Changes are afoot for the upcoming sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). And it's got nothing to do with the overstocked liquor cabinet.
Specifically, the coach of the winning team will not pick the match up for the next bout. Instead, the coaches will alternate each week — regardless of a win or loss — when it comes to selecting the fights.
In previous seasons, the coach of the winning fighter would have the power to line up the next bout, which sometimes led to mismatches and was often a morale killer in certain situations (BJ Penn's team in TUF 5 springs to mind).
There is one more wrinkle: UFC President Dana White will have zero input (at least on camera) when it comes to the semifinal showdowns. In fact, the coach whose team has accrued the most wins throughout the six-week process will earn the right to coordinate both semifinal match ups.
TUF 6 debuts on Wednesday, September 19 at 11:00 p.m. on the Spike television network. This installment features 16 "up-and-coming" 170-pound welterweight fighters who will be coached by either Matt Serra or Matt Hughes.
For more on TUF 6, including the fighters, check out this archive.
Information from this report was culled from the print edition of the WrestlingObserver.com newsletter. Dave Meltzer also reveals the selection order, which can be viewed online here (potential spoilers).
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