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Anyone Watch the Ultimate Fighter?

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CrazyExpat

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CrazyExpat: I was a huge fan of the Ultimate Fighter...watched every season and loved them, especially the first season that gave us some great, great MMA fighters...Diego Sanchez (one of my favorites), Kenny Florian, and of course, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar (did you see that fight...one of the all-time classics.)

Season 2 kinda rocked it, too. Matt Hughes was a real dick as a coach, and Rich Franklin didn't really do much for me, but the fighters were outstanding. When Joe Daddy climbed around his teammate hundreds of times in that challenge, pushing himself beyond exhaustion, I was amazed at the guy's strength, endurance and mental toughness and have been pulling for him ever since. I knew Keith Jardine was going to turn out to be a fighter with a lot of heart, and some great hands, and I've been kind of disappointed at his inconsistent performance. And even with Rashad Evans, who I dislike, you have to admit the guy is one hell of a fighter, and he just keeps getting better, especially his stand-up.

The other seasons have produced some pretty good fighters, too. Michael Bisping, of course, (who I respect even more after he didn't whine about Dan Henderson's cheap shot, even though he could have) and, even though they are real assholes, both Matt Serra and Nate Diaz backed up their big mouths with some solid fights.

But, having said all that, Dana White is really testing the limits of my fan loyalty with some of the clown-shoes BS he is pulling with the UFC lately.

First, did you see how many chances he gave that punk Junie Browning in season 8? That kid was a disgrace to MMA, but Dana just kept him around because he though Browning's little soap-opera diva behavior would generate ratings. Then, in the worst possible decision in the short history of MMA, he brought Brock Lesnar over from the frickin' WWE...wtf??? We all saw at UFC 100 just how badly that asshole can damage MMA, but Dana still backed him up. And now, we've got the biggest joke ever...Kimbo Slice...in this season?

Give me a break. MMA is the purview of dedicated fighters who have trained and honed their skills in an art form...brutal yes, but still an art form. Slice is street thug who made his name knocking out a few guys on YouTube. He didn't even last 10 seconds against Seth Petruzelli, who's not exactly one of the sport's stellar fighters. After that loss, Slice should have just slunk away to obscurity.

But no, Dana, in his ever-pressing quest for...I don't know what...has decided to give him legitimacy by offering him a shot at fighting in the UFC.

I've been a fan since the very first UFC back in, what, '93? I remember watching Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock (before he became such a joke) transform fighting sports. And I have to give Dana credit for taking it mainstream...UFC would have withered and died on the vine without the energy and commitment he's put into it.

That's why I don't understand what he's doing now. But it sure has made me start to lose my taste for watching the Ultimate Fighter or UFC events.

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