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The Ultimate Fighter

 
The Ultimate Fighter

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The Ultimate Fighter



 
 
The Ultimate Fighter is a reality television
Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors....
 series and mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts is a Contact sport combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, to be used in competitions....
 (MMA) competition, originating from United States, and produced by Spike TV
Spike TV

Spike , a division of MTV Networks, is an United States cable television television network designed for an audience described demographically as "young adult males." The network began life as The Nashville Network , founded by WSM, Inc....
 and the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship is a United States-based mixed martial arts organization, currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world....
 (UFC). On this show, professional MMA fighters that have yet to make a big name for themselves are situated in a house outside of Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, Nevada, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment....
 and compete against each other for the title of The Ultimate Fighter, winning a six-figure, multi-fight contract with the UFC.

For the first four seasons, prospect UFC fighters were selected in two weight classes.






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Encyclopedia


The Ultimate Fighter is a reality television
Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors....
 series and mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts is a Contact sport combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, to be used in competitions....
 (MMA) competition, originating from United States, and produced by Spike TV
Spike TV

Spike , a division of MTV Networks, is an United States cable television television network designed for an audience described demographically as "young adult males." The network began life as The Nashville Network , founded by WSM, Inc....
 and the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship is a United States-based mixed martial arts organization, currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world....
 (UFC). On this show, professional MMA fighters that have yet to make a big name for themselves are situated in a house outside of Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, Nevada, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment....
 and compete against each other for the title of The Ultimate Fighter, winning a six-figure, multi-fight contract with the UFC.

For the first four seasons, prospect UFC fighters were selected in two weight classes. The fighters are divided into two teams, irrespective of weight class, each team coached by a current UFC headliner. The teams then compete (in a manner which varies by season) to determine which team would have the right to pair one of their own fighters against an opponent of their choice in the same weight class to an MMA match, the loser eliminated from competition. At the end of a season, the two remaining fighters of each weight class are placed in a single-elimination tournament, where the title of Ultimate Fighter is awarded to the winner. From season five to season seven, all fighters competed in the same weight class.

The show features the daily preparations each fighter makes to train for competition 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....
.

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, also known as the Nevada State Athletic Commission , regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers....
 as exhibition matches and do not count for or against a fighters professional record. This is done to keep the results from going public before the air date.

Seasons

  • The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom (April 1, 2009 - June, 2009) - Welterweights and Lightweights
  • 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) - Light Heavyweights and Lightweights
  • 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) - Middleweights
  • 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....
     (September 19, 2007-December 8, 2007) - Welterweights
  • 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) - Lightweights
  • The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback
    The Ultimate Fighter 4

    The Ultimate Fighter 4 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....
     (August 17, 2006—November 11, 2006) - Middleweights and Welterweights
  • 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 UFC Ultimate Fight Night 4....
     (April 6, 2006—June 24, 2006) - Light Heavyweights and Middleweights
  • 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....
     (August 22, 2005—November 5, 2005) - Heavyweights and Welterweights
  • The Ultimate Fighter 1
    The Ultimate Fighter 1

    The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter premiered on January 18, 2005. seventeen mixed martial arts fighters were invited to participate in the show where they would reside together and train in two separate teams coached by UFC Light Heavyweight fighters Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture....
     (January 18, 2005—April 9, 2005) - Light Heavyweights and Middleweights


Winners

The winners of each season of the Ultimate Fighter are as follows, with lighter division winners listed first:
  • Season 8: Efrain Escudero
    Efrain Escudero

    Efrain Escudero is a Mexican American mixed martial arts fighter, collegiate wrestler, and reality TV star. He trains under Drew Fickett, and competes in the 155 lb weight class....
     (Team Nogueira
    Antonio Nogueira

    Antonio Nogueira can refer to one of several people:*Ant?nio Rodrigo Nogueira , heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, formerly with PRIDE Fighting Championships....
    ), Ryan Bader
    Ryan Bader

    'Ryan DuWayne Bader' is a United States professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs....
     (Team Nogueira
    Antonio Nogueira

    Antonio Nogueira can refer to one of several people:*Ant?nio Rodrigo Nogueira , heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, formerly with PRIDE Fighting Championships....
    )
  • Season 7: Amir Sadollah
    Amir Sadollah

    Amir Sadollah in Brooklyn, NY is an United States professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was the winner of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7....
     (Team Forrest
    Forrest Griffin

    Forrest Griffin is an United States mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion and a former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship....
    )
  • Season 6: Mac Danzig
    Mac Danzig

    Mac Danzig is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter and instructor, and is a former Lightweight champion for the King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge mixed martial arts organizations....
     (Team Hughes
    Matt Hughes

    Matt Hughes may refer to:* Matt Hughes , Canadian author* Matt Hughes , American professional mixed martial arts fighter* Matt Hughes American rower, part of the U.S. 2008 Summer Olympics team...
    )
  • Season 5: Nathan Diaz
    Nathan Diaz

    Nathan Donald Diaz is an American mixed martial arts, currently competing for Ultimate Fighting Championship in the Lightweight division. He is well known as the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 champion, and has amassed victories in Strikeforce, Pancrase, WEC, and the World Extreme Cagefighting promotions....
     (Team Pulver
    Jens Pulver

    Jens Johnnie "Lil Evil" Pulver is an United States Mixed martial arts . 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....
    )
  • Season 4: Matt Serra
    Matt Serra

    Matthew John Serra is an United States Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial arts, known for winning several martial arts championships....
     (Team Mojo), Travis Lutter
    Travis Lutter

    Travis S. Lutter is an United States mixed martial arts fighter who won the The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show which was broadcast on SpikeTV....
     (Team No Love)
  • Season 3: Kendall Grove
    Kendall Grove

    Kendall Kekoa "Da Spyder" Grove is an United States mixed martial arts fighter. Grove was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 3, a reality television show, training under Tito Ortiz....
     (Team Ortiz
    Tito Ortiz

    Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter from Huntington Beach, California....
    ), Michael Bisping
    Michael Bisping

    Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping is an English people mixed martial arts from Clitheroe, Lancashire. Holding a professional record of 17 wins and 1 loss, he currently fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and is the former Cage Warriors Light Heavyweight champion, and former List of Cage Rage champions#World Light Heavyweight Champions...
     (Team Ortiz
    Tito Ortiz

    Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter from Huntington Beach, California....
    )
  • Season 2: Joe Stevenson
    Joe Stevenson

    Joseph Christopher "Daddy" Stevenson is a mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. On November 5, 2005, he won the Welterweight division of season two of the The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television series produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship....
     (Team Hughes
    Matt Hughes

    Matt Hughes may refer to:* Matt Hughes , Canadian author* Matt Hughes , American professional mixed martial arts fighter* Matt Hughes American rower, part of the U.S. 2008 Summer Olympics team...
    ), Rashad Evans
    Rashad Evans

    Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial arts fighter from Lansing, MI currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is the promotion's current Light Heavyweight Champion....
     (Team Franklin
    Rich Franklin

    Rich Jay Franklin II is a mixed martial arts fighter and former UFC Middleweight champion....
    )
  • Season 1: Diego Sanchez
    Diego Sánchez

    Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez is an United States mixed martial arts with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime, but now former, trainer Jackson's Submission Fighting....
     (Team Liddell
    Chuck Liddell

    Charles David 'Chuck' Liddell , also known as "The Iceman" is an American Mixed martial arts who fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship....
    ), Forrest Griffin
    Forrest Griffin

    Forrest Griffin is an United States mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion and a former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship....
     (Team Liddell
    Chuck Liddell

    Charles David 'Chuck' Liddell , also known as "The Iceman" is an American Mixed martial arts who fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship....
    )


The six-figure contract

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 consist of $12,000 guaranteed with a $12,000 win bonuses (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 9 fights are fought.

Those that have not won the competition can still fight in the UFC. Their contracts however are not the same as the six-figure deal above.

TV Ratings

Season Six ratings were down slightly from previous seasons. Episode three garnered a 1.1 half-hour rating.

  • Finale
The Ultimate Fighter 5 (Saturday, June 23/07; 9pm-midnight): 2.6 million viewers; 3.0 rating/Men 18-34 (834,000 viewers); 2.6 rating/Men 18-49 (1.4 million); 2.0 household rating. Peak Audience: 3.4 million viewers at 11:30pm.

TUFFEST 25 Moments

On October 23 2007. Spike TV aired an episode of TUF, entitled TUFfest 25 Moments in which the producers and viewers chose the best moments in The Ultimate Fighter History (seasons 1 through 5)

External links