Latest news with #TUF33
USA Today
6 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."
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tony Ferguson longs to coach 'The Ultimate Fighter' against Khabib Nurmagomedov
LAS VEGAS – Tony Ferguson would love the opportunity to coach "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series against a former UFC rival. Ferguson (25-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC), who won Season 13 of "TUF" in 2011, is eager to serve as a coach for the long-running series if it's opposite Khabib Nurmagomedov. "El Cucuy" and Nurmagomedov were booked to fight five times in the UFC, but every scheduled bout ended up canceled for one reason or another. "With 'The Ultimate Fighter,' it was always going to be against Khabib," Ferguson told MMA Junkie at a media event for Tuesday's 'TUF 33' season debut. "That's the only person I want to coach against." Ferguson, 41, insists there's no longer any bad blood between him and Nurmagomedov, 36. While he knows Nurmagomedov promised his late father that he won't fight again, Ferguson is open to settle things in a grappling match. "I'm the only person his dad said, before he passed away, that this is the fight to make," Ferguson said. "Now, regardless if it's a fight, grappling, or anything, I know that he does keep his dad's word, and I know that I never talked about his religion, his wife, or anybody else that goes about it. But I know competition wise, we keep it cordial. There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to coach against each other at 'The Ultimate Fighter.'" Ferguson was scheduled to face Dillon Danis (2-0) in a lightweight bout under the GFL banner this past weekend at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, but the event was canceled several weeks ago. The former interim UFC lightweight champion is still interested in fighting Danis and is absolutely not closing the door on fighting despite losing a UFC record eight bouts in a row dating back to May 2020. "I think any person who goes against what their inner will says, I say f*ck that," Ferguson said. "I think more than anything else, I'm getting more and more deadly. I stopped lifting weights hugely, I'm getting more flexible, my conditioning is getting better because of the fighters that I'm training."
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
'The Ultimate Fighter 33': Cormier vs. Sonnen, Episode 1: UFC alum vs. LFA champ ends quickly
'The Ultimate Fighter 33': Cormier vs. Sonnen, Episode 1: UFC alum vs. LFA champ ends quickly Twenty years after it initially premiered, "The Ultimate Fighter" is back for Season 33. "TUF 33" streamed its first episode Tuesday during which coaches Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen evaluated talent, picked teams and faced off vicariously through their first head-to-head matchup. The season features two weight classes as eight welterweights and eight flyweights work their way through a bracket with the hope of punching a ticket to the final – and then earning a six-figure UFC deal. Here are the official teams for "TUF 33," selected by the coaches: Team Cormier Flyweights: Eduardo Henrique (1), Alibi Idiris (3), Imanol Rodriguez (5), Tumelo Manyamala (7) Welterweights: Rodrigo Sezinando (1), Daniil Donchenko (3), Jeff Creighton (5), Alex Sanchez (7) Team Sonnen Flyweights: Joseph Morales (2), Furkatbek Yokubov (4), Roybert Echeverria (6), Arshiyan Memon (8) Welterweights: Diego Bianchini (2), Matt Dixon (4), Richard Martins (6), Andreeas Binder (8) Fight 1: Eduardo Henrique (CS) vs. Joseph Morales (DC) The first fight of the season took place between the top two flyweight selections. Former UFC fighter and Team Alpha Male member Joseph Morales (12-2) said he was surprised Cormier took LFA flyweight champ Eduardo Henrique (13-2) – and he showed why. In less than half a round, Morales dragged Henrique to the canvas and tapped him out with a rear-naked choke. Morales was all sorts of fired up as he tauntingly screamed, "Uh vai morrer," at the downed Brazilian. "I feel like some of the weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I'm ready to move onto the next fight honestly," Morales said." Next week's matchup On Episode 2, the first two welterweights will square off as Team Cormier's Daniil Donchenko (11-2) battles Team Sonnen's Richard Martins (9-1). "TUF 33" airs every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET and can be watched on ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+.
USA Today
13-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Daniel Cormier, Chael Sonnen propose intriguing assistant coaches fight to conclude 'TUF 33'
LAS VEGAS – Aside from a few exceptions (Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler comes to mind), it's long been tradition that opposing coaches on 'The Ultimate Fighter' fight each other at the end of their season. With retired UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen filling those roles on 'TUF 33' this year, it'll be another season of the show that doesn't culminate with a coaches fight. But Cormier and Sonnen believe they've figured out an alternative that might intrigue fight fans. 'So Chael and I are talking, and we're going, I have Michael Chiesa on my coaching staff. Chael has Colby Covington on his coaching staff. Why don't they just fight and then Chael and I coach them?' Cormier told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Wednesday's 'TUF 33' media day before filming begins. 'That's about as close as we would both get to going back into the octagon. Why don't those dudes just fight each other?' It's not a bad idea. Covington and Chiesa have exchanged words with each other before. Last August, Chiesa expressed his desire to fight Covington to determine the UFC's 'best welterweight in the Pacific Northwest.' Covington grew up in Oregon; Chiesa in Washington. Come to think of it, the idea seems almost too perfect. 'I can't believe nobody is suggesting that,' Sonnen said. 'That's the obvious pick. I don't think Colby and Chiesa are gonna get through this process without finding each other.' Chiesa and Covington most recently competed this past December. At UFC 310, Chiesa, 37, submitted Max Griffin to win his second fight in a row. One week later, Covington, 36, was beaten up badly by Joaquin Buckley and lost the UFC on ESPN 63 main event by third-round injury TKO for his second consecutive defeat. Covington is 2-4 in his past six bouts dating back to December 2019.
USA Today
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'TUF 33' rosters revealed for Daniel Cormier vs. Chael Sonnen season
Eight flyweights and eight welterweights will compete on 'The Ultimate Fighter 33' with the same goal in mind: to join the UFC roster. Wednesday, the promotion revealed the names of the 16 fighters who will compete on the season, which is coached by Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen. The cast has an international flair with 10 countries represented. 'TUF 33' filming is currently underway with a season premiere date set for May 27 on ESPN2, ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. From LFA titleholders to UFC vets seeking a second chance to DWCS alumni, the cast features a handful of names notable to weekly followers of UFC programming. Scroll below to check out the full list of names.
