Latest editions of TUF haven't delivered future fighters

The recent news that TUF 6 veteran Matt Arroyo was cut by the UFC is the latest example that The Ultimate Fighter has lost its way, specifically with regards to talent development. Obviously, the reality show has several goals that it attempts to achieve simultaneously; the show needs to satisfy the Spike producers, the need to generate ratings, while promoting future PPV main events and exposing the UFC fan to new fighters, are all examples of the multitude of masters the show is trying to please. These goals are not necessarily complementary, in fact they are often clashing, specifically finding talented fighters versus finding entertaining fighters. With regards to talent generation, the show has not lived up to its mission statement in its most recent incarnations. Let's examine the roster of fighters to come out of seasons six and seven.

Season six, or Team Serra vs. Team Hughes, was designed to promote the December fight between the two coaches as well as add even more depth to the stacked 170lbs. division. Besides the winner, Mac Danzig, four other fighters appeared poised to become staples within the UFC; Tommy Speer, Jon Koppenhaver, Ben Saunders and Matt Arroyo. Three of these fighters have now been cut. Koppenhaver was a public relations disaster (an example of the primacy of controversy over talent). Tommy Speer was nowhere near ready to fight at a high level, as evidence by his quick losses to Anthony Johnson and Mac Danzig. Matt Arroyo appeared a front runner in the show but an injury caused him to withdraw from his semi-final fight. Arroyo was given a second chance but has gone 1-2 in the UFC bringing his overall record to 3-3. His inconsistencies cost him a position inside the Octagon.

For the two fighters still on the UFC roster, the picture is not necessarily rosy. Ben Saunders appears the best product from this season. While his competition has been lack luster, at least he has won the fights he is suppose to win. Still Saunders represents a project at welterweight. 

The winner of the sixth season, Mac Danzig, is 2-2 in the UFC, (2-4 in his past six fights) despite an immediate drop in weight classes to 155lbs. While Danzig did fight some strong competition, i.e. Clay Guida, the UFC cannot be pleased with their TUF 6 champion's recent loss to Josh Neer. Perhaps Danzig's future is at 145lbs. in the WEC. Due to Danzig's performance some decided to call him the worst TUF winner, that title is reserved for the winner of season seven though.

Season seven mirrored season six being having a two pronged goal. It was meant to promote the Fourth of July bout between Quinton ‘Rampage' Jackson and Forrest Griffin while shoring up the thinly perceived middleweight division. Yet this season simply provided another disappointing crop of fighters.

Amir Sadollah, a MMA amateur, won a season that only provided three other credible fighters in Jesse Taylor, Tim Credeur and C.B. Dolloway. The TUF 7 champion, Amir Sadollah, has yet to fight a bout in the UFC not connected to the reality show, due to a slew of injuries. Now Amir is dropping to welterweight, a division that is not kind to green fighters looking for experience, a la Tommy Spear. It may be too early to throw dirt on Amir's MMA grave but there are few UFC starts as poor as Amir's has been.

The picture is equally bleak for the rest of the season seven alums. For instance Jesse Taylor is out of the UFC for bad behavior (a constant theme) and Tim Credeur does not appear to be a future top-ten middleweight, at best he could be a Chris Lytle for middleweights. Only C.B. Dolloway came out of the season with the possibility of becoming a staple in the UFC, despite two losses to Amir Sadollah. Dolloway has now won two fights in a row but has yet to endear himself upon MMA fans.

Season eight appears to continue the recent trend of mediocrity. While it is still too early to make a judgments about the overall talent from the eighth season, but the presence, and constant forgiveness, of Junie Browning is evidence enough that the show was predicated more on entertainment than the exposure of future talent. Hopefully the season's winners, Efrain Escudero and Ryan Bader can improve upon the recent graduates from The Ultimate Fighter.

Perhaps The Ultimate Fighter has served its purpose. Perhaps MMA and the UFC have become mainstream enough that promising young fighters, such as the Jon Jones', Anthony Johnson's, Ben Askren's don't feel the need to go on a reality show to achieve a position within the UFC. Personally, I find it far more likely that the door has been shut on certain fighters in favor of the Junie Browning's, Gabe Ruediger's and Jon Koppenhaver's (the latest news regarding Junie's brother is further evidence). Considering the show has missed the mark, with regards to finding talent, in its most recent incarnations perhaps it is time to refocus the goals of the show to serve a more narrow mark.