Latest news with #TUF
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Video Q&A: 'The Ultimate Fighter' 20-year celebration with Daniel Cormier, Chael Sonnen
Video Q&A: 'The Ultimate Fighter' 20-year celebration with Daniel Cormier, Chael Sonnen Show Caption Hide Caption Relive the "The Ultimate Fighter" 20-Year Celebration & Season 33 Q&A A special 20-Year Celebration of The Ultimate Fighter as key figures from show's history sit down for a powerful panel discussion and Season 33 Q&A LAS VEGAS – "The Ultimate Fighter" continues to rage on. The UFC's long-running reality TV series is a staple of the promotion. To kick off Season 33, coaches Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen joined TUF 1 winner Forrest Griffin and co-creater Craig Piligian for a Q&A panel with host Karyn Bryant. The panel discussed the evolution of TUF over the years, personal stories from past experiences on the show and memorable moments over the show's 20-year run. Check out the full Q&A panel in the video above.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TUF is cooked, Tom Aspinall trolls Jon Jones, troubling BJ Penn news, more May 30, 2025
TUF is cooked, Tom Aspinall trolls Jon Jones, troubling BJ Penn news, more | The Craic | May 30, 2025 Petesy Carroll is joined by Uncrowned's Ben Fowlkes and Drake Riggs to discuss the return of the Ultimate Fighter and whether the series is past its expiration date. Plus, conversations about the continuing Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall saga, troubling news about BJ Penn, and more.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'TUF' producer Craig Piligian reflects on 20 years of UFC reality show – and the moment things changed
'TUF' producer Craig Piligian reflects on 20 years of UFC reality show – and the moment things changed Show Caption Hide Caption Craig Piligian on creating "The Ultimate Fighter" & Saving the UFC Craig Piligian, co-creator of The Ultimate Fighter reflects on the groundbreaking origins of the reality series that helped save the UFC. LAS VEGAS – Not many sports organizations have its permanent existence catalyzed by a reality show. The UFC is different in that regard, however, according to the longtime executive producer of "The Ultimate Fighter." On Tuesday, "TUF 33" launched in the same relative period that the reality show celebrated its 20th anniversary. In correlation with the season premiere, reality series luminaries and alumni gathered at Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa to reminisce and celebrate the show's success. Among them was Craig Piligian, the show's longtime executive producer, who will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in the contributor wing as part of the promotion's 2025 class. "I think the show means a tremendous amount because it helped really a sport that was really misunderstood in the beginning," Piligian told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. "Everybody thought it was a blood sport. No one could watch it. It was banned in every state. I think that the show really dispelled so many rumors. For a sport now that has helped so many people. It has given a lot of fans so much enjoyment. I think the show really added a lot of good will to the sport, the UFC, MMA in general, and all martial arts around the world. I think it was an incredible asset to the UFC. In my world, it's probably at the top. It's so rare that it's never been done, that you do a reality show that helped launch a sport. It didn't happen in football. It hasn't happened in baseball. They didn't do it in basketball. You name the sport, it never really happened. But in this sport, a reality show really launched a tremendously huge global sport." Dana White has long credited the UFC's survival to the reality series, and in particular, the first season's live finale fight between Forrest Griffin and the late Stephan Bonnar in 2005. Piligian, in turn, credits White for the show's success, and in particular, his fiery pump-up speech that is quoted commonly by MMA followers even to this day. "It's wonderful and I actually credit Dana for giving the best reality speech in television history with, 'Do you want to be a f*cking fighter?'" Piligian said. "I truly believe that was the moment that it switched, that the light switched on for the audience, that the light switched on for the fighters in the first season, and that the MMA world saw what it meant to do what these guys were abut to do. I literally create that single speech with a lot of the success of the ultimate fighter and eventually the UFC." "TUF 33," which airs every Tuesday on ESPN2 and ESPN+, features coaches Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, as they work with prospective UFC welterweights and flyweights. While it's unclear what the future holds for "TUF" beyond the current season, Piligian affirmed the recipe still works – and there's no need to get too cute beyond that. "We tried to evolve it a few times," Piligian said. "One season we tried to do 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live." It didn't work out so well. We did team against team and that didn't work out so well. I believe in keeping the format how it is. The one thing that you can't change is the cast. When you cast it correctly and you get the right coaches, the chemistry always works. You have to trust that the format is right, which it is, after 20 years. Now, it's our job to make it interesting, cast it the correct way, get great fights, get great stories, get good coaches, and let it just happen. We don't interfere once it starts. We don't tell them what to say. We don't tell them what to do. We let it happen. That's where that magic stays always and always comes always, season after season."
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Ultimate Fighter season 33 episode 1 recap; how Cormier and Sonnen cheered newcomers
UFC launches The Ultimate Fighter season 33 with tribute to legacy and fierce opening fight Twenty years of The Ultimate Fighter: a legacy rekindled The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 kicked off at the UFC APEX , marking the 20th anniversary of the show that changed mixed martial arts history. UFC CEO Dana White opened with a nod to the show's legendary status, reminding fighters that TUF has produced 16 UFC champions and four Hall of Famers. This season, coached by veterans Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen , includes 16 new fighters vying for a UFC contract. Former TUF winner Forrest Griffin returned to oversee team selections, while White teased appearances from former champions-turned-mentors who will guide this season's prospects. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Kerala - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo Also read: How UFC's move to Netflix might affect your fight night, Joe Rogan weighs in Draft day: Henrique and Morales lead the pack Live Events Following evaluations, Daniel Cormier selected Eduardo Henrique , reigning LFA flyweight champion, as his first flyweight pick. Chael Sonnen responded with veteran Joseph Morales . The two coaches alternated selections, with each eyeing early dominance in both flyweight and welterweight brackets. Notably, Irish fighter Andreeas Binder became the final draft pick for Team Sonnen. Griffin encouraged fighters to maximize the opportunity, stating, 'I won The Ultimate Fighter 20 years ago; I haven't worked a job since.' Inside the TUF house: rivalries and resolutions begin Once inside the TUF house, fighters staked out rooms, waved flags, and declared intentions. Rodrigo Sezinando and Diego Bianchini stood out early, Sezinando for his loud, friendly nature and Bianchini for avoiding bonds with fighters in his own weight class. Tension quickly surfaced, foreshadowing drama to come. Also read: Is Merab ducking rematch with O'Malley? Dvalishvili battles broken toe and cut as UFC 316 title clash with Sean O'Malley nears Fight week: Morales vs. Henrique headlines the opener The first bout was announced: Joseph Morales (Team Sonnen) vs. Eduardo Henrique (Team Cormier). Both coaches respected their opponents, Cormier highlighting Henrique's striking prowess and Sonnen focusing on Morales' grappling game. Fight preparations revealed personal stories. Henrique shared how he was raised by his grandparents after his mother's arrest, while Morales reflected on his prior UFC stint and the support of his wife and two sons. Weigh-in drama and fight night action Weigh-ins brought drama as Morales initially missed weight by half a pound. After stripping down, he made weight on his second try. Fighters jawed back and forth, with clear animosity between Sezinando and Bianchini. On fight night, Morales executed a perfect game plan. After exchanging early strikes, he scored a takedown, transitioned smoothly to Henrique's back, and secured a rear-naked choke in Round 1. Also read: Sit back and watch, uncle Chael: Makhachev responds as Sonnen accuses him of running from a real fight Fight result: Joseph Morales def. Eduardo Henrique via submission (rear-naked choke) in round 1 Aftermath and next fight Announcement In tears after the win, Morales dedicated the victory to his family and said he thrives under pressure. Cormier suggested Henrique overestimated his striking edge, while Sonnen credited Morales' patience and timing. Looking ahead, Team Sonnen chose Richard Martins to face Daniel Donchenko in the first welterweight matchup. Dana White hyped the bout, highlighting Martins' knockout power and Donchenko's youth and experience.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
UFC's Brad Tavares still sees importance of 'The Ultimate Fighter' to modern MMA
UFC's Brad Tavares still sees importance of 'The Ultimate Fighter' to modern MMA Brad Tavares explains why there's still a place for TUF despite Contender Series' massive success. "The Ultimate Fighter" likely saved the UFC from bankruptcy and maybe even the entire sport of mixed martial arts. The success of the UFC's reality series, which launched in 2004 under Spike TV, has been evident through the years. From creating a generation of MMA fans to multiple UFC champions, TUF has been an important part of UFC history, especially in its early days when it was still fighting for public approval. Fast-forward 20 years and 32 seasons later, and "TUF" doesn't the same cache it did back in the day. With the success of Dana White's Contender Series in recent years, which has appeared to overshadow "TUF," many have questioned if the show has run its course. Brad Tavares, a cast-member of Season 11 of "TUF," thinks there's a place for both series and believes "TUF" can still serve an important purpose. "I think there's a lane for both of them," Tavares told MMA Junkie. "What I see in the Contender Series, granted they do make it younger up-and-coming fighters, but I do notice about those guys fighting that they have some experience. They might not have a bunch of fights, but they have that experience, and they might've had a couple of big fights in LFA or Tuff N Uff or whatever feeder shows they have. When I think of 'TUF,' I think of myself. I had four fights. I was 22 years old. I was a baby. I spent my life, a big portion of my life, in the UFC. My fighting career, I grew up in the UFC. I feel like that's better for those younger guys, like it's kind of stages. I'd say for the younger green guys, where you can see the talent there, but they still have to evolve and form into a more complete fighter, I think 'TUF' is great for them. With the guys that are already kind of past that, I think Contender Series." "The Ultimate Fighter 33" premiered Tuesday, celebrating 20 years of the show's history. Tavares, who is now on the tail end of his UFC career, is thankful for the show's existence. He strongly believes his appearance has significantly influenced his career for the better. "I've been in the UFC for 15 years now, and I literally wouldn't be here without 'TUF,'" Tavares said. "That was my foot in the door. I feel like I would've eventually gotten to the UFC. It was always a goal I was chasing. But to get in at such an early age, and to have that platform to show the nation who I was, just this kid from a little island in the Pacific Ocean, not a lot of people knew who I was. ... It paved the way for me and for so many fighters."
