What is going on with the "new" Ultimate Fighter" series and what can be changed to Improve it?

I just finished watching the latest edition of the UFC's TUF "Mir vs. Nogueira" series and I can't help but be dissapointed.

I have been a fan of the show since it's inception and believe it has been entertaining and is a huge launching pad for quality fighters... that being said, something has to change or this show will turn into a complete joke (if it already has, let me know because I am always the last to find out about these things).

It seems that this new breed of "Fighter's" (or actors) are getting on the program to become "stars" not to break into the UFC. All the crap that goes on in the "TUF house" is complete bullshit, the itching powder, freezing underwear, and that kook "Juni" (or whatever the hell his name is)... what a dick. What is most dissapointing to me is that Dana and the UFC are not only allowing this type of behavior, they are promoting it. They had to approve the shrink wrap and itching powder and JUNI... What happened to the Dana "the moral compass" who wanted to put MMA and their fighters in the best light... I guess that's out the window when he personally allows JUNI to repeatedly make a complete ass out of himself and drive the completely wrong image of an MMA fighter to the world.

I will end this rant now, but believe me I could go on. I just hate to see MMA fighters depicted this way, I know a lot of fighters and don't know anyone like the "lead actors" on this show.

WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO THE SERIES TO GET IT BACK ON TRACK?

JDH

PLUS: only a group of self absorbed assholes would dissrespect Nogueira (one of the greatest MMA fighters ever) when he came to the TUF house to talk to them about actually being professional and taking their opportunity seriously... amazing!

i enjoy watching the show. nog is my favorite fighter they have had as a coach and he is extremely entertaining to watch. when he heard "itching powder" you could tell he had NO CLUE what they were talking about. he just kept saying "games" and stankie... oh man. its even funnier, does that guy REALLY train with nog?? but yeah, when a legend like nog talks, even frank mir should shut his damned mouth and respect every word. i really feel bad for nog... getting disrespected like that when its obvious he sincerely cares. as for JUNI (as you like to put it, hehe) he is a prick. theres a youtube video of him and his brother ill link to later and he kept saying "its because we are brownings, we are the best at everything." junie-- i mean JUNI-- and his brother are like a thugged out trash version of the diaz brothers... oh wait... i actually like the diaz brothers but thats who they remind me of. i never really watched the show for the pranks or drama but i dont think this season is really THAT worse than the past ones. they glorify the bad parts of them all. and when you think of it, leben did a WHOOOLE lot and didnt get the boot. shit, they let him come back after he lost. that was the first season. so, maybe you are forgetting what the past seasons were actually like. just ask mac danzig why he hated everyone.

I really don't have a problem with the pranks, but peeing on someone's bed was taking it too far.

I think that it was a cultural difference when it came to Nogueira wanting the pranks to stop. I don't think that the fighters were disrespecting Nogueira.

The rumor is that the Spike TV producers asked Dana White to keep Junie Browning on and I think that it was for ratings. Spike TV only cares about ratings.

I think that Junie Browning is Bi-Polar

Juni needs to get handed a beat down by the first guy he fights, and then he needs to get booted out of the house and the UFC permanently! Matter of fact, someone should look into starting up the RFL, the REJECTS FIGHT LEAGUE. Juni, War Machine, Jesse Taylor, and Jeremy Jackson all come to mind.

Anyway, the pranks were funny at first, but just like always happens in that type of situation, they get out of hand and next thing you know your sleeping in a bed of urine and dropping upper deckers in the toilet.

In my opinion, TUF needs to make the following changes in the future to be more productive...

- NO ALCOHOL **the possible exception to this would be at like a coach's dinner or something. The OPEN BAR at all times factor should be eliminated though**

- Re-institute the team challenge system to determine which team gets to make the fight selection

- Enough of the prison style isolation! Give these guys a TV with old UFC DVD's and video games or something to occupy there time with. Really there should only be about 5-10 minutes of each show devoted to what is going on inside the house. For the most part, the focus of the show should be training, challenges (see above), maybe some fighter background, and of course the fight.

- Start dishing out fines and/or punishment for the stupid crap, do something at least. If I have to sit through another season and watch a very nice million dollar home get trashed over and friggin' over, I will probably pull my hair out! Seriously, every single season a) the house gets destroyed b) there is some kind of food fight and c) tons of crap gets thrown in the pool for absolutely no reason.

Just my .02, but I do agree with you JDH, the show needs a vast overhaul and some big improvements need to be made to continue to draw in more mma fans.

Juni is a dick, no lies about that. I don't want him on the show any more than anybody else. He could be a fine fighter but he should make his way to the big stages without entering the public eye like he has done so I don't think TUF is good for him...or him for tuf for that matter.

As far as the itching powder and such goes, I think it's kind of entertaining. They all seem like decent fighters and they've been doing pranks and stupid stuff since the tuf began. Also, let's not forget Mikey Burnette's footballing the wall situation...And Chris Leben (I know, sacred ground here...) was the Juni of season one. It's the same formula it's always been, guys...

The last few seasons started going downhill if you ask me but this one really beats them all. There is more drunken drama and fighting ouside the octagon then inside where it belongs and I am truly disgusted with the whole thing. It might as well be aired on MTV with all the other stupid reality bullshit because that is the level it has reached. Some of the guys were completely disrespectful to Nogueira and the shit that Juni has pulled just shouldn't be allowed. Jeremy Jackson was kicked off of season 4 for sneaking out to see a girl. Jesse Forbes (I think that's his name) was kicked off of the last season for "making the UFC look bad". He was brought back but at least they made him sweat a little. If Dana doesn't think that Juni has made him and the UFC look bad then he needs to get his head out of his ass and rethink what he is doing. It almost seems like they are encouraged to be dick headed punks to boost ratings. If not, then punks like Juni are making their own rules as they go along because so far he hasn't been reprimanded for the shit he has pulled. A stern lecture is not good enough. He even told Dana he had a drinking problem. Excuse me but if he has a drinking problem then he is on the wrong show.

I can't believe Elliot Marshall said to Nogueira.

"Ever heard of this edor guy?"

"He smash u, I smash you but no pee in the bed"

Jennifer wrote:The last few seasons started going downhill if you ask me but this one really beats them all. There is more drunken drama and fighting ouside the octagon then inside where it belongs and I am truly disgusted with the whole thing. It might as well be aired on MTV with all the other stupid reality bullshit because that is the level it has reached. Some of the guys were completely disrespectful to Nogueira and the shit that Juni has pulled just shouldn't be allowed. Jeremy Jackson was kicked off of season 4 for sneaking out to see a girl. Jesse Forbes (I think that's his name) was kicked off of the last season for "making the UFC look bad". He was brought back but at least they made him sweat a little. If Dana doesn't think that Juni has made him and the UFC look bad then he needs to get his head out of his ass and rethink what he is doing. It almost seems like they are encouraged to be dick headed punks to boost ratings. If not, then punks like Juni are making their own rules as they go along because so far he hasn't been reprimanded for the shit he has pulled. A stern lecture is not good enough. He even told Dana he had a drinking problem. Excuse me but if he has a drinking problem then he is on the wrong show.

Jesse Forbes was actually not kicked off at all. He was from an earlier season.

AHH!!! I just pulled my hair out. I'm sorry, Guys...But the new season of TUF isn't really as bad as people make it seem. Yes it's a bit dramatic but It isn't TOO bad. There have been plenty instances of disrespectful behavior and all that jazz but I agree with Mir disrespecting nogs and Eliot Marshall and all that. That was over the line. But when you talk about the fighters have always wanted to fight the best people and what not? There have been countless times people tried to squeak by and pick the weak ones. What about the stuff on season 3? The pranks they were pulling and stealing stuff. What about Sam Hoger? He was on to be a star and not to actually fight. At least nobody has just kicked themselves off like a Noah Eihnhoffer or whatever his name was. There was a lot of stuff that went on in previous seasons. I'm actually thinking some of the fighters on this season are a lot better skillwise than some in the past. That Jason dude from the first seasons SUCKED! Some of these fighters are for sure better than a lot of the past seasons.

Juni is the exception. I don't think he's good for the sport and there are plenty fighters who could step up and perform just as well as he can.

Jake Amdahl wrote:

Jennifer wrote:The last few seasons started going downhill if you ask me but this one really beats them all. There is more drunken drama and fighting ouside the octagon then inside where it belongs and I am truly disgusted with the whole thing. It might as well be aired on MTV with all the other stupid reality bullshit because that is the level it has reached. Some of the guys were completely disrespectful to Nogueira and the shit that Juni has pulled just shouldn't be allowed. Jeremy Jackson was kicked off of season 4 for sneaking out to see a girl. Jesse Forbes (I think that's his name) was kicked off of the last season for "making the UFC look bad". He was brought back but at least they made him sweat a little. If Dana doesn't think that Juni has made him and the UFC look bad then he needs to get his head out of his ass and rethink what he is doing. It almost seems like they are encouraged to be dick headed punks to boost ratings. If not, then punks like Juni are making their own rules as they go along because so far he hasn't been reprimanded for the shit he has pulled. A stern lecture is not good enough. He even told Dana he had a drinking problem. Excuse me but if he has a drinking problem then he is on the wrong show.

Jesse Forbes was actually not kicked off at all. He was from an earlier season.

Sorry, my bad, it was Jesse something (Taylor maybe) that was kicked off of last season just before the finale then given a second chance.

Besides all the stupid pranks, and drunken shenanigans I don't actually dislike this season as much as season 7. I'm a lot more interested in seeing how the respective coaches run things this time around (if only we actually saw a bit more of that aspect) than I have for previous seasons. I think there might be a little more talent amongst the 'cast' this season too, although I know that really isn't saying too much. If I had to bet I'd say Phillipe Nover is the one to watch.

That being said I think it's time for a complete overhaul of the format. Eight seasons worth of in house muppetry is enough. What I'd like to see (and this will never happen for a million reasons) would be to drop the entire Americas next Top Model style. Instead of dragging these 16 hopefuls into a UFC funded private bar I'd much prefer to watch these guys training in their own camps.

Keep the tournament format, but drop the teams, and follow a smaller number of talented fighters through their training, fight preparation and perhaps some of their real lives.