Looking back at TUF 14, could Brandao and Dodson become champions in the UFC?
Nearly seven years ago, a tv show brought the sport of Mixed Martial Arts to the mainstream public. When The Ultimate Fighter season one debuted January 17 2005 it was a big gamble for ZUFFA at the time to venture into the unknown waters of reality television. That crapshoot paid off, gave birth to a legion of loyal fans, and created superstars and champions out of many who appeared on the show. After fourteen seasons, the show that saved the Ultimate Fighting Championship will now start a new chapter in the spring of 2012 on FX. Last Saturday was the ‘swan song’ for the series on Spike. Although the series didn’t end with quite the bang that it did when it first started back in ‘05, its legacy will forever cemented into MMA history. Let’s one last look back at the fourteenth season.
TUF 14 kicked off the season with a two hour special featuring some of the world’s best Bantamweights and featherweights outside of ZUFFA. The mainstream public were introduced to the likes of Diego Brandao, John Dodson, Bryan Caraway, TJ Dillashaw, and many more. Names that MMA fans have been familiar with for a long time, but are now featured on the main stage. We’ve seen everything from brutal forty seven second knock outs to high caliber triangle chokes. This season talent wise was looking to best cast of fighters TUF has ever seen.
Aside from the fights, we got to know the people living in the house personally, watched them train, and interact with each other. The Ultimate Fighter wouldn’t be the Ultimate Fighter without an assortment of pranks, adult beverages, confrontations, and personal issues between coaches. Through all the entertainment and television drama, by December 3rd John Dodson was crowned the king of TUF in the bantamweight division and Diego Brandao reigned supreme in the featherweight division.
With this being the last season of TUF on Spike and the series as a whole in its current form what will you remember most about The Ultimate Fighter 14? Will John Dodson and Diego Brandao be able to follow in the footsteps of Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans before them? When TUF airs FX will you still watch? What changes do you hope are made to the show to make it more appealing to you? Leave your thoughts in the comment box.
