Time to TUF it out again

Another season of The Ultimate Fighter is set to debut tomorrow night. I really hope it has grown out of the MTV Real World stage by now. 

It has been three months since Efrain Escudero and Ryan Bader won The Ultimate Fighter. I guess that means it's time to sit through another season of the UFC tournament/ reality show. 

I absolutely love the format of single-elimination tournaments in mixed martial arts. Tournaments are exciting and they really show the fans at home all the aspects a fighter brings to the table since they have the opportunity to fight multiple times. 

However, I hate reality TV. I hate having to watch contestants such as Chris Leben, Jesse Taylor, Junie Browning, CB Dolloway and a slew of others act like irresponsible children just so they can stay in the limelight and find a way into the UFC in the event they don't win the tournament. 

In fact I hate it so much that after season 3 I would just TiVo the episodes and fast forward to the last 15 minutes so I could see the fights. But the truth is the show loses quite a bit of value by just watching the fights. It's nice to get to know the fighters and see the sacrifices and training they have to go through, but it could be done in a much more effective way. 

I didn't even watch the last season of TUF because I couldn't stomach the MTV Real World junk it was stuffing down the viewers' throats. It is time for Dana White and Spike TV to realize that the UFC is a legitimate sport and needs to portray itself in a professional manner. 

This season shouldn't cater to 15-year-old boys wanting to start a fight club, it should cater to a mature audience that expects to see elite athletes treat their profession and each other with respect. I have high hopes for this season since Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping are coaching teams from the United States and England, respectively. 

I think that format of country vs country will give the fighters a greater purpose and they wont be so quick to make fools of themselves since they have a country to fight for and represent. 

The best way to present a show like this would be to follow the example set by season 1 of The Contender. The boxing show that was produced by Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard was a unique look into how important winning is to a fighter and how much they are willing to sacrifice. 

I liked the touch of seeing the fighters spar and train, but also being able to live with their families so they have a constant reminder of what they were there for. They weren't there to get drunk, destroy a house and pick fights. They were there to do a job and win the tournament to give their family a better life.

The UFC doesn't need to go to that extreme to keep The Ultimate Fighter fresh, but it does need to go that direction. Growing up is a part of life and it is time for the UFC to grow out of its teenage angst stage and into a more professional one. 

I am excited for tomorrow night's debut episode; I just hope it doesn't let me down.