Just setup Mint last night and have been troubleshooting how to get everything to work. So far I'm liking it. Last thing I setup was Lutris for gaming so that's nice.
I'm pretty sure the question was more about linux mint (ubuntu/default) vs. linux mint debian edition, as those can confidently be called different distros. Don't worry about it though, the issues with ubuntu are actually very small, they're just infinitely magnified on the internet by people who care a lot about the smallest things. There are also many advantages to using ubuntu or an ubuntu derivative.
Also this question can be interpreted very humorously, so maybe do that if you like.
If you just went with the most prominent and easily accessible download button it'll probably be ubuntu, but as i said, despite what some might say that's not necessarily a bad thing
If he got the cinnamon version, that is indeed the default Ubuntu based one. I use the same thing.
One of the biggest draws of regular Mint IMO is that it leverages the advantages and resources of Ubuntu but it removes the parts that many people don’t like.