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. 

March Madness: The Middleweights

The middleweight tournament begins to see if anyone can stop Anderson Silva (who knocked out James Irvin with his eyes closed and his back to him apparently.)

Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua have danced their way through "The First Round March Madness Tournament" and have won the championship in their respective weight division. 

Today's featured division is the middleweights, where one man clearly stands above the rest. Anderson "The Spider" Silva is considered the undisputed best fighter at 185 pounds and the best fighter in the world regardless of weight. 

He has torn through the UFC middleweight division, which as you will see in a second is pretty weak for the most part. Of the 16 fighters in this tournament, only 7 are from the UFC. That's not a terrible number, but I would love to see Silva take on some of the guys that are going to be in this tournament. 

A quick disclaimer before I unveil the pools. Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin ARE NOT in the tournament because their last fight was in the light heavyweight division. I am trying my best just to include current middleweight fighters. So even though Henderson is moving down, he is excluded. 

Pool A

#1. Anderson Silva

#2. Michael Bisping

#3. Thales Leites 

#4. Denis Kang

Pool B

#1. Gegard Mousasi

#2. Paulo Filho

#3. Vitor Belfort

#4. Jason Miller

Pool C

#1. Robbie Lawler

#2. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

#3. Matt Lindland

#4. Benji Radach

Pool D

#1. Demian Maia

#2. Cung Le

#3. Yushin Okami

#4. Nate Marquardt

Heres a little breakdown of each pool.

Pool A: As stated earlier, Anderson Silva is the clear cut No. 1 fighter in this division and probably the world. Michael Bisping was always a good fighter at light heavyweight, but since coming down in weight he has looked even more explosive and deadly. Thales Leites is the No. 1 contender for Silva's strap and while I think it is a little early, he is 14-1. Denis Kang is loaded with potential and is dominant at times, but he slipped to a 4-seed after losing his UFC debut. 

Pool B: Gegard Mousasi is just a winner plain and simple. 24-2 and the DREAM middleweight grand prix champion. He is the real deal. Paulo Filho was tagged as the man to beat Silva, but a loss to Chael Sonnen put those talks to an end. Filho is still extremely good and has only one loss. Vitor Belfort has incredible hand speed and has defeated top fighters from heavyweights to middleweights. Jason Miller is a tough guy that never gives up. He fights the best around and is always competitive. 

Pool C: Robbie Lawler holds a title, which he means he gets a 1-seed. He is one of the best on his feet and his takedown defense is top-notch after training with Matt Hughes. Ronaldo Souza is a jujitsu ace and made it to the finals of DREAM's grand prix before losing to Mousasi. He is 10-2 and has a bright future. Matt Lindland was the best in the world at one time and an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling. Benji Radach won all but one fight in the IFL and has a win over Murilo Rua. Another tough out at 19-4.

Pool D: Some may say its too early to give Demian Maia a 1-seed, but a 10-0 record with eight submissions is impressive. His ground game could be the best in the world when it comes to MMA. Cung Le is undefeated and for all I know he might never lose, but his inactivity gave him a 2-seed. Yushin Okami is a punisher, and while not always exciting he wins a lot. He is 7-1 in the UFC and its time he gets a shot. Nate Marquardt is very experienced and his domination in Pancrase has to be seen. Wins by a flying knee and broken arm are always impressive. 

The snubbed: Murilo "Ninja" Rua, the brother of Mauricio Rua, has a lot of talent but always seems to lose when he fights the elite competitors. Chael Sonnen has a win over Paulo Filho, but 10 losses, including three to Jeremy Horn, keep him out. Joey Villasenor is a fighter I really enjoy and I think he is one big win away from making a tournament like this. 

As always, I will post a full breakdown of the tournament a little later in the day.