The Ultimate Fighter returned to
airwaves last night for its 17th season with brand new coaches,
fighters, and production. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones
and Chael Sonnen head their respective teams.
The first episode was a special
two-hour debut with 14 fights to see which 14 fighters would enter
the house.
This is the good, the bad, and the ugly
from the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs.Team Sonnen.
The Good:
-
The
first episode saw a different way in presenting the series. New
frame rate, new angles, and a more documentarian look at the fights
and fighters. -
Jones
and Sonnen are excellent choices for coaches. Unlike in years past,
both of these men seem to want to help their crop of fighters more
than anything else. That can pay dividends for the UFC in the long
run. -
The
cast does not seem to have a potential titleholder in its midst, but
those days are likely long gone anyway. However, the cast does have
several quality athletes that could turn in to long-time UFC
veterans. Time will tell, but at first glance this will be a quality
cast.
The Bad:
-
Although
there were a couple strong finishes and exciting exchanges, the
fights themselves were not the greatest. Several of the fights were
mismatches, but as that is to be expected with a group of unknown
fighters. Hopefully, as the season moves forward the fights will get
much better. -
Josh Samman has already touched a few nerves. First, in his fight he took
the time to yell, “Are you ready!” before dropping ridiculous
double-fists with nothing on them. Even UFC President Dana White
remarked on that stupidity. Then, after being selected to Team
Jones, he immediately questions the decisions of the UFC Light
Heavyweight Champion. I get that he wanted to fight out of the gate,
but you get the sense that he will be an annoying cast member moving
forward. General rule of thumb: If you are a young prospect, don’t
question the champion of the world.
The Ugly:
-
Giving
the winning fighter and coach a custom Harley-Davidson remains
idiotic. The UFC has added a “dangerous
activities” clause
to their bout contracts, but if you don’t want them participating,
you may want to avoid giving them a Harley to ride on. -
It was a nice gesture to bring in
families before the winners advanced to the house, but having them
watch the fights and seeing the heartbreak was a bit much for me. In
some cases, it was understandable. But sights like the two sons
consoling their father was rough. It
makes for dramatic television, but that shouldn’t be all that
matters. I am just glad the father went to a decision and didn’t get
knocked out in front of his young sons.
This
season of The Ultimate
Fighter looks to be a
return to past glory on paper, but the fights will have to deliver
excitement for that to happen. The new look of the show is a welcome
sight, and next week we finally get underway as Gilbert Smith Jr. of Team Jones battles Team Sonnen’s number one pick Luke Barnatt.
