Chael Sonnen says The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is tougher than the Olympics and NFL playoffs

Chael Sonnen is wasting no time in doing his part in promoting the next installment of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) on FX.

Before he attempts to take the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight title away from Jon Jones, he will try to prove his coaching skills are better than those of his counterpart as they go head-to-head on season 17 of the reality television show.

According to Sonnen, the tournament is so tough, not even the National Football League (NFL) playoffs or the Olympic games, which feature some of the greatest athletes in the world, can't hold a candle to it.

From yesterday's (Oct. 17, 2012) media conference call:

"The show is coming up, it's on FX and it's coming to a living room near you. I would also like to mention to the media, and I really hope they report this, this show is the single biggest and toughest tournament that we have in this sport. This isn't a four-man tournament that gets spread over the course of a year. This is a 32-man tournament that will take place over five and a half weeks and to be aired over 10 of the most successful ratings FX has ever seen. This is a tournament that is tougher than the Olympic games, it's tougher than the NFL playoffs, it's tougher than any tournament in sports and that storyline constantly gets missed. This is no more reality TV than the NFL playoffs or the Olympics were. It's real and it's on TV. The bottom line is, this is a tournament. This is a tournament so tough that great fighters like Josh Koscheck, Gray Maynard, Stephan Bonnar and Chris Leben couldn't even win it. It's so tough, that world champions Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans came through it. I happen to know the talent that has been selected for this show, this will put all of those seasons to shame and there is a world champion, if not more than one, that's in these young men. Write this down, the toughest tournament in mixed martial arts is coming to FX."

With ratings hitting an all time low this season, which features Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson as coaches, Sonnen and Jones will look to pump some much-need life into TUF, which will no longer air on Friday nights, according to FX Executive Vice President Chuck Saftler.

Though the new time slot is yet to be determined you can bet once it hits the air, "The American Gangster" will do his best in grabbing and holding on to your attention and probably get under the skin of Jones, in the process.

Will you be watching?