Hey guys.
Here is a nice write up about thisn from another site:
All right I’m just going to come out and say it … The Ultimate Fighter is the best television show ever, end of discussion.
Save your “Cosby” talk. Squash that “M.A.S.H.” or “Cheers” argument you are about to make. And the rest of you go ahead and put your hands down. I said it, I believe it and that settles it.
So maybe I’m a bit biased and maybe T.U.F. won’t have a run as long as the Simpson’s, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t.
Last night’s episode got rid of everything you don’t want to see and gave you what you wanted and more. This show really focused on what life is like for professional fighters. The guys faced more strenuous training, endured a savage marathon of weight cutting and got low-balled by Dana White on a contract negotiation—everything a real fighter has to endure!
Seriously this show stepped out of the conventional norm and brought us a stark almost “Smashing Machine”-esque look at what it takes to survive at the highest level.
Last night’s play featured three great acts.
Act I: Dana Has Teeth
Dana White has been both praised and vilified for what he’s accomplished since emerging as the president of the UFC. To most fans he comes across as a nice guy with somewhat of a meek demeanor. In fact in some of the earlier episodes I had wished that he would become more of a presence because it puts a face to the company and gives UFC some personal representation.
After hearing rumbling in the house of the guys not wanting to fight for free, Mr. White calls an impromptu meeting where he rips into them with language salty enough to make even the most grizzled truck driver blush. Dana questions their reasons for being on the show and just what it is they thought they were going to be doing. After the scolding, Dana makes sure that none of them want to wear a sundress from here on out, and they move on to the next physical challenge.
Bobby Southworth really struggled with the challenge (desert canoe race) and came in dead last, making him the first man slotted to fight to remain on the show. Based on his weaknesses Team Liddell chose Lodune Sincaid to be Southworth’s opponent, setting up the fight card for an elimination bout.
II: Weight Cutting
Now that the match up has been made we learn that Bobby is 20 pounds over the 205-limit for light heavyweights. He’s got 24 hours to make weight and that sets off an agonizing portion of the show where we see what extremes these fighters must endure in order to compete.
Wrestlers and boxers won’t be shocked, but to the uninitiated this stuff is so hardcore. I have a few friends who have been following the show. They know nothing of the sport but they all called or E-mailed me today to say that the weight-cutting was so riveting that it’s got them hooked on the show.
On “The Biggest Loser” they had a scene where one of the tub-of-guts contestants was panicking thanks to having to climb a few flights of stairs. Emergency services was called and they helped her back down. Contrast that with Chuck Liddell jamming his foot against the sauna door to keep Southworth inside and you see that on T.U.F. mercy is not for the weak.
Bobby enjoys the 210-degree heat wearing a rubber suit that is wrapped with sweat suits while he pedals an exercise bike. After being literally dragged in and out of the sauna plenty of times and spending his out-time playing basketball and doing more cardio, Southworth eventually sucks it up and tips the scales at a perfect 206.
Liddell and Southworth’s teammate Josh Koscheck put a valiant amount of work into making sure that Southworth makes weight, thus putting him in position to win the fight and stay on the show.
After all that mental and physical anguish he can finally relax and re-hydrate so that he can get inside a fence and finally be punched in the face.
III: The Fight
Here is where we really see the genius in this show. We got no flashy editing; no angled shots that make it look like more action is going on than what’s real. We got a non-stop fight with five-minute rounds and no corny music or dramatic dialogue in the background—just two mean hombres going head to head with the familiar white noise of a dozen coaches yelling out unintelligible commands for the fighter of their choice.
The fight itself was pretty good, too. Early on it was little sloppy as both men tried to feel each other out a little and get their own rhythms going. Then Southworth got a takedown and worked for side control. Lodune was able to “turtle” up and get out of danger.
On their feet both men looked for shots but not much was available as they both kept some distance between each other. They finished the first round trading knees and hooks while clinching against the chain-link.
During the rest period, Liddell admonishes Southworth to throw a combo or two, and this would be the foreshadowing moment of the show as a few minutes later Southworth connects with a 1-2-3 combo that sent Lodune on a journey of mat discovery.
The first two punches were crisp and the final one turned his head, and we got to see our first ever reality show knockout. Hell, “The Next Great Champ” could have been on for five seasons before we would have seen a KO. It was a great fight and a masterly finish to one of the best hours of reality drama I’ve seen in a long time.
The UFC kind of reestablished itself in this episode in terms of what it wants to be and how it is to be perceived. It wants to be a great fight company and is grooming their fighters to provide that entertainment.
As a nice twist Southworth received five grand for producing a knockout so the “fight for free” arguments were quickly quelled. We also got to see the UFC poster boys Chuck and Randy slip out of “coach” mode and saw how they are as competitors as well, translated through the training of their team.
All in all it was a great episode and I can’t wait to see more.
Putting the show aside for a moment let’s turn our attention to the real deal, UFC 51 this Saturday. I’ll be there and I hope you guys get to see it in person, at home with friends or while enjoying an adult beverage at an adult establishment. See you next week.
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