The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 midseason report

by Jesse Holland on May 12, 2007 10:55 AM EDT in UFC Programming

By Jesse Holland

Six episodes down, six more to go.

Normally there are varying opinions on how to best evaluate the progress of a specific body of work, but in the case of The Ultimate Fighter, I think the merits are clearly determined by the quality (or lack thereof) from the weekly fights.

And from what I've seen so far, I'm not getting that warm, fuzzy feeling.

I know there's been a great deal of negativity surrounding the dichotomy between promise and payoff, and normally I would agree that the failure to deliver rests on the shoulders of each contestant. After all, in the end it is the fighter's responsibility to perform.

Or is it?

Ladies and gentlemen, we are in our fifth season of this television series. That means Dana White and the UFC have had four chances prior to this to get it right.

And they haven't.

I had certain expectations coming into this season. First and foremost we have a group of lightweights and historically that weight class has been synonymous with action. Secondly, it seemed pretty obvious (especially considering the UFC's popularity) that the Zuffa reps could pick and choose only the best contestants for this show.

Again, we've already had four seasons to get the word out. Am I to believe that in a nationwide talent search the best they could produce was a 2-1 lobster chef and mental patient from the "mean streets" of San Francisco who claims to have won over three-hundred street fights?

Or what about Noah, who according to his bio is noted for quoting movies and impersonating fighters like Ross Pointon. Folks, an impersonation is only as good as the person you're imitating. And let's not forget that Noah has only been training for about a year.

Then again Noah must seem like Helio Gracie compared to Corey Hill, who as we recently learned has never had an MMA match in his life. He may be a physical anomaly among lightweights, but anyone who thinks this kid is going to the top doesn't understand the complexity of the talent hierarchy.

And yet despite my complaining I really can't hold any of these guys accountable for their lackluster performances or anemic rÃƒÂ©sumÃƒÂ©s. That blame goes to the UFC and anyone else responsible for selecting fighters.

Jeff Foxworthy once said: "If you mix pond scum with raw sewage you ain't gettin' Evian". So too does it hold true that if you put a group of inexperienced drama queens in a steel cage you ain't gettin' Couture/Liddell.

There are talented fighters out there. Good, talented fighters. If Dana and the UFC have any desire to keep this series on the air they'll make a concerted effort to find them. I can appreciate the need for instigation and comic relief but they should be the exception, not the rule.

From the comments I've read on each of my episode recaps, I know that like myself, most of our readers have expressed disappointment over the quality of the fights. We saw flashes of greatness in Manny and Joe, and Emerson had a good, but not great match against Nate Diaz.

I also know that we still have six episodes left to turn things around. And I'm sure once some of the better fighters start facing off the abortion that was Episode 5 may not sting as much.

After all, I would be very surprised if Dana and company would continually tout this as the best season ever with heart-stopping fights only to deliver a steaming pile of failure. He did that once already with Bad Blood: Dana White vs. Tito Ortiz.

I once thought I had a pretty good idea of where the UFC was going with its many endeavors. Now I'm starting to feel like I'm standing in a room full of grinning executives, except I'm not in on the joke.

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Just think back to Dana saying how great the fights are, how crazy this season is gonna be, how great the fights are, how wild all the contestants are, how great the fights are… How many great fights so far? 2? Well that’s 33%. And that sucks. I know how much Dana likes to hype things, but when hype becomes lies, you start losing fans.

by MoreThanUFC on May 12, 2007 11:11 AM EDT reply actions

Their has been no amazing fight yet, JL’s fight was good… for the brief period it lasted, but their has been no wars. That emerson vs diaz fight was just ok. emerson just threw wildley, hit nothing…, it was really boring. Hopefully when the better fighters in the house face off the show will get better.

by Goat on May 12, 2007 11:32 AM EDT reply actions

Lots of fights left… so Im holding myopinion till its done. the semis might be good with this mix.

by Luppers on May 12, 2007 11:51 AM EDT reply actions

i want to believe the great fights are to come diez and lauzon in the finale

by george on May 12, 2007 12:17 PM EDT reply actions

Lots of fights left… so Im holding myopinion till its done. the semis might be good with this mix.

i agree, there have been some questionable fights, but i think the weaker fighters are getting weeded out and when guys like manny and diaz and joe and wiman and maynard and them have to fight each other then hopefully we’ll see some real fights…

by tha spida on May 12, 2007 12:21 PM EDT reply actions

Most of these guys are uncoachable, snot-nosed brats.

by Erhardt on May 12, 2007 12:27 PM EDT reply actions

i agree, there have been some questionable fights, but i think the weaker fighters are getting weeded out and when guys like manny and diaz and joe and wiman and maynard and them have to fight each other then hopefully we’ll see some real fights…

there shouldnt be and weaker fighters. i think that was the point of the article

by GasManShad on May 12, 2007 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

there shouldnt be any weaker fighters is what i meant to say. i literally have at least 10 friends that could beat half the guys

by GasManShad on May 12, 2007 1:21 PM EDT reply actions

yeah i agree, maybe they should host tryouts in more than one place, they held the tryouts in fla, maybe a lot of good fighters couldn’t get down there for the tryout…

by tha spida on May 12, 2007 1:25 PM EDT reply actions

They should have raided the IFL for lightweights. They have some animals over there. Chris Horodecki and Bart Palaslewski to name a couple.
It seems to me that they use the show as a farm system. They are trying to find someone they can turn into the next big marketing tool. Look at the winners of all the shows. they baby them. How many fights until they fight someone dangerous? Diego’s had the stiffest competition, but even his first two were feeders.
So this show has never been about finding the best unsigned fighters in the game, because if this is the best our country has to offer, I might as well cut weight and talk a lot of junk ‘cause there’s a few of them I know I’d knock out!!!!!!

by getrawbc on May 12, 2007 1:29 PM EDT reply actions

Should get a lot better now that the more competitive fighters are left.

by c-war on May 12, 2007 1:33 PM EDT reply actions

Should get a lot better now that the more competitive fighters are left.

I agree. There should be some good fights with Cole, Manny Nate, Joe. The quartfinals are shaping up to be quite nice.

by getrawbc on May 12, 2007 1:48 PM EDT reply actions

Just think back to Dana saying how great the fights are, how crazy this season is gonna be, how great the fights are, how wild all the contestants are, how great the fights are… How many great fights so far? 2? Well that’s 33%. And that sucks. I know how much Dana likes to hype things, but when hype becomes lies, you start losing fans.

dana always say’s this before every season, about how it is the best one yet. what else is he going to say, that this season sucks? i think its going to start to get alot better though. it cant get worse.

by bw on May 12, 2007 1:51 PM EDT reply actions

i really dont care that it is gonna get better…
fact is
all 16 fighters should be good

by GasManShad on May 12, 2007 2:13 PM EDT reply actions

i really dont care that it is gonna get better…
fact is
all 16 fighters should be good

then dont watch it if you feel this strongly. nothing is perfect in life, no since dwellin on the past.

by bw on May 12, 2007 2:30 PM EDT reply actions

then dont watch it if you feel this strongly. nothing is perfect in life, no since dwellin on the past.

see.. thats where the UFC puts it in your ass. if you love mma. there is nothing really else to watch for free. some ifl and some bodog. but what else?

by GasManShad on May 12, 2007 2:37 PM EDT reply actions

see.. thats where the UFC puts it in your ass. if you love mma. there is nothing really else to watch for free. some ifl and some bodog. but what else?

sorry nothing personal, but your right what else is there to watch on thursdays at 10. i love all mma, but it seems that since the ufc is so much biiger than anything else right now some people do nothing but try to pick at it and bring it down. it seems that some people do nothing but hate on everything ufc,dana,it’s fighters etc. then why do they come to a site called UFCmania?

by bw on May 12, 2007 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

and i dont see how ufc is putting it in my ass with tuf, like you said its free. now on the other hand ufc72 is really shoving it in there.

by bw on May 12, 2007 3:06 PM EDT reply actions

sorry nothing personal, but your right what else is there to watch on thursdays at 10. i love all mma, but it seems that since the ufc is so much biiger than anything else right now some people do nothing but try to pick at it and bring it down. it seems that some people do nothing but hate on everything ufc,dana,it’s fighters etc. then why do they come to a site called UFCmania?

settled… UFC 72 = ass rape. dana lying to us about the greatness of TUF 5 and letting a bunch of shitty fighters on the she is just a slap in the face.
i wasnt ripping mma. i really just think there is better quality out there

by GasManShad on May 12, 2007 3:10 PM EDT reply actions

she = show

by GasManShad on May 12, 2007 3:10 PM EDT reply actions

I go back to saying the UFC is using the wrong method to get these fighters. Drills and bs….have a tourny and let that decide. There’s no better way to see if someone is tough then simple letting him prove it, not by knowing what to do when they call for a certain drill, but seeing him fight. The UFC can aire the tourny as well. Better fighters more fighting…seems good to me.

by Tommy on May 12, 2007 3:11 PM EDT reply actions

or at least have them bring videos of at least 3 or 4 fights

by GasManShad on May 12, 2007 3:16 PM EDT reply actions

I bet by fighting your way on the show we won’t the Gabes of the world that just wanna be on a show. Yet I bet Joe L and Diaz would still be there…actual fighters, in the now.

by Tommy on May 12, 2007 3:19 PM EDT reply actions

“there shouldnt be any weaker fighters is what i meant to say. i literally have at least 10 friends that could beat half the guys”
Where is he at get him on the show call UFC call somebody. lmao

by Playerfly_81 on May 12, 2007 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

did any body ever think that there may be alot of good fighters who dont tryout for the show because they are afraid tthey might lose on national t.v. if they get on. its happened in the past when guys who were elminated were given a 2nd chance due to injuries. they didnt want to get beaten twice on live t.v. plus being in that house and being in that big of a spotlight can be a little intimadating.

by bw on May 12, 2007 3:42 PM EDT reply actions

If your afraid to lose, you’ve already lost.

by Tommy on May 12, 2007 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

Actually Tommy, we would probably still have the attention whore debacle that was Gabe—since he fought in the UFC prior to this show (and was KO’d by a now infamous shot to is gut by snorty Guillard).

However I do think you have the right idea with a proposed tourney. In all reality a lot of these guys may have looked impressive during the tryouts, but there is a big difference between practice and competition (in every sport).

by E on May 12, 2007 3:45 PM EDT reply actions

then dont watch it if you feel this strongly. nothing is perfect in life, no since dwellin on the past.

These guys are 4real except for Mr hill(great athlete but no MMA star yet). Everybody on the show is good they just face people who been fighting longer or who are just flat out better than they are. Gabe might have won against hill if he could have made weight. Emerson should have won against hill but he didn’t have that swagger like hill has and that the reason he lost. Plus he did not push the fight pace hill did. Joe Vrs Brian was a good match Joe a beast in the cage. Brian you can’t really judge if he sucked he was just out match. Cole Vrs Allen was a one sided fight cole dominated the match. Allen look like he might be alright learn some BJJ he might be alright. Manny dominated Noah. Andy should have beaten bradon I don’t what to say about Mr andy I know knuckle head.

by Playerfly_81 on May 12, 2007 3:46 PM EDT reply actions

TUF vrs Contender
MMA Vrs Died Boxing
But the different between the two shows is that in the contender people want to fight the best people every week so you could get respect. They want to win the money too. People on TUF on every season they always pick off the weak people. Instead of the weak people steping up and fighting the strong people and winning. TUF should add there family to the mix so they might fight harder. Than we might see more upsets in the cage if your wife or mother was there by the ring, or more crying one of the two.

by Playerfly_81 on May 12, 2007 3:55 PM EDT reply actions

That was my in the now E. Gabe wouldn’t even have made the weight to take part in the tourny.

by Tommy on May 12, 2007 4:02 PM EDT reply actions

did any body ever think that there may be alot of good fighters who dont tryout for the show because they are afraid tthey might lose on national t.v. if they get on. its happened in the past when guys who were elminated were given a 2nd chance due to injuries. they didnt want to get beaten twice on live t.v. plus being in that house and being in that big of a spotlight can be a little intimadating.

most of the guys who lose get a second chance to fight in the ufc on the tuf final show, and if they win that they usually get another fight at some point, its happened every season…

by tha spida on May 12, 2007 4:28 PM EDT reply actions

I go back to saying the UFC is using the wrong method to get these fighters. Drills and bs….have a tourny and let that decide. There’s no better way to see if someone is tough then simple letting him prove it, not by knowing what to do when they call for a certain drill, but seeing him fight. The UFC can aire the tourny as well. Better fighters more fighting…seems good to me.

good idea. there’s probably no exact science on how to do this perfect. i still liked it better when they had the challenges to see who got to pick whom to fight. the reality part of the show can be annoying, but there trying to bring in the casual or non-fan with this stuff. a tourney would be great as long as no one got injured.

by bw on May 12, 2007 7:03 PM EDT reply actions

how did corey win that fight ?!
man did he suck or what !

by kickbox beginner on May 12, 2007 9:25 PM EDT reply actions

That was his fight in MMA

by josh on May 12, 2007 9:59 PM EDT reply actions

There are maybe seven guys who deserve to be on the show: Gray, Wiman, Manny, Nate, and Joe. Andy has(had) credentials, and lets face it, Gabe is qualified. The rest have NO business on the set. (Maybe Cole is ok)

These guys are really making the UFC and MMA look bad. Real bad. Laughable bad. I could find ten guys on the street to beat the scrubs on the show. No Joke, I could.

If you want 1 or 2 human punching bags for effect, I understand, but more than half the cast? Bad move Dana. You aren’t advancing the cause with this.

by Rollo the Cat on May 12, 2007 11:10 PM EDT reply actions

The Contender 1 was a great show, I was hooked immediately. That Alfonso Gomez/Peter Manfredo fight, although maybe not a class fight, was still amazing. Did that show pre-date the TUF 1 season? Doesn’t matter to me, just curious.

Yes, the TUF 5 season ain’t great mma, but like some, I still look forward to Thursday
nights because of it. I feel pretty sure that there’ll be at least 2 good episodes before the
season ends. I effing hope.

by the Purple Nurpler on May 13, 2007 12:56 PM EDT reply actions

Just think back to Dana saying how great the fights are, how crazy this season is gonna be, how great the fights are, how wild all the contestants are, how great the fights are… How many great fights so far? 2? Well that’s 33%. And that sucks. I know how much Dana likes to hype things, but when hype becomes lies, you start losing fans.

More specifically, I think Dana had hyped Emerson. Saying his fight with Diaz was the best they had ever had on the show (he got his ass kicked) and then bringing him back and everyone cheering (he fought a boring fight against an amatuer). Emerson seems like a chill guy on the show, but he also seems like a chill fighter and thats not such a good thing.

Also, Corey Hill def was not a beast. Not even close. I thought I was skinny at 6’3" and 185lbs. I cant see myself shedding 30 lbs. Maybe Jeremy Horn can do something with him.

by Mahde on May 13, 2007 1:18 PM EDT reply actions

Why are all you guys watching the fighting when there are so many thong festivals? This season is SO awesome. It has WAY MORE crying than last!

I guess Corey won? Sorry if I seem out of it, but that fight was so boring I just awoke from my coma.

Thanks for this season Dana. You owe us one.

by Pacalis on May 13, 2007 4:04 PM EDT reply actions

how did corey win that fight ?!
man did he suck or what !

Agreed, the way corey talks, you would think he fights like bruce lee, I was unimpressed. I still think Emerson won the first two rounds, I don’t know what happened there….weird. Corey did press the action more, which is why I think the judges gave him the decision, but emerson definitely landed more shots. Poor penn he can’t get his guys to listen to him, he was yelling at emerson to be aggressive that the round was almost over, but he just wouldn’t bring it. Corey sucked but did have quite a reach advantage on emerson, emerson still should have rushed in and gave er, the judges probably would have given him the round if he was aggressive for the last minute.

by nathan on May 13, 2007 6:31 PM EDT reply actions