UFC's Dana White open to another "Comeback" season of The Ultimate Fighter, scoffs at show criticism

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The Ultimate Fighter's first live season on FX comes to a close next Friday night with The Ultimate Fighter Finale in Las Vegas, but after the lowest ratings in show history, many have called for an overhaul of the show.

Just what that would entail isn't a clear answer, though one suggestion has been bringing back the "comeback" concept of season four. That season featured fighters who had competed in the UFC previously, with the winner earning a title shot in the middleweight and welterweight divisions; that subsequently led to the biggest upset in UFC history when Matt Serra cashed in on that shot, capturing the title from Georges St-Pierre.

Would that be something the UFC would consider? UFC President Dana White thinks it might be.

"Of course," White said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com following Friday's semifinal event. "I think enough time has gone by by where there's enough guys out there where you could do that type of show again."

White admitted that Serra's upset win over GSP makes him a big fan of the "comeback" season. Still, while he's open to some differing ideas on the future of the program, he balked at the widespread criticism of the show.

"Seriously? Seriously, think about this: 'Rejuvenating 'The Ultimate Fighter' brand and it being stale and all this?'" he said. "Do you like fights? It's a [expletive] fight show. It's a fight show. This isn't the [expletive] 'Jersey Shore.' It's not the same [expletive] crew partying and hanging out and he's mad at him and she's mad at her."

"It's a [expletive] fight show. We're looking for the new talent, and the show has proven itself throughout the years. I mean, how many champions have come from 'The Ultimate Fighter?' How many top contenders? How many of the sport's biggest stars have come from 'The Ultimate Fighter?' It is what it is. The [expletive] show is a fight show. ... If people are tired of seeing fights, I guess I'm [expletive]."

Penick's Analysis: Here's the disconnect from White's personal involvement in each season and the viewing public: they're not wanting to see fights out of this level of competition. White wants to talk about champions and contenders out of the show, but they've all been from earlier seasons. The longer the show's been on, the lower the level of talent they've been bringing into the UFC. Most of the legitimate prospects making their way into the organization are bypassing The Ultimate Fighter for a number of reasons, and fans are clearly growing tired of watching fights they don't care about. Yes, it's a fight show, but fans have to have a reason to tune in to those fights, and when the track record of these more recent seasons has been less than stellar, fans are finding less and less reason to watch them.

Phil Baroni Don Barr Pat Barry  Vitor Belfort  Robert Berry