Following the acquisition of the UFC by Dana White and the Fertitta Brothers in 2001, the company continued to bleed money and was on the brink of ruin. Enter ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’
Introduction
While the UFC has attained global recognition and mainstream success over the past decade, the organization was plagued with controversies and financial struggles throughout its formative years. The sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) failed to gain traction with the media and public, leading to the UFC’s future hanging in the balance. In this article, we delve into the significance of “The Ultimate Fighter (TUF)” reality show and how it contributed to saving the UFC from mainstream rejection and potential bankruptcy.
In the early 2000s, the UFC faced an uncertain future due to financial difficulties and a reputation for being ‘human cockfighting’ due to its limited ruleset and matchmaking, often leading to gulfs in both size and class between opponents. Dana White and business partners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta purchased the UFC in 2001 and sought to rebrand the organization and the sport as a whole.
The interest in the sport from both the media and commercial sponsors was lackluster, to say the least. No advertisements were present in the octagon during the first season of TUF, a far cry from the plethora of sponsors seen all over the cage in 2023. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Lorenzo Fertitta, who at the time was a part-owner, said they couldn’t find any companies willing to associate their name and brand with the UFC, let alone pay for the privilege. At one point, the UFC had debts upwards of thirty million dollars after an initial investment of just two million.
Lorenzo told Bensinger that his brother, Frank Fertitta, had almost lost patience with the venture and intended to pull the plug on the organization, as every show they were putting on was losing them money, plunging the company further into debt.
”I actually got to the point where I called Dana, and I said, look, we’re going to have to take a loss on this thing [the UFC]. It’s time to move on; we can’t keep funding this thing; it’s not working.”
Lorenzo asked Dana White to find a suitable buyer for the company. Dan Lambert, owner of the highly successful MMA gym ‘American Top Team’ based in Florida, was interested in purchasing the UFC for around four or five million dollars. After sleeping on it, Lorenzo decided against selling up and gave it one final attempt at success.
In 2005, the UFC launched “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show in what was effectively the last roll of the dice for the promotion. After being rejected by numerous networks, the Fertitta brothers pitched to Spike TV, offering to produce the show at no cost to the network, making it a difficult proposition to reject.
The show’s concept was to gather mixed martial artists from various backgrounds, split them into teams, and force them to live under the same roof. At the same time, they completed a rigorous training camp in preparation to fight each other in a knockout-style format. A fighter from the current UFC roster would coach each team until the contestants whittled down to two finalists who went on to compete at a live UFC event, with the final prize being a six-figure contract.
Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter
Season 1 featured Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell as the coaches for the debut season. Due to the UFC’s failure to sell commercials during the show’s run, they decided to advertise their upcoming pay-per-view (UFC 52) at every opportunity, which was to be headlined by a fight between the two coaches. Couture and Liddell’s star power, coupled with their popularity on the show, would have a significant impact on saving the company, as they went on to have a thrilling trilogy for which Liddell would claim bragging rights (2-1).
The debut season featured two weight divisions; light-heavyweights and middleweights. Each coach took turns selecting a fighter based on what they had seen in the introductory training sessions, and the rosters were as follows:
Team Liddell
- Light-Heavyweights – Alex Schoenauer, Bobby Southworth, Forrest Griffin, Sam Hoger
- Middleweights – Diego Sanchez, Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck, Josh Rafferty
Team Couture
- Light-Heavyweights – Jason Thacker, Lodune Sincaid, Mike Swick, Stephan Bonnar
- Middleweights – Alex Karalexis, Chris Leben, Chris Sanford, Nate Quarry
Dramas in the house
In the more recent series of TUF, there is a noticeable difference in the professionalism on display from the contestants, perhaps because the reward (of a UFC contract) is now more significant, given the organization’s growth over the years. Most series now pass without any significant incidents apart from some shoving and name-calling, which is to be expected given the nature of the sport. The same cannot be said of the debut season of the reality show.
Chris Leben, the second pick for Team Couture, certainly had an eventful time in the TUF house. In the first episode, he can be seen drinking heavily before annoying his housemates by giving them nicknames and generally being very loud and abrasive.
In the same episode, Diego ‘Nightmare’ Sanchez lived up to his nickname by getting blackout drunk and having to be carried from the toilet bowl to his bed. Outside, Bobby Southworth told the housemates not to discuss the night’s antics in the future to prevent them from getting into trouble with the coaches / UFC brass. Chris Leben took offense to this and challenged Southworth to a fight, to which Southworth responded with a very insensitive comment about Leben’s family.
After falling asleep in the backyard, Southworth and Koscheck sprayed Leben with a hose, waking him up. Then Leben challenged Southworth to another fight before being whisked away in a van by the production team.
Other crazy incidents throughout the series involving Chris Leben and Diego Sanchez included:
Leben urinating on Jason Thacker’s pillow and smashing the door to one of the bedrooms while Forrest Griffin was sleeping.
Sanchez oiling himself up and asking his teammates to cover him in saran wrap. In another segment, Sanchez proclaims to be the ‘Zen Master’ in the show’s parking lot before trying to muster electricity from the clouds above.
Path to the final
Amidst all the dramas and incidents, there was a UFC contract to be won by the now-depleted roster after Randy Couture sent Jason Thacker and Chris Sanford home.
In the middleweight division, Diego Sanchez defeated Alex Karalexis via first-round submission before securing a split decision victory over Josh Koscheck, earning his place in the finale to face Kenny Florian, who had previously stopped Chris Leben in the first round.
In the light-heavyweight division, Forrest Griffin defeated Alex Schoenauer by submission in round one before beating Sam Hoger by TKO to claim his place in the final against Stefan Bonnar, who had dispatched Bobby Southworth via decision, and Mike Swick via submission in the semi-final.
In the middleweight final, Diego Sanchez emerged victorious with a first-round TKO over Kenny Florian. Although a significant moment in the show’s history, it’s the light-heavyweight final which remains etched into people’s memories almost twenty years later.
While every participant can be considered vital to the show’s success, season one spawned two breakout stars: Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. Their unforgettable showdown in the finale is considered by some the most crucial moment in the sport’s history due to the publicity garnered and the sheer amount of new eyeballs it brought to the UFC. The finalists displayed a never say die attitude throughout all three rounds and were swinging for the bleachers until the end of the bout. The epic three-round war ended with Griffin securing a hard-fought victory, but Bonnar gained more than just a pat on the back as he was also awarded a contract with the UFC.
Season One was unique in the rawness on display from a production standpoint, but it led to many memorable moments. The debut season featured a very talented roster, many of whom went on to have successful careers in the UFC:
Josh Koscheck
After the show, Koscheck became a staple of the UFC roster as he amassed 25 fights in what is now the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization. Koscheck’s last bout in the company came in March 2015, and he departed having amassed a 17-10 MMA record with notable fights, including a knockout victory over Matt Hughes, a decision loss to Georges St.Pierre for the UFC Welterweight title.
Kenny Florian
As with numerous fighters from TUF season 1, Florian went on to have a successful career with the UFC, including a stint as a color commentator and co-host of ‘UFC Tonight’ during the company’s stint on Fox Sports.
Florian had notable victories over both Din Thomas and Takanori Gomi. He fought for UFC gold on three occasions against Sean Sherk and B.J Penn for the Lightweight title and Jose Aldo for the Featherweight crown in what would be his last professional MMA fight at UFC 136.
Diego Sanchez
After being crowned the middleweight winner of TUF season 1, Diego Sanchez took his record to a very impressive 17-0 as he won his next five fights in the UFC, which included a victory over MMA legend Nick Diaz.
Sanchez’s first defeat came against fellow TUF 1 alumni Josh Koscheck, who defeated ‘The Nightmare’ via unanimous decision, avenging his earlier loss against Sanchez on the show.
Wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida followed before B.J Penn handed Sanchez his first career stoppage. The next few years were a mixed bag of results. Still, more often than not, Diego Sanchez delivered exhilarating fights for the fans, etching his name into UFC history as he made an astonishing 32 appearances for the organization.
Forrest Griffin
After winning the light heavyweight division of TUF 1, Griffin compiled a record of 15-4 after defeating Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua via submission (rear-naked choke). The victory earned him a title shot against the highly feared Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson for the UFC Light-heavyweight crown. Griffin won the title via unanimous decision but lost the crown in his next bout to Rashad Evans at UFC 92.
It wasn’t just on TUF where Forrest Griffin delivered entertaining fights. He won three ‘Fight of the Night’ and one ‘Submission of the Night’bonuses in his seven-year fighting career with the UFC, which ended with a unanimous points victory over Tito Ortiz at UFC 148.
Griffin was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 6, 2013, along with his TUF 1 finale opponent, Stephan Bonnar. Since his retirement from the sport, Griffin now works as Vice President of Athlete Development at the UFC’s Performance Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Stephan Bonnar
Following the UFC’s watershed moment during the finale of The Ultimate Fighter, Bonnar went on to become an important part of the UFC’s growth, fighting in the organization on fifteen occasions.
Following the defeat in the finale, Bonnar won his next three bouts, which included a victory over TUF 2 contestant Keith Jardine to take his MMA record to 10-2. Another TUF 2 contestant would be Bonnar’s opponent in his next bout, heavyweight winner Rashad Evans who had dropped down to the light-heavyweight division. Evans won the bout via a majority decision after having success with takedowns.
Bonnar went on to have another ten fights in the UFC, with his 15-9 MMA record not accurately representing his impact on the sport. There aren’t many easy matchups in the UFC, and it was unfortunate for Stephan Bonnar that his opponents included Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Tito Ortiz.
Stefan Bonnar sadly passed away on December 22, 2022. Although he is no longer with us, his name will always be immortal in mixed martial arts, particularly the UFC.
Final Thoughts
The Ultimate Fighter: Season 1 was a costly gamble from Dana White and the Fertitta brothers, who had already invested and lost a lot of money and time trying to make the UFC grow. The first episode gained over one million viewers, and the number of people tuning in grew weekly. Today’s UFC product is littered with sponsors at every turn, a stark contrast to the days prior to TUF where the talent fought on a blank octagon canvas.
The Season 1 finale of The Ultimate Fighter was the first time a live UFC event was televised, and the finale’s success contributed to the organization securing a new broadcasting deal. With TUF now entering Season 31, it’s safe to say that the show was a gamble which paid off, particularly as the UFC was sold in 2016 to the WME|IMG group for four billion dollars. Not a bad return from an initial 2 million dollar investment.
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