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The Ultimate Fighter is a reality television series and mixed martial arts competition, originating from the United States, and produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In a format similar to the TV series Survivor and Big Brother, professional MMA fighters that have yet to be featured by major MMA promotions are situated in a house outside of Las Vegas, Nevada and compete against each other for the title of Ultimate Fighter, winning a six-figure, multi-fight contract with the UFC.
For each season, prospect UFC fighters are selected in two weight classes. They are divided into two teams, each team coached by a current UFC headliner. The teams would 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 the house. At the end of a series, the four remaining fighters of each weight class are placed in a single-elimination tournament, where the title of Ultimate Fighter is awarded to the winner.
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.
Seasons
- The Ultimate Fighter 1 (January 18, 2005 - April 9, 2005)
- The Ultimate Fighter 2 (August 22, 2005 - November 5, 2005)
- The Ultimate Fighter 3 (April 6, 2006 - June 24, 2006)
The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback (August 17-Fall 2006)
The fourth Ultimate Fighter series will be a change from the usual format in that the cast would be composed of talent that has fought in the UFC but did not win a UFC title. The fighters, in middleweight and welterweight, will earn a UFC title shot in their division and a six-figure purse if they win their tournaments. Instead of coaches, prominent trainers and UFC fighters will act as advisors. Randy Couture, Georges St. Pierre, and Mark Dellagrotte, Kenny Florian's kickboxing trainer, will be among the advisors. The cast will still live in seclusion at the Las Vegas house.
On June 28, after Ultimate Fight Night 5, the cast of the Ultimate Fighter 4 was announced.
- Middleweights: Patrick Cote, Edwin Dewees, Travis Lutter, Charles McCarthy, Gideon Ray, Jorge Rivera, Pete Sell, Scott Smith
- Welterweights: Mikey Burnett, Shonie Carter, Rich Clementi, Jeremy Jackson, Chris Lytle, Matt Serra, Pete Spratt, Din Thomas
The winners of each division will earn a title shot against the UFC champion in their division in the first half of 2007. Principal filming began on May 21 2006. The series is set to debut on August 17 2006.
Future plans
On March 23 2006, UFC and Spike TV announced they have agreed to an extension of their working agreement and there will be four more seasons of The Ultimate Fighter after TUF3. TUF 4 will air late 2006, TUF 5 & 6 will air in 2007, and TUF 7 will air in 2008.*Jens Pulver, former UFC Lightweight Champion, will be a coach for TUF 5. *
See also
External links
"The Ultimate Fighter"