The Ultimate Fighter
Encyclopedia
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television
series and mixed martial arts
(MMA) competition produced by Spike TV
and the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC), and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada
, and follows them as they train and compete against each other for a prized contract with the UFC. The series debuted on January 17, 2005, with its first episode, "The Quest Begins". To date, there have been thirteen seasons of the show, two per calendar year, with a fourteenth currently in progress. Each season features either one or two weight classes in the tournament.
The historic Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
fight in the first season drew millions of viewers to the show and launched the sport into the mainstream. Because of this success, The Ultimate Fighter was regarded as instrumental to the survival and expansion of the UFC. Many current and past UFC fighters are alumni of the show, with some competitors going on to become coaches in future seasons. The show has undergone multiple format changes since its inception, including the introduction of the wildcard bout. Many winners have gone on to compete for UFC championships with some becoming UFC champions.
(UFC), Lorenzo
and Frank Fertitta III
. The series was aired on Spike TV
for free as a last resort measure to gain mainstream exposure for mixed martial arts
(MMA). Airing after World Wrestling Entertainment
's flagship show Monday Night RAW, The Ultimate Fighters debut episode was able to garner a 57% retention rate in viewers from RAW, which was double the usual rate for Spike TV. The live finale
for the first season saw the historic bout of Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
. Now widely regarded as the most influential fight in MMA history, the bout took place in what was the first ever MMA event on live and free television. The bout ended in a unanimous decision victory for Griffin and led to the show's renewal on Spike TV. Regarding the success of the show, UFC president Dana White
said, "It's amazing to think.... how close we came to not being here today. If it weren't for what these guys did, I don't know if there would even be a UFC. I'll never forget these guys. Ever."
The renewal of the show saw UFC produce two more series, before subsequent renewals. In order to garner more attention for the sport, The Ultimate Fighter utilizes gimmicks: one notable example, in the ninth season, employed a country vs. country theme, with the United States competing against the United Kingdom. These gimmicks enabled the UFC to appeal to fans that had been recently introduced to the sport during UFCs penetration into the European market. The Ultimate Fighter also drew record viewing figures for Spike TV when YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice
participated in the tenth season. Slice's fight against veteran Roy Nelson
attracted viewers to the sport, drawing an audience of 6.1 million, making it one of the most viewed MMA fights in history.
In August 2011, after a very successful run on Spike and with the upcoming announcement of the UFC's new relationship with Fox
, Spike officials made a statement regarding the end of their partnership with the UFC: “The Ultimate Fighter season 14 in September will be our last... Our 6-year partnership with the UFC has been incredibly beneficial in building both our brands, and we wish them all the best in the future.”
As part of a deal with Fox, The Ultimate Fighter will start airing on the FX channel in the spring of 2012.
At the end of a season, the two remaining fighters of each weight class are placed in a single-elimination fight at Ultimate Fighter Finales, such as The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
where the title of Ultimate Fighter is awarded to the winner. Seasons five to seven and ten to twelve have featured fighters from just one weight class each, with the other seasons focusing on two weight classes.
The show features the daily preparations each fighter makes to train for competition at the UFC training center, and the interactions they have with each other living under the same roof. Day-to-day events on the show are overseen by UFC president Dana White
.
With the exception of the season finales, fights on The Ultimate Fighter are sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission
as exhibition matches and do not count for or against a fighter's professional record. This is done to keep the results from going public before the air date. However, going into the semi-final stage of each series, fights are scheduled for the full professional three rounds, as opposed to two rounds (with the possibility of a sudden victory round) for all stages prior. Though officially exhibition fights, the UFC chooses to record the results of semi-final matchups. For example, the seventh season winner Amir Sadollah
has one more win on his UFC record than on his official record due to his victory in his season's semi-final round.
Beginning in season four, fighters were no longer removed from the house after losing their fights and did not switch teams except in extraordinary cases, such as being kicked off a team
by the head coach. In the seventh season, instead of the usual sixteen fighters, thirty-two fighters participated. This new rule introduced a preliminary fight, in order to get into the house, which gave the coaches an early evaluation.
The final change to date was the introduction of the "wildcard". Instead of the then-permanent 32-man tournament method, the number of fighters was reduced to 28 in the preliminary round. The winning fourteen would then enter the house, before a "wildcard" bout would take place featuring two of the losing fighters in the "round-of-fourteen". The winner of the wildcard bout would then be included in the quarterfinal round of eight fighters. This format proved highly successful for Kris McCray
, who took part in the wildcard bout. Having lost his opening match in the house, he won the wildcard bout to reach the quarter finals and went on to win his next two bouts, reaching the tournament final.
A TUF winner who goes 9–0 can earn $300,000 total on the contract, but only $150,000 is guaranteed for all three years if nine fights are fought. Some TUF competitors who did not win the series were also offered UFC contracts, although not on as attractive terms.
and Matt Hughes
, who were in different weight categories, eliminating the possibility for a post-season fight. The fourth season saw multiple guest coaches take the lead, differing from other seasons with two clearly designated coaches. As such, these seasons did not feature their respective coaches in competition. Season eleven coaches Tito Ortiz
and Chuck Liddell
's fight was cancelled due to Ortiz's need for neck fusion surgery. Season thirteen saw the fight between Brock Lesnar
and Junior dos Santos
cancelled after Lesnar was diagnosed with his second bout of diverticulitis
.
In addition to the seasons which did not feature post-season fights between the coaches, several seasons have been impacted, forcing postponements. Due to injuries to the season six coaches Matt Serra
and Matt Hughes
, their fight was postponed. Serra suffered a herniated disc in his lower back and Hughes later suffered a torn MCL before the fight finally took place at UFC 98
. The fight between season ten coaches Rashad Evans
and Quinton Jackson
took place at UFC 114
with Rashad Evans winning by unanimous decision. The fight was postponed by five months due to Jackson's A-Team
filming commitments and his temporary decision to retire from fighting.
Though rarely taking place at the live finales, the coaches' fights are an important part of each season of The Ultimate Fighter. With each season effectively hyping the fight and the individuals for multiple weeks, the fights are usually the focal point of the pay-per-view event they feature at. The coaches' fights have resulted in the following matchups and results:
and Matt Hughes
. The final saw Rashad Evans
defeating Brad Imes
and Joe Stevenson
defeating Luke Cummo
. The third season highlighted the long-standing rivalry between Tito Ortiz
and Ken Shamrock
. It was also the first season to feature competitors from outside of North America, after the addition of Michael Bisping
and Ross Pointon
. The season saw a format change, when the team-games were eliminated in favour of a conventional knockout style tournament format. The final fights saw Michael Bisping
become the first non-American winner, defeating Josh Haynes
and Kendall Grove
defeat Ed Herman.
The fourth season was different to others before it, as it was the "comeback" season. Past UFC fighters who hadn't had the success they were expected to have, were invited back, to compete in the show, with the winner receiving a guaranteed title shot. This season was also the only one to date to not feature team coaches. Instead, the show had guest coaches each week. The final saw Matt Serra
defeat Chris Lytle
and Travis Lutter
defeat Patrick Côté
to receive their guaranteed title shots. The fifth season was coached by Jens Pulver
and BJ Penn, as the company attempted to kickstart the lightweight division. The show featured many of the future stars of the lightweight division such as Nate Diaz, Joe Lauzon
, Gray Maynard
, Matt Wiman
and Cole Miller
.Despite the fact that Team Pulver won 5 out of the first eight fights, the 3 fighters who made it through the quarterfinals on Team Penn are still in the ufc which are Gray Maynard
, Matt Wiman
and Joe Lauzon
while Cole Miller
, Manny Gamburyan, and Nate Diaz from Team Pulver are still in the UFC.The final was contested by Nate Diaz and Manny Gamburyan, with Gamburyan falling to a shoulder injury early on. Former winner Matt Serra
returned to the show in the sixth season to coach alongside Matt Hughes
and oversaw a group of welterweight fighters. The final saw veteran Mac Danzig
defeat Tommy Speer
to become The Ultimate Fighter, before he dropped to the lightweight division. Arguably, only George Sotiropoulos
has gone on to have any success post-TUF and is currently 7-2 in the UFC, while season winner Danzig is only 4-4 in the UFC and currently 2-4 in his past 6.
The seventh season saw another format change, as fighters had to compete to be official castmembers. Instead of the usual 16 fighters, the season had 32 fighters after Dana White claimed that he was tired of fighters coming onto the show for airtime. This season was coached by UFC Light Heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson and challenger Forrest Griffin
, the first season's winner. The season's final was due to be competed between Amir Sadollah
, who hadn't competed in a professional fight before the show, and Jesse Taylor
. However, Taylor was kicked off the show after filming had completed, when he kicked the window out of a limosine in Las Vegas. His slot was taken by C.B. Dollaway
who defeated Tim Credeur
for the right, but Sadollah won in the final to become The Ultimate Fighter. The eighth season was coached by UFC Interim Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
and Frank Mir
, with lightweights and light heavyweights being the focus for the season. The show was largely dominated by the actions of Junie Browning
, who would regularly get drunk and act in an aggressive manner towards his fellow castmates. The two fights at the final saw Efrain Escudero
defeat Phillipe Nover
and Ryan Bader
defeat Vinny Magalhães
. The ninth season saw a United States vs. United Kingdom theme for the show, with Dan Henderson
and Michael Bisping
coaching the respective sides. The two sides contrasted, with the UK side showing close friendship (with many coming from Team Rough House
), whilst the US team appeared fractured. The lightweight final saw Team Rough House teammates Andre Winner
and Ross Pearson
face off for the contract, with Pearson coming out on top via decision. The welterweight final saw James Wilks
defeat DaMarques Johnson
via submission in the opening round, handing the UK team a 2-0 victory.
The tenth season was the first season to feature only heavyweights and was largely built around the internet sensation Kimbo Slice
. The two coaches were former UFC Light Heavyweight champions Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans
who squabbled throughout the entire season, hyping their eventual fight further. However, midway through the airing of the season, it was announced that Rampage was filming The A-Team, as its lead character B.A. Baracus, leading to the postponement of the coaches' fight. The season also featured several former NFL players, with one - Brendan Schaub
making the final of the show. Additionally, the season was occasionally criticised after the cardio of the heavyweights came into question. The final saw MMA veteran Roy Nelson
and Brendan Schaub
, with Nelson winning via first round knockout. The eleventh season saw former UFC Light Heavyweight champions Tito Ortiz
and Chuck Liddell
coach the two teams. Unlike previous seasons, the number of competitors in the house was reduced to 14, with 7 progressing to the quarter-finals. An eighth was added via a "wildcard" bout - a bout between two losers from the round of 14. The slots went to Kyacey Uscola
and Kris McCray
, which saw McCray win via submission. McCray would then go on to avenge his earlier defeat, in the semi-finals, defeating Josh Bryant
. The season was blighted by injuries to multiple competitors, such as the withdrawal of Nick Ring
, after he required knee surgery. After Rich Attonito
pulled out of the competition, his quarter final place was taken by Court McGee
. Court McGee and Kris McCray met in the final, where McGee would win via submission to become The Ultimate Fighter.
The twelfth season saw the UFC Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre coach alongside former opponent and number one contender to the title, Josh Koscheck
. The season saw the continuation of the wildcard format and 14-man tournament bracket. The show's number one pick was Marc Stevens, who would go on to lose in one of the quickest submissions (via guillotine choke) in the show's history. The wildcard slots went to Marc Stevens and Aaron Wilkinson
, with Wilkinson handing Stevens his second successive guillotine choke loss. The show was dominated by Josh Koscheck's attempts to annoy Georges St-Pierre, with St-Pierre's paramedic getting involved in the arguments with Koscheck. The finale was a match between Jonathan Brookins
and Michael Johnson
on December 4, 2010 which resulted in Brookins winning via unanimous decision.
A. Tito Ortiz was replaced in the final episode by Rich Franklin.
(WEC) championship:
Season one
Season two
Season four
As part of season four, Lutter and Serra received automatic and immediate title shots, though non-winners have also competed for titles:
Season five
, Mexico
, Brazil
and England
. During the UFC 127 pre-fight press conference UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik confirmed plans for a TUF-themed reality show pitting the U.K. vs. Australia to be called "The Smashes."
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series and mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA) competition produced by Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
and the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC), and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and follows them as they train and compete against each other for a prized contract with the UFC. The series debuted on January 17, 2005, with its first episode, "The Quest Begins". To date, there have been thirteen seasons of the show, two per calendar year, with a fourteenth currently in progress. Each season features either one or two weight classes in the tournament.
The historic Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar is a duo of fights starting in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 1 contest which received national acclaim, and was highly regarded among fans as one of the most exciting and memorable fights in the history of not only the UFC, but MMA in general...
fight in the first season drew millions of viewers to the show and launched the sport into the mainstream. Because of this success, The Ultimate Fighter was regarded as instrumental to the survival and expansion of the UFC. Many current and past UFC fighters are alumni of the show, with some competitors going on to become coaches in future seasons. The show has undergone multiple format changes since its inception, including the introduction of the wildcard bout. Many winners have gone on to compete for UFC championships with some becoming UFC champions.
History
The Ultimate Fighter was originally an experimental series financed by the owners of the Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC), Lorenzo
Lorenzo Fertitta
Lorenzo Joseph Fertitta is an American businessman, casino executive, sports promoter and entrepreneur. Fertitta resides in Las Vegas with his wife Teresa and three children.- Education :...
and Frank Fertitta III
Frank Fertitta III
Frank J. Fertitta III is current CEO of Station Casinos. He is also an owner of Zuffa LLC, which is the entity that runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Fertitta resides in Las Vegas with his wife Jill and three children.-Education:...
. The series was aired on Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
for free as a last resort measure to gain mainstream exposure for mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA). Airing after World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's flagship show Monday Night RAW, The Ultimate Fighters debut episode was able to garner a 57% retention rate in viewers from RAW, which was double the usual rate for Spike TV. The live finale
The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 9, 2005. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 1 in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions....
for the first season saw the historic bout of Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar is a duo of fights starting in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 1 contest which received national acclaim, and was highly regarded among fans as one of the most exciting and memorable fights in the history of not only the UFC, but MMA in general...
. Now widely regarded as the most influential fight in MMA history, the bout took place in what was the first ever MMA event on live and free television. The bout ended in a unanimous decision victory for Griffin and led to the show's renewal on Spike TV. Regarding the success of the show, UFC president Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
said, "It's amazing to think.... how close we came to not being here today. If it weren't for what these guys did, I don't know if there would even be a UFC. I'll never forget these guys. Ever."
The renewal of the show saw UFC produce two more series, before subsequent renewals. In order to garner more attention for the sport, The Ultimate Fighter utilizes gimmicks: one notable example, in the ninth season, employed a country vs. country theme, with the United States competing against the United Kingdom. These gimmicks enabled the UFC to appeal to fans that had been recently introduced to the sport during UFCs penetration into the European market. The Ultimate Fighter also drew record viewing figures for Spike TV when YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice
Kimbo Slice
Kevin Ferguson , better known as Kimbo Slice, is a Bahamian-American boxer, mixed martial artist and occasional actor...
participated in the tenth season. Slice's fight against veteran Roy Nelson
Roy Nelson (fighter)
Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He last competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The September 30, 2009 broadcast of his fight against Kimbo Slice, officially an exhibition, was the 2nd...
attracted viewers to the sport, drawing an audience of 6.1 million, making it one of the most viewed MMA fights in history.
In August 2011, after a very successful run on Spike and with the upcoming announcement of the UFC's new relationship with Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, Spike officials made a statement regarding the end of their partnership with the UFC: “The Ultimate Fighter season 14 in September will be our last... Our 6-year partnership with the UFC has been incredibly beneficial in building both our brands, and we wish them all the best in the future.”
As part of a deal with Fox, The Ultimate Fighter will start airing on the FX channel in the spring of 2012.
Seasons 1–4
For the first four seasons, prospect UFC fighters from two different weight categories were selected to compete. The fighters are divided into two teams, irrespective of weight class, with each team coached by a current UFC headliner. The teams then compete (in a manner which varies by season) with the loser being eliminated from the competition. Often, incentives are provided for the team of a winning fighter. This can include the right for their team to select the next matchup, in order to pick off fighters from the opposing team by selecting favourable matchups.At the end of a season, the two remaining fighters of each weight class are placed in a single-elimination fight at Ultimate Fighter Finales, such as The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 9, 2005. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 1 in both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions....
where the title of Ultimate Fighter is awarded to the winner. Seasons five to seven and ten to twelve have featured fighters from just one weight class each, with the other seasons focusing on two weight classes.
The show features the daily preparations each fighter makes to train for competition at the UFC training center, and the interactions they have with each other living under the same roof. Day-to-day events on the show are overseen by UFC president Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
.
With the exception of the season finales, fights on The Ultimate Fighter are sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission
Nevada Athletic Commission
The Nevada Athletic Commission regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers...
as exhibition matches and do not count for or against a fighter's professional record. This is done to keep the results from going public before the air date. However, going into the semi-final stage of each series, fights are scheduled for the full professional three rounds, as opposed to two rounds (with the possibility of a sudden victory round) for all stages prior. Though officially exhibition fights, the UFC chooses to record the results of semi-final matchups. For example, the seventh season winner Amir Sadollah
Amir Sadollah
Amir Sadollah is an American professional mixed martial artist of Iranian and Irish descent. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 7....
has one more win on his UFC record than on his official record due to his victory in his season's semi-final round.
Changes
The first six seasons featured sixteen fighters, in either one or two weight categories. The first two seasons, however, were very different from each following season. The original format for The Ultimate Fighter saw each team compete in challenges, such as hoisting their respective coach up on their shoulders and sprinting down a beach, or a team tug-of-war. These challenges resulted in eliminations of fighters who hadn't fought, until late in the season when the challenge incentive was to select the next fight where fighters would be eliminated, having lost the fight. In the first two seasons, fighters would also leave the house for good upon losing and this often resulted in odd numbers for teams, which forced the moving of fighters to opposing teams.Beginning in season four, fighters were no longer removed from the house after losing their fights and did not switch teams except in extraordinary cases, such as being kicked off a team
Andy Wang
Andrew P. Wang is a Taiwanese-American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division. Wang received his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt from Egan Inoue and is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu instructor at the Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Taipei...
by the head coach. In the seventh season, instead of the usual sixteen fighters, thirty-two fighters participated. This new rule introduced a preliminary fight, in order to get into the house, which gave the coaches an early evaluation.
The final change to date was the introduction of the "wildcard". Instead of the then-permanent 32-man tournament method, the number of fighters was reduced to 28 in the preliminary round. The winning fourteen would then enter the house, before a "wildcard" bout would take place featuring two of the losing fighters in the "round-of-fourteen". The winner of the wildcard bout would then be included in the quarterfinal round of eight fighters. This format proved highly successful for Kris McCray
Kris McCray
Kris Eric Johannes McCray is an American mixed martial artist. He was the runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz.-Early life:...
, who took part in the wildcard bout. Having lost his opening match in the house, he won the wildcard bout to reach the quarter finals and went on to win his next two bouts, reaching the tournament final.
Contract award
The winners of the first three seasons of The Ultimate Fighter competition, and certain runners-up depending on their performance in their competition finals, receive the touted "six-figure" contract to fight in the UFC. These contracts are specifically three-year contracts with a guaranteed first year. Each year consists of three fights, the first year's purse per fight consists of $12,000 guaranteed with a $12,000 win bonus (a maximum of $24,000 per fight). The second year's purse per fight is $16,000 with a $16,000 win bonus (a maximum of $32,000 per fight) and the third year's purse per fight is at $22,000 with a $22,000 win bonus (a maximum of $44,000 per fight).A TUF winner who goes 9–0 can earn $300,000 total on the contract, but only $150,000 is guaranteed for all three years if nine fights are fought. Some TUF competitors who did not win the series were also offered UFC contracts, although not on as attractive terms.
Coaches involvement
With the exception of seasons two, four, eleven and thirteen, the coaches fight each other after the conclusion of the show. Season two featured Rich FranklinRich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
and Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...
, who were in different weight categories, eliminating the possibility for a post-season fight. The fourth season saw multiple guest coaches take the lead, differing from other seasons with two clearly designated coaches. As such, these seasons did not feature their respective coaches in competition. Season eleven coaches Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
and Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell
Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
's fight was cancelled due to Ortiz's need for neck fusion surgery. Season thirteen saw the fight between Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
and Junior dos Santos
Junior dos Santos
Junior dos Santos Almeida, also known as Junior Cigano , is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. Dos Santos fights in the Heavyweight division, under the tutelage of former UFC and Pride Heavyweight Champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and UFC...
cancelled after Lesnar was diagnosed with his second bout of diverticulitis
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
.
In addition to the seasons which did not feature post-season fights between the coaches, several seasons have been impacted, forcing postponements. Due to injuries to the season six coaches Matt Serra
Matt Serra
Matthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu...
and Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...
, their fight was postponed. Serra suffered a herniated disc in his lower back and Hughes later suffered a torn MCL before the fight finally took place at UFC 98
UFC 98
UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
. The fight between season ten coaches Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
and Quinton Jackson
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over...
took place at UFC 114
UFC 114
UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center....
with Rashad Evans winning by unanimous decision. The fight was postponed by five months due to Jackson's A-Team
The A-Team (film)
The A-Team is an American action film based on the television series of the same name. It was released in cinemas in the United States on June 11, 2010, by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Stephen J. Cannell and the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony...
filming commitments and his temporary decision to retire from fighting.
Though rarely taking place at the live finales, the coaches' fights are an important part of each season of The Ultimate Fighter. With each season effectively hyping the fight and the individuals for multiple weeks, the fights are usually the focal point of the pay-per-view event they feature at. The coaches' fights have resulted in the following matchups and results:
| Season | Event | Winner | Loser | Method | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell 2 UFC 52 UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 16, 2005, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and Canada, and later released on DVD.-History:Headlining the... |
Chuck Liddell Chuck Liddell Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his... |
Randy Couture Randy Couture Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship... |
KO (Punch) at 2:03 of round 1. | Liddell won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship | |
| 3 | UFC 61: Bitter Rivals UFC 61 UFC 61: Bitter Rivals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, July 8, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States.-Background:The main event was a... |
Tito Ortiz Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars... |
Ken Shamrock Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler... |
TKO (Punches) at 1:18 of round 1. | Rematched just three months later | |
| 5 | The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 23, 2007. Featured were the finals from The Ultimate Fighter 5 in the Lightweight division as well as a main event between B.J. Penn and Jens Pulver.- Preliminary card :*Lightweight... |
B.J. Penn | Jens Pulver Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is... |
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:12 of round 2. | ||
| 6 | UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida UFC 98 UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:... |
Matt Hughes Matt Hughes (fighter) Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the... |
Matt Serra Matt Serra Matthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu... |
Decision (Unanimous) | Heavily delayed – see above. | |
| 7 | UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin UFC 86 UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 5, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.... |
Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion.... |
Quinton Jackson Quinton Jackson Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over... |
Decision (Unanimous) | Griffin won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship | |
| 8 | UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 UFC 92 UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 was a mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:... |
Frank Mir Frank Mir Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion... |
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a former UFCInterim Heavyweight Champion... |
TKO (Punches) at 1:54 of round 2. | Mir won the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship | |
| 9 | UFC 100 UFC 100 UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:... |
Dan Henderson Dan Henderson Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion... |
Michael Bisping Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light... |
KO (Punch) at 3:20 of round 2. | ||
| 10 | UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans UFC 114 UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.... |
Rashad Evans Rashad Evans Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight... |
Quinton Jackson Quinton Jackson Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over... |
Decision (Unanimous) | Heavily delayed – see above | |
| 11 | UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin UFC 115 UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 12, 2010 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Background:... |
Rich Franklin Rich Franklin Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:... |
Chuck Liddell Chuck Liddell Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his... |
KO (Punch) at 4:55 of round 1. | Franklin replaced Ortiz as head coach in the final episode; fought Liddell | |
| 12 | UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 UFC 124 UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 11, 2010 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec... |
Georges St-Pierre | Josh Koscheck Josh Koscheck Josh D. Koscheck is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show,... |
Decision (Unanimous) | St-Pierre retained the UFC Welterweight Championship | |
Season synopsis
The first season of The Ultimate Fighter was the last attempt by the UFC to capture public interest in the sport. The Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin bout saved the sport according to many journalists and Dana White. Griffin and Sanchez are also regarded as the original Ultimate Fighters, after their wins at the finale. The second season saw welterweights and heavyweights compete, featuring coaches Rich FranklinRich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
and Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...
. The final saw Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
defeating Brad Imes
Brad Imes
Bradley Imes Smith , is a retired American mixed martial artist. Imes appeared on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show on Spike TV. He has competed as a heavyweight in the UFC, WEC, and most recently King of the Cage...
and Joe Stevenson
Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
defeating Luke Cummo
Luke Cummo
Luke Joseph Cummo is an American mixed martial artist who appeared in the second season of the reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV. After winning two exhibition fights, he made it to the finals where he was defeated by Joe Stevenson by decision in a close bout...
. The third season highlighted the long-standing rivalry between Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
and Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
. It was also the first season to feature competitors from outside of North America, after the addition of Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
and Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon
Ross Pointon is an English mixed martial artist who holds a record of 6 wins and 12 losses. He was a competitor in season three of The Ultimate Fighter, fighting in the Light Heavyweight division after premiering in the Middleweight division under Ken Shamrock...
. The season saw a format change, when the team-games were eliminated in favour of a conventional knockout style tournament format. The final fights saw Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
become the first non-American winner, defeating Josh Haynes
Josh Haynes
Joshua Lee Haynes is an American mixed martial artist. He fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada with Xtreme Couture where he is also a coach. His MMA record is 17 wins, 11 losses. He was also a contestant on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter reality television show, training under Tito Ortiz...
and Kendall Grove
Kendall Grove
Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :...
defeat Ed Herman.
The fourth season was different to others before it, as it was the "comeback" season. Past UFC fighters who hadn't had the success they were expected to have, were invited back, to compete in the show, with the winner receiving a guaranteed title shot. This season was also the only one to date to not feature team coaches. Instead, the show had guest coaches each week. The final saw Matt Serra
Matt Serra
Matthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu...
defeat Chris Lytle
Chris Lytle
Chris Scott Lytle is a retired American mixed martial artist, boxer and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Lytle was prominently featured as a welterweight on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In Chris's MMA and boxing career he was never knocked out or submitted, though he did...
and Travis Lutter
Travis Lutter
Travis S. Lutter is an American mixed martial artist who won the The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show. His UFC record, not including his exhibition wins on The Ultimate Fighter 4, is 2–4...
defeat Patrick Côté
Patrick Côté (fighter)
Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion...
to receive their guaranteed title shots. The fifth season was coached by Jens Pulver
Jens Pulver
Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...
and BJ Penn, as the company attempted to kickstart the lightweight division. The show featured many of the future stars of the lightweight division such as Nate Diaz, Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...
, Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...
, Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
and Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....
.Despite the fact that Team Pulver won 5 out of the first eight fights, the 3 fighters who made it through the quarterfinals on Team Penn are still in the ufc which are Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...
, Matt Wiman
Matt Wiman
Matthew Charles Wiman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
and Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon
Joseph E. Lauzon Jr. is an American mixed martial artist from Brockton, Massachusetts. He currently lives in Massachusetts and is training at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.-Early life and background:...
while Cole Miller
Cole Miller
Jeremiah Cole Miller is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing in the lightweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese....
, Manny Gamburyan, and Nate Diaz from Team Pulver are still in the UFC.The final was contested by Nate Diaz and Manny Gamburyan, with Gamburyan falling to a shoulder injury early on. Former winner Matt Serra
Matt Serra
Matthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu...
returned to the show in the sixth season to coach alongside Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes (fighter)
Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...
and oversaw a group of welterweight fighters. The final saw veteran Mac Danzig
Mac Danzig
Mac Danzig is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background:...
defeat Tommy Speer
Tommy Speer
Tommy Speer is an American professional mixed martial artist. He received national exposure on The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting as a member of Team Hughes.-The Ultimate Fighter:...
to become The Ultimate Fighter, before he dropped to the lightweight division. Arguably, only George Sotiropoulos
George Sotiropoulos
George Sotiropoulos is an Australian mixed martial artist who is currently fighting in the UFC in the lightweight division. He is well known for appearing as a fighter on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting on Team Serra...
has gone on to have any success post-TUF and is currently 7-2 in the UFC, while season winner Danzig is only 4-4 in the UFC and currently 2-4 in his past 6.
The seventh season saw another format change, as fighters had to compete to be official castmembers. Instead of the usual 16 fighters, the season had 32 fighters after Dana White claimed that he was tired of fighters coming onto the show for airtime. This season was coached by UFC Light Heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson and challenger Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
, the first season's winner. The season's final was due to be competed between Amir Sadollah
Amir Sadollah
Amir Sadollah is an American professional mixed martial artist of Iranian and Irish descent. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 7....
, who hadn't competed in a professional fight before the show, and Jesse Taylor
Jesse Taylor
Jesse Marcus Taylor is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7, winning his entry, preliminary, quarterfinal and semi-final matches, and then became the only fighter to ever be removed from finals due to events that occurred...
. However, Taylor was kicked off the show after filming had completed, when he kicked the window out of a limosine in Las Vegas. His slot was taken by C.B. Dollaway
C.B. Dollaway
Clarence Byron Dollaway is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7 making it to the finale where he was defeated by an armbar from Amir Sadollah.-Early life:...
who defeated Tim Credeur
Tim Credeur
Timothy Wallace Credeur II is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7 and was defeated by fellow cast member Jesse Taylor in the semi-finals. He was then brought back into the competition following the disqualification of Taylor. He fought C.B...
for the right, but Sadollah won in the final to become The Ultimate Fighter. The eighth season was coached by UFC Interim Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a former UFCInterim Heavyweight Champion...
and Frank Mir
Frank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
, with lightweights and light heavyweights being the focus for the season. The show was largely dominated by the actions of Junie Browning
Junie Browning
Junie Allen Browning is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Biography:...
, who would regularly get drunk and act in an aggressive manner towards his fellow castmates. The two fights at the final saw Efrain Escudero
Efrain Escudero
Efrain Escudero is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He trains under Drew Fickett and competes in the 155 lb weight class...
defeat Phillipe Nover
Phillipe Nover
Phillipe J. Nover , is an American mixed martial artist. He is best known for making it to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Mixed martial arts career:...
and Ryan Bader
Ryan Bader
Ryan DuWayne Bader is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. On December 13, 2008, Bader defeated Vinicius Magalhães to win a contract with the UFC and the title of The Ultimate Fighter...
defeat Vinny Magalhães
Vinny Magalhães
Vinicius Magalhães , is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He was a participant in The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. He is the current M-1 Global Light Heavyweight Champion.-Grappling career:...
. The ninth season saw a United States vs. United Kingdom theme for the show, with Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson
Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion...
and Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
coaching the respective sides. The two sides contrasted, with the UK side showing close friendship (with many coming from Team Rough House
Team Rough House
Team Rough House is a Mixed martial arts team from the East Midlands, England. Based in Nottingham and Leicester, the team is known for producing well respected welterweight fighters...
), whilst the US team appeared fractured. The lightweight final saw Team Rough House teammates Andre Winner
Andre Winner
Andre Winner is an English professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom, reaching the final. Winner is also a member of Team Rough House. He holds notable wins over Jeff Lawson, Rolando Delgado and Rafaello...
and Ross Pearson
Ross Pearson
Ross Pearson is an English professional mixed martial artist from Sunderland. He is the lightweight division winner of The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom and is a member of Team Rough House.-Background:...
face off for the contract, with Pearson coming out on top via decision. The welterweight final saw James Wilks
James Wilks
James Brett Wilks is an English professional mixed martial artist. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom. Wilks currently fights for Ultimate Fighting Championship in the welterweight division.-Biography:Wilks was born and raised in Leicestershire,...
defeat DaMarques Johnson
DaMarques Johnson
DaMarques Johnson is an American mixed martial artist. He was the runner up for the welterweights on The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom.-Background:...
via submission in the opening round, handing the UK team a 2-0 victory.
The tenth season was the first season to feature only heavyweights and was largely built around the internet sensation Kimbo Slice
Kimbo Slice
Kevin Ferguson , better known as Kimbo Slice, is a Bahamian-American boxer, mixed martial artist and occasional actor...
. The two coaches were former UFC Light Heavyweight champions Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
who squabbled throughout the entire season, hyping their eventual fight further. However, midway through the airing of the season, it was announced that Rampage was filming The A-Team, as its lead character B.A. Baracus, leading to the postponement of the coaches' fight. The season also featured several former NFL players, with one - Brendan Schaub
Brendan Schaub
Brendan Peter Schaub is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional football player for the AFL's Utah Blaze and as a member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad. He was a finalist and the runner-up of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.-Biography:Schaub was...
making the final of the show. Additionally, the season was occasionally criticised after the cardio of the heavyweights came into question. The final saw MMA veteran Roy Nelson
Roy Nelson (fighter)
Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He last competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The September 30, 2009 broadcast of his fight against Kimbo Slice, officially an exhibition, was the 2nd...
and Brendan Schaub
Brendan Schaub
Brendan Peter Schaub is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional football player for the AFL's Utah Blaze and as a member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad. He was a finalist and the runner-up of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.-Biography:Schaub was...
, with Nelson winning via first round knockout. The eleventh season saw former UFC Light Heavyweight champions Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...
and Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell
Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
coach the two teams. Unlike previous seasons, the number of competitors in the house was reduced to 14, with 7 progressing to the quarter-finals. An eighth was added via a "wildcard" bout - a bout between two losers from the round of 14. The slots went to Kyacey Uscola
Kyacey Uscola
Kyacey Uscola is an American professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz. Uscola has fought for brands such as Bodog Fight, KOTC, Gladiator Challenge, and Palace Fighting Championships...
and Kris McCray
Kris McCray
Kris Eric Johannes McCray is an American mixed martial artist. He was the runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz.-Early life:...
, which saw McCray win via submission. McCray would then go on to avenge his earlier defeat, in the semi-finals, defeating Josh Bryant
Josh Bryant (fighter)
Josh Bryant is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz.-Early life:...
. The season was blighted by injuries to multiple competitors, such as the withdrawal of Nick Ring
Nick Ring
Nick Ring is a Canadian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2002, Ring fought in various promotions, most notably the Bellator Fighting Championships...
, after he required knee surgery. After Rich Attonito
Rich Attonito
Rich Attonito is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division. Attonito currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and is best known for his stint on the eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter. He was a Division 1 wrestler at...
pulled out of the competition, his quarter final place was taken by Court McGee
Court McGee
Courtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC....
. Court McGee and Kris McCray met in the final, where McGee would win via submission to become The Ultimate Fighter.
The twelfth season saw the UFC Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre coach alongside former opponent and number one contender to the title, Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck
Josh D. Koscheck is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show,...
. The season saw the continuation of the wildcard format and 14-man tournament bracket. The show's number one pick was Marc Stevens, who would go on to lose in one of the quickest submissions (via guillotine choke) in the show's history. The wildcard slots went to Marc Stevens and Aaron Wilkinson
Aaron Wilkinson
Aaron Wilkinson is an English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Wilkinson mostly competed in the English domestic circuit, before signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to appear on The Ultimate Fighter:...
, with Wilkinson handing Stevens his second successive guillotine choke loss. The show was dominated by Josh Koscheck's attempts to annoy Georges St-Pierre, with St-Pierre's paramedic getting involved in the arguments with Koscheck. The finale was a match between Jonathan Brookins
Jonathan Brookins
Jonathan Brookins is a mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight and lightweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Brookins has mostly fought in Florida, as well as competing in The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck...
and Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (fighter)
Michael Johnson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Johnson mostly competed in his regional circuit, before signing onto the Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit to appear on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs...
on December 4, 2010 which resulted in Brookins winning via unanimous decision.
| Season & Airdates | Coaches & Colours | Weight division | Winner(s) | Runner(s) up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ultimate Fighter 1 The Ultimate Fighter 1 The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters were invited to participate in the show where they would reside together and train in two separate teams... January 17, 2005 – April 9, 2005 |
Chuck Liddell Chuck Liddell Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his... Randy Couture Randy Couture Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship... |
Middleweights Light Heavyweights |
Diego Sanchez Diego Sánchez Diego J. Sanchez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime trainer Greg Jackson... Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion.... |
Kenny Florian Kenny Florian Kenneth Alan Florian is a Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and... Stephan Bonnar Stephan Bonnar Stephan Patrick Bonnar is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship... |
| The Ultimate Fighter 2 The Ultimate Fighter 2 The Ultimate Fighter 2 was the second season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The season featured a heavyweight and a welterweight division, with 9 fighters initially in each division. The UFC coaches for this season were welterweight and middleweight... August 22, 2005 – November 5, 2005 |
Matt Hughes Matt Hughes (fighter) Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the... Rich Franklin Rich Franklin Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:... |
Welterweights Heavyweights |
Joe Stevenson Joe Stevenson Joseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs.... Rashad Evans Rashad Evans Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight... |
Luke Cummo Luke Cummo Luke Joseph Cummo is an American mixed martial artist who appeared in the second season of the reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV. After winning two exhibition fights, he made it to the finals where he was defeated by Joe Stevenson by decision in a close bout... Brad Imes Brad Imes Bradley Imes Smith , is a retired American mixed martial artist. Imes appeared on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show on Spike TV. He has competed as a heavyweight in the UFC, WEC, and most recently King of the Cage... |
| The Ultimate Fighter 3 The Ultimate Fighter 3 The Ultimate Fighter 3 was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 4. The season featured sixteen fighters with still-feuding former champion Tito Ortiz and... April 6, 2006 – June 24, 2006 |
Tito Ortiz Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars... Ken Shamrock Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler... |
Middleweights Light Heavyweights |
Kendall Grove Kendall Grove Kendall Kekoa Grove is an American mixed martial artist. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3 on Spike TV.- Early life :... Michael Bisping Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light... |
Ed Herman Josh Haynes Josh Haynes Joshua Lee Haynes is an American mixed martial artist. He fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada with Xtreme Couture where he is also a coach. His MMA record is 17 wins, 11 losses. He was also a contestant on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter reality television show, training under Tito Ortiz... |
| The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback The Ultimate Fighter 4 The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback is the fourth season of the mixed martial arts reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It premiered on August 17, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of UFC Fight Night 6. The finale was aired on November 11, 2006.This series featured a change from... August 17, 2006 – November 11, 2006 |
Multiple, who coached both Team Mojo & Team No Love |
Welterweights Middleweights |
Matt Serra Matt Serra Matthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu... Travis Lutter Travis Lutter Travis S. Lutter is an American mixed martial artist who won the The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show. His UFC record, not including his exhibition wins on The Ultimate Fighter 4, is 2–4... |
Chris Lytle Chris Lytle Chris Scott Lytle is a retired American mixed martial artist, boxer and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Lytle was prominently featured as a welterweight on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In Chris's MMA and boxing career he was never knocked out or submitted, though he did... Patrick Côté Patrick Côté (fighter) Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion... |
| The Ultimate Fighter 5 The Ultimate Fighter 5 The Ultimate Fighter 5 was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter... April 5, 2007 – June 23, 2007 |
Jens Pulver Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is... B.J. Penn |
Lightweights | Nate Diaz | Manny Gamburyan |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra is the sixth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, and premiered on September 19, 2007 on Spike TV, after UFC Fight Night 11. This season features only welterweight fighters... September 19, 2007 – December 8, 2007 |
Matt Hughes Matt Hughes (fighter) Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the... Matt Serra Matt Serra Matthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu... |
Welterweights | Mac Danzig Mac Danzig Mac Danzig is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background:... |
Tommy Speer Tommy Speer Tommy Speer is an American professional mixed martial artist. He received national exposure on The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting as a member of Team Hughes.-The Ultimate Fighter:... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest was the seventh season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, and premiered on April 2, 2008 on Spike TV, after UFC Fight Night 13... April 2, 2008 – June 21, 2008 |
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Quinton Jackson Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over... Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion.... |
Middleweights | Amir Sadollah Amir Sadollah Amir Sadollah is an American professional mixed martial artist of Iranian and Irish descent. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 7.... |
C.B. Dollaway C.B. Dollaway Clarence Byron Dollaway is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7 making it to the finale where he was defeated by an armbar from Amir Sadollah.-Early life:... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir is the eighth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, which went into production in late May 2008 and premiered on September 17, 2008 on Spike TV... September 17, 2008 – December 13, 2008 |
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a former UFCInterim Heavyweight Champion... Frank Mir Frank Mir Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion... |
Lightweights Light Heavyweights |
Efrain Escudero Efrain Escudero Efrain Escudero is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He trains under Drew Fickett and competes in the 155 lb weight class... Ryan Bader Ryan Bader Ryan DuWayne Bader is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. On December 13, 2008, Bader defeated Vinicius Magalhães to win a contract with the UFC and the title of The Ultimate Fighter... |
Phillipe Nover Phillipe Nover Phillipe J. Nover , is an American mixed martial artist. He is best known for making it to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Mixed martial arts career:... Vinny Magalhães Vinny Magalhães Vinicius Magalhães , is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He was a participant in The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. He is the current M-1 Global Light Heavyweight Champion.-Grappling career:... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom is the ninth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. It began production in January 2009, and began airing on Spike on April 1, 2009. The season featured Lightweight fighters ... April 1, 2009 – June 20, 2009 |
 Dan HendersonDan Henderson Daniel Jeffery Henderson, is an American mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler, who competes as a middleweight and light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and was the last Welterweight and Middleweight champion... Michael Bisping Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light... |
Lightweights Welterweights |
Ross Pearson Ross Pearson Ross Pearson is an English professional mixed martial artist from Sunderland. He is the lightweight division winner of The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom and is a member of Team Rough House.-Background:... James Wilks James Wilks James Brett Wilks is an English professional mixed martial artist. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom. Wilks currently fights for Ultimate Fighting Championship in the welterweight division.-Biography:Wilks was born and raised in Leicestershire,... |
Andre Winner Andre Winner Andre Winner is an English professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom, reaching the final. Winner is also a member of Team Rough House. He holds notable wins over Jeff Lawson, Rolando Delgado and Rafaello... DaMarques JohnsonDaMarques Johnson DaMarques Johnson is an American mixed martial artist. He was the runner up for the welterweights on The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom.-Background:... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights is the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. In a press conference following UFC 98, Dana White announced that filming for the season would begin on June 1, 2009... September 16, 2009 – December 5, 2009 |
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Quinton Jackson Quinton Ramone Jackson ;, also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a knockout victory over... Rashad Evans Rashad Evans Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight... |
Heavyweights | Roy Nelson Roy Nelson (fighter) Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He last competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after winning Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The September 30, 2009 broadcast of his fight against Kimbo Slice, officially an exhibition, was the 2nd... |
Brendan Schaub Brendan Schaub Brendan Peter Schaub is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional football player for the AFL's Utah Blaze and as a member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad. He was a finalist and the runner-up of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.-Biography:Schaub was... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz was the eleventh installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The show began taping in early 2010 and premiered on Spike on March 31, 2010... March 31, 2010 – June 19, 2010 |
Chuck Liddell Chuck Liddell Charles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his... Tito Ortiz Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars... /Rich Franklin Rich Franklin Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:... |
Middleweights | Court McGee Court McGee Courtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC.... |
Kris McCray Kris McCray Kris Eric Johannes McCray is an American mixed martial artist. He was the runner-up of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz.-Early life:... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck is the twelfth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter.... September 15, 2010 – December 4, 2010 |
Georges St-Pierre Josh Koscheck Josh Koscheck Josh D. Koscheck is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show,... |
Lightweights | Jonathan Brookins Jonathan Brookins Jonathan Brookins is a mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight and lightweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Brookins has mostly fought in Florida, as well as competing in The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck... |
Michael Johnson Michael Johnson (fighter) Michael Johnson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Johnson mostly competed in his regional circuit, before signing onto the Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit to appear on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team Dos Santos March 30, 2011 - June 4, 2011 |
Brock Lesnar Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog... Junior Dos Santos Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos Almeida, also known as Junior Cigano , is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. Dos Santos fights in the Heavyweight division, under the tutelage of former UFC and Pride Heavyweight Champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and UFC... |
Welterweights | Tony Ferguson Tony Ferguson (fighter) Tony Ferguson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division for the UFC. Ferguson was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs... |
Ramsey Nijem Ramsey Nijem Ramsey Nijem is a Palestinian-American mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight and lightweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Nijem has made a name for himself fighting in Utah. He was a finalist on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs... |
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller September 21, 2011- December 3, 2011 |
Michael Bisping Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light... Jason Miller |
Bantamweights Featherweights |
T.J. Dillashaw T.J. Dillashaw Tylor Jeffery "T.J." Dillashaw is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Dillashaw has made a name for himself fighting throughout the West Coast. He is a competitor on Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs... Diego Brandao Diego Brandao Diego Brandao is an Brazilian professional mixed martial arts fighter. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, Brandao has made a name for himself fighting in the United States and in his home country of Brazil. Brandao has competed against top competitors such as a Brian Foster, Matt Veach, and... |
John Dodson John Dodson (fighter) Johnathan Dodson III is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. A professional MMA competitor since 2004, Dodson has made a name for himself fighting mainly in the Southwest region. He is a competitor on Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller.-Early life:Dodson... Dennis Bermudez Dennis Bermudez Dennis Bermudez is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division and formerly in the lightweight division. Bermudez has been a professional MMA competitor since 2009. He has made a name for himself mainly fighting on the east coast. He is a competitor on Spike TV's... |
A. Tito Ortiz was replaced in the final episode by Rich Franklin.
Post-show success
The Ultimate Fighter has created many successful fighters. The following fighters have competed for a UFC or World Extreme CagefightingWorld Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
(WEC) championship:
Season one
- Nate QuarryNate QuarryNathan Parker Quarry is an American mixed martial arts fighter who is most notable for his appearance in The Ultimate Fighter, a reality show from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Early life:...
– competed for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 56: Full ForceUFC 56UFC 56: Full Force was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2005. It was held at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and released on DVD.-History:Headlining the card were the... - Lodune SincaidLodune SincaidLodune Sincaid is an American professional mixed martial artist from North Hollywood, California. He is a former World Extreme Cagefighting light heavyweight champion, and was featured on the UFC's The Ultimate Fighter 1 reality show, losing to Bobby Southworth by knockout in the first...
- won the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship at WEC 20: Cinco de MayhemWEC 20WEC 20: Cinco de Mayhem was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on May 5, 2006 at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. WEC 20s main event was a heavyweight bout between Brian Olsen and Mike Kyle....
(not successfully defended) - Kenny FlorianKenny FlorianKenneth Alan Florian is a Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and...
– competed for the UFC Lightweight Championship twice; at UFC 64: UnstoppableUFC 64UFC 64: Unstoppable was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, October 14, 2006. The event took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada and was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States and...
and at UFC 101: DeclarationUFC 101UFC 101: Declaration was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 8, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. He also competed for the UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard IIIUFC 136UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R... - Forrest GriffinForrest GriffinForrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
– won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 86: Jackson vs. GriffinUFC 86UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 5, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada....
(not successfully defended) - Diego SanchezDiego SánchezDiego J. Sanchez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime trainer Greg Jackson...
– competed for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 107: Penn vs. SanchezUFC 107UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum.-Background:... - Josh KoscheckJosh KoscheckJosh D. Koscheck is an American mixed martial artist from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, a former collegiate wrestling champion and is currently fighting at welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on the first season of the reality television show,...
– competed for the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2UFC 124UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 11, 2010 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec...
Season two
- Joe StevensonJoe StevensonJoseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
– competed for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 80: Rapid FireUFC 80UFC 80: Rapid Fire was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on January 19, 2008 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.-Background:... - Rashad EvansRashad EvansRashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
– won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008UFC 92UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 was a mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
(not successfully defended)
Season four
As part of season four, Lutter and Serra received automatic and immediate title shots, though non-winners have also competed for titles:
- Travis LutterTravis LutterTravis S. Lutter is an American mixed martial artist who won the The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show. His UFC record, not including his exhibition wins on The Ultimate Fighter 4, is 2–4...
– was scheduled to compete for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 67: All Or NothingUFC 67UFC 67: All or Nothing was a mixed martial arts event held by Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event was held Saturday, February 3, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada...
, but weighed in over the limit. Still competed against the champion and lost a non-title fight. - Matt SerraMatt SerraMatthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu...
– won the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 69: ShootoutUFC 69UFC 69: Shootout was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas...
(not successfully defended) - Patrick CôtéPatrick Côté (fighter)Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion...
– competed for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 90: Silva vs. CôtéUFC 90UFC 90: Silva vs. Côté was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 25, 2008 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The main event featured UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva vs Patrick Côté....
Season five
- Manny Gamburyan – competed for the WEC Featherweight Championship at WEC 51: Aldo vs. GamburyanWEC 51WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on September 30, 2010 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event was the first that the WEC hosted in Colorado.-Background:...
- Gray MaynardGray MaynardBradley Gray Maynard is an American amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has recorded one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, at 9 seconds against Joe Veres. He is the only fighter to hold a win over current...
– fought to a draw for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 125: ResolutionUFC 125UFC 125: Resolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.-Background:...
, then lost the rematch at UFC 136UFC 136UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R...
.
T.U.F. Winners who have fought each other
- Rashad EvansRashad EvansRashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
(season 2 winner) def. Michael BispingMichael BispingMichael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English mixed martial artist born in Cyprus but living in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He currently fights as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, former Cage Rage light...
(season 3 winner) - UFC 78UFC 78UFC 78: Validation was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , that took place on November 17, 2007 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey... - Rashad Evans (season 2 winner) def. Forrest GriffinForrest GriffinForrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
(season 1 winner) - UFC 92UFC 92UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 was a mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:... - Diego SanchezDiego SánchezDiego J. Sanchez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent, with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime trainer Greg Jackson...
(season 1 winner) def. Joe StevensonJoe StevensonJoseph Christopher Stevenson is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament. Stevenson fought most of his UFC career as a lightweight, and made his featherweight debut at UFC Live: Kongo vs....
(season 2 winner) - UFC 95UFC 95UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 21, 2009 at The O2 Arena in London, England. It was broadcast live for viewers in Europe and Canada and later tape delayed for U.S. viewers on Spike... - Joe Stevenson (season 2 winner) def. Nate Diaz (season 5 winner) - TUF 9 Finale
- Mac DanzigMac DanzigMac Danzig is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Background:...
(season 5 winner) def. Joe Stevenson (season 2 winner) - UFC 124UFC 124UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 11, 2010 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec...
International Editions
During a UFC 127 media conference call, Dana White revealed plans to take the reality series international with the first stop likely being the Philippines. The UFC has also expressed that they hope to have editions in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. During the UFC 127 pre-fight press conference UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik confirmed plans for a TUF-themed reality show pitting the U.K. vs. Australia to be called "The Smashes."