Michael Chiesa and Phillip Phillips: Comparing TUF Winners to American Idols

On the surface, the link between American Idol and The Ultimate Fighter seems to be nonexistent. The UFC’s trademark reality TV show and America’s most popular singing competition aren’t often thought of as kindred spirits.However, when you think about…

On the surface, the link between American Idol and The Ultimate Fighter seems to be nonexistent. The UFC’s trademark reality TV show and America’s most popular singing competition aren’t often thought of as kindred spirits.

However, when you think about the two shows, there are certainly some similarities.

Both shows attempt to find largely undiscovered up-and-comers and offer them a shot at making it to the big-time through competition (all while not-so-subtly making money off of the ensuing drama). These two shows may not have much overlap between their audiences (I may be the only one who will admit to watching both), but they have been entertaining us for the better part of a decade.

Another thing they have in common is that it’s hard to tell just how far the winners will go. There are TUF alumni that have gone on to hold championships and there are a few that never quite lived up to the billing of winning the show. Similarly AI has produced some highly successful recording artists and a few artists that never quite made it and ended up with a minor role in a Broadway adaptation of Grease.

Whether you are a fan of both shows or not, there are a few winners from each whose careers are very similar.

Begin Slideshow

Should the UFC Consider Letting the Fans Pick a Fight Card?

When it comes to fan access, the UFC reigns supreme over all other sports organizations.The most recent example of the UFC’s openness to the voice of the fan is the upcoming UFC on FX 3 event that will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Why Ft. Lauderdale…

When it comes to fan access, the UFC reigns supreme over all other sports organizations.

The most recent example of the UFC’s openness to the voice of the fan is the upcoming UFC on FX 3 event that will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Why Ft. Lauderdale? Because fans voted for the event to be held there.

The first fight to be aired on the main card will be an entertaining bantamweight collision between Scott Jorgensen and Eddie Wineland. Why? Because the fans got to vote on that too. While the match-ups were already predetermined, it was the fan vote that determined which one got the coveted last spot on the FX show.

So what’s the next step in fan involvement? 

An entire card picked by the fans would be an excellent next step. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is a pivotal cog in the success of the organization—and the best at what he does, but giving him a day off and allowing the fans to pick a card would take the UFC’s commitment to fan involvement to a whole other level.

The idea of fans affecting matchmaking isn’t new—Dana White cited a harsh response from Twitter as one of the reasons he thought better of making a Brock LesnarFrank Mir trilogy after Lesnar was defeated by Cain Velasquez. Fans didn’t want the match, so it didn’t happen.

For a sport still trying to break through into the mainstream, an all-fan picked fight card could be a great marketing tool. Allowing the dedicated fans to have that much voice is something that really sets the UFC apart from other major sports organizations.

What are the odds that the NFL would ever allow fans to vote on prime-time match-ups? Slim to none. 

The risk involved in allowing the fans to select a card would be minimal. With the increased television exposure that the UFC gets with Fuel TV, FX and Fox, the amount of events continues to grow. Should the card be a flop, the UFC won’t be doing much worse than the ratings that they already pull on the average Fuel card. 

If the UFC wants to continue to be the leader in fan access across all sports, the time is now to consider an all fan-picked fight card.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

5 Reasons UFC 147 Should Be a Free Card

Given the suddenly watered-down feel to UFC 147, Dana White and Co. should really consider doing something unprecedented and make the scheduled pay-per-view a free event.This isn’t a complaint that we aren’t offered enough fights for free—with th…

Given the suddenly watered-down feel to UFC 147, Dana White and Co. should really consider doing something unprecedented and make the scheduled pay-per-view a free event.

This isn’t a complaint that we aren’t offered enough fights for free—with the advent of Facebook fights and free cards appearing on both FX and Fuel TV quite often, the UFC definitely doesn’t owe the fans anymore free fights than we already get.

However, there are some great reasons as to why UFC 147 would be better served as a free fight card for fans to enjoy without laying down their hard-earned cash.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 146: Power Ranking the Potential Bouts for the Heavyweight Winners

As expected, the UFC 146 main card made up of all heavyweights went a long way in defining the division’s landscape.With all five of the victors taking home stoppage victories and none needing the third round to finish the fight, all of the winners mad…

As expected, the UFC 146 main card made up of all heavyweights went a long way in defining the division’s landscape.

With all five of the victors taking home stoppage victories and none needing the third round to finish the fight, all of the winners made an emphatic statement that they deserve a step up in the rankings. As exciting as the fights were, as fans we always want to know what’s next. It’s never too early to take a look at what may lie ahead for the winners.

Here are potential bouts for each winner ranked in order of potential awesomeness.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 146 Fight Card: 5 Reasons for Fans to Root for Junior Dos Santos

When heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos defends his heavyweight championship against Frank Mir at UFC 146, he should do so as the undisputed fan favorite.As the newest heavyweight champion, dos Santos is one of the fastest rising superstars in the …

When heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos defends his heavyweight championship against Frank Mir at UFC 146, he should do so as the undisputed fan favorite.

As the newest heavyweight champion, dos Santos is one of the fastest rising superstars in the UFC, and his first chance to headline a pay-per-view as the champion is a big opportunity for him to cash in on his new-found popularity.

Here’s why fans should be pulling for JDS to beat Mir.

Begin Slideshow

Bellator 69: Is Maiquel Falcao the Next Hector Lombard?

After Bellator 69, Maiquel Falcao will establish himself as the favorite to replace Hector Lombard as one of the most exciting champions in the organization.Falcao finds himself a win over Andreas Spang away from claiming his shot at the middleweight c…

After Bellator 69, Maiquel Falcao will establish himself as the favorite to replace Hector Lombard as one of the most exciting champions in the organization.

Falcao finds himself a win over Andreas Spang away from claiming his shot at the middleweight championship. With former champion Lombard recently signed to the UFC, the winner of tonight’s fight will meet fellow middleweight contender Alexander Schlemenko for the now-vacant title.

When Bellator lost Lombard, they didn’t only lose a champion.

They lost one of their biggest draws and most exciting fighters. Lombard was a powerhouse and one of the elite fighters in an organization with a roster mostly devoid of marketable stars. 

Luckily for Bellator, Falcao has joined the company’s roster at a great time. With the title up for grabs, Falcao has impressively outpointed Norman Paraisy and Vyacheslav Vasilevsky in highly entertaining bouts that showed off Falcao’s explosive striking and impressive hand speed.

Falcao’s fight with Spang should be even more entertaining as both fighters are gifted strikers, and there will be some bad blood between the two after their post-fight scuffle at Bellator 66.

Despite winning his first two Bellator fights by decision, Falcao is known as a finisher. Out of Falcao’s 30 wins in his career, 26 were finishes, and he has won by KO/TKO 23 times. By comparison, Lombard has won 31 career fights and finished 24 of them (17 KO/TKO and seven submissions).

Falcao may not be as well versed in submissions as Lombard, but the two are both entertaining middleweights who throw strikes with bad intentions. 

With Lombard gone, Bellator desperately needs a new star in the middleweight division and Falcao could definitely be that star.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com