This weekend I caught up on a whole bunch of shows of which one of those was The Ultimate Fighter. During each season a cast of MMA fighters competes for a six-figure contract with the UFC in this reality series.I've been a huge fan ever since the inception of Ultimate Fighting and when Dana White took over I've liked it even more. Starting this series has probably been the best thing he could have done to bring the sport to the mainstream.
Of course the UFC has it's opponents, but the sport is growing in popularity and is bound to overtake the more mainstream boxing fans eventually - unless traditional boxing changes something. What that would be I have no idea.
However, there's a couple things that soured me a bit this season of The Ultimate Fighter:
First off, there's the Spike TV channel. The commercials are getting way out of hand. It almost seems as if there are 5 minutes of commercials for every 2 minutes of the show. This wouldn't be so bad if the commercials changed every now and then, but it's the same commercials! Keep in mind, people watch to see the show not lame-ass Burger King commercials and pimping for UFC DVDs. Do you think the series is getting a little bloated with commercials?
Second, I'm not sure if the method being used to determine who gets into the house is really going to find the best candidates. Last week's episode had two guys who won their fights kicked out. This really sucks. Because they got their noses cracked? This just isn't right. Allow me to explain:
Let's face it. The object of a fight is to inflict damage upon your opponent while avoiding damage your opponent intends to inflict upon you. MMA is particularly wrought with a variety of ways to inflict damage. It is inevitable that a fighter will get injured unless he grossly outclasses another fighter.
Additionally, I've seen a number of fights in which fighters were obviously injured with probable broken noses and huge cuts. There are instances in which the ringside doctors allowed the fight to go on. So, I find it a little hypocritical that the guys who earned their spot in the house were told to leave even though their noses were NOT broke, but cracked. Guys with cuts were allowed to stay in previous seasons. What's up?
Do you think those guys should have been sent home?
Lastly, perhaps there needs to be a psychological test. What's up with the bipolar hillbilly?
As I said, I'm a fan of ultimate fighting. Whether or not I'm a fan of The Ultimate Fighter is a little up in the air right now.
What about you? Are you a fan for life or is The Ultimate Fighter jumping the shark?
Leave a comment