Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter starts tonight on Spike at 10PM EDT. Preceded by some episodes of “Ultimate Knockouts” and a two-hour “Ultimate Fight Night” (advertised as live but I’m unsure if it’s a repeat) featuring fighters from the first two seasons. Sixteen new fighters vie to be the next Ultimate Fighters, coached by bitter rivals Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. First episode is 90 minutes so set your recording devices appropriately.
Ultimate Fight Night is live with the following four matches set to air:
*Chris Leben vs. Luigi Fioravanti
*Joe Stevenson vs. Josh Neer
*Rashad Evans vs. Sam Hoger
*Stephan Bonnar vs. Keith Jardine
Hmm. Changes in format and a blood feud between the coaches. Interesting, maybe.
I’m really unclear and have been for the last two seasons why so many of the fighters value the team concept on this show. It makes no real difference if the last man standing against you is on your team or not, with the possible exception of gaining some insight into their style by training with them, and they’d get that same advantage on you.
Not sure about the elimination of the challenges. True, they weren’t very interesting, but last season the stuff set at the house wasn’t very interesting and the challenges broke that up (plus that time when one fighter did like 200 spins around another fighter’s body and the other team didn’t even go was hilarious). Fortunately it looks like there are a goodly supply of drunken louts amongst this crop of contestants so I’m looking forward to more inebriated mischief.
Also not sure about giving fighters a pass to the semis on the basis of one fight. I agree that making everyone fight is a good change.
Tito Ortiz has the freakiest damn head I’ve ever seen. Big thick ridge on the forehead coming to sort of a point on top, and the lowest hairline. Gives me the willies.