Did you watch The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) this past Friday?
Did you really?
If so, bravo. If not, join the club.
More and more people are dropping off the TUF bandwagon, and for good reason.
The live format is cool, but let’s not kid ourselves, we want some star power, some juicy story lines and some foreshadowing to sink our teeth into.
Junie Browning, Chris Leben and my personal favorite, “Titties,” all gave us a reason to watch TUF, but now we have to watch simply for the love of the sport and the hope that we might see a future star in the making.
Look, I’m all about supporting TUF and mixed martial arts in general, but the show needs a little kick, for viewer’s sake.
Enter Tim Sylvia.
The “Maine-iac,” the former UFC heavyweight champion of the world, the man with the epic sideburns and perhaps the most underwhelming workout video ever.
Yes, that Tim Sylvia.
“The Maine-iac” has been on a roll via Twitter and YouTube hoping to garner support for a second chance in the UFC, but so far his pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
So why not make him fight for it?
First of all, he would generate ratings.
Whether you want to see him fail or succeed, he would give you a reason to watch.
He’s a man with a name and reputation, and that is better than anything else on the show at the moment.
Secondly, Sylvia on TUF takes the burden of re-hiring him off the UFC’s shoulders.
The heavyweight division is stacked right now, so the company doesn’t really need him, but it’d be an easy decision for them if he took on the show.
If he wins, he’s in, if he doesn’t, we’re right back where we started.
Of course, the show would see its ratings soar during his season, so we’re not really right back where we started, are we?
The bottom line is, Sylvia is good for TV, good for the UFC and good for the sport.
He rarely finds himself in controversy, but he is a polarizing figure who at one time was the heavyweight division’s biggest draw.
Even if he makes it back to the UFC for just a fight or two, it’s a fight or two I would like to see.
He’s written a pretty significant check with his mouth in recent months, and America would tune in to see him cash it.
So let this be my message to the UFC, FX and whoever else makes this decision:
Bring Tim Sylvia to TUF.
Thank you.
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