The Ultimate Fighter

infobox television
show_name = The Ultimate Fighter


caption =
format = Reality, Sports
runtime = 60 minutes
creator = Craig Piligian, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White
starring = Dana White
country = USA
network = Spike TV
first_aired = January 18, 2005
last_aired = Present
num_episodes = 92 (including seven live Ultimate Finales)
imdb_id = 0445912
tv_com_id = 31862

"The Ultimate Fighter" is a reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, originating from United States, and produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (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 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 are 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.

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 fighters professional record. This is done to keep the results from going public before the air date.

Seasons

* (September 17, 2008 - December, 2008) Light heavyweights and Lightweights [cite web|url=http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6259&zoneid=2
title=Mir as a coach for TUF 8|accessdate=2008-05-12]
* (April 2, 2008 - June 21 2008) - Middleweights [Kris, " [http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/07/20/the-ultimate-fighter-7-to-feature-middleweights/ The Ultimate Fighter 7 To Feature Middleweights] " (Jul 20, 2007).]
* (September 19, 2007-December 8, 2007) - Welterweights
* The Ultimate Fighter 5 (April 5, 2007—June 23, 2007) - Lightweights
* (August 17 2007—November 11 2007) - Middleweights and welterweights
* The Ultimate Fighter 3 (April 6 2007—June 24 2007) - Light heavyweights and middleweights
* The Ultimate Fighter 2 (August 22 2005—November 5 2005) - Heavyweights and welterweights
* The Ultimate Fighter 1 (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 7: Amir Sadollah (Team Griffin)
* Season 6: Mac Danzig (Team Hughes)
* Season 5: Nathan Diaz (Team Pulver)
* Season 4: Matt Serra (Team Mojo), Travis Lutter (Team No Love)
* Season 3: Kendall Grove (Team Ortiz), Michael Bisping (Team Ortiz)
* Season 2: Joe Stevenson (Team Hughes), Rashad Evans (Team Franklin)
* Season 1: Diego Sanchez (Team Liddell), Forrest Griffin (Team Liddell)

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. [Ivan Trembow, " [http://www.ivansblog.com/2006/07/mixed-martial-arts-ufc-and-joys-of-re.html The UFC and the Joys of Re-Writing History] " (Wednesday, July 19, 2006).]

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

[http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/10/09/the-ultimate-fighter-6-week-3-ratings-up-slightly/ Ep 3: 1.1 HH Rating]

*FinaleThe 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. [http://www.wrestlemag.com/news/index.php?p=6177 Ratings Info]

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)

References

External links

* [http://www.theultimatefighter.tv/ Official website]
* [http://www.spiketv.com/index.jhtml#shows/ultimatefighter/index.jhtml Spike TV's Ultimate Fighter page]
* [http://www.ufc.com/ UFC Official Website]