After 14 seasons of The Ultimate Fighter, it was abundantly clear that the show’s formula was stale. It needed a new wrinkle, something that would drastically change things up and help draw fans back to the show that launched the careers of notable stars like Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Josh Koscheck.
Season 15 is giving the show the change it needed. No longer will the entire show be taped months in advance. Now, for the first time ever, each Friday night episode of the show on FX will feature live fighting. The fighter’s activities during the week leading up to the fight will be taped, but the action in the cage will play out in real time.
It’ll add a new level of drama to the show that hasn’t existed up until now. After all, there’s just something about live sporting action.
But before this latest batch of UFC hopefuls can move into the house and start preparing for a 13-week grind that will take them well into the summer months, they’ll have to compete in elimination fights to determine who goes into the house and who goes home. Those fights—all 16 of them—will air live tomorrow night on FX.
Let’s take a look at five fighters to watch out for during tomorrow night’s debut episode of the show and beyond.