris McCray submits Kyacey Uscola in the wildcard fight to advance to the final eight.

The remaining quarter-finals pit Kyle Noke against McCray, Brad Tavares against Seth Baczynski, and Yager against Josh Bryant.

Episode 8 also promises news about coach Tito (The Huntington Beach Bad Boy) Ortiz in next week's episode.

"Team Ortiz gets hit with more shocking news but this time it involves their leader," says the tease.

Ortiz has pulled out of his fight with rival coach Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell, slated for UFC 115 next month. The UFC has not explained why Rich Franklin has replaced Ortiz on the Vancouver card, saying only all will be explained on the TV show.

And in a shameless pitch Wednesday, former light-heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin drops by the house to play the new "UFC 2010 Undisputed" video game.